Science:
Penda re "
Magic"

I'm sorry you're going to have to be alot more specific about what you mean by magic to get away with that sort of comment.

-Neuro Linguistic Programming is heavily used to improve self esteem, train sales people, etc. It is based on the core magical practices of visualisation and mantra and can seem to have magical effects (I.e. suddenly people take notice of what you say and do what you want because you have confidence in your self).

-Homeopathy seems to work and is heavily used but currently cannot be explained scientifically.

-Hypnotism is still often treated as magic but is a useful therapy for some addictions and compulsions.

One of the problems with your argument is that once a piece of magic proves itself useful we turn it into science. We investigate it and try to turn it into something we understand well enough to reproduce easily. It stops being magic in one sense because the mystery and controversy have gone.

—Penda Tomlinson
December 2005

 

The three examples of "magic" that you cite are similar in that they're not supernatural. In my book, that makes them not magic at all.

Your assertion that magic gets investigated and turned into science would be stronger if you gave an example. All I can think of are counterexamples: magic that never becomes practical (e.g. astrology), and science with no magical hsitory (e.g., antibiotics).

—JoT

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