Your thoughts on altered states of consciousness being 'mandatory'?

[MorganBlack]

In Hoodoo/Conjure, no trance nor altered state of consciousness is required nor sought. It is simply not part of the tradition. However African American root doctors also lived in a culture where magic (though they didn’t call it "magic"— since most were Christian) and spirits were just a given. So they can charge a talisman by simply putting in a Bible.

If you grew up in predominately scientific materialist culture , as most of us did, you probably have your work cut out for you. Trance, or altered states of consciousness, ("Gnosis" in Chaos Magic language), can help you get out of your own way.

Neville Goddard, whose work i highly recommend, would often do his New Thought manifestation sessions in the afternoon while dozing in his armchair after a glass of wine. But Neville was a professional dancer and was what we call today a "creative." Neville still made SATS (State Akin to Sleep) a core part of his New Thought method, and would recommend using your imagination to make things happen just before you went to sleep at night.

So I think it really depends on how much your left hemisphere of your brain can shut up and get out of the way, particularly if you are a left-brain analytical type, or are neurodivergent so that you become obsessed with trivial small details (bottom-up thinking).

 

[silencewaits]

In Hoodoo/Conjure, no trance nor altered state of consciousness is required nor sought. It is simply not part of the tradition. However African American root doctors also lived in a culture where magic (though they didn’t call it "magic"— since most were Christian) and spirits were just a given. So they can charge a talisman by simply putting in a Bible.

When someone's doing some work they are in a different state of mind than their day-to-day waking consciousness. There are other altered states of consciousness involved in the tradition. If you approach an altar made for your departed loved ones and ancestors to make offerings and receive support, you are in a different state of mind.

 

[MorganBlack]

Well said, Silencewaits! I totally agree!

Years ago I was impressed by Steven Heller 's book that suggested the same thing, that we are always in a form of trance. Our everyday state being a form of hypnosis we just accept as being normal.

Monsters and Magical Sticks: There's No Such Thing As Hypnosis?

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Sometimes I work in trance because I enjoy it, but often not. But the degree that modern magicians turn it into a requirement is a bit extreme. (And they'll also get obsessed with trivial incidentals like "energy" but that is a pet peeve of mine.)

Some rituals I have used for some time, like the Headless Rite, have extreme effect on me, and without me doing much more than saying the words, that it sometimes catches me off guard afterwards. I think of it as having done that rite enough it's "activated" (or whatever) and so then I can step into ritual (as I think of it), at any time.

 

[Promise]

I was wondering about something that seems to be the consensus amongst my local peers: one must be in an altered state of mind/gnostic state to perform any magickal operation.
For me, it is not something that's obligatory, but sorta helps me keep my mind censor in check, so that I don't think about how ridiculous I look praying over oils and herbs or dressed in ceremonial garb addressing the spirits.
I'd love to read y'alls input and, if possible, learning a bit of your experience

IMHO ... yes its mandatory, AND it only needs to be a slight shift that can be accessed in just a few seconds.

Post automatically merged: Mar 31, 2025

Well said, Silencewaits! I totally agree!

Years ago I was impressed by Steven Heller 's book that suggested the same thing, that we are always in a form of trance. Our everyday state being a form of hypnosis we just accept as being normal.

Monsters and Magical Sticks: There's No Such Thing As Hypnosis?

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Sometimes I work in trance because I enjoy it, but often not. But the degree that modern magicians turn it into a requirement is a bit extreme. (And they'll also get obsessed with trivial incidentals like "energy" but that is a pet peeve of mine.)

Some rituals I have used for some time, like the Headless Rite, have extreme effect on me, and without me doing much more than saying the words, that it sometimes catches me off guard afterwards. I think of it as having done that rite enough it's "activated" (or whatever) and so then I can step into ritual (as I think of it), at any time.

Monsters and Magical Sticks is a GREAT Hypnosis / NLP book, BTW

 

[jkeller293]

I believe the act of ritual is what induces you into a state of mind.

Some practices require an act of ritual purification before ritual, and i guess i could have the same viewpoint with that as well.

That said, in my opinion yes, state of mind matters for magick.

Post automatically merged: Yesterday at 3:08 AM

If you want to call belief a state of mind, i would say that is the most important aspect of all.