西方近代内丹研究有別於過去傳統中文學界的内丹研究，其中最大的不同就是在研究視角的選取上。從不同的研究角度也開展出新的觀點與成果，讓我們對内丹有新的理解。這也破除過去我們認為内丹經典用語隱晦難澀，難以從文脈了解其中意涵、發掘隱含在ロ訣當中修煉方法的迷思。過去這些障礙使得學者對内丹研究卻步，但是透過種種新的研究觀點使得内丹學開始有很大的進展。本文介紹數篇近期發表的内丹研究，其中包括史卡（Lowell Skar)從自我修煉的角度，對金丹傳統進行時序性的考察；王カ對白玉蟾及其内丹思想、儀式實踐為核心的深度研究；簫為（Clarke Hudson)從傳播、權威與救贖三迴路探討陳致虛的内丹論述；孔思奇（Louis Komjathy )從比較宗教角度來探討，以自我認知、宗教實踐、心理學、比較密契主義探討王重陽及早期全真運動；艾蓮那（Elena Valussi)從「副文本」探討女丹文本。有鑒於國内學者鮮少引用外文内丹研究著作，本文提出一些研究成果，作為拋磚引玉，期望使國内的内丹研究更加國際化，在汲取國際學界的研究以後，能夠開展出更深刻、更新穎的内丹研究。

The purpose of this review is to introduce different aspects of Western research on Inner Alchemy to contemporary scholars of Daoism in Taiwan. Western specialists in the study of Chinese religion have spilled much ink over the issue of Inner Alchemy. Recent studies contain an increased awareness of the use of metaphor and allegory in Inner Alchemy texts, which represent one of the key ingredients that makes possible such a nesting of multiple, simultaneous meanings within them. Indeed, as is well known, Inner Alchemy scriptures are filled with metaphor and allegory as well as symbolic language that can be frustratingly daunting for scholars. In the last decade, as an increasing number of Western scholars have devoted themselves to Daoist Inner Alchemy research, several have turned their attention to the problem of unlocking these encoded sources. This article reviews recent studies of Inner Alchemy by Lowell Skar, Clarke Hudson, Louis Komjathy, and Elena Valussi.