My world of fantastic science fiction is based on the real world, but with the addition of magic and thaumaturgy as an additional powerful branch of arts and techniques.
The historical course of my world is similar to the historical course of the real world, but there are sciences derived from magic. Runic engineering studies the interaction of glyphic circuits and geometric shapes imbued with magic with reality. Thaumaturgy and the science of aspects study the converging aspects of matter and its manipulation to obtain new materials and artifacts without classical chemical formulas. Arcanology studies the functioning and principles of so-called spells, incantations, and enchantments. Etcetera.
Science predominates overall, and while it has taken some time, it has swallowed magic, at least partially. There are still many things unknown about the functioning of magic. There are many things that work and have been obtained through trial and error, but whose intrinsic mechanisms are unknown. There are hypotheses derived from quantum physics, of course, but unconfirmed, or impossible to confirm.
But that's not the point.
In my world, just like in the real world, metallurgy has played a very important role. Without metallurgy, we wouldn't have weapons, machines, computing, electricity... we wouldn't have many things. Without metallurgy, they wouldn't have them either, and they wouldn't have thaumaturgy or many enchanted objects they employ.
Within the vast domain of thaumic metallurgy, the most prominent metals are undoubtedly the precious metals: copper, silver, and gold. Throughout the history of my world, these three metals have held an undisputed position of relevance in thaumaturgy. While iron and mercury have also been employed in thaumaturgic practice (the Thaumonomicon, one of the oldest works on thaumaturgy known, mentions thaumium and alchemical brass, two magical metals derived from iron), copper, silver, and gold have demonstrated unparalleled enchantability and magical versatility.
These precious metals have not only been used in the creation of magical objects throughout history but have also been the subject of numerous alchemical experiments in transmutation and aspectual manipulation, although most of these attempts have been largely unsuccessful and have sometimes led to unintended consequences.
In recent times, there has been a growing interest in the use of other precious metals such as platinum, rhodium, and osmium in thaumaturgy. However, this interest is still in its nascent and limited stage compared to the study and practice related to copper, silver, and gold. Thaumaturgy related to these less conventional metals is still to be fully developed, and their magical potential is far from fully understood.

The three main precious metals of interest

Copper has been a frontline choice in creating alloys that function as conductors and catalysts of magic throughout the ages, thanks to its impressive capacity to be enchanted. Furthermore, it stands out for its resistance to aspectual essences and its ability to act as an effective aspectual insulator. Even in ancient times, bronze armor decorated with primitive runes and magical glyphs not only rivaled but surpassed the resilience and tenacity of the finest steel armor of the later medieval period.
Today, this metal remains relevant in the creation of alloys such as molybdocopper, orichalcum, hepatizon, and manganin, which are used in the manufacturing of special munitions. These bullets, engraved with specific enchantments, acquire attributes and particular effects that make them highly effective in a wide variety of situations. The versatility of copper as a magical material makes it a valuable and sought-after option for practitioners of magic and thaumaturgy worldwide.
Silver, on the other hand, also stands out for its capacity to store magic. It has been employed in various ways in the realm of thaumaturgy and magic. One of its most prominent applications is its use in coating weapons and armor made of steel. Silver can be fused with this material to enhance the enchantments present in the weapons and armor, or even to directly manufacture weapons and armor imbued with its own magical properties.
Furthermore, silver has traditionally been associated with protection against supernatural entities and has been used to create a wide variety of protective amulets and talismans. Its teratocidal properties make it an essential component in the manufacturing of specialized weapons and ammunition designed for the hunting and elimination of creatures such as therianthropes, demons, and other supernatural beings. The famous silver bullets are an iconic example of this type of ammunition, known for their effectiveness in confrontations against beings of malign or magical nature. Silver, with its versatility and magical power, has earned a prominent place in the arsenal of magic practitioners and thaumaturges worldwide.
Gold, on the other hand, stands out as one of the most suitable metals for enchantment and magic absorption. Despite these qualities, its use in thaumaturgy has been limited due to its scarcity, high value, and the difficulty in stabilizing its magical properties. Creating enchanted objects from gold requires highly advanced and stabilized infusion altars, or the use of very specific alloys that can enhance its magical manipulation.
Despite these limitations, various gold alloys have sparked special interest among thaumaturges and alchemists worldwide. Below, we will detail some of these alloys, exploring their unique characteristics and potential applications in the field of magic and thaumaturgy.
Copper, silver and gold...

Tychereal gold

Tychereal gold encompasses a set of gold alloys that possess the unique property of influencing the luck of the bearer. This capability is achieved through the infusion of the "probabilitas" aspect into the alloys or through the inscription of specific enchantments. However, it is important to note that the effect on the bearer's luck is subtle.
In certain regions of Central, Southern, and Eastern Asia, red gold alloys, which contain a high copper content, are employed for this purpose because culturally, the color red is believed to bring good luck in these areas. These alloys, when enchanted or infused with "probabilitas," appear to have a greater impact on the bearer's luck, although their effect is temporary and tends to fade over time. Additionally, these alloys are prone to mild oxidation and corrosion, leading to the loss of their desired tychereal property.
However, the most effective tychereal alloy is known as "leprechaun gold," invented in Ireland during the Middle Ages. Leprechaun gold is a lime-green-toned alloy, primarily composed of gold with additions of silver and tin, along with traces of cadmium, and with high amounts of "probabilitas" aspect. Although scientific trials have shown that this alloy has a significant and generally positive impact on the bearer's luck, it presents a serious contraindication: cadmium, a heavy metal known to be toxic and carcinogenic.
Leprechaun gold, a tychereal gold alloy invented in Ireland.

Royal thaumium

Royal thaumium, a distinguished and valuable alloy, differs from common thaumium, ancient thaumium or, simply, thaumium (an amalgam of wrought iron impregnated with praecantatio). This exceptional compound is a combination of gold and aluminum impregnated with praecantatio.
By fusing gold with aluminum in an approximate mass ratio of 79:21, purple gold is obtained, a brittle intermetallic compound with an intense magenta color. When this purple gold is impregnated with large amounts of praecantatio, it becomes royal thaumium.
The term "royal" in its name is attributed to its high production cost and its original association with royalty and divinity. Although it shares similarities in appearance and qualities with thaumium based on iron, the properties of royal thaumium are even more pronounced. It can store approximately 53 times more magic than iron-based thaumium, acts as an extremely impermeable aspectual insulator to essences, and possesses a tremendous enchanting capacity. However, it is important to note that royal thaumium is extremely fragile compared to its iron-based counterpart.
Royal thaumium was initially discovered and crafted by alchemists in the late 18th century when the first samples of aluminum were successfully extracted, which at that time were considerably more expensive than gold due to the difficulty of obtaining it. During the early to mid-19th century, this alloy was widely used in the manufacturing of cores for high-power magic wands. Although it has been replaced by more economical thaumic materials today, royal thaumium is still appreciated in certain classic magic circles, acquired by purists and collectors of magical objects.
Royal thaumium, derived from purple gold, an intermetallic compound.

Aurallium

Within the realm of modern metallurgy, quasicrystals have emerged as structural forms that, unlike conventional crystals, are ordered but not periodic. Most quasicrystals discovered to date are metallic and exhibit symmetries that defy traditional crystalline conventions, such as decagonal and icosahedral shapes.
These quasicrystals are particularly intriguing in the field of thaumaturgy due to their ability to harbor large densities of a degenerate form of the "ordor" aspect, known as "auratio."
Among the most relevant quasicrystals in thaumaturgy are dodecaedrites, quasicrystalline alloys generally composed of aluminum or rare earth metals, infused with huge amounts of praecantatio. These dodecaedrites have the capacity to store massive amounts of magic, surpassing conventional thaumic alloys by thousands of times, making them ideal for the manufacturing of high-powered magical objects and disruptive antimagic munitions.
The term "aurallium" refers to a group of dodecaedrite-based alloys of gold quasicrystals, such as the gold-gallium-terbium alloy AC and other alloys M,X)85.7RE14.3 (M = Ag, Au, X = Al, Ga, In, RE = Er, Lu). However, the most notable of these alloys is "pure aurallium," composed of pure gold impregnated with large amounts of "auratio" aspect essence. This material forms dodecahedral, icosahedral, and tricontahedral crystals of a pale orangish-golden hue with celestial blue highlights.
Pure aurallium is metastable, meaning its quasicrystalline structure can collapse under certain extreme conditions to form amorphous gold, releasing energy and magic in the process. Additionally, this alloy has the ability to induce ordering and crystallization of surrounding materials when magic is applied to it, which could be utilized for various purposes, such as manufacturing enhaced wand cores for specific spells, or negentropic weapons like the "ordor ray."
Aurallium icosahedral quasicrystal.
Nuclear tests conducted by North Korea using this material, whose documentation has been obtained and released by the espionage forces of Acheron (an organization tasked with containing and eliminating supernatural threats), yield terrifying results. Atomic weapons doped with big amounts of aurallium generates negentropic fields that destroy all organic tissue within a radius several times larger than the blast radius and the lethal neutron radius. Animal and plant tissues liquefy and reorganize into perfectly ordered crystals of amino acids, phosphates, and carbohydrates imbued with high-purity aspect essences that may continue reacting dangerously with the environment, potentially producing flux, taint seeds and void gaps. All exposed rock and metal recrystallize into large amalgams of pure single crystals of various pure materials, forming ordered giant minimalist structures. And exposed water is aetheralized into pure aqua aspect that permeates and destructively alters any exposed material.
Surprisingly, despite the high thaumaturgy and technology involved in the production of pure aurallium and aurallium alloys, traces of aurallium have been found in well-preserved ancient legendary artifacts of high power, although the origin of such traces of aurallium is likely accidental or non-conciouss, this explains some of the astonishing qualities of these arcane artifacts.

Despite research advances and urgent calls by national and global health organizations, clinical outcomes for millions of people suffering with chronic pain remain poor. We suggest bringing the lens of complexity science to this problem, conceptualizing chronic pain as an emergent property of a complex biopsychosocial system. We frame pain-related physiology, neuroscience, developmental psychology, learning, and epigenetics as components and mini-systems that interact together and with changing socioenvironmental conditions, as an overarching complex system that gives rise to the emergent phenomenon of chronic pain. We postulate that the behavior of complex systems may help to explain persistence of chronic pain despite current treatments. From this perspective, chronic pain may benefit from therapies that can be both disruptive and adaptive at higher orders within the complex system. We explore psychedelic-assisted therapies and how these may overlap with and complement mindfulness-based approaches to this end. Both mindfulness and psychedelic therapies have been shown to have transdiagnostic value, due in part to disruptive effects on rigid cognitive, emotional, and behavioral patterns as well their ability to promote neuroplasticity. Psychedelic therapies may hold unique promise for the management of chronic pain.

Figure 1

https://preview.redd.it/zgpjyihsdb1d1.jpg?width=945&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6ec6f8e4cab44213aa6330998ba8febd85f5315a

Proposed schematic representing interacting components and mini-systems. Central arrows represent multidirectional interactions among internal components. As incoming data are processed, their influence and interpretation are affected by many system components, including others not depicted in this simple graphic. The brain's predictive processes are depicted as the dashed line encircling the other components, because these predictive processes not only affect interpretation of internal signals but also perception of and attention to incoming data from the environment.

Figure 2

https://preview.redd.it/e9g8b5stdb1d1.jpg?width=1056&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=83febb37a610bb6b01c5cec42be127b1dd72d7b3

Proposed mechanisms for acute and long-term effects of psychedelic and mindfulness therapies on chronic pain syndromes. Adapted from Heuschkel and Kuypers: Frontiers in Psychiatry 2020 Mar 31, 11:224; DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00224.

5 Conclusions

While conventional reductionist approaches may continue to be of value in understanding specific mechanisms that operate within any complex system, chronic pain may deserve a more complex—yet not necessarily complicated—approach to understanding and treatment. Psychedelics have multiple mechanisms of action that are only partly understood, and most likely many other actions are yet to be discovered. Many such mechanisms identified to date come from their interaction with the 5-HT2A receptor, whose endogenous ligand, serotonin, is a molecule that is involved in many processes that are central not only to human life but also to most life forms, including microorganisms, plants, and fungi (261). There is a growing body of research related to the anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of classic psychedelics and non-classic compounds such as ketamine and MDMA. These mechanisms may vary depending on the compound and the context within which the compound is administered. The subjective psychedelic experience itself, with its relationship to modulating internal and external factors (often discussed as “set and setting”) also seems to fit the definition of an emergent property of a complex system (216).
Perhaps a direction of inquiry on psychedelics’ benefits in chronic pain might emerge from studying the effects of mindfulness meditation in similar populations. Fadel Zeidan, who heads the Brain Mechanisms of Pain, Health, and Mindfulness Laboratory at the University of California in San Diego, has proposed that the relationship between mindfulness meditation and the pain experience is complex, likely engaging “multiple brain networks and neurochemical mechanisms… [including] executive shifts in attention and nonjudgmental reappraisal of noxious sensations” (322). This description mirrors those by Robin Carhart-Harris and others regarding the therapeutic effects of psychedelics (81, 216, 326, 340). We propose both modalities, with their complex (and potentially complementary) mechanisms of action, may be particularly beneficial for individuals affected by chronic pain. When partnered with pain neuroscience education, movement- or somatic-based therapies, self-compassion, sleep hygiene, and/or nutritional counseling, patients may begin to make important lifestyle changes, improve their pain experience, and expand the scope of their daily lives in ways they had long deemed impossible. Indeed, the potential for PAT to enhance the adoption of health-promoting behaviors could have the potential to improve a wide array of chronic conditions (341).
The growing list of proposed actions of classic psychedelics that may have therapeutic implications for individuals experiencing chronic pain may be grouped into acute, subacute, and longer-term effects. Acute and subacute effects include both anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects (peripheral and central), some of which may not require a psychedelic experience. However, the acute psychedelic experience appears to reduce the influence of overweighted priors, relaxing limiting beliefs, and softening or eliminating pathologic canalization that may drive the chronicity of these syndromes—at least temporarily (81, 164, 216). The acute/subacute phase of the psychedelic experience may affect memory reconsolidation [as seen with MDMA therapies (342, 343)], with implications not only for traumatic events related to injury but also to one's “pain story.” Finally, a window of increased neuroplasticity appears to open after treatment with psychedelics. This neuroplasticity has been proposed to be responsible for many of the known longer lasting effects, such as trait openness and decreased depression and anxiety, both relevant in pain, and which likely influence learning and perhaps epigenetic changes. Throughout this process and continuing after a formal intervention, mindfulness-based interventions and other therapies may complement, enhance, and extend the benefits achieved with psychedelic-assisted therapies.

6 Future directions

Psychedelic-assisted therapy research is at an early stage. A great deal remains to be learned about potential therapeutic benefits as well as risks associated with these compounds. Mechanisms such as those related to inflammation, which appear to be independent of the subjective psychedelic effects, suggest activity beyond the 5HT2A receptor and point to a need for research to further characterize how psychedelic compounds interact with different receptors and affect various components of the pain neuraxis. This and other mechanistic aspects may best be studied with animal models.
High-quality clinical data are desperately needed to help shape emerging therapies, reduce risks, and optimize clinical and functional outcomes. In particular, given the apparent importance of contextual factors (so-called “set and setting”) to outcomes, the field is in need of well-designed research to clarify the influence of various contextual elements and how those elements may be personalized to patient needs and desired outcomes. Furthermore, to truly maximize benefit, interventions likely need to capitalize on the context-dependent neuroplasticity that is stimulated by psychedelic therapies. To improve efficacy and durability of effects, psychedelic experiences almost certainly need to be followed by reinforcement via integration of experiences, emotions, and insights revealed during the psychedelic session. There is much research to be done to determine what kinds of therapies, when paired within a carefully designed protocol with psychedelic medicines may be optimal.
An important goal is the coordination of a personalized treatment plan into an organized whole—an approach that already is recommended in chronic pain but seldom achieved. The value of PAT is that not only is it inherently biopsychosocial but, when implemented well, it can be therapeutic at all three domains: biologic, psychologic, and interpersonal. As more clinical and preclinical studies are undertaken, we ought to keep in mind the complexity of chronic pain conditions and frame study design and outcome measurements to understand how they may fit into a broader biopsychosocial approach.
In closing, we argue that we must remain steadfast rather than become overwhelmed when confronted with the complexity of pain syndromes. We must appreciate and even embrace this complex biopsychosocial system. In so doing, novel approaches, such as PAT, that emphasize meeting complexity with complexity may be developed and refined. This could lead to meaningful improvements for millions of people who suffer with chronic pain. More broadly, this could also support a shift in medicine that transcends the confines of a predominantly materialist-reductionist approach—one that may extend to the many other complex chronic illnesses that comprise the burden of suffering and cost in modern-day healthcare.

Original Source

• Hypothesis and Theory: Chronic pain as an emergent property of a complex system and the potential roles of psychedelic therapies Frontiers in Pain Research: Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Pain [Apr 2024]

Would anyone with similar numbers mind giving me some insight? I know everyone is different! I know it could all mean nothing! lol just looking to see if anyone has ideas 🙂 30 year old female - randomly got shingles end of April, took valacyclovir and it’s all cleared up now. Was due for a med check for my zoloft and my yearly exam, mentioned to PCP about recent nausea (very odd symptom for me, only happened during pregnancy and when I had the stomach flu two years ago) but figured it could be from the shingles medication, having pain in upper right abdomen right under bra line and sometimes right above my hip bone, GI issues (not new for me, had colonoscopy 2018 came out all good, but same year did have my gallbladder removed because of stones)… PCP ordered bloodwork, abdominal ultrasound, and colonoscopy… ultrasound came back “very small amount of inflammation of liver but nothing of concern”, I’ll attach bloodwork results in a screenshot, and originally had my colonoscopy scheduled for July 8th but after getting my bloodwork back he called the GI to have it moved up and I’m currently waiting on a return call… I didn’t get a chance to talk to my doctor before the weekend to know what exactly he’s thinking is going on, all his nurse could tell me was “these are positive for something likely autoimmune” and I’m just wondering if anyone here might have an idea since you’re all pretty educated on these numbers! Thanks in advance!