American Alchemy is a research collective founded by Jesse Michel, centered on exploring how ideas of alchemy—in its symbolic, metaphoric, or literal senses—intersect with UFO/UAP disclosure efforts and broader shifts in public understanding of reality. The group hosts a show titled American Alchemy, in which Michel and collaborators examine historical, cultural, scientific, and spiritual perspectives on transformation—both of matter and consciousness—with an eye toward how such transformation might be playing a subtle but pivotal role in how UFO phenomena are perceived and revealed. What distinguishes American Alchemy is its framing of disclosure not just as a matter of government declassification or whistleblowing, but as part of a larger paradigm shift: one where alchemical metaphors and processes are seen as possibly underpinning or informing emerging narratives around UAPs. Because much in the UAP field remains ambiguous or contested, American Alchemy’s approach is speculative in places; they often present ideas as possible frameworks, drawing upon myth, ritual, science, and testimonies without claiming definitive empirical proof.

Michel’s background includes podcasting, investigative journalism, and a history of engaging with fringe or liminal subjects. In American Alchemy, he aims to bring rigorous curiosity to areas often dismissed—from ancient alchemical texts and symbols, to contemporary reports of anomalous phenomena. The show features interviews with researchers, philosophers, spiritual practitioners, and sometimes with individuals who claim direct experiences of UFOs or altered states. Much of what they explore—such as whether alchemical archetypes influence human consciousness in ways that facilitate UFO perception—is speculative, not universally accepted, and generally not part of mainstream UFO research.

What American Alchemy contributes is less about resolving specific claims and more about expanding the conversation: re-examining how myths and symbols might shape what counts as evidence, how disclosure might be interpreted in non-literal dimensions, and how transformation—inner or outer—may be part of the disclosure story itself. It matters because, if paradigm transformation is real, then disclosure could entail shifts not just in policy but in worldview—and that is precisely the terrain American Alchemy seeks to map.