Do you Believe in Magic?
This article explains, why do people cling to odd rituals?
The root to this belief appears to be in the circuitry of the brain which is said gives a sense of having special powers that puts people in a threatening prostitution while as helping to soothe everyday fears and ward off mental distress.
6 comments:
Hi Isba, I read the Times article you posted and it was really interesting. And yes, I know that there are definitely scientific explanations for things, and reasons our brains think in certain ways. That I have to believe.
But ( and this is not in any argument with you but I have to throw it out there) I think I believe in things we can't see just as much sometimes too. And that when I was thinking about someone and they happen to call, I can't help but believe we send energies out there. It's just happened too many times to not believe that. So I guess I do believe in "magic" in a way. And I feel like who knows, maybe there really is just as much energy and magic out there as there are scientific explanations for our behavior.
I agree with you, renee.
Also, one thing I wanted to add is that at this point, so little is explained by science and completely understood, both what goes on with our own bodies&minds as well as what goes on around us. I think that there are alot of things we do to give ourselves comfort and security, and I think this connection to neuroscience, i.e. measuring impulses in the brain that they think correlates with certain activities, like making hypothesis etc, does make sense. But at the same time, i feel that the article is overconfident in suggesting that all thoughts of magical thinking, religious beliefs, superstition, and anxiety disorders like ocd could be linked to the same cause. I feel that, at this point in time, there isn't enough known to completly rule out the validity of "magical thinking".
It's easy to call something you can't explain "magic". I do think that there could be an explanation to why people feel the need to make up reasons for things occuring, ie random horrible things, so as to feel better (and to be able to go on without being overwhelmed), and this could be a good step in that direction, but I think that there are still alot of things we don't know.
In history, many unexplained things have been called "magic", until we were able to find real explanations for them. And this article, in a way, insults "magical thinking", calling it fake. And there is no indisputable way to prove that every single "magical" thought is false. Especially since there is such a variety to what is labeled "magical thinking", there might be multiple explanations for different examples of it.
At the begining of the course, Rebecca said to consider our sources, and that NY times articles could be biased etc, and I feel that this one is biased and definitly aiming to be sensational. It would be good to do some research into the studies used as examples in this article, that would probably be a more reliable source of information.
I agree with Renee. I have had many, many situations where it is just hard to believe anymore that it is a so called "coincidence". Now I also do believe in magic, superstition, and the supernatural. I believe there are lots of things that science just can't truly explain, and there are things in this world that we can't explain, and are way beyond comprehension. But in terms of how weird and coincidental we think things are, sometimes we need to realize, maybe there is no real explanation, and there truly outside energies and things that is causing things to happen, but this is something I really think about all the time, because it happens a lot to me and it's just weird how connected we all are and how things happen cannot always be explained.
I don't believe in coincidences and just like many others I believe in things we can't see. But my belief may be quite different from students commented above. Instead of just guessing or think that there are something out there that can't be explained by science, or yet to be discovered, I believe in God, the One who sent his Son, Jesus Christ. He gives firm belief, or faith, that he is in total control over the world(past, present, and future) and people. This isn't a faith which I "THINK", but a faith backed up by God's words, bible. If you look into bible carefully it explains the foundation of human desires. The flow of the world, where everything came from, and where it is and where it's going. Many people feel lost, even among very educated people. But there is a way, Only way, Jesus Christ. I wanted to share and wish for whoever reads this comment to experience what I am experiencing. We never understand how it is, until we experience it.
Post a Comment