Paulo Coehlo's book the Alchemist whet my curiosity about this theme, in particular the implication that there was far more behind it than the mere quest of transforming lead into gold. Sure enough, as I was to discover in numerous writings on the subject from C. G. Jung, Marie-Luise von Franz and Titus Burckhardt, Alchemy is a fascinating subject of great complexity.

The art or science of Alchemy traces its roots back to the ancient Egyptian times and, over a period of 4000 years, was adopted by the major cultures in the Middle East, China, India and later Europe. Alchemy (in arabic: the chemist) with its emphasis on thorough experimentalism, is the predecessor of the contemporary natural sciences. Cosmology, mythology and spirituality also all play a role in the process of Alchemy which, in itself it is not a religion as such, has has been practiced throughout the ages by members of the world's major faiths including muslims, hindus, taoists and christians.

The psychologist C. G. Jung dedicated much investigation to the study of Alchemy's rich plethora of symbolism and imagery and their parallels to the archetypes associated with the human psyche. Jung's findings were central to his hypothesis of the collective unconscious.