Alchemy and toxicology.

Alchemy: between mysticism and toxicology

Is alchemy a path to enlightenment or mere deception? While some see it as a spiritual quest, others dismiss it as early, misguided chemistry.

Yet one question remains: why did so many people, across centuries and civilizations, devote themselves to this secretive art if it were pure charlatanism?

Alchemists often worked for years with hazardous substances, arsenic, mercury, radioactive minerals, unaware of their toxic effects. Could these fumes have influenced their visions and mystical revelations?

Interestingly, many recorded strange, vivid dreams resembling the visions of Hildegard of Bingen, a medieval abbess and herbalist. Did plant-based preparations or chemical exposure open altered states of consciousness?

A final mystery: while alchemy claimed secrecy as a virtue, it produced countless treatises. Why so many writings to conceal a secret?

The answers remain elusive, unless one dares to follow in their footsteps.

If you’d rather avoid ancient fumes and perilous experiments, dive into “L’Œuvre au Rouge”, our novel exploring the perils, mysteries, and strange fates of alchemists bound by the element of fire.

Adapted from the original article in French.