People are more likely to believe in magic spells that are repetitious and time-consuming

Since this is a scientific(psychology) study I wasn't sure where to put it, so please MODS change it if you feel it is misplaced, thanks.

This study kind of confirms that what you hold in your mind constantly and whatever your expectation(wish), it
can become a reality.

Many people around the world believe in magic spells and rituals, but that doesn't mean that it's enough to wave a wand and mutter a few unpronounceable words to convince a believer that the magic will work. A new study out of Brazil suggests that people are most likely to believe in the power of a magical ritual when that ritual involves repeating steps and takes a lot of time.

Cristine Legare, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin, is interested in studying the way that the human brain uses the supernatural to understand the world. To that end, Legare and graduate student André Souza conducted a study of 162 in Brazil. Taking cues from Brazilian simpatias rituals, formulaic rituals that are used to solve various problems from quitting smoking to warding off bad luck, Legare and Souza invented a number of magical rituals, varying aspects like the number of steps, number of repetitions, number of items used, and presence of religious icons in the ritual.

This Scientific Study is a more positive reinforcement for some mystical practices and ancient traditions beliefs.

About the Doctor conducting the study Cristine Legare, Ph.D.

Science Direct Evaluating ritual efficacy: Evidence from the supernatural

People are more likely to believe in magic spells that are repetitious and time-consuming

Magic does not help people quit smoking..its will alone. When you use instructions that are repeated over and over again it acts a s a kind of hypnosis and as we all know hypnosis can help people give up smoking.

I see mind control and not magic. Im sure mind control or neuro linguistic programing (NLP) may seem like magic to people who dont understand how it works. Stage magicians have been using it for centuries.

Originally posted by PhoenixOD
Magic does not help people quit smoking..its will alone.

Correct, and that is what magic really is; will manifesting in reality.

When you use instructions that are repeated over and over again it acts a s a kind of hypnosis and as we all know hypnosis can help people give up smoking.

I see mind control and not magic. Im sure mind control or neuro linguistic programing (NLP) may seem like magic to people who dont understand how it works. Stage magicians have been using it for centuries.

My former step brother experimented with something he called "chaos magic" which was supposedly derived from ancient Sumerian mythology or something similar. He later went completely insane and was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Back then he told me that "magic" is essentially will. He spoke of a connection between the brain and the "aether" and that if your will is expressed strongly within your mind it will break through to the aether and set in motion a chain of events which will cause your intended effect to manifest itself.

I see both mind control and magic. His experiments reprogrammed his mind into something completely seperate from reality. It may have been what he had intended, I'm really not sure. I used his method of creating invocations of will on a few occasions, and apparently it was effective each time. Maybe it was just coincidence...maybe.

reply to post by samsamm9

I think this is interesting. It has always been my belief that magic works in most cases due to the practitioners belief that it will work- mind over matter, if you will. It makes sense that the longer and more intricate the ritual the stronger the belief of the practitioner that it will be successful.

People who practice ritual magic are generally doing so as part of a religious belief system. In the Judaic religions it has been my experience that if someone says they will pray for you it doesn't have as strong of an impact as someone taking you by the hand and kneeling to pray with you. So it makes sense that in religions that practice magic it would have more impact on the psyche to preform a more time consuming ritual than to just say a few magic words or wave a wand.

When it comes down to the nuts and bolts of it it's all based on faith after all.

reply to post by Glass


So by your logic walking ,talking and anything we do is magic because it was our will to do it?

Most peoples definition of magic is : the use of paranormal methods to manipulate natural forces, such as witchcraft.

Your definition just blurs the line like the difference between UFO's and visiting aliens. The OP is clearly talking about Magic spells as is stated in the title of the post.

The method my step brother taught me did include repetition. First you would write a statement on a piece of paper, in this sort of format:

"This my will [intended effect here]"

Then you eliminate repeating letters and scramble the letters randomly, but in a manner that the words could still be pronounced, being careful not to make any real words. You end up with a fancy arcane sounding phrase like:

Lya tes nhu (i just made this up)

Repeat this phrase aloud or in your mind until it sticks, then burn the paper, forget about it and go about your day. Burning the paper adds a sort of ritual significance to the action. The first time I tried it to obtain $50 and got results within an hour. It blew my mind. I decided I wouldn't abuse it though; I found something unnerving about meddling in powers I did not fully understand. I tried it on a couple other occasions when I wanted to make certain that things went smoothly and it appeared to be effective.

Originally posted by PhoenixOD
reply to post by Glass

 

So by your logic walking ,talking and anything we do is magic because it was our will to do it?

Well in essence, yes. It could be considered a form of magic that electrical impulses from the brain cause reactions within the body which cause the body to do the brain's bidding, haha.

The way we look at things scientifically and reduce them to mundane action/reaction sequences doesn't do the universe any sort of justice. Reality is an amazing, magical thing.

Most peoples definition of magic is : the use of paranormal methods to manipulate natural forces, such as witchcraft.

What is paranormal? That which falls outside the range of normal experience or scientific explanation. I'd say its not exactly common knowledge that one can affect the world around them by force of will alone. This definition is still valid, my words are simply intended to help clarify.

We can rule out the idea that walking, talking, moving, interacting with people etc. is magic because we understand how those things work and can apply scientific explanations to them.

But something like giving up smoking isn't physically effecting the world around us, its just modified behavior though will.

reply to post by samsamm9


Yes this is accurate we have seen this time and time again at Faith Healing ceremonies, Voodoo Ceremoies, and practically all religious or "magical" ceremonies:



Derren Brown does a really good job in showing how mantras and quick music can cause quick programming for a certain event and how people make the blind see and the deaf hear and how to heal the extremely ill at nothing more then a touch. It is all really clever and mantra's have done this for a while. We also see it with exorcisms and the possessed. We seen it in Jesus Camp, that awful documentary used to show what it is like in a camp run by literal creationists. Trances can be very powerful and can last as long as person "feels" that they need to last. Self trance is possible and it has been seen in meditation and prayer and other things. But nearly all of the paranormal parts have been solved and yet we are still stuck with the inevitable denial of science fact for something else entirely... big placebo.

Originally posted by PhoenixOD
But something like giving up smoking isn't physically effecting the world around us, its just modified behavior though will.

So you merely want to argue semantics?

Yes. Using an invocation of will to give up smoking is simply modifying your behavior through will.

Originally posted by Glass

Originally posted by PhoenixOD
But something like giving up smoking isn't physically effecting the world around us, its just modified behavior though will.

So you merely want to argue semantics?

I thought it was a discussion

reply to post by PhoenixOD


Sorry I got a little irritable, I'm in the process of quitting smoking

Originally posted by Glass
reply to post by PhoenixOD

 

Sorry I got a little irritable, I'm in the process of quitting smoking

No problems , its all good

Im doing a 4 day fast at the moment so im not my best either.

Good luck with giving up smoking

reply to post by Glass

I decided I wouldn't abuse it though; I found something unnerving about meddling in powers I did not fully understand.

I totally agree with this statement.
In my opinion we still don't really understand how it's "sometimes" possible to have a successful "magic spell".

double post