Those who subscribe to the Zhang-alchemist legend must patiently wait for that knowledge to one day be revealed by an informed master.
How this way of thinking affects the Practitioner
A person who subscribes to this explanation of “internal power” in the IMA tends to become passive and less creative. When the practitioner doesn’t see him/ herself as part of a continuing and evolving legacy, there is less awareness / access to one’s own creative genius.
For example, in some cases curiosity about the source of “special knowledge” can become muted and replaced with obedience to a “master.” This viewpoint doesn’t invite the practitioner to personal investigation and new (creative) lines of inquiry.