The question of whether there is or isn't a physical energy related to magic is an ongoing debate.
Today's post by Scott provides some fascinating insight though.
http://ananael.blogspot.com/2011/03/two-more-emf-experiments.html
I've been following his results with interest. He's measuring the EMF fluctuations in his temple during conjuration rituals, and has found the EMF levels consistently peak between the conjuration and the license to depart. This indicates to me that the presence of the spirit has some effect on the sources of EMF in the temple, causing the increase. I don't know if the EMF sources are the magicians themselves or the spirit itself. A conjuration into a room where there are no people might show interesting results.
If the magicians are the source of the EMFs, then the spirits' presence increases the EMF production capabilities of human beings. If the spirit itself is producing EMFs, that's a whole other ball game.
I think Patrick's point that there is no such thing as "Magic energy" still holds true, though. At best, this experiment shows that spirits have a direct effect on the material realm, and influence the material forms of energy (electric, thermal, mechanical, etc.). It doesn't point to a mysterious 11th form of Energy, the Magic Energy. It doesn't indicate there is a Magic Particle or Magic Wave that produces change through variations in its frequency.
It does, however, support the idea that change in consciousness (the introduction of a conscious entity) changes matter. See Patrick's post defining consciousness for more insight. He's next-level neo-platonist. Post-neo-platonist or something.
Head for the Red: The ongoing adventures and insights of a magician's attempts to accomplish the Great Work.
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ReplyDeletePatrick and I have debated the term "energy" in magick in the past, so I decided to stay out of the latest iteration of that particular argument. He has a point that "energy" in magick means something entirely different than it does in physics, and I think he's basically correct that what's going on with practical magick is an interaction between matter and consciousness. I also found that his definition of consciousness helped me get a better idea of where he's coming from. I will say nonetheless that I find it kind of odd that he believes rocks have consciousness but spirits don't.
ReplyDeleteAn issues, though, that arises with the information model is that tangible, physical energy is at the very least least related to some of these effects. When you do "energy work" involving the breath much of the effect comes from oxygenating your blood which increases the rate at which your neurons can fire. Faster firing throughout the nervous system is probably where the sensation of "current" comes from. Similarly, research on meditators has found that the experience of samadhi seems to be related to very fast gamma brainwaves. As brainwave speeds increase, the physical energy needed to sustain them increases as well.
Furthermore, in the evocation process my best guess is that the interaction between my own consciousness and that of the spirit is creating a probability shift over the altar that influences the way electromagnetic energy moves within its area of effect. This hypothesis can account for both candle fluctuations and my EMF detector. Furthermore, if the effect arises from the interaction of both spheres of consciousness that explains how multiple magicians can summon the same spirit at the same time.
With any probability shift in a limited area of space there are additional physical energy considerations. If the shift, say, concentrates heat photons slightly over the altar this creates potential energy that is liberated once the field is no longer present. So there are really two forms of "energy" in the physical sense involved in magick. First of all, the physiological energy of heightened neural firing, and second, the potential heat energy concentrated by the probability field. But it is true that consciousness is something else entirely.
I really do wish there were a Magic Particle. It would make passing my physics classes so much easier.
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