Part Five: The Curtain and the Lightswitch
Without tools for the observation of the mechanism of magic, we cannot presuppose the means by which such effects are achieved. In truth it is of no consequence. It is only for us to attempt through trial and error to obtain results.
The model offered by the curtain and the lightswitch is best illustrated by example. Have a friend stand behind a curtain with a light so that you cannot see the friend, but the light will be evident when switched on. Then designate some symbolic act as the lightswitch. Perhaps it is the removal of a shaker of salt from a table, or a hand gesture. Have your friend agree that whenever your symbolic act is performed, this gesture signals your friend to turn on the light.You cannot see your friend behind the curtain. You cannot see the action that turns on the light. You cannot see the inner workings of the light itself either. From your perspective it is the gesture that turns on the light, but obviously this is not the actual fact of the matter. However, when the gesture is made, the light comes on.
In like fashion the mechanisms and inner workings of magic are unseen to the sorcerer. Although there is great potential benefit from conjecture and experimentation, the true nature of magic is beyond our comprehension. Is it a spirit beyond the veil of death that does our bidding? Is it a god or goddess that hears our prayers? Is it the power of some unseen force unknown to mankind, the influence of some elder race outside of our realm of perception? Is it all in the power of the higher consciousness of the individual, or some superconscious shared influence over reality itself? These questions may all be of value to the seeker, but ultimately it is the result that we desire, and consistency in performance is our holy grail.
How many of us have had a thought shared by another? How many times have we known the mind of another without them speaking it?
Is this the observational ability of the superconscious mind, invisibly collecting information outside of the filtration of the conscious? Is it telepathy, a communication between minds on some level unseen? Is it mere coincidence? Is it good guesswork based on simple factors and the simplicity of human existence itself?
Again, these are interesting questions, but the work of a sorcerer is the work of a scientist. Try these theories, find consistencies and variances, and record everything. Find the light switches and keep them. Retain the knowledge. Eventually, after the proper steps are taken, the seeker may peer behind the curtain and obtain greater understanding. Perhaps there will be a friend standing there, light in hand, waiting for the seeker's signal.
The model offered by the curtain and the lightswitch is best illustrated by example. Have a friend stand behind a curtain with a light so that you cannot see the friend, but the light will be evident when switched on. Then designate some symbolic act as the lightswitch. Perhaps it is the removal of a shaker of salt from a table, or a hand gesture. Have your friend agree that whenever your symbolic act is performed, this gesture signals your friend to turn on the light.You cannot see your friend behind the curtain. You cannot see the action that turns on the light. You cannot see the inner workings of the light itself either. From your perspective it is the gesture that turns on the light, but obviously this is not the actual fact of the matter. However, when the gesture is made, the light comes on.
In like fashion the mechanisms and inner workings of magic are unseen to the sorcerer. Although there is great potential benefit from conjecture and experimentation, the true nature of magic is beyond our comprehension. Is it a spirit beyond the veil of death that does our bidding? Is it a god or goddess that hears our prayers? Is it the power of some unseen force unknown to mankind, the influence of some elder race outside of our realm of perception? Is it all in the power of the higher consciousness of the individual, or some superconscious shared influence over reality itself? These questions may all be of value to the seeker, but ultimately it is the result that we desire, and consistency in performance is our holy grail.
How many of us have had a thought shared by another? How many times have we known the mind of another without them speaking it?
Is this the observational ability of the superconscious mind, invisibly collecting information outside of the filtration of the conscious? Is it telepathy, a communication between minds on some level unseen? Is it mere coincidence? Is it good guesswork based on simple factors and the simplicity of human existence itself?
Again, these are interesting questions, but the work of a sorcerer is the work of a scientist. Try these theories, find consistencies and variances, and record everything. Find the light switches and keep them. Retain the knowledge. Eventually, after the proper steps are taken, the seeker may peer behind the curtain and obtain greater understanding. Perhaps there will be a friend standing there, light in hand, waiting for the seeker's signal.
--Samson Albright, "Principia Magica"
