Evidence Proving the Existence of Magic

Evidence Proving the Existence of Magic

Before we embark upon our journey, there are a few things I'd like to clarify concerning labels and affiliations.

Someone asked me recently if I was a LaVeyan Satanist. The facts are, I did join the Church of Satan back in 1970. The term "LaVeyan Satanist" is actually a misnomer. The correct term is "Modern Satanist." And while the basic principles of the Church of Satan remain today, I find most members locked in a defensive dogmatic atheist posture. They refuse to believe in "magic" because of its supernatural connotations - they fear being lumped together with Muslims and Christians. MY argument is that people will often use words like "magic" and "science" as metaphors. The time has come to re-examine the use and abuse of these labels.

Take for example this Christian who quoted his bible to me, "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. ” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).

And so I turned to this Christian and said, "So wizards and witches are all damned to hell. That's peculiar since the most famous wizard and enchanter in history was a guy named Jesus Christ. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he raise the dead, walk on water, multiply loaves of bread, drive demons out of people and throw a curse on a fig tree? I suppose God is like one of those hypocritical parents who tell their children to do as I say and not as I do." "Oh no," says the Christian. "That's not it at all! You see, those were miracles Christ performed, not magic!"

So, here's the deal. The next time you go to rob a bank and you're caught with the stolen money, just switch labels. Tell the judge you are not a thief - you are simply a customer trying to make a withdrawal. If it worked for Jesus, it can work for you!

On the flip side, I met a dogmatic atheist who was so extreme, he didn't trust or believe in anything. Not God, not theoretical physics, science or philosophy, not even love. So, I thought I'd test him to see how limited and narrow minded he really was. So, I said, "Hey atheist! Ever watch those science fiction programs? Do you think that someday we will master the forces of gravity and have people living on the moon? Can you see humanity turning the laser into a deadly weapon? What about teleportation? Well, the atheist shot back at me, "There you go again. Living in your delusional, fantasy world of magic, with faeries, elves and pink unicorns." "But wait a minute," I interjected. "Scientists are experimenting with anti-gravity and laser weaponry right now with impressive results! You don't think anything will come of it?" "You are seriously delusional" said the atheist.

Well, I've given this matter great thought and it occurred to me that magic is something considered supernatural until it is rediscovered by science - then it is labeled something else. Here's an example:

As far back the eighteenth century, people relied on their physicians to make them feel better when they got ill. However, in those days, they didn't have the wide array of prescription drugs we use today. Often, there was nothing more they could do. When people begged for help, doctors would resort to giving them sugar pills with no medicinal value whatsoever. Of course, the patient believed these pills had healing properties.

What amazed the physicians was the recovery rate of those who ingested the fake pills. Later, scientific researchers discovered that people given fake acupuncture by untrained volunteers did better than those who didn't! The same is true of people in the hospital who were told they were being given special medicine in their IV bag when it was really saline solution. And it is theorized the same thing happens when people go to a faith healer and actually begin to feel better. And so, the scientists had to create a name for this amazing self-healing ability!

So, what do they call it? Should they call it, "the mystical, magical power of people believing in things that don't exist?" That would be a good descriptive name. But it would be embarrassing to the scientists, many of whom were religious skeptics. Well, maybe we don't have to mention magic.

Why don't we call it "mind over matter," because that pretty much sums it up, right? If people believe something will heal them, they show improvement. But if it was widely believed people could heal themselves by thinking positively, they would need a physician less often, only for serious injuries. So, that's a lousy idea because it's bad for business... I know, let's call it "self-hynosis" or "auto-suggestion." Ooops, we can't do that because, for the longest time dogmatic atheists have been strenuously trying to convince everyone that hypnosis was fake, and part of the realm of magic, superstition and fantasy.

Finally, a clever researcher coined the non descriptive phrase, "The Placebo Effect." Placebo is a Latin word meaning "I Shall Please." It sounds quite vague and nowhere does it lend credit to the incredible power of the human mind.

The experts in science and medicine are in denial, of that there can be no doubt. The mystical, magical placebo effect is very troubling - so troubling, that it interferes with routine scientific experiments. Have you ever heard of a "Double-Blinded Study?" Whenever there is a promising drug, they have to do this to make sure it works with no chance of the placebo effect creeping in. Let's say you have two groups: one given the test drug and the other given the sugar pills. It's very important that those administering the pills don't know which is which, or else they may show too much enthusiasm or lack of and it will influence the mind of the test patient, ruining the results. You know, that pesky positive mental attitude creeping in there again. So, there is an overseer who has the pills marked ahead of time and he or she is the only one who knows which is which.

And here's something else to consider: besides body language, eye contact and voice inflections giving you away, there is that subtle psychic component. Along with all the sensory cues we get, flooding our consciousness each day, there is our intuition. Some listen to it, others disregard it. The big lie that has been fostered by skeptics and debunkers is that psychic abilities are an unnatural or supernatural phenomenon. In fact, quite the opposite is true.

Telepathy or thought transmission will never be proven in a lab experiment because the person promoting them self as a psychic talent is no more powerful than you or I. We are all senders and receivers and the intent of each and every person involved in the experiment would also have to be taken into consideration. If I were to plunk down a million dollars and say, okay psychic, prove your supernatural abilities and it's all yours, you'd have to realize that at least subconsciously, I'm going to be opposed to her achieving that goal and my thoughts will affect the outcome of the test. Skeptical? Well, just think of it as the so-called placebo effect.

One might ask, "Is there any other way to prove the existence of telepathy using the scientific method?" Yes, when there is a strong link or biological connection. For example, studies on identical twins with 100% matching genes and chromosomes. I knew such a pair who would always complete one another's sentences. It was very amusing and it reminded me of two identical tuning forks. You can strike one, causing it to vibrate and the other fork held several feet away will begin to vibrate also because they are on a sympathetic wavelength.

Now, those of you in college who are studying for your Master's Degree in psychology are probably aware of the behavioral research being done at the University of Minnesota on identical twins. To save time, I am going to cite for you one case study. If you wish to learn more, I suggest you do the research yourself.

Submitted for your approval, the story of Jim Lewis and Jim Springer.

1. Both twins were separated at birth and adopted by separate families in Ohio and grew up 45 miles from each other.

2. As the twins grew older, both sets of parents told them they had a twin brother, but Springer's mom told him his twin was dead.

3. Lewis persisted and went to the courthouse where he found his brother's address.

4. They nervously got together 39 years after being separated.

5. Shortly after meeting, the twins were inducted into the university study.

Here's what they found:

* Both had been named James by their adoptive parents.
* Both had married twice; first to women named Linda and second to women named Betty.
* Both had children, including sons named James Allan.
* Both had at one time owned dogs named Toy.
* Both chain-smoked and liked beer
* Both had woodworking workshops in their garages.
* Both drove Chevrolets
* Both had served as Sheriff's deputies in nearby Ohio towns
* Both vacationed on the same beach in the Florida Gulf Coast
* Both lived in the only house on their block.

The results of the tests conducted by Dr. Thomas Bouchard of the University of Minnesota were astonishing:

Both Jims had high blood pressure, both had vasectomies and both suffered migrained headaches. Brain wave tests produced skyline graphs looking like two views of the same city. And then they measured personality variables and were surprised by the similarities in those results.

Now, I'm sure many psychology students were surprised because this study seems to answer the age old question "Nature or Nurture?" In other words, are we by products of our environment, as B.F. Skinner suggested? Or does heredity play a larger role in shaping our personalities? It would appear we've grossly underestimated the role of genes and chromosomes. However, the thing that amazes me is how students and teachers will entirely ignore the fact that in the study, the twins also share an extraordinary psychic connection. Naming your dog "Toy," having a vasectomy and working as a Sheriff's deputy is not a peculiarity written in your genes. And when the same "very strange coincidences" happen in dozens of cases of reunited twins, that's not anecdotal evidence, it is a behavioral pattern.

Let me conclude by saying, the scientific method doesn't work very well when the people conducting the experiment are biased. A mountain of evidence proving Darwin's Theory that man evolved from the ape is not going to impress an anthropologist who happens to be a fundamentalist Christian. Likewise, the majority of behavioral scientists who are dogmatic atheists are unlikely to consider empirical evidence supporting magic, thought transference or synchronicity.

It is not an issue of evidence or proof - it is an issue of religion and cultural bias. Thank you for listening.