The alchemists wrote that the study and contemplation of the metaphorical philosopher's stone along with the chemical work was a necessary component to elevate the mind and prepare the soul for transmutation.
By invigorating the Organs the Soul uses for communicating with exterior objects, the Soul must acquire greater powers not only for conception but also for retention, and therefore if we wish to obtain still more knowledge, the organs and secret springs of physical life must be wonderfully strengthened and invigorated. The Soul must acquire new powers for conceiving and retaining. ... That this has not been the case with all possessors was their own fault. ... Those who study only the material elements can at best discover only half the mystery ... alchemy is a mystery in three worlds -- the divine, the human and the elemental ... alchemy in the hands of the profane becomes perverted ...
Man's quest for gold is often his undoing, for he mistakes the alchemical processes, believing them to be purely material. He does not realize that the Philosopher's Gold, the Philosopher's Stone, and the Philosopher's Medicine exist in each of the four worlds and that the consummation of the experiment cannot be realized until it is successfully carried on in four worlds simultaneously according to one formula.
Furthermore, one of the constituents of the alchemical formula exists only within the nature of man himself, without which his chemicals will not combine, and though he spend his life and fortune in chemical experimentation, he will not produce the desired end [which is] the subtle element which comes out of the nature of the illuminated and regenerated alchemist. He must have the magnetic power to attract and coagulate invisible astral elements. (Eugenius Philalethes, quoted in Hall 1988)
The alchemical literature includes stories of alchemists who blew themselves up, who suffered horrible diseases, who came under the power of demonic influences because their technical abilities surpassed their spiritual development, or who shot to stardom like a meteor, and then crashed and burned in ignominy.
But, we are gathering more clues here. We have a remark that "alchemy is a mystery in *three* worlds", and that the work takes place in *four* worlds simultaneously. The three worlds are defined as "divine, human and elemental". The Cassiopaeans have also talked about these three worlds:
October 5, 1996
A: Each soul has its own patterning, which is held in place by the three bodies of existence "thought center, spirit center and physical center". There are specific methodologies for adjusting these, and traveling into or out of other planes of existence. When one does not properly utilize these, one tears the fabric of their trilateral continuum when they seek to travel. This can be very problematic, and may lead to the soul being unable to reconnect with the body, thus causing the physical center to perish!!!
They have also spoken of the "four worlds".
October 10, 1998
A: And remember, your consciousness operates on four levels, not just one! [They are] Physical body, genetic body, spirit-etheric body, and consciousness. [These are] the four composites of the human manifestation in 3rd and 4th densities.