Low-Tech: Magic?

Gudiomen · 12-01-2010, 06:40 PM

Ok, now I get where you're coming from.

Anyways, in a nutshell...

IMO, low-tech magic are the fantastic or unexpected elements in low-tech religion, rituals and traditions... therefore the OP can look at sources of these (historical, anthropological, the religions themselves...) to find real-world low-tech "magic".

If one also understands much of this from being derived as placebo or nocebo effects, avoidance of cognitive dissonance, and many other processes... one can also extrapolate a low-tech magic system thinking up ways to activate these principles. For example:

1) the magician must be formally or informally recognized as such, as capable of such powers
2) the subject must believe in these powers and the authority of the magician
3) effects can be beneficial or malefic to the subject, but the subject must be able to produce them in some level, reinforcing his motivation, self-sabotage, psychosomatic effects and so on...
4) it might be possible to "counter" such effects by convincing the subject that the magician was not competent as he thought, or that the ritual was not adequately realized, or by invoking a superior power/authority to that of the magician
etc...

12-01-2010, 06:40 PM	#21
Gudiomen Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: in your pocket, stealing all your change	Re: Low-Tech: Magic? Ok, now I get where you're coming from. Anyways, in a nutshell... IMO, low-tech magic are the fantastic or unexpected elements in low-tech religion, rituals and traditions... therefore the OP can look at sources of these (historical, anthropological, the religions themselves...) to find real-world low-tech "magic". If one also understands much of this from being derived as placebo or nocebo effects, avoidance of cognitive dissonance, and many other processes... one can also extrapolate a low-tech magic system thinking up ways to activate these principles. For example: 1) the magician must be formally or informally recognized as such, as capable of such powers 2) the subject must believe in these powers and the authority of the magician 3) effects can be beneficial or malefic to the subject, but the subject must be able to produce them in some level, reinforcing his motivation, self-sabotage, psychosomatic effects and so on... 4) it might be possible to "counter" such effects by convincing the subject that the magician was not competent as he thought, or that the ritual was not adequately realized, or by invoking a superior power/authority to that of the magician etc...