Alchemy At It's Core Options

my understanding of alchemy is its a spiritual and mental practice that transcends the realms of all we doubt to the understanding that we can live better that we should live better and that the basis for our survival as well as our inner potential is to be the best we can be which means letting nothing hold us back and everything at our disposal including the elements but mainly the self mastery that we call living or transmuting the mind to the highest form of purity.

my main question is if someone doesn't consider themselves an alchemist and they find a way to do this are they indeed an alchemist if they understand this or are they just someone who has come to the same truth as all the alchemists and are indeed on a different path? just out of curiousity.

There are many different kinds of alchemy. All are valid.