Hello, Dear Reader, below is a series of articles on the Royal Art. The Royal Art, known technically as symbolic or speculative alchemy, is the art of eternal transformation. It is called royal because it is the supreme profession, encompassing the philosophy of nature, the art of life, and the science of government. In […]
Author Archive | D. B. Smith
Virgins and Philosophers: Early Proto-Monasticism (Inside Monastic Culture Part II)
Read “The Solitaries: Inside Monastic Culture Part I” Roman Religious Colleges The Vestal Virgins of ancient Rome, formed in the seventh century BCE, were the world’s first known cenobitic proto-monastics and their Atrium Vestiae, or House of the Vestal Virgins, was the first proto-monastic house. The Vestal Virgins, a part of the […]
Power of the Mind 2: Visualization and the Mind
Page 2 … Read Page 1 CONTENTS PART 2: Studying and Professional Skill Building | Mnemonics | The Memory Palace | Artistic Creativity | Enlightenment | The Universal Person | Archetypes | Inner Alchemy | Spirituality | Meditation, Mental Health and Enlightenment | Mindfulness Meditation CONTENTS PART 3: The Nervous System and Immunity | Neuroendocrinology | Psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology | Stress, Adrenaline and Homeostasis | How […]
Meditation, the Art of Life Part V: The Science of Meditation
A Working Definition of Illumination Meditation Meditation is defined as a focusing of awareness, confining the attention to a single thing, bringing the mind to a state of tranquility and clarity. There are many kinds of meditation developed all over the world for various purposes. In this article we will focus primarily on […]
Power of the Mind 1: The Science of Visualization
By D. B. Smith on October 24, 2018 in Dr. Andreas Laurencius, MD, Health, Meditation, Science&Tech, Visualization
CONTENTS PART 1: Creative Visualization | Guided Meditation | Relaxation | Health and Immunity | Healing | Athletics | Life Goals | Holistic Imagery for Success CONTENTS PART 2: Studying and Professional Skill Building | Mnemonics | The Memory Palace | Artistic Creativity | Enlightenment | The Universal Person | Archetypes | Inner Alchemy | Spirituality | Meditation, Mental Health and Enlightenment | Mindfulness Meditation CONTENTS PART 3: Meditation, the […]
Tantric Yoga: Philosophy and Meditation
Tantric Cosmology Tantric Yoga, developed in the sixteenth century CE, seems particularly concerned with anatomy, which is largely spiritual. Tantra applies the three gunas to energy, as causal, subtle, and gross, and to man, as sat, will (or transcendental consciousness), chit, knowledge (or mind), and ananda, action (or matter.) These three qualities are […]
Chinese Daoist Alchemical Meditation
Preparing for Alchemical Visualization The descriptions of Daoist alchemical meditation in this article are for the purpose of visualization, and no scientific claims are made regarding “spiritual anatomy” or the benefits of the meditations. The Science Abbey articles, “Ancient Chinese Philosophy and Daoist Meditation” and “Chinese Alchemy” present a relatively thorough discussion of […]
Meditation in Movement: Qigong and Taijiquan (Tai Chi)
Qigong: Working with Qi Qigong (Ch’i Kung), which means “work with Qi,” is the art of mastering Qi or life-force and discovering the “inner medicine” to sustain heath and balance. Although the practice hails from 4000-year-old traditional Chinese medicine, the word “Qigong” originates in Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 CE) Daoism. The […]
Ancient Chinese Philosophy and Daoist Meditation
A Note on the Romanization of Chinese Words Pinyin is used in this article as the convention amongst scholars today. With Chinese words that are relatively well known to English speakers, the popular Wade-Giles system is initially given in parenthesis, for the convenience of those who may be more familiar with that system of […]
The Christian Journey Part II: The Future
Read The Christian Journey Part I: The Body of Christ The Jungian Archetype Carl Gustav Jung (1875 – 1961) was a Swiss student of the founder of modern psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, an outspoken atheist. He developed his own system of psychotherapy that rivalled Freud’s from its inception. Jung’s research on schizophrenia led […]