The End of Magic
May 15, 1997 DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195108798.001.0001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that previous theories of magic have left out "magical consciousness," a special yet natural state of awareness experienced by magicians and their clients in Banaras. |
Abstract
AbstractThis book offers a new approach towards the definition and understanding of magic. Basing the analysis in the Indian city of Banaras, where magic is a familiar part of everyday life, it reviews the major theories that have explained (or explained away) magic over the last century. It argues that all of these theories leave out something critical, namely what it calls “magical consciousness”—a special state of awareness of magicians and their clients which, though extraordinary, is also perfectly natural.