Philosopher Stone
The philosopher's stone is a legendary alchemical substance said to be able to turn base metals, such as lead, into gold (chrysopoeia) or silver. It was also occasionally believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly immortality. For many centuries, it was the most coveted target in alchemy. The Philosopher's Stone was the central symbol of the mystical terminology of alchemy, symbolizing perfection at its finest, enlightenment, and heavenly happiness. The efforts to discover the Philosopher's Stone were known as the Opus magnum ('Great Work').
History
Mention of the Philosopher's Stone in scripture can be found in Cheirokmeta of Zosimus of Panopolis (c. AD 300). Alchemical writers assign a longer history. Elias Ashmole and the anonymous author of Gloria Mundi (1620) claimed that its history dates back to Adam, who acquired the knowledge of the stone directly from God. This knowledge is said to have been passed down through the Biblical patriarchs, giving them their longevity. The legend of the stone was also compared to the Biblical story of Solomon's Temple and the rejected cornerstone described in Psalm 118.
The theoretical roots that describe the creation of stone go back to Greek philosophy. Later, alchemists used the classical elements, the concept of anima mundi, and the creation stories presented in texts such as Plato's Timaeus as analogies for their process. According to Plato, the four elements were derived from a common source or raw material (first issue), associated with chaos. Prima materia is also the alchemist name assigned to the raw material for the creation of the philosopher's stone. The importance of this first philosophical question persisted through the history of alchemy. In the 17th century, Thomas Vaughan wrote, “the first question of the stone is the same with the first question of all things.”
Middle Ages
The eighth-century alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan (Latinized as Geber) analyzed each classical element in terms of the four basic qualities. The fire was hot and dry, the earth cold and dry, the water cold and humid, and the air hot and humid. It was theorized that all metals were a combination of these four principles, two of them being inner and two being outer. Starting from this premise, it was reasoned that the transmutation of one metal into another could be affected by the rearrangement of its basic qualities. This change would probably be mediated by a substance, which came to be called in Arabic al-Iksir (from which the Western term elixir is derived). It is often considered to exist as a dry red powder (also known as al-Kibrit al-Ahmar الكبريت الأحمر- red sulfur) from a legendary stone—the philosopher's stone. Jabir's theory was based on the concept that metals such as gold and silver could be hidden in alloys and ores, from which they could be recovered by proper chemical treatment. Jabir himself is believed to be the inventor of aqua regia, a mixture of muriatic (hydrochloric) and nitric, one of the few substances that can dissolve gold (and is still widely used for gold recovery and purification).[citation required]
In the 11th century, there was a debate among chemists in the Muslim world as to whether or not transmutation of substances. A main opponent was Avicenna (Ibn Sina), who discredited the theory of the transmutation of substances, saying: "Those of the chemical ship know well that no change can be made in the different species of substances, although they can produce the appearance of such changes."
According to legend, the 13th century scientist and philosopher Albertus the Great is said to have discovered the Philosopher's Stone and it passed to his disciple, Thomas Aquinas, shortly before his death, around the year 1280. Magnus did not confirm that he discovered the stone in his writings, but he did state that he witnessed the creation of that metal by the "transmutation".
Renaissance to Modern Age
The Swiss alchemist of the 16th century Paracelsus (Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim) believed in the existence of alkahest, which, according to their beliefs, is an undiscovered element from which all other elements (earth, fire, water, air) were simply derivative forms. Paracelsus believed that this element was, in fact, the philosopher's stone.
The English physician-philosopher Sir Thomas Browne in his spiritual testament Religio Medici (1643) identified the religious aspect of the search for the philosopher's stone by stating:
The handful I have of the philosophal stone (which is more than the perfect exaltation of gold) taught me a great detail of the Divinity.Thomas Browne, Religio Medici 1,38
A mystical text published in the 17th century called the Mutus Liber, appears to be a symbolic manual of instructions to invent stone to the philosophers. Called the "book without words," it was a collection of 15 illustrations.
Contemporary period
- Creation of gold from nuclear reactions
According to modern understanding, gold is a chemical element that cannot be created from other elements through chemical reactions. Metallic gold can be dissolved from a rock and precipitate out, giving the appearance that the gold has been 'created', but the gold was already in the rock. As a heavy element, the cosmogonic origin of gold must have been in extremely energetic nuclear reactions, which occur only in high-mass stars. It has been proposed that most heavy elements such as gold are produced in neutron star collisions. Therefore, all gold on Earth was accreted on Earth, during the formation of Earth and the solar system., and no new gold was created.
Very small amounts of gold can be created artificially with particle accelerators or nuclear reactors, see Gold in Brief. However, these methods produce radioactive isotopes and are extremely expensive, requiring rare parent isotopes and costly separation and purification of the product. Therefore, the synthesis of gold by nuclear reaction does not seem commercially viable.
Creation of gold from chemical reactions using the digestive process of living organisms
Scientists have discovered that it is possible to obtain gold from compounds with gold atoms, using living organisms. An experiment was carried out to see if the natural process of digestion of certain species of bacteria could carry out metabolic processes that transform certain class of compounds containing gold atoms, in said metal. In this experiment, it was found that if the bacterium Metallidurans cupriadvidus is fed gold chloride, it defecates gold particles.
In Buddhism and Hinduism
The equivalent of the philosopher's stone in Buddhism and Hinduism is the Chintamani.
In Buddhism, Chintamani is held by the bodhisattvas, Avalokiteshvara and Ksitigarbha. He is also seen carrying the back of the Lung ta (wind horse) which is depicted on Tibetan prayer flags. By reciting the Chintamani Dharani, the Buddhist tradition holds that one attains the wisdom of the Buddhas, is able to comprehend the truth of the Buddhas, and becomes fond of Bodhi. It is said to be allowing one to see Amitabha's Holy Retinue and mounting him on one's deathbed. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the Chintamani is sometimes depicted as a luminous pearl and as being in possession of several of the different forms of the Buddha.
In Hinduism it is connected with the gods Vishnu and Ganesha. In Hindu tradition, it is often represented as a fabulous jewel held by King Nāga or as on the forehead of the Makara. [citation needed] The Yoga Vasistha, originally written in the 18th century X d. C., contains a story about the philosopher's stone.
A great Hindu sage wrote about the spiritual realization of Gnosis, using the metaphor of the philosopher's stone. Saint Jnaneshwar (1275-1296), wrote a commentary with 17 references to the philosopher's stone which explicitly transmutes metal into gold. The Indian sage of the VII century Thirumoolar in his classic Tirumandhiram explains the path of man to immortal divinity. In verse 2709 he declares that the name of God, Shiva or the god Shambhala, is an alchemical vehicle that turns the body into immortal gold.
Properties
The Philosopher's Stone has been attributed with many mystical and magical properties. The most frequently mentioned properties are the ability to transmute metals into gold or silver, and the ability to cure all kinds of diseases and prolong the life of anyone who consumes a small part of the philosopher's stone. Other properties mentioned include: creation of perpetually burning lamps, transmutation of common crystals into precious stones and diamonds, reactivation of dead plants, creation of flexible or malleable glass, or the creation of a clone or homunculus.
Names
Numerous synonyms are used to indirectly refer to stone, such as "white stone" (calculus albus, identified with the calculus candidus of Revelation 2:17 which was taken as a symbol of the glory of heaven), vitriol (as expressed in the retroacronym Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem), also lapis noster, lapis occultus, in water at the box, and numerous oblique, mystical or mythological references such as Adam, Aer, Animal, Alkahest, Antidotus, Antimonium, Aqua benedicta, Aqua volans per aeram, Arcanum, Atramentum, Autumnus, Basilicus, Brutorum cor, Bufo, Capillus, Capistrum auri, Carbones, Cerberus, Chaos, Cinis cineris, Crocus, Dominus philosophorum, Divine quintessence, Draco elixir, Filius ignis, Fimus, Folium, Frater, Granum, Granum frumenti, Haematites, Hepar, Herba, Herbalis, Lac, Melancholia, Ovum philosophorum, Panacea salutifera, Pandora, Phoenix, Philosophic mercury, Pyrites, Radices arboris solares, Regina, Rex regum, Sal metallorum, Salvator terrenus, Talcum, Thesaurus, V entus hermetis.) The lapis adopted many of the medieval allegories for a Christ, and the Christ and the stone were in fact taken to be identical in a mystical sense. The name "stone" or lapis is mentioned by early Christian allegory, such as Priscillian (4th century), who asserted Unicornis est Deus, nobis petra Christus, nobis lapis angularis Jesus, nobis hominum homo Christus. simply referred to as "stone", or our stone, or in the case of Thomas Nortons ordinal, "oure piedra delycious". The stone was praised and frequently referenced to these terms.
It is necessary to point out that philosophorum does not mean "of the philosopher" or "philosopher" in the sense of a single philosopher. It means "of the philosophers" in the sense of a plurality of philosophers.
Appearance
Descriptions of the Philosopher's Stone are numerous and diverse. According to alchemical texts, the Philosopher's Stone came in two varieties, prepared by an almost identical method: white (for the purpose of transmuting metals into silver. It would be achieved by wet way), and red (with the purpose of transmuting metals into gold. It would be obtained using the dry way), the white stone was a less mature version of the red stone. In both cases the starting substance would be the iron pyrite (iron disulfide): FeS2. Some ancient and medieval alchemical texts leave clues about the supposed physical appearance of the philosopher's stone, specifically the red stone. It is often said to be orange (saffron colored) or red when ground into a powder. Or in a solid form, somewhere between red and purple, transparent and glass-like. The weight is spoken of as being heavier than gold, and it is said to be soluble in any liquid, yet incombustible in the fire.
Occasionally, certain alchemical authors suggest that the descriptors of the stone are metaphorical. It is called a stone, not because it is like a stone. The apparition is expressed geometrically in Michael Maier's Atalanta Fugiens. "To make a man and woman a circle, and then a quadrangle; from the east a triangle; make a circle again, and you will have the Stone of the Wise. through diligence, learn to understand this geometric teaching." Rupescissa uses the image of the Christian passion, which tells us that he ascends "from the sepulcher of the most excellent bright and glorious King, risen from the dead and that she wore a red headband...".
Interpretations
The various names and attributes assigned to the Philosopher's Stone have led to speculation about its composition and origin for many years. Exoteric candidates have been found in metals, plants, rocks, chemical compounds, and body products such as hair, urine, and eggs. Justus von Liebig states that 'it is indispensable that every accessible substance...should be observed and examined'. Later, alchemists once thought that a key component in the creation of the stone was a mythical element called carmot.
The various names and attributes assigned to the Philosopher's Stone have led to speculation about its composition and origin for many years. Exoteric candidates have been found in metals, plants, rocks, chemical compounds, and body products such as hair, urine, and eggs. Justus von Liebig states that 'it is indispensable that every accessible substance...should be observed and examined'. Later, alchemists once thought that a key component in the creation of the stone was a mythical element called carmot.
Creation
The Philosopher's Stone is created by the alchemical method known as the Magnum Opus or The Great Work. Often expressed as a series of color changes or chemical processes, the instructions for creating the Philosopher's Stone are varied. When expressed in colors, the work can pass through the nigredo, albedo, citrinitas and rubedo phases. When expressed as a series of chemical processes it often includes seven or twelve final stages in multiplication, and projection.
Ingredients
The ingredients are highly debatable. Jacques Sadoul tends to think that they are:
- A mixture of pirita (iron) or soil very rich in iron, as a basis, as other authors think it is an existing compound everywhere. It's an element everyone knew. At that time only six elements had been discovered. The of philosophers and azufre filosofal are not the chemical elements, but prepared from the pirita, mixed with tartric acid.
- Tartaric acid. It is a compound extracted from the holm oak, a tree that is often shown in the Mutus liber (mude book). An argument in favor is that in some phases of the stone processing process it should be done in the dark, because the tartáric acid is sensitive to light and would be responsible for the color change of the Opus magnum.
- Rocío. In one of the foils Mutus liber plants that serve fabric support are shown. It is believed that at a time of the year established by animals represented in the foil, which refer to the western horoscope, dew is captured.
- Dew and tartatric acid (from different names in alchemical writings) are mixed with the pirita to obtain the of philosophers or azufre filosofal.
One of the characteristics of alchemy is that a confusing language is established in the writings, with the intention of misleading whoever wants to build the stone. Thus, for example, it is assumed that the references to sulfur and mercury did not allude to the true chemical elements, but to some variant of these, known only to alchemists.
That is why some alchemist authors refer to philosophers' mercury, for example, to provide a clue that it is not the element mercury.
It is believed that the procedure for making the Philosopher's Stone is explicit in the Mutus liber. Here are also symbols that indicate sulfur and mercury, but they are not the chemical elements S and Hg, but compounds obtained from the phases prior to the completion of the Opus magnum (Great Work).
Arts and entertainment
The Philosopher's Stone has been a focal point of many novels, comics, movies, animations, video games, and musical compositions. The Philosopher's Stone is a crucial plot element in the manga and anime Fullmetal Alchemist. In the plot, plot and visual reference is made to many alchemical concepts, numerous characters in the story are capable of performing magic with the requirement of drawing alchemical symbols to activate the spells, as well as the philosopher's stone appears as a legend or presumed unattainable objective, with nature of red stone that allows to avoid the limits of the conjurations. The figure of the Philosopher's Stone also appears in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, in the movie As on Earth as in Hell or in the Japanese series Kamen Rider Wizard, and made an appearance in the original sci-fi series Warehouse 13, in the nineteenth episode of the fourth season.
Transmutation of a metal to gold
Once a certain point is reached, the compound must be heated constantly for several years, passing the great work through different colors. The great work would require several years of attempts, for which reason, upon the death of the master, it would pass into the care of the disciple. In its last phase it is said that a cloud or vapor appears at a certain distance over the mixture which must be absorbed by glass. The red vapor would enter the glass which would acquire a reddish color. Later this had to be crushed to obtain reddish ground glass which would be the philosopher's stone.
To turn a metal into gold:
- Remove the first metal
- Wrap a small piece of philosophical stone in a bowl of paper or wax.
- Place the paper bag or wax inside the initial metal
- Wait a short time for transmutation to occur.
- By cooling it would have turned the initial metal into gold.
Elixir of Eternal Life
It would be an infusion that is made by letting the stone soak in a liquid. A small amount would be drunk afterwards. There are several myths about what would happen when you drink it, the most popular being that all your body hair and nails would fall out, and that a renewed, young and strong body would later emerge. It would no longer be necessary to eat, to do so would only be for pleasure. This would make the human being immortal.
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