What exactly is neidan/internal alchemy?

[Jadespear]

...look into the book "Taoist Yoga" :

 

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/taoist-yoga-alchemy--immortality_charles-luk/297106/item/5255171/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=us_shopping_zombies_hvs_21811042479&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=717415192734&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADwY45hQCW-K8eSzaSBTOEWDnwrAS&gclid=CjwKCAjwwLO_BhB2EiwAx2e-39QLefe47JPnZwK0TngFVSrnRYHIhKG6vEOqRNRcMl6kNTngLwtYLRoCYpEQAvD_BwE#idiq=5255171&edition=2578262

 

All explained in there, pretty comprehensive.  

 

I've never done it, because I think it's too dangerous without knowing someone to guide you as there are MANY cases of people FAILING and Really causing harm to themselves because of improper understanding.  As noted from the ending stages - when you (the practitioner) cannot be moved for days on end and require the aid of others to sustain yourself.  

 

These kind of practices are not for lay people, nor anyone who doesn't have the time (years) of understanding and attempting them.  Please don't be convinced by anyone that the internal world is not extremely sensitive and nuanced - and is not really meant to be turned into an experiment.  There is a difference between experimentation and true mysticism/magical practices (whatever you want to call it) that deal with the unseen forces.  Experimentation is very risky, knowledgable practice is less risky.   

[NeiChuan]

My understanding is inner work/nei gong. Can argue on the details, but each school differs on what they mean. Some start other places, generally I think developing the dan tien is the best start but I've seen some great effects from other avenues. Many different ways to skin a cat.

[GuiKang]

On 09/03/2025 at 8:17 PM, Master Logray said:

 

That post was in 2022.   All these teachers are not immortals of any degree but we cannot discount their value.   We don't need Einstein to teach kindergarten or primary school.    There are always teachers to teach the basics.  And the basics attract most students. 

 

I am not sure they never teach Neidan, but perhaps an elementary level?   Purely teaching Neidan is not working as progress takes ages.   How do you charge for that in the modern context - a student paying for 5 years and nothing has ever happened ?

 

 

IMO, charging a course is still acceptable in the modern context as it consumes the teacher's  time.

However, if the course is not as advertised then its different story.

 

Paying for 5 yrs and nothing has ever happened = SCAM as many like this around.

or have only little benefits that not correspond to what the course meant to be.

(i.e. NEIDAN)

You can see the conversation between OPENDAO and shadowself in relation to this particular NEIDAN course.

 

 

Thats why we need a forum like this that sharing some point of view especially from someone that has been in a course.

 

[Antares]

On 02.04.2025 at 9:06 AM, Iskote said:

At the very least, the neidan practices I am familiar with are supposed to bring good health and also notably increase longevity (yes, in my experience those are some common claims made about the benefits of neidan practice), yet I personally don't know of many daoists in modern times who have done too much better than many ordinary folks in the health and longevity areas once they get older. Any 'spiritual' benefits beyond these more mundane benefits would be very hard if not impossible to quantify, but the basic achievements of good health and longevity well into old age don't seem to be too far above the average of 'ordinary' people. 
That's not to say I think neidan practice can't help improve health and longevity, because I actually think it can, but just that I wonder if there really are many who truly achieve even those basic goals in neidan practice which would place them very much above the norm for health and longevity into old age. Some may well do, but it doesn't seem to be too overly many that I know of, anyway. 

 

If you look for longevity then just be honest with yourself and name the methods you do as yangshengong. 99 % of what you can see "on the market" is yangshengong at the best. Even those who state they teach neidan, in fact they teach yangshengong and neidan itself is hidden normally and is taught to little amount of close students.   

[Antares]

On 11.03.2025 at 12:31 PM, johndoe2012 said:

We have access to authentic Bak Fu Pai arts like Flying Phoenix Heavenly Healing Qigong and Bak Fu Sunn Yee Gong internal alchemy.

 

Everyone should consider themselves extremely lucky if they start practicing these arts instead of studying books etc. 

I am not sure that SYG is safe to learn from videos without proper supervision. FP is more safe system.

Also I am not sure Terry is authorized to teach FP as neidan, he published only 8 of MSW meditations. The system is very vast and Terry was taught Level1 only. He has never said this is Daoist system and thus it is not very clear how the term "internal alchemy" correlates with limited version of Level1 of FP system. Without proper instructions it can be good yangshengong system

Edited yesterday at 05:57 AM by Antares