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Dynamics in Alchemy

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Coming Attraction: CHAOS THEORY IN TRANSMODERN ALCHEMY
by Iona Miller, 2009

 

 

THE TRANSMODERN ALCHEMIST

http://transmodernalchemy.iwarp.com/

 

CHAOS THEORY IN TRANSMODERN SPIRITUAL ALCHEMY
In the 20th Century, Carl Jung described alchemy in terms of depth psychology and shed new light on an old science. Contemporary 21st Century alchemy can be viewed as a revolutionary dynamic process in terms of Chaos Theory and its related sciences. There are analogies between spiritual psychology, chaos theory and quantum theory and alchemical processes, some of which are more than metaphorical.

Creativity

Whether alchemy can perform a causal transformation of metals to gold or not, it certainly has the capacity for creatively stimulating the imagination and the kind of divergent thinking that leads to discovery.

 

Dynamics

Dynamics is a universal tool, a novel practice which helps us grasp the processes of emergence, self-organization and nonlinear development in ourselves, in nature, in our world and the cosmos.

Dynamics is a synthesis of recent scientific theories: system dynamics, living systems, general systems, chaos, edge-of-chaos, complexity, emergence, self-organization, complex adaptive systems, quantum gravity, quantum cosmology, attractors, and homeodynamics.

CHAOS: In Greek myth, Chaos is the original dark void from which everything else appeared. In science, chaos describes the behavior of certain dynamical systems – with states that evolve with time and exhibit dynamics that are highly sensitive to initial conditions (butterfly effect). This sensitivity manifests itself as an exponential growth of perturbations in the initial conditions. So, the behavior of chaotic systems appears to be random. These systems are deterministic, meaning that their future dynamics are fully defined by their initial conditions, with no random elements involved. This behavior is known as deterministic chaos, or simply chaos. Systems that exhibit mathematical chaos are deterministic and thus orderly in some sense; this technical use of the word chaos is at odds with common parlance, which suggests complete disorder. Chaotic systems show a strong kind of unpredictability not shown by other deterministic systems. Quantum chaos theory studies systems that follow the laws of quantum mechanics.

EDGE-OF-CHAOS: Describes a phase transition of behaviors. In the sciences in general, the phrase has come to refer to a metaphor that some physical, biological, economical and social systems operate in a region between order and either complete randomness or chaos, where the complexity is maximal. In some systems evolution is maximized near the edge of chaos.

COMPLEXITY: In science, a field of study devoted to the process of self-organization. The basic concept of complexity is that all things tend to organize themselves into fractal patterns, including human bodies and cultures. The more complex a task the harder it is to think about and the steeper the learning curve. Complex systems are characterized by unpredictable behaviour, existing in a state somewhere between order and chaos. Things that are complex in nature exhibit characteristics like cycles of growth, mass extinction, regeneration and evolution. Natural forces tend to bring complex systems to a halt, suddenly and unexpedictedly. This is related to chaos theory and the general rule that small changes to a system, may bring a dramatic change in the future. Complexity looks for the mathematical equations that describe the middle ground between equilibrium and chaos (nonlinear dynamics).

EMERGENCE: Spontaneous Order. In philosophy, systems theory and science, emergence is the way complex systems and patterns arise out of a multiplicity of relatively simple interactions. Emergence is central to the theories of integrative levels and of complex systems.

Self-Organization: a process of attraction and repulsion in which the internal organization of a system, normally an open system, increases in complexity without being guided or managed by an outside source. Self-organizing systems generally display emergent properties.

ATTRACTORS: An attractor is a set to which a dynamical system evolves after a long enough time. That is, points that get close enough to the attractor remain close even if slightly disturbed. Geometrically, an attractor can be a point, a curve, a manifold, or even a complicated set with a fractal structure known as a strange attractor. Describing the attractors of chaotic dynamical systems has been one of the achievements of chaos theory. A trajectory of the dynamical system in the attractor does not have to satisfy any special constraints except for remaining on the attractor. The trajectory may be periodic or chaotic or of any other type.

COMPLEX ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS:

  • Complex adaptive system denotes systems which have some or all of the following attributes [6]
    • The number of parts (and types of parts) in the system and the number of relations between the parts is non-trivial – however, there is no general rule to separate “trivial” from “non-trivial;”
    • The system has memory or includes feedback;
    • The system can adapt itself according to its history or feedback;
    • The relations between the system and its environment are non-trivial or non-linear;
    • The system can be influenced by, or can adapt itself to, its environment; and
    • The system is highly sensitive to initial conditions.

GENERAL SYSTEMS: Systems theory is an interdisciplinary field of science and the study of the nature of complex systems in nature, society, and science. More specifically, it is a framework by which one can analyze and/or describe any group of objects that work in concert to produce some result. Systems theory serves as a bridge for interdisciplinary dialogue between autonomous areas of study as well as within the area of systems science itself.<>

SYSTEM DYNAMICS: An aspect of systems theory, System dynamics is a powerful methodology and computer simulation modeling technique for framing, understanding, and discussing complex issues and problems. It deals with internal feedback loops and time delays that affect the behaviour of the entire system. What makes using system dynamics different from other approaches to studying complex systems is the use of feedback loops, stocks and flows. These elements help describe how even seemingly simple systems display baffling nonlinearity. The basis of the method is the recognition that the structure of any system — the many circular, interlocking, sometimes time-delayed relationships among its components — is often just as important in determining its behavior as the individual components themselves. Examples are chaos theory and social dynamics. Because there are often properties-of-the-whole which cannot be found among the properties-of-the-elements, in some cases the behavior of the whole cannot be explained in terms of the behavior of the parts.

LIVING SYSTEMS: A general theory about the existence of all living systems, their structure, interaction, behavior and development; open self-organizing systems that have the special characteristics of life and interact with their environment. James Miller's work "formalized" the concept of life.

HOMEODYNAMICS: Dynamical alternative to homeostasis. a living systems theory, one of many that have emerged in recent years - which promise to open up new ways of thinking about and understanding our world and ourselves.

Scalar physics, vacuum fluctuation and Zero Point Energy (ZPE) are also relevant for describing emergence and drawing back the Mystic Veil on nature's processes.

What's New with My Subject?

NEW! April 2009 work-in-progress

CHAOS THEORY IN 21st CENTURY ALCHEMY

In the 20th Century, Carl Jung described alchemy in terms of depth psychology and shed new light on an old science. Contemporary 21st Century alchemy can be viewed as a dynamic process in terms of Chaos Theory and its related sciences. Dynamics is a revolutionary universal tool, a novel practice which helps us grasp the processes of development in ourselves, in nature, in our world and the cosmos. Dynamics is a synthesis of recent scientific advances and theories: system dynamics, living systems, general systems, chaos, edge-of-chaos, complexity, emergence, complex adaptive systems, quantum gravity, quantum cosmology, attractors, homeodynamics, and self-organization. Scalar physics, vacuum fluctuation and Zero Point Energy (ZPE) are also relevant for describing emergence and drawing back the Mystic Veil on nature's processes.

*****New Article:

"CHAOTIC CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE ALCHEMICAL ART"

http://ionamiller2009.iwarp.com/whats_new_43.html

Because chaos theory addresses disequilibrium, discontinuities, and the emergence of new states of being, it offers metaphoric models of "creative illness" that profoundly affects the person and the work produced. Evidence suggests that it is not only the illness, but a person's Resilient response that leads to a new stage of life and new work. We emerge from the ordeal with personality transformed, new coping strategies and the conviction that a great truth or a new world has been discovered. We turn inward to be born again by unblocking the energy formerly contained in the symptoms. Imagery and art are therapeutic mechanisms. Old stresses and traumatic imprints are released and a new multidimensional identity is discovered. The inner physician heals thyself. It is a transformational healing experience, an influx of creative ideas and a permanent personality change -- spiritual transformation. Through spiritual technology we learn to still the turbulence within by resting in the restorative state of cosmic zero. We are impelled by our very being toward self-cure.


ionamiller2009.iwarp.com/whats...1.html
“NOVUM LUMEN NATURAE”
As Homo Lumen we intentionally cultivate and realize the Body of Light, the diamond vehicle of consciousness. Alchemy is the sensuous science through which we love that natural light into being, even as Lumen Naturae kindles ourselves. The light is our connection to all that is wholly existant and our own immortality. In fact, there is nothing else but this light of grace and glory that complements the celestial light. Mending this division makes us whole.

ionamiller2009.iwarp.com/whats...2.html
“CRYSTALLINE CHAOTIC SEA: Pre-existence, Chaos Theory & Soma Athanaton”
The unimaginably vast and the infinitesimal are simply connected at Zero Point. Nature is self-referential like fractals. Connection is as fundamental as structure. Alchemy is an accelerated path to enlightenment, a state or phase change to a higher order adaptation and function. Magic happens in the gaps between breaths. Realizing this moment neither begins nor ends, we realize deathlessness. That which is never born, never dies. To embody the Philosopher's Stone, we reiterate the whole process of creation.

ionamiller2009.iwarp.com/whats...0.html
“CHAOS, SOLVENT & STONE”
The Stone is a psychic lodestone or vortex. It 'magnetically' orders the contents of our consciousness around it through reflexive feedback loops in chaotic yet meaningful fashion. Instinctual attraction toward processes that dissolve the ego and liquify consciousness leads to transpersonal experience via symbolic death/rebirth. We experience deep states of emotional turbulence in initiation ordeals and in the merger of subject (soror mystica) and object (frater). It implies a flowing state of consciousness, facilatating feedback with Source or the groundstate of consciousness via creative regression. Chaos Theory, as well as alchemy, provides a more than metaphorical language for describing the flowing dynamics of the chaotic process of psychological transformation.

ionamiller2009.iwarp.com/whats...9.html
“CHAOS NATURAE: Chaos, Complexity & Alchemy”
We are agents of chaos. Alchemy and complexity bridge the gap between psychology, the arts and sciences. By applying contemporary perspectives of chaos theory, complexity theory and fractal geometry we can discard outworn conceptions of health based on ideals of regularity, set points and normative statistics in favour of models that emphasize unique moments, variability, and irregularity. We can explore philosophical and spiritual implications of contemporary science for life sciences at the interface between artistic, scientific and spiritual aspects of therapy, healing and personal development.