Any surviving alchemists who are hundreds of years old?

[microwatt]

What do you think they have to say? would would it be like to meet somebody who has lived so long. would even the oldest person be seen as a child to them? would they have acquired wisdom? how could one identify such a person? would they have a different appearance than modern people? look at how the renaissance artwork drew folk. they do not look like the person of the 21st century at all.

[Kibric]

There are individuals who have achieved longevity throughout history but given the private nature of practical alchemy, no official alchemists on record today being over 100.

[microwatt]

i am not asking if there would be official records but speculations on what it wold be like to meet somebody actually that old and not senile

[Awani]

There is a thread you might like regarding the concept of immortality: Physical Immortality... on THIS Earth?

Below quote is from this thread mentioned above:

I guess it comes down to what outlook one has. When my car breaks down I simply by a new one. The old car is dead, but my new one is alive. And guess what... I am still driving. That is what death is to me... so any concept of trying to make my old shitty car last longer sounds ridiculous... why waste that energy when a brand new porsche is waiting for me.

So for me it would not be interesting to meet someone that was 300 years old. I would ask: "What the hell are you still doing here?"

I don't think someone that is that old is wise, although they might have lots of knowledge and insight regarding history... but wisdom I don't think they have (not more than someone that is 95 years old). There is "only" so much wisdom you can get in this realm. If you want to learn more you got to move onwards. Imagine taking the same course in school 20 times. You might know that particular course well, but you know nothing of the next course... nothing about 2.0.

If we assume there is annihilation when we die then I still don't think immortality is worth it. Once your friends and children have died what's the point? How many dead children or friends do you really want to suffer through? It would be boring to be a hermit also for 300 years... There is a reason they call being a Vampire a curse. It's not the curse of drinking blood or not seeing the sun... the curse is that they walk the Earth forever.

[zoas23]

The Rosicrucian perspective is interesting. I won't waste time looking for the exact paragraphs because I am lazy today, but:

-Fama o Confessio explains that the Rosicrucians know how to heal ANY sickness, and yet they CAN'T extend their lives beyond the day that God has chosen for them to die and they can't even known WHEN they are going to die (they make an exception with C. Rosenkreuz, who knew WHEN he was going to die, but not how to "cheat death"). In short, they propose a healthy life, but explicitly say that it won't be longer than the life they would have had without alchemy (simply "free from the pain of the sicknesses"). They also give C.R. a relatively long life, 106 years... but not 350 years.

-The Speculum Sophicum Rhodostauroticum claims that the Ergon (Stone) will make the author "some day" go to Heaven... but he never says that he will live longer... he wants the Stone to cause a "redemption".

-Daniel Cramer in his 40 Emblems (later extended to 50) is VERY pessimistic about this world and proposes a Stone that also gives "redemption"... not a longer life (which he certainly does not want).

There are other examples, but I think it's interesting that they go so strong against the idea of extending the life (they are skeptic about it, besides from not wanting it).

[Kibric]

Daniel Cramer in his 40 Emblems (later extended to 50) is VERY pessimistic about this world and proposes a Stone that also gives "redemption"... not a longer life (which he certainly does not want).

Lol.

There are other examples, but I think it's interesting that they go so strong against the idea of extending the life

Its the karma argument.The Rosicrucian's influenced by Egypt and Hinduism adopted some concepts and adapted them to Christianity in they're writings.
Why they didn't realise that the Hindu concept especially has the aim of removing all karma good and bad, too achieve physical immortality,
not just pop out at some appointed time, but retain a lasting physical body then later give that up at your choosing. I don't know.
Its almost impossible to miss. CR Valentin was a prime example of trying to retain a lasting physical body. Not cheat death but negate it.

[zoas23]

Lol.


Its the karma argument.The Rosicrucian's influenced by Egypt and Hinduism adopted some concepts and adapted them to Christianity in they're writings.
Why they didn't realise that the Hindu concept especially has the aim of removing all karma good and bad, too achieve physical immortality,
not just pop out at some appointed time, but retain a lasting physical body then later give that up at your choosing. I don't know.
Its almost impossible to miss. CR Valentin was a prime example of trying to retain a lasting physical body. Not cheat death but negate it.

I don't think the influence of India or Egypt was as important as it was the influence of the most radicalized Lutheranism (specially the idea of predestination... they considered that "cheating death" was more or less similar to trying to deceive God's will).

[tAlchemist]

given the private nature of practical alchemy,

I think an alchemist has the ability to make portals, and having the ability to transcend to the more subtle realms and slip out of ''reality'' as we commonly know it. There was a book I forgot the name, that said that at a certain order of the stone it will emit light, and eventually pass through the vessel. IF one harbored it and consumed it, I think the body would convert itself, like a you are what you eat thing. Is this why Moses's face was shining bright light?
Private and also well hidden.

[Kibric]

IF one harbored it and consumed it, I think the body would convert itself, like a you are what you eat thing. Is this why Moses's face was shining bright light?

9 days of eating it and you develop a light body, etc.

Seth was called the shining one, Mohammed met a shining one in a cave, jesus created a body of light, there are lots of examples.
Definitely there is a link to universal medicine and its aid in developing a light body. Technically all light bodies or shining ones are bodies of radiation.

Moses face shining light is his seat of the soul, ajna, emitting radiation. Muppu or the philosophers stone was part of his diet somehow i think.
I'm sure there is reference to Moses eating manna somewhere.

Keys for what ?.

[Anterior Taproot]

I think that after 200+ years they would be emotionally numb. They would see the futility in striving, and if they were still living after such a long time they would have probably developed a great level of patience and be filled with a deep inner peace. They would probably also be either very charming, or extremely short tempered and abrupt. Dealing with humanity for 200+ years would be exhausting, especially with the history we have had in our last two centuries.