magic is good for you
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KatyKing
skfarblum
6 posters
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magic is good for you
by skfarblum Sun Apr 15, 2012 11:11 am
Hugh Pickens writes
"Natalie Wolchover says even the most die-hard skeptics among us believe in magic. Humans can't help it: though we try to be logical, irrational beliefs — many of which we aren't even conscious of — are hardwired in our psyches. 'The unavoidable habits of mind that make us think luck and supernatural forces are real, that objects and symbols have power, and that humans have souls and destinies are part of what has made our species so evolutionarily successful,' writes Wolchover. 'Believing in magic is good for us.' For example, what do religion, anthropomorphism, mysticism and the widespread notion that each of us has a destiny to fulfill have in common? According to research by Matthew Hutson, underlying all these forms of magical thinking is the innate sense that everything happens for a reason. And that stems from paranoia, which is a safety mechanism that protects us. 'We have a bias to see events as intentional, and to see objects as intentionally designed,' says Hutson. 'If we don't see any biological agent, like a person or animal, then we might assume that there's some sort of invisible agent: God or the universe in general with a mind of its own.' According to anthropologists, the reason we have a bias to assume things are intentional is that typically it's safer to spot another agent in your environment than to miss another agent. 'It's better to mistake a boulder for a bear than a bear for a boulder,' says Stewart Guthrie. In a recent Gallup poll, three in four Americans admitted to believing in at least one paranormal phenomenon. 'But even for those few of us who claim to be complete skeptics, belief quietly sneaks in. Maybe you feel anxious on Friday the 13th. Maybe the idea of a heart transplant from a convicted killer weirds you out. ... If so, on some level you believe in magic.'"
"Natalie Wolchover says even the most die-hard skeptics among us believe in magic. Humans can't help it: though we try to be logical, irrational beliefs — many of which we aren't even conscious of — are hardwired in our psyches. 'The unavoidable habits of mind that make us think luck and supernatural forces are real, that objects and symbols have power, and that humans have souls and destinies are part of what has made our species so evolutionarily successful,' writes Wolchover. 'Believing in magic is good for us.' For example, what do religion, anthropomorphism, mysticism and the widespread notion that each of us has a destiny to fulfill have in common? According to research by Matthew Hutson, underlying all these forms of magical thinking is the innate sense that everything happens for a reason. And that stems from paranoia, which is a safety mechanism that protects us. 'We have a bias to see events as intentional, and to see objects as intentionally designed,' says Hutson. 'If we don't see any biological agent, like a person or animal, then we might assume that there's some sort of invisible agent: God or the universe in general with a mind of its own.' According to anthropologists, the reason we have a bias to assume things are intentional is that typically it's safer to spot another agent in your environment than to miss another agent. 'It's better to mistake a boulder for a bear than a bear for a boulder,' says Stewart Guthrie. In a recent Gallup poll, three in four Americans admitted to believing in at least one paranormal phenomenon. 'But even for those few of us who claim to be complete skeptics, belief quietly sneaks in. Maybe you feel anxious on Friday the 13th. Maybe the idea of a heart transplant from a convicted killer weirds you out. ... If so, on some level you believe in magic.'"
skfarblum
Re: magic is good for you
by KatyKing Sun Apr 15, 2012 12:42 pm
You can't beat a nice bit of magic.
Real magic's all around us, you can't make a tree in a laboratory; and even the littlest kids love tricks and illusions. I reckon magic's part of our DNA.
Real magic's all around us, you can't make a tree in a laboratory; and even the littlest kids love tricks and illusions. I reckon magic's part of our DNA.
KatyKing
Re: magic is good for you
by skfarblum Sun Apr 15, 2012 2:29 pm
Yes,Katy indeed.The whole mystery of life is magic
skfarblum
Re: magic is good for you
by KatyKing Sun Apr 15, 2012 4:47 pm
Aye. It baffles me more and more the older I get.
KatyKing
Re: magic is good for you
by Loneblossom Mon Apr 16, 2012 3:05 am
I'm the black sheep here. I have never liked magic or anything circus-y or vaudeville-esque. And don't get me started on clowns...oof!!
Loneblossom
Re: magic is good for you
by Admin Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:42 am
In my own way , apart from the frauds, there is nothing magical about either the exercise of real Psychic powers or Mediumship they are totally natural abilities not miracles or magic. The day we pretend ththey are is the day we lose our way finally.
Sorry absolutely no relation to any topic on Spiritualism or Psychic, except in the exposure of some. It was why I became cross with the video about Anna Eva Fay which was put up on here as if she was a great medium. As the first honorary female member of the Magic Circle and after a detailed review of her career she was a wonderful Vaudeville Artist no more or less.
Unless it is in relation to its use in relation to an exposure of fraude lets keep magic out of the threads on psychic to true mediumship.
The Forum is not meant to trivialise subjects too much as it is one of the more serious efforts, intended to provide a view of what Modern Spiritualism is and where it came from, which is what seems to draw people in the first place.
Sorry absolutely no relation to any topic on Spiritualism or Psychic, except in the exposure of some. It was why I became cross with the video about Anna Eva Fay which was put up on here as if she was a great medium. As the first honorary female member of the Magic Circle and after a detailed review of her career she was a wonderful Vaudeville Artist no more or less.
Unless it is in relation to its use in relation to an exposure of fraude lets keep magic out of the threads on psychic to true mediumship.
The Forum is not meant to trivialise subjects too much as it is one of the more serious efforts, intended to provide a view of what Modern Spiritualism is and where it came from, which is what seems to draw people in the first place.
Admin- Admin
Re: magic is good for you
by skfarblum Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:59 am
Dear Admin,
Thank you for clarifying the situation.I will endeavour in the future
to follow the rules.If you like please delete the entire thread as it contributes
nothing to the forum.
Thanks
Stephen
Thank you for clarifying the situation.I will endeavour in the future
to follow the rules.If you like please delete the entire thread as it contributes
nothing to the forum.
Thanks
Stephen
skfarblum
Re: magic is good for you
by KatyKing Mon Apr 16, 2012 4:23 pm
Clowns scare me. Always have done. Must have been traumatised by one when I was a nipper.
KatyKing
Re: magic is good for you
by Left Behind Mon Apr 16, 2012 6:45 pm
Though I don't share that view of clowns, Peter, I've heard that fear of them is actually more widespread than we would realize. It probably makes sense: most of us probably saw them for the first time as small children, and kids are often scared by someone or something different.
I've also heard of some women being sexually aroused by clowns. No, I have NO theories there.
One thing very ironic about magic is that professional magicians are probably, as an occupational group, the biggest skeptics and disbelievers there are, about anything and everything.
I suppose that makes sense: if what you do for a living is all tricks, you tend to develop a mindset that everything is tricks.
Jim
I've also heard of some women being sexually aroused by clowns. No, I have NO theories there.
One thing very ironic about magic is that professional magicians are probably, as an occupational group, the biggest skeptics and disbelievers there are, about anything and everything.
I suppose that makes sense: if what you do for a living is all tricks, you tend to develop a mindset that everything is tricks.
Jim
Left Behind
Re: magic is good for you
by KatyKing Mon Apr 16, 2012 7:03 pm
Some famous magicians and not a few Christian evangelists began as stage mediums. Houdini and Arthur Pink for example.
KatyKing
Re: magic is good for you
by Admin Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:34 pm
I moved the topic to an area of the forum where I will tolerate this type of content. I will do this more often soon because of concerns I am getting about the changed nature of the forum which has been occuring over recent months. When the material becomes of a rather trivial nature, or off teh actual topic, in one of the areas I regard better suited to more serious discussions it will probably end up here.
Interesting about Houdini, your reference source please? I would like tos ee that my references would not agree with that claim, he came more out of the Houdin/Maskelyne tradition.
Interesting about Houdini, your reference source please? I would like tos ee that my references would not agree with that claim, he came more out of the Houdin/Maskelyne tradition.
Admin- Admin
Re: magic is good for you
by zerdini Tue Apr 17, 2012 9:11 am
Admin wrote:I moved the topic to an area of the forum where I will tolerate this type of content. I will do this more often soon because of concerns I am getting about the changed nature of the forum which has been occuring over recent months. When the material becomes of a rather trivial nature, or off teh actual topic, in one of the areas I regard better suited to more serious discussions it will probably end up here.
An excellent idea, Jim.
Interesting about Houdini, your reference source please? I would like tos ee that my references would not agree with that claim, he came more out of the Houdin/Maskelyne tradition.
zerdini
Re: magic is good for you
by KatyKing Tue Apr 17, 2012 10:28 am
Kalusch and Retso 2007The Secret Life of Houdini. The making of Americas first superhero.....
Between 1895 and 1898 when his Challenge routine propelled him to fame Houdini worked as a travelling medium .
They produce venues and cite advertisements for Houdini' stage medium gigs.
The magic press was up in arms about this when the book first came out butt the evidence is irrefutable. Since the dust settled the magic fraternity will oncede that Houdini worked as a medium but as a 'ham medium to develop his act'.
Magic.bio is a good site.
ACD went to his reward convinced that Houdini was a powerful medium. I am inclined to agree.
Can't post hyperlinks on Kindle Jim but will try from work. That's a good book by the way well worth buying . I have the hardback first edition but it is a paperback now still in print. Magic books hold their value so probably few cheapos out there. Arthur Pink is the more fasinating to me. He began as a well booked platform medium and evolved into the main apologist for evangelical dispensationalim of the early to mid twentieth century. A complex and fascinating character whose widow passed in the outer Isles ministered to by a GW medium.
Between 1895 and 1898 when his Challenge routine propelled him to fame Houdini worked as a travelling medium .
They produce venues and cite advertisements for Houdini' stage medium gigs.
The magic press was up in arms about this when the book first came out butt the evidence is irrefutable. Since the dust settled the magic fraternity will oncede that Houdini worked as a medium but as a 'ham medium to develop his act'.
Magic.bio is a good site.
ACD went to his reward convinced that Houdini was a powerful medium. I am inclined to agree.
Can't post hyperlinks on Kindle Jim but will try from work. That's a good book by the way well worth buying . I have the hardback first edition but it is a paperback now still in print. Magic books hold their value so probably few cheapos out there. Arthur Pink is the more fasinating to me. He began as a well booked platform medium and evolved into the main apologist for evangelical dispensationalim of the early to mid twentieth century. A complex and fascinating character whose widow passed in the outer Isles ministered to by a GW medium.
KatyKing
Re: magic is good for you
by KatyKing Tue Apr 17, 2012 3:37 pm
http://www.magictricks.com/houdini/houdinibio.html
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Secret-Life-Houdini-Superhero/dp/184739082X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334676957&sr=8-1
There ya go Jim.
HTH
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Secret-Life-Houdini-Superhero/dp/184739082X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334676957&sr=8-1
There ya go Jim.
HTH
KatyKing
Re: magic is good for you
by Admin Wed Apr 18, 2012 1:56 am
Thanks Katy,
I notice the words in one he worked
Not abnormal tehre were many fine exponents of illusions he maintained some indication they were Mediums Anna Eva Fay was a fine example although after her first few years it was more by implication of what she said she neither directly claimed nor did she refute Spirit involvement. Indeed given the number of occasions their act was either exposed or duplicated by magicians the Davenports have also to be in the forefront of that group.
Clearly Houdinis early years were not very succesful and by the sound of it his "mediumship" did not go down that well.
I notice the words in one he worked
Until the success of the Challenge Act, Houdini had even resorted to posing as a "spirit medium", gathering information from cemeteries and town clerks before shows to make his "messages" more convincing.
Not abnormal tehre were many fine exponents of illusions he maintained some indication they were Mediums Anna Eva Fay was a fine example although after her first few years it was more by implication of what she said she neither directly claimed nor did she refute Spirit involvement. Indeed given the number of occasions their act was either exposed or duplicated by magicians the Davenports have also to be in the forefront of that group.
Clearly Houdinis early years were not very succesful and by the sound of it his "mediumship" did not go down that well.
Admin- Admin
Re: magic is good for you
by Admin Wed Apr 18, 2012 2:20 am
We have had this debate on the forum before because of course many leading figures believed that he had to be a medium to achive what he did indeed the founder of the famous College of Psychic Studies was so sure he wnt right out on a limb
Should be able to find the debate about this on the forum https://www.spiritualismlink.com/t505-interestng-piece-on-dematerialisation-was-houdini-a-medium?highlight=houdini
Of course Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was also convinced but wonderful job that he did for the movement he was hardly the most discerning of observers.
SPIRIT INTERCOURSE ITS THEORY AND PRACTICE BY J. Hewat McKenzie NEW YORK MITCHELL KENNERLEY 1917
Page 114 SPIRIT INTERCOURSE
HOUDINl's DEMONSTRATION OF DEMATERIALIZATION.
The last occasion on which the author, under strict test conditions, saw Houdini demonstrate his powers of dematerialization, was before thousands, upon the public stage of the Grand Theatre, Islington, London. Here a small iron tank, filled with water, was deposited upon the stage, and in it Houdini was placed, the water completely covering his body. Over this was placed an iron lid with three hasps and staples, and these were securely locked. The body was then completely dematerialized within this tank within one and a half
minutes, while the author stood immediately over it. Without disturbing any of the locks, Houdini was transferred from the tank direct to the back of the stage in a dematerialized state. He was there materialized, and returned to the stage front dripping with water, and attired in the blue jersey suit in which he entered the tank.
Should be able to find the debate about this on the forum https://www.spiritualismlink.com/t505-interestng-piece-on-dematerialisation-was-houdini-a-medium?highlight=houdini
Of course Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was also convinced but wonderful job that he did for the movement he was hardly the most discerning of observers.
Admin- Admin
Re: magic is good for you
by KatyKing Wed Apr 18, 2012 11:37 am
Thanks Jim. That's interesting material.
KatyKing
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