Taoist alchemy is presented as a disciplined path of self-cultivation, oriented toward inner transformation and a form of spiritual immortality. It is traditionally described in two main approaches: external alchemy (waidan), which works with substances outside the body, and internal alchemy (neidan), which refines the energies of the body–mind itself. External alchemy involves the laboratory preparation of elixirs from minerals such as mercury, cinnabar, and lead, following precise recipes and cosmological timing, with the aim of conferring longevity or immortality. Over time, this approach was largely abandoned because of its toxicity and the dangers associated with heavy metal poisoning. Internal alchemy, by contrast, became the predominant way of understanding the alchemical quest as an inner process rather than a purely physical one.

In internal alchemy, practice begins with a foundation of ethical conduct and regulated lifestyle: honesty, nonviolence, moderation, and harmony with natural rhythms are treated as indispensable groundwork. The body, breath, and mind are then gradually regulated through still postures, simple movements or qigong, and the cultivation of slow, deep breathing, often centered in the lower abdomen. This regulation supports the refinement of the three treasures—jing (essence), qi (vital energy), and shen (spirit)—which are understood as different densities of the same life-force. Through conserving and stabilizing essence, especially in relation to sexual energy and physical vitality, practitioners “cook” and condense it into subtler qi by means of posture, breath, and focused attention in the lower dantian. As qi is gathered and refined, it is circulated through the body, particularly along the Microcosmic Orbit that runs up the spine and down the front of the torso, allowing qi to be transformed into shen.

Meditative and contemplative methods deepen this process of refinement. Practices such as zuowang (“sitting and forgetting”) aim at emptying the mind of discursive thought and resting awareness in stillness. Visualization of internal energy circulation, inner light, or symbolic imagery is combined with awareness of the three dantian—lower abdomen, heart region, and head—as successive “crucibles” in which jing, qi, and shen are gathered and transformed. Breathing methods such as embryonic breathing, reverse breathing, and various forms of breath retention are used to support this energetic work, always coordinated with attention and bodily relaxation. Over time, this integrated discipline is said to lead to the formation of a subtle “elixir” or spiritual embryo, the development of an immortal spiritual body, and ultimately a stable realization of union with the Dao.

Throughout, Taoist alchemy treats inner transformation as both a physiological and spiritual process, expressed in the language of furnaces, cauldrons, and firing times. The psychological dimension appears as freedom from compulsive patterns, emotional extremes, and scattered thought, replaced by clarity, ease, and a more luminous awareness. On a subtler level, the refinement of energy and spirit is described as giving rise to a more refined, yang form of spirit that is not bound in the same way to physical birth and death. At its highest level, this path points toward resting in original emptiness, or the Dao itself, where personal identity and conceptual elaboration fall away, and what is called “true immortality” is understood as abiding in that source beyond life and death.