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Mental life and practical action

Mental transmutation

Mental Transmutation; Mental Alchemy; transmute; transmutation

Mental transmutation is the proposed art of changing mental states and, in the stronger argument, wider conditions through mental power.

From the book

The Kybalion

Three Initiates · Diotimos Editions · 2026

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Orientation

At a Glance

  • The wordMental transmutation is the proposed art of changing mental states and, in the stronger argument, wider conditions through mental power.
  • In The KybalionI reads the philosopher's stone as an allegory of mental mastery.
  • In this editionMental transmutation, mental alchemy, and transmute are preserved.
  • A place to readI.9: … “mastery of Mental Forces, rather than Material Elements-the Transmutation of one kind of Mental Vibrations into” …

Meaning

Mental transmutation is the proposed art of changing mental states and, in the stronger argument, wider conditions through mental power. The alchemical image gives ordinary change of state the form of a transformation from base metal into gold.

Use in the book

I reads the philosopher's stone as an allegory of mental mastery. III defines transmutation and makes the mental operation the book's practical subject. It then argues conditionally from mentalism: if the universe is mental, altering mental conditions should be able to affect its conditions generally.

The chapter ranges from changing a personal state to influencing others and controlling storms or earthquakes. X-XI describe polarization and neutralization as methods, and XV gathers the programme into practical maxims. The stronger material claims are stated without an independently demonstrated procedure.

Places to read

  1. I The Hermetic Philosophy · Block 9… “mastery of Mental Forces, rather than Material Elements-the Transmutation of one kind of Mental Vibrations into others, instead of the changing of one kind of metal into another. The legends of” …
  2. III Mental Transmutation · Block 1… “pole to pole; vibration to vibration. True Hermetic Transmutation is a Mental Art."—The Kybalion.”
  3. III Mental Transmutation · Block 4“"Transmutation" is a term usually employed to designate the ancient art of the transmutation of metals—particularly of the base metals into gold. The word "Transmute" means "to change from one nature,” …
  4. III Mental Transmutation · Block 7… “the Universe is Mental in its nature, then Mental Transmutation must be the art of CHANGING THE CONDITIONS OF THE UNIVERSE, along the lines of Matter, Force and mind. So you” …
  5. XV Hermetic Axioms · Block 8“"Mind (as well as metals and elements) may be transmuted from state to state; degree to degree, condition to condition; pole to pole; vibration to vibration."—The Kybalion.”
  6. XV Hermetic Axioms · Block 17“"True Hermetic Transmutation is a Mental Art."—The Kybalion.”

In this edition

Mental transmutation, mental alchemy, and transmute are preserved. The noun names the aim or art; polarization names a principal proposed technique.

Reading the argument

The scale of the intended effect matters. Redirecting one's attention, altering conduct, influencing a person through communication, and directly governing a distant physical event are different achievements. Their inclusion under one name does not establish that all follow from the same evidence.

Mental Transmutation

“Mental Transmutation” — 15 occurrences in 12 text blocks: III.3–4, 7–8, 10–11, 13–14; IX.11; XV.7, 9, 18.

Mental Alchemy

“Mental Alchemy” — 3 occurrences in 3 text blocks: II.16, 19; XV.9.

transmute

“transmute” — 5 occurrences in 5 text blocks: III.4, 7; VI.1, 16; X.8.

transmutation

“transmutation” — 27 occurrences in 21 text blocks: I.9; III.1, 3–5, 7–8, 10–11, 13–14; VI.1, 16; IX.11; X.8–9; XI.6; XV.7, 9, 17–18.