In texts that are held to have been written according to this view, the cryptic alchemical symbols, diagrams, and textual imagery of late alchemical works are supposed to contain multiple layers of meanings, allegories, and references to other equally cryptic works; which must be laboriously decoded to discover their true meaning.
ɪn tˈɛksts ðæt ɑːɹ hˈɛld tə hɐvbɪn ɹˈɪʔn̩ ɐkˈoːɹdɪŋ tə ðɪs vjˈuː, ðə kɹˈɪptɪk ælkˈɛmɪkəl sˈɪmbəlz, dˈaɪəɡɹˌæmz, ænd tˈɛkstʃuːəl ˈɪmɪdʒɹi ʌv lˈeɪt ælkˈɛmɪkəl wˈɜːks ɑːɹ səpˈoʊzd tə kəntˈeɪn mˌʌltɪpəl lˈeɪɚz ʌv mˈiːnɪŋz, ˈælɪɡɚɹiz, ænd ɹˈɛfɹənsᵻz tʊ ˈʌðɚɹ ˈiːkwəli kɹˈɪptɪk wˈɜːks; wˌɪtʃ mˈʌst biː lɐbˈoːɹiəsli dᵻkˈoʊdᵻd tə dɪskˈʌvɚ ðɛɹ tɹˈuː mˈiːnɪŋ.