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The Alchemical Search for the Unified Field

Pythagorean, Hermetic, and Shamanic Journeys into Invisible and Ethereal Realms

Published by Inner Traditions
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

An in-depth guide to attaining the enlightenment of the Philosopher’s Stone.

Inspired by alchemists of the past, R. E. Kretz explores the mechanics of the Philosopher’s Stone, the Pythagorean transmigration of the soul, and the alchemical path for attaining enlightenment.

After offering a brief historical overview of alchemy and historical etiologies of the three alchemical states of primal matter, the author details an illustrative geometric approach for the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone using an “oblong square” (created by three overlapping circles with the center circle squared), the same shape described in Freemasonry as the form of a Masonic Lodge. He compares this diagram to depictions of the Stone in Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Hindu cultures as well as floorplans for European cathedrals. He shows how the form of the oblong square contains Masonic working tools and how its sacred geometry elucidates Man as mind, body, and spirit encapsulating a soul.

Describing the relationship between the alchemical oblong square diagram and the electrical circuit of the brain, the author then details the operative process of the Philosopher’s Stone, likening it to the “servomechanism” of the Third Eye—comprised of the thalamus, pineal gland, and pituitary gland located between the twin pillars of the cerebral hemispheres. He explores how to navigate the twin pillars of the brain to find equilibrium, the third pillar. The author explains that we attain enlightenment when the energies of our Third Eye are balanced (in equilibrium), enabling it to resonate as a harmonic waveform generator. He shows how this can be achieved through meditation and the synchronizing vibration of vocal mantras.

Drawing on Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, Hermeticism, sacred geometry, and Native American shamanism, this book presents an allegorical quest for the Philosopher’s Stone and a practical path for attaining it.

About The Author

R. E. Kretz has worked in the telecommunications and IT industries. In the 1970s he studied transcendental meditation under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and later spent three years with a Native American shaman. He was raised to the degree of a Master Mason and has served as Master of a Lodge in addition to holding many leadership roles within the Knights Templar. He lives in Church Hill, Tennessee.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Inner Traditions (August 17, 2023)
  • Length: 192 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781644117828

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Raves and Reviews

“As an initiate of both Sufism and Freemasonry, this book answered many questions that the modern lodge did not give me. The purpose of life and the alchemical transformation of man are the questions that are answered here. I’m truly grateful for R. E. Kretz and this great work.”

– Salman Sheikh, Freemason, Masonic lecturer, and author of The Spiritual Reflections of the Sufi Free

"Enlightenment, meditation, and the powers of the human body and mind have never been so clearly described, illustrated, and made accessible to everyone, until now with the publication of The Alchemical Search for the Unified Field."

– Feathered Quill Book Reviews

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