A framework for using magic to study the mind
Ronald A Rensink
Gustav Kuhn
Frontiers in Psychology, 5: 1508, 1-14. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01508 [web]
Over the
centuries, magicians have developed extensive knowledge about the manipulation
of the human mind—knowledge that has been largely ignored by psychology. It has
recently been argued that this knowledge could help improve our understanding
of human cognition and consciousness. But how might this be done? And how much
could it ultimately contribute to the exploration of the human mind? We propose
here a framework outlining how knowledge about magic can be used to help us
understand the human mind. Various approaches—both old and new—are surveyed, in
terms of four different levels. The first focuses on the methods in magic,
using these to suggest new approaches to existing issues in psychology. The
second focuses on the effects that magic can produce, such as the sense of
wonder induced by seeing an apparently impossible event. Third is the
consideration of magic tricks—methods and effects together—as phenomena of
scientific interest in their own right. Finally, there is the organization of
knowledge about magic into an informative whole, including the possibility of a
science centered around the experience of wonder.