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Placebo Magic?

Robert Ramsay

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There are lots of reputable studies about the placebo effect, but all they really show, to my mind, is that the placebo effect uses the same mechanism as magic, for similar, seemingly acausal results. Basically, the placebo effect is a kind of magic.
 

r4zorenigma

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Is there any reputable studies that show the effects of placebo in regards to magic?
Almost all magick is self hypnosis, so in a way, its all placebo.. Little magick is an actual alchemical process that occurs..

Thats why magick where you don't know if it worked, second guess it, or are anxious about the outcome usually does not work..

"Real magick" you can almost feel its power.. its an etheral energy.. In my many years of making talisman and amulet, I discovered this sort of magick.. you feel it in your hands when you hold the amulet.. its not until its charged with the energy do you really know or believe it will work. It's a two fold or sometimes three fold process with amulets and talismans fo rme now.. Once i make them, they are not complete.. The 2nd part is coming back to it and charging it with intent.. (usually at a later date and time) and when it charges properly, I can feel the surge of ethereaal energy within it.. Its actually surreal.

and when working with spirits
you can feel the bioelectricity in your body when you come in contact with or invoke one inside of yourself.. its something hard to describe but once you become familiar, you know it well.
 

FraterSA

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What, precisely do you mean by that? There have been studies that relate magic results with placebo effects and the fields of psychology and psychotherapy, the book Witchdoctors and Psychiatrists is all about it, but since magic is really a difficult topic for most researchers, you could certainly be able to find something that merges the two. That being said, you would have to come to peace with the realization that most researchers are not versed enough in the concepts of magic and might conflate several topics, practices and traditions.
 

luotenrati

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It seems that most modern people arguing against magic go the "it's just placebo" route of argument. This is essentially acknowledging magic, since that's precisely what placebo is. Ay study on placebo is likely to be a study on magic.

It is important to note however that the placebo effect is specifically the influence of mental factors on the physical body with no clearly established mechanism of causality. As such, it is related to the body and its workings, and is a medical phenomenon. There is extensive medical literature on the topic though I'm not sure if it's tested in regards to magic. Given medical practitioners views, this kind of magic in their context would likely be the use of homeopathic or alternative medicine. Due to limited research and proof, they often argue for placebo when it shows effectiveness.

I don't think there is a placebo effect related to the mind, because the mind is where it originates from. Perhaps there might be a 'reverse placebo' where the influence of something physical structures personal belief. As above, so below.
 
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