Magick works at a level deeper than the conscious mind using principles known to both shamans and modern psychologists. [1] All that’s required is know the principles and understand them well enough to take action that utilizes them effectively.
Let’s consider the use of arousal in ritual. [2] Nearly everything about the content of any given ritual and the mages conduct during it serves one purpose: to get the mage hyped up!
The elementary reason for this is because the subconscious mind perks up and pays attention whenever we’re aroused, and whatever happens during this time it will consider more important than anything that happens when we’re more... sedate.
The subconscious will do this whenever we’re aroused, all on it’s own, whether we like it or not, whether we’re in the ritual chamber or not. It happens because our minds have evolved to keep us alive. Whenever our ancestors became aroused, it was something that was directly related to survival. At these moments, a part of our of subconscious mind takes as much information as it can so that it can give us a heads up in the future.
The mechanism is the same whether it’s activation is intentional or not. The primary difference between when this happens as a matter of course and when a mage activates it in the ritual chamber is ONLY that the mage uses it intentionally with a purpose.
So, back to the original point of this post. This particular mechanism of mind is there regardless whether we know it’s there or not. Obviously, considering what I’ve just said, it’s still there no matter what anyone believes about magic. It works if you believe it’s some kind of energy. It works if you believe it happens due to the influence of spirits. It works if you believe it’s a mechanism of your mind. The active ingredient here is arousal, not belief.
I BELIEVE IN FOOTNOTES!
[1] Well, psychology as a science is still behind in many ways, but hey, it’s catching up.
[2] This is something I’ll be writing much more about later, ‘cause it’s one of the very fundamental basics of ritual magick.
But you would agree that "belief" is one of the ingredients, if not the active ingredient, correct?
When you mention "arousal," it's difficult for me to not think about sexual arousal. However, I assume you mean any kind of inspiration or provocation... something that will get you going, momentarily heightening your senses.
Would you also consider this part of Awakening?
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I'd say that belief is reality, and that magick is an excellent tool for hacking reality. Saying that belief is an ingredient of magick is like saying that wrenches are made of bolts. But in a very technical sense, that's true. Magick is a model and thus ultimately composed of beliefs. It's just not a wrench commonly used on itself.
I wouldn't consider arousal by itself, as an unmixed ingredient, as a part of awakening.
I mean arousal as opposed to hedonic tone. Arousal is like the activity of a car engine. The more you push down on the gas pedal, the more "revved" it becomes. But arousal doesn't do anything on it's own just like revving an engine doesn't mean the car is going forwards or backwards, it could be in neutral. Hedonic tone relates to the what the power of the engine does when it's thrown in gear.
If you're in the telic (goal-oriented) state then arousal will have the hedonic tone of fear as the tension towards the "home" telic tone, comfort. Keeping your head on while you're afraid is part of awakening, not the arousal in of itself. If you were to shift suddenly into the paratelic state, the arousal would remain the same, but the hedonic tone would be transmuted instantly into exhilaration. "Damn the torpedos, full speed ahead!" works . :)
Added for completeness: lack of or relatively low arousal works the same way.. If you're comfortable/ relaxed while telic and shift to paratelic, you become bored which, precisely counter to fear, acts as the tension towards the "home" tone of the paratelic state -- excitement.
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I agree that raw ingredients do nothing by themselves. That's why Awakening is so difficult. The ingredients have to be mixed together in the right way for anything special to happen.
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Hmmm. Seems legit. :)
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