Is Magic Possible?

[Leto]

Magic as such no. It's just a name for science we don't yet understand.

[dragula_66]

I saw a show on New Zealand television recently (on one of our top curent affairs shows), campbell live, incase any kiwis are on this site, that reviewed witchcraft in New Zealand. For the most part it looked like a lot of diluded people pretending (or at least trying) to perform certain rites, but i found i kind of interesting, although i did not believe any of it for a second. It was to steriotypical, e.g. women dancing and chanting in a forest at nite etc... i mean thats fairly boring, 'been done', kinda stuff.

However i kindof believe in magic, especially when im high hehe, but even when straight, it seems to me that there are a great many thngs in our present and past that cant be explained by anthing else. and to be perfectly honest, why should'nt we believe in magic? There is no proof saying it doesnt exist, but on the other hand, scientists are proved wrong allllll the time!!!!!!!!!!

anyone agree?

[kyektulu]

I totally agree with you Dragula, well said.

[Chabio]

Magic is Black matter... for now.
It is a word that is used to label the unexplained, until a more precise word can be found.

[Tau Zero]

Is there magic? It's simple enough to prove. Have someone who claims to be capable of magic do something under controlled conditions.

If they can, there's $1,000,000 US dollars awaiting them. James Randi http://www.randi.org/ has that money set aside for anyone who can demonstrate any paranormal capability in their labs.

Do you have paranormal or magical capabilities? Then the money's yours for the taking. Just show them waht you can do.

The money is still available. Case closed.

[weaveworld]

This sounds really corny...

But you could say that magic is all around us, life, etc, just up to you the way you use it.

[j. d. worthington]

It depends on what you mean. As Plato insisted (and probably all those before him for a very long time): define your terms! If we're talking that sense of the mystical and the magical in an emotional reaction to certain phenomena or an overall experience of life, then yes, magic is all around us. If we're talking something that transcends "natural" law, i.e., physics, then once you start investigating, there has yet to be a single claim that can stand up to scrutiny. This does not invalidate anyone's feeling that they have encountered magic; it brings it down to an epistemological rather than an ontological difference.

That said, I'm in agreement with most of a scientific bent: I'm open to evidence that this is wrong, but it's going to have to be put through the same severe scrutiny as any other claim before I can accept it as fact. Until then, it remains a wonderfully powerful emotional response to something that I treasure, but I see no reason to accept it as part of actual entity.

[genisis2]

Originally Posted by Tau Zero

Is there magic? It's simple enough to prove. Have someone who claims to be capable of magic do something under controlled conditions.

If they can, there's $1,000,000 US dollars awaiting them. James Randi http://www.randi.org/ has that money set aside for anyone who can demonstrate any paranormal capability in their labs.

Do you have paranormal or magical capabilities? Then the money's yours for the taking. Just show them waht you can do.

The money is still available. Case closed.

Randi is amazing. Ive seen this guy disprove so many charlatans in the past.
As for me I do not believe in magic of any kind but thats just my opinion and for those who do I would never to impose my beliefs on your faith in this matter. I do believe that all supernatural and occult do have scientific explanations.

[star.torturer]

a am the magic man the magic man of the underworld

[Philip Harris]

Not sure if anyone is still looking at this thread but I believe that we are on the cusp of a new age of magic-but of a different or rather explained in a different way. "In you mind" is where magic works and it DOES work-it is now called creating your own reality. "What The Bleep Do We Know" is worth watching to see how old and new magic REALLY works.

[j. d. worthington]

Except that "What the Bleep Do We Know" is full of pseudoscience mixed in with the real thing. The majority of the commentators in that film really don't have anything to do with the fields on which they pontificate (gee, this sounds familiar...), but the impression is given in the film that they do. It was also backed by a particular "New Age-ish" organization, in large part, and pretty much promotes their views. An interesting film, with some good food for thought -- but a very bad place to pick up information on what the real science is on all this; it still remains very doubtful that anything we would consider "magic" has any basis in physical fact, only in our perception of phenomena. It's old-style solipsism in a new coat, basically.

[Sharukem]

magic is quite possible, and there are religions that study magic but it is fo rthe envirnment and that religion is called the Wiccan religion. Not alot of people think that it is a real religion but it is very real, some of my friends are wiccan. and yes witches still exist but they dont always do spells. most don't even know how let alone most don't know that they are witches, or wizards. but as i said magic is very possible to do, you just need the right amount of spiritual energy inorder to do it properly.

[carrie221]

I think that there is magic we just don't understand it or use it most of the time

[Saltheart]

Magic is simply unexplainable phenomenon. Magic exists, and always will, because there will always be questions that Science has not found answers to. Suppose if Science was able to find out the mechanics of Astral Projection or Telepathy, would they still be called magical? No, because Science has explained the phenomenon: we know how they work, or at least have a unified, plausible theory that describes them. But for every answer Science finds, there are tons more questions formed, and therefore magic will always exist.

[Loner]

Originally Posted by Philip Harris

"In your mind" is where magic works and it DOES work-it is now called creating your own reality.

The human mind is pretty amazing! And if magic can be worked anywhere, this is where to begin! Just change your mind about something and you will see your whole view of the world change in a way that seems magical.

I believe in magic because I want it to be real. And if you believe something it is real to you. Its all about perception.