Newsgroups: alt.magick
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 14:54:53 -0400 
From: William Henry Timmins <wt0b+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: Re: IS THIS REAL?
Distribution: world

>Is this for real?  What I mean is, Is magic for real? DOes it really
>exist? Can a person control the elements, or anything, anything not
>explained by science.  I have always wanted to believe in magic, but
>everything and everyone around me laughs at the idea of the
>supernatural.  I really must know if magic is for real.  I say this
>because in all probability none of you will ever know me, but I dream of
>it(magic).

	Well, put it this way. Let's assume that some form of 'magic' exists.
The nature of this magic must fit what evidence we have. Any type of
magic that doesn't fit the evidence probably doesn't exist.
	Obviously, the lack of easily perceived magic means that this type of
magic probably doesn't exist, or only exists under very rare
circumstances. ie- No one can make rocks disappear in seconds merely by
wishing it. Otherwise, we'd have seen it.
	So, all the 'role playing game'-type magic is out. Shapeshifting,
conjurations, etc, in their most obvious, flashy forms, are right out.
Or, as I said, it can be done only by use of lore we don't have, etc.

	Barring these obvious magics, we leave magics of perception. Magic
which expands my awareness is easily described by other means. I may
expand my communication with my intuition, etc. Or I restructure my
attitudes to help me deal with different situations.
	This type of magic is hard to show. Perhaps sensing what we consider
impossible to sense. All that would do is expand the list of what we
think is possible to sense.

	Then there are magics of chance. Synchronicity effects- I wish for
something, maybe do a ritual, and through a series of chance events my
wishes come true. Weather magic and prayer are both of this sort.
	This could be proved only by, say, observing control of random dice.
However, this fails because by any description, such magic requires a
great deal of desire and will power. Getting very worked up over dice
may be very hard to do.

	Lastly (of those I've thought of), are magics of a spiritual nature.
These magics contact higher (or lower) entities, move your own spirit,
perceive other spirits, and so forth. In many ways it is like the first
type of magic, but more abstract.
	This magic is, again, very subjective. Judgement of known and unknown
knowledge (ie- a medium contacting the spirit of the deceased, and
saying things the medium couldn't know) has had ups and downs.

	In conclusion, the biggest problem with peoples' perception of magic is
that they expect magic to be outside of reality, to challenge in an
easily perceived way their knowledge of reality. However, this
expectation of magic is obviously false. Magic CAN'T be outside of
reality, and magic can't be easily perceived.
	Simple logic.

	In any case, even if certain aspects of magic are false, there is some
basis for it. Whether you explain things as spiritual aspects, or
psychological aspects, the results are often useful.
	Magic could simply be myth- but myth is useful. In martial arts,
knowing the physical anatomy and clinical description of moves tells you
little, but visualizing energies coursing through your body gives you
the tools to perform.
	In a sense, myths are true in the sense that they teach us how to do
things. They speak to our intuition. The science then tells us the why
for our rational mind, which is useful in a different way. When we
abandon a myth as untrue, we forget the reason for it. Also, when we
accept the myth unquestioningly, we also forget the reason for it.

From the minds of
-Me
[Pooh Bear incarnate.]
<B1 c+ f+ w g+ k+ s+ r- e+ p>