Magic as technology

[Thyrn]

I see all magic as a type of reality technology that can be used to influence oneself or others, like a computer programme. People respond to symbols and language (and symbols as language) in a predictable enough way that it stands to reason that influencing one person could lead to the influencing of thousands via the Butterfly Effect and through this ones goals could be accomplished. Advertising depends on this. Likewise the influence you exert on the world, say after a pathworking could reflect the Sphere in which you are working thus ordering acausal concepts in the casual world in accordance with that particular sphere thus enabling the Operator to more fully experience the concepts associated with the Sphere.

[Ana, Daughter of Lilith]

It's an interesting and novel thesis, Thyrn, though it is not one that I personally feel comfortable with. I much prefer a more fluid, more organic and less instrumental analogy.

[Leo-Gonzo Satanist]

Technology? I'm not sure that word comes into play with magic. Technology as understood in today's world can be demonstrated under clinical conditions. Magic cannot.
I am comfortable with the notion that magic can be a means to improve yourself. At this point it could be argued that once you change yourself, you change the world. However to be able to apply magic to an external situation ( A particular stock rises, the cute redhead drops her knickers for you, the annoying ever barking dog two doors away suddenly dies, etc) would probably fail to come under demonstratable technology.

[Lori]

I don't know that people respond predictably enough that it would work quite like a person would like it work. It explains why we don't have one world religion. If everyone responded to the same symbols the same way, one world religion would be what the world would be like. What I do think is that certain symbols do responses in certain people, it is just that the responses between people are not all alike. I have talked to different people who did the same ritual, and some of them had some really strange effects, in particular Golden Dawn stuff.

In fact, the reason I am a Satanist today, is because obviously my response to the same ritual is different, for whatever reason. I know that the same ritual does not effect me the same way it effects others. Now, it could be something in my personality or experiences that causes this to happen.

[Thyrn]

It does explain why every spiritual religion has common elements. People are not as individual as we like to think. We respond to stimuli in a very predictable manner. I would daresay that there are precious few individuals out there that are actually individual.

[Ana, Daughter of Lilith]

Well, there is me, and no one is more singular and unique than I :-))

[Thyrn]

At your core yes, the I behind the eyes. :)

[Shiva]

me either . we rick

[Shiva]

One percent i say lol. But do you agree Thyrn Magicians are born and not made. Like some people are great singers and some people just cannot sing or never be able to be professials.

[Whippet]

I just see "Magic" as a strategy..the term magic has gotten really worn out for me because i dont believe in things happening by magic....rituals and such are very real and build the energys to create the "magic" but they do not work unless you carry those energys with you..when i "cast a spell" say i was cursing someone[not that i do]alot] id be drawing in all the energy i needed and it would be used through my own actions[wether i was passing the energy from person to person or something like that]...things can happen without us knowing how..like an argument could start through small parts of energy coming from certain areas of peoples words/actions whatever...ive gotten sick of the term magic because its too fantasy..when there really is such a thing...its all about ethics..the rest is metaphor and fantasy shit like spells/wands/brooms/crystalls/ ye know.....i see you understand magic very well Thym and your post is spot on...i just thought id share some views mate =)