>>534>I'm just not convinced that you can affect the physical world without using any physical means.Entirely sensible. Theoretically physical magic is possible but it's not worth the effort by a long shot and so you basically don't see it. If it wasn't for the fact that I once met a guy who could do very weak magnetic fields I'd be very skeptical about the whole thing too. You can find a lot of accounts of people doing similar stuff, though I'm not sure how well it's been studied.
But you won't find many magicians who care about that. We are priests and mystics. Enlightenment is our goal, not parlour tricks. For most of my life I was a scientist, epistemologically speaking, and I've by no means abandoned that. I still accept the possibility that maybe this is all "just in my head" but then what isn't? Magic is a lens through which I may view myself. If it's physically real or not is entirely besides the point.
That said, mental stuff is a lot easier but then also a lot more difficult to provide proof of. My own "proof" (really I don't have proof but then I don't really believe anything) came from my teacher being able to discern my emotional state from the other side of the country but I certainly don't expect you to believe me. Frankly, if you believe magic is real because of what some sushi roll on an imageboard told you you're a gullible idiot. Trust in your own judgement.
Magic, to me at least, isn't about where you end up. It's not the answers that you get. It's the questions that lead you there. If you look at the world with open eyes and an open mind and come to the conclusion that it's all a deterministic (or probabilistic if you like the current conception of quantum mechanics) representation of abstract mathematics, fine. Great even. That's your answer and it's better than any I could provide to you. When I look at people like Newton or Einstein I see better magicians than I ever saw in magnet man.
>>538>'alternative' science/medicine ideasBit of an aside but be careful with alternative medicine. In general be wary of those who go after your wallet, especially if you are sick and desperate. The science behind placebos is very interesting however.