Funnily enough... I happen to be reading a book titled "The Philosophers Stone, a Quest for the Secrets of Alchemy" By "Peter Marshall" right now, I think all of the symbology relating to taking anything is just symbology... the metals in to golds thing is another cover story, their is literally faaarrr too much deception in what's actually going on and it works perfectly. I don't even think it's speaking of "eternal life" on this plane of existence at all, if anything it's manifesting yourself into pure and unconditionally loving energy and breaking the cycles of life and death...
that's just me anyway, it's all symbology and misinformation.
One can drive himself to madness in the obsessing goal of reason, without the knowledge of love and laughter.