If you wish to converse with me, first define your terms.
Voltaire
According to one popular definition, real magic is:
The art and science of causing change to occur in conformity with one’s will. Whereas it is accepted that it is theoretically possible to cause in any object, any change of which that object is capable by nature
I leave off the author attribution only because the very mention of the name tends to invoke superfluous emotional responses that only serve to detract from the validity of the definition itself. However, to continue the thought, if we might accept the aforementioned definition, as opposed to a more fantastic, supernatural or Harry Potteresque notion, then it becomes incumbent upon one, in order to answer the secondary questions of whether or not and how said magic may be learned, to “find out for oneself, and make sure beyond doubt, who one is, what one is, why one is. And being thus conscious of the proper course to pursue, the next thing is to understand the conditions necessary to following it out. After that, one must eliminate from oneself every element alien or hostile to success, and develop those parts of oneself which are specially needed to control the aforesaid conditions.”
Self is vast. And real magic, as opposed to the art of treating people to a show of sleight of hand, is at once, the science of understanding the human condition as well as the physical laws of Nature. Couple this understanding with an image of what may be possible should the Lord and the Time will it so, and you have a crucible of potentiality waiting to unfold in any direction at all and what is left is the ability and art of applying that understanding in action.
Now I have read allusions to tampering with Pentagon security and/or creating something from nothing. I have read of the million-dollar challenge and the studies of scientists and it may be difficult to speak to those critiques simply for lack of a required definition to speak to.
The scientific method requires that we make an observation and define it precisely, asking questions and forming a hypothesis before embarking on a series of experiments, researching the data to replicate or eliminate before drawing a conclusion, and firstly, I’d just like to offer that there really is quite a lot of that happening in within the hallowed halls of academia and quite a lot has been reported and shared with our peers. One nagging problem, however remains. Just because a phenomenon is observed, the why is not always apparent. Take the measurement problem of physics as an example. The ramifications of the problem itself are rather staggering actually. The Observer changes reality at the quantum level based on the observation? It is said that the observer, in fact, has little to do with human observation, but this is still being analyzed.
Is magic real? We really do need to define the term. Are we talking about non-local healing? Telepathy? Teleportation? Time travel? Alien abduction? Astral Projection? Lucid Dreaming? Parlor tricks? Vajrayana Tantra? Occult renaissance? Kaballah? Divination? Reiki? Pseudo-science? Science? What are we, in fact, talking about? Enlightenment? Walking on water? Resurrection? Ouija boards? Invocation? Alchemy? S.m.a.r.t. goals? Intention? Intuition? Subconscious? What?
There are too many instances, on record, of flukes, of seeming preternatural or supernatural design. Occurrences that defy explanation and support numerous hypotheses as yet unproven. The CIA was unable to control its remote viewers; they did not deny that such was impossible, only that in too many, not all, circumstances the data was unreliable. Yuri Geller was tested in the laboratory and found wanting in several experiments, but not all. Several yogin are on record with this or that feat, but again, what are we really talking about here?
I submit, that “Magic is the art and science of causing change to occur in conformity with one’s will. Whereas it is accepted that it is theoretically possible to cause in any object, any change of which that object is capable by nature.”
There is no breaking the law of Nature. There is no creation ex nihilo, whereas ex nihilo nihil fit – nothing comes from nothing.
But take these interesting quotes as food for thought:
As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him.
Ghandi
A rather interesting sleight of hand that can bend a global attitude if there is any truth to this phrase.
Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast. To soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.
William Congreve
Correlate this with the nature of sound, which produces not only sonic weaponry and oceanic telemetry, but according to Pythagoras anyway, has even the power to heal and nurture. Magic? Is a spell made more real and viable if produced with tone? Anything to be said for the ancient art of mantra?
Is Magic Real? What does that mean? Is God Real? What does that mean? Is Nature Real? What does that mean?
A man can interact with Nature on so many levels; the communication goes two ways. A man can interact with his own Self to produce wonderful effects, within and without. It truly is a magical world we live in, even if dragons cannot be summoned from the Silver River to deliver the codes to the Pentagon. And all the magic, of the shaman, of the yogin, of the witch – even of the scientist – can be learned and mastered and employed to purpose and great effect. But first we need to define what, in fact, we are talking about. After that you’ve but to apply yourself to the Path.
…is a Saiva Tantrika, Gyana Yogi and founder of Uma Maheshwara Yoga & Ayurveda. David has an MA in Semiotics, lives in Japan with his family and works as a coach in L & D, devoting his time to developing science-based tools and programs that help people reach the fullest potential of the human condition.
