Magic is an interesting concept. People have different ideas about it. There is a lot of prejudice. I’d like to make a few comments.
Let’s look at the Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary:
Magic-
1. The art of producing illusions as entertainment.
2. The art of producing desired effects or results by the use of techniques that, presumably, assures human control of supernatural agencies or the forces of nature.
Ironically, there is more to definition one than is immediately obvious. Definition one is referred to here as stage magic. Definition two is referred to here as systemic magic. Systemic magic implies interaction with natural and supernatural forces via disciplines and faiths respectively. Each discipline and faith forms a more-or-less semi-complete system of interacting components, despite being generally incompatible with each other.
Stage Magic
Stage magic involves producing unexpected results by means of manipulating people’s attention and assumptions. The key here is that simple suggestions and gestures can be used to direct people’s minds to expect something to happen next. The average person’s mind tends travel along well-worn paths; until their attention is directed do otherwise. By controlling a person’s attention and expectations (set-up), the stage magician is able to surprise the audience when he or she produces some unexpected result (climax). By means of such methods, the magician sets up the trick so that, whatever result produced was not expected.
The world is a stage and we humans typically employ props and tricks in order to fool other people. For example, all make-up, toupees’, and high heels are forms of everyday stage magic. All deliberate lies designed to deceive are also in the milieu.
Systemic Magic
Systemic Magic is the art of producing desired effects or results by the use of techniques that, presumably, assures human control of supernatural agencies (religion) or the forces of nature (science). Therefore systemic magic includes both the disciplines of science and rituals of religion. Each religious faith or scientific discipline tends to form a semi-complete system, a ‘whole.’ The key here is that, in both cases, the practitioner is employing some technique for manipulating (science) or supplicating (religion) the invisible forces of the universe.
Systemic magic involves manipulating these invisible forces. Supplication, prayer, ceremony, ritual, spell-casting, research, manufacturing and all technologies are products of what I’m calling systemic magic. The value of the term in this context is that it reminds us that we don’t really understand all aspects of what we’re dealing with, even if science likes to pretend otherwise. The list of practices and forces is immense. In this context a ‘force’ is any property of reality, not strictly a ‘push or pull’ in the scientific sense. A force here is a type of ‘strength’ in the generic sense.
Science
In science a partial list of these forces follows: heat, gravity, magnetism, electricity, pressure, mass, volume, electro-negativity, viscosity, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, Young’s modulus, Poison’s ratio, etc., etc.
Science typically employs the technique called the hypothetical-deductive method in each of its disciplines. (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothetico-deductive_method) However these disciplines don’t necessarily make sense to each other. Taken as a whole, with all it’s disciplines in view, science is a hodge-podge of unrelated, inconsistent definitions and rules each couched in highly-specialized jargon that is peculiar to each discipline. When scrutinized in their finest detail, each scientific discipline tends to degenerate into a tangled mass of arcane and confusing propositions.
Take for example the force of gravity. Think that you understand gravity? Answer this question: How can you reduce the force of gravity on your body to zero without leaving the planet? Simple, just jump off a building. While you’re falling, your body will experience no force of gravity (Don’t try this at home!). Here’s the tough question: explain why this is so? This is when people start talking about ‘curved space’ and ‘non-linear tensor calculus’ and everybody’s eyes glaze over. Consider these quotes:
“Space is a boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction.[1] Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of the boundless four-dimensional continuum known as spacetime. In mathematics spaces with different numbers of dimensions and with different underlying structures can be examined. The concept of space is considered to be of fundamental importance to an understanding of the universe although disagreement continues between philosophers over whether it is itself an entity, a relationship between entities, or part of a conceptual framework.” ~
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space“Curved space often refers to a spatial geometry which is not “flat” where a flat space is described by Euclidean Geometry. Curved spaces can generally be described by Riemannian Geometry though some simple cases can be described in other ways. Curved spaces play an essential role in General Relativity where gravity is often visualized as curved space. The Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker metric is a curved metric which forms the current foundation for the description of the expansion of space and shape of the universe.” ~
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curved_spaceThe point is that science cannot usually describe its own forces in both non-mathematical and comprehensible terms. When it can, it’s usually just some type of oversimplification. This type of degeneration into inexplicable jargon is common when we look closely at the forces of nature that science describes.
Religion
Religion of course is much the same.The forces of religion include, myths, spirits, angels, demons, gods and goddesses. These are usually quite ambiguous terms. Religion does not however employ the hypothetical-deductive method. The methods of religion include ceremony, surrender, obedience to codified laws, repentance, supplication, confession, sacrifice, use of amulets, sigils, puppets, charms, prayer, meditation, rites, spells, familiars, etc., etc.
Summation
Magic implies a lack of understanding. Magical forces are mysterious. On the stage magic side, the mystery is deliberate. On the systemic side, the mystery is accidental. In the case of science it’s even mitigated somewhat, however, as we’ve seen there is mystery at its core and around the edges. Religion is rife with mystery.
There has been a tendency of late to try and integrate all faiths and disciplines into one unified, coherent and comprehensive system that will cover all cases under one formulation. This integralist movement builds on the modest achievements of the Universalist movement. However the deference of the Universalists has been discarded in favor of a comprehensive system. Whereas the Universalists were content to respect the jargon and rites of the disparate faiths and disciplines, the integralists are more inclined to truncate and redefine things for the sake of compatibility. To date, however both approaches have been largely fruitless. No substantive gains have been made, if we are to base our assessment on results.
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