5/6/2023 0 Comments Elixir of immortality mtfgIt is sometimes filtered through wool and mixed with cow’s milk before consumption. Instructions for preparation involve pounding parts of the plant into a paste or to release juices. While the consumption of Amrita by humans is common in traditional texts, the knowledge of where to obtain it has been lost. According to some Yogic traditions, Amrita can be released from the pituitary gland during deep meditation. They come from the same Indo-European root, “n-mr-to,” roughly translated as “non-death.” Similarly, the Greek drink of the gods, Nectar (Néktar), literally translates to Death (Nek) Overcoming (Tar). Ambrosia, the food of immortality of the Greek gods, is analagous with Amrita. There are many other references to Amrita and Soma across Hindu, Zoroastrian, and Indo-European texts. “We have drunk Soma and become immortal we have attained the light, the Gods discovered. Now what may foeman’s malice do to harm us? What, O Immortal, mortal man’s deception?” (Rigveda 8.48.3) After drinking the mysterious substance, they state: Indra, the god of heaven, and Agni, the god of fire, drink Amrita to attain immortality. In Hinduism and other traditions, it is also referred to as Soma. Amrita, Ambrosia, Soma and NectarĪccording to the Rigveda, a collection of ancient Vedic hymns that are a cornerstone of Hinduism, Amrita is a drink that bestows immortality. These could have a variety of medical applications, from balancing cholesterol to recovering from injuries.Īmanita Muscaria ( via) 2. This substance is molecularly similar to steroid hormones. One species, the Ganoderma Lucidum, produces Ganoderic Acid. Though there are no historical accounts of someone actually achieving immortality from a Lingzhi mushroom, various species are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to this day. Several Qin and Han Emperors sent large expeditions in search of a genuine mushroom of immortality, but none succeeded. According to the 82nd century Book of Han, the “Masters of Esoterica alchemists magicians,” known as the Fangshi knew secret locations on Mount Penglai where the Lingzhi grew. The Lingzhi, literally translated as the “Supernatural Mushroom,” is the oldest known mushroom used medicinally. Traditional Chinese medicine and early Chinese alchemy are closely related, and the use of plants, fungi and minerals in longevity formulas is still commonly practiced today.Īs early as 475 BCE, Chinese texts reference the Mushroom of Immortality, a key ingredient in the elixir of life. The formula for gunpowder, sulfur, saltpeter and carbon was originally an attempted elixir of immortality. They were frequently commissioned by the Emperor, and experimented with things like toxic mercury, gold, sulfur and plants. The Mushroom of ImmortalityĬhinese alchemists spent centuries formulating elixirs of life. Lingzhi Mushroom (Via Wikimedia Commons) 1. According to the ancients, the secrets of immortality could be found within the Earth, on the moon, or even in your own back yard. Other times, a normal human would unlock alchemical secrets hidden in natural materials that stopped death in its tracks. In some traditions, immortality was bestowed by the gods themselves. Epic of Gilgamesh, focuses on a hero’s quest for immortality. One of the earliest works of literature, the 22nd century B.C.E. In mythologies around the world, humans who achieve immortality are often regarded as gods, or as possessing god-like qualities. Naturally, the earliest storytellers and holy men dreamed of ways to achieve immortality as well. While humans are born, subjected to the will of nature and die, the gods of the ancients and the gods of today are usually characterized as immortal immune to the darkness that awaits every man and woman. For many cultures, mortality is one of the major qualities that separates humanity from the Gods. The inevitability of death and speculation upon the nature of afterlife has always been an object of obsession for mystics and philosophers. Mortality (and the lure of immortality) has tormented our consciousness since the first human witnessed death and realized his or her own eventual demise. Chasing down the ancient world’s alchemical obsession with obtaining immortality and the Philosopher’s Stone
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