Indra's Net: Alchemy and Chaos Theory as Models for Transformation

Where the hermetic sage unites with contemporary physics, Indra’s Net is an innovative and captivating approach to spiritual transformation; a must-read for all who seek out the hidden messages within science and antiquity. Alchemy and chaos theory, a peculiar pairing no doubt, share a transformative nature that is fascinating and, surprisingly, spiritually awakening. Jungian psychologist and author Dr. Robin Robertson compares these intriguing practices to the beautiful symbolism of Indra’s “web”, the Hindu god’s expansive necklace of shining pearls and jewels. Like the mythic Hindu net, which illustrates the intricate interconnectedness of the universe, alchemy and Chaos theory both reveal the microcosm and macrocosm as infinitely related. The age-old hermetic maxim “as above, so below”, which is said to be inscribed on the mysterious Emerald Tablet of Thoth, has long been praised by alchemists for eloquently embodying the parallels between all macro and micro levels. Dr. Robertson applies the groundbreaking laws of chaos theory, which prove the perpetual union of the vast and infinitesimal, to the wisdom of this ageless hermetic principle, validating alchemy’s timeless transformative power. Deeply provocative, yet written in a language that is accessible and easy to grasp, Indra’s Net reveals the amazing synchronous elements between 21st century science and ancient hermetic teachings. Examine the implications of the Mandelbrot set fractals for all organic composition. Compare Chaos Theory’s ‘feedback’ to the widespread, primordial concept of the ouroboros, the mystical tail-biting snake. By evincing the powerful relevance of alchemic philosophy and practice through modern physics and mathematics, Robertson assists readers in recognizing the true Philosopher’s Stone, a transformative ‘spiritual gold’ latent in us all.

About the author: Robin Robertson Ph.D. has spent a life-time bridging the worlds of science, psychology and the arts. He has worked as a clinical psychologist, mathematician, and actuary; within the computer field, he's been a systems analyst, software designer, computer executive and consultant. He has separate undergraduate degrees in mathematics and English literature, as well as an M.A. in counseling psychology, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Robin has written fourteen books and more than a hundred articles, often connected with Jungian psychology or the relationship between psychology and science, which have gone through multiple printings, new editions, and foreign translations. Since 1986, he's been a writer, editor, columnist and editorial board member of the Jungian journal Psychological Perspectives (a beautiful journal that speaks to everyone who loves Jung, not merely to experts.) He has also been heavily involved with the applications of chaos theory in psychology as a writer, editor, speaker, and officer of the "Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology and the Life Sciences." And, in more recent years, he's been a consulting editor and contributor for the cybernetics journal Cybernetics & Human Knowing (a journal that looks at deep issues about the nature of reality). Regardless of the area he's dealing with, he writes and speaks about complex ideas in clear, nontechnical language. He is a life-time amateur magician, and a member of the Order of Merlin of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, who has published five magic books and many original effects, in recent years often collaborating with the clever Scottish magician, Peter Duffie.