Psychoanalysis, an Alchemical Practice

This article takes up the fundamental idea of alchemy as a transformation process, insisting upon the “to do is to be” aspect of this process, which leads to the birth of oneself, a process Jung calls individuation. Each alchemical element is developed and made explicit by examples taken from daily life and clinical practice. The materia prima is considered first, and then what alchemists call the “art of the balance”, to conclude by demonstrating how analytical practice is an alchemical practice.