By the 20th century, legends of transformation and ascension stretched across the globe. As two major world powers engaged in warfare during the 1930s, they also struggled for spiritual conquest. Thus the race to recover the mythical Chintamani stone and discover the secrets of Shambhala was born.

Discovering the higher self is an important part of ascension, which has been depicted in many artistic ways. For example, Sophia is the personification of wisdom and the Ladder of Jacob is a pathway to that wisdom.