Do You Believe in Magic?

[CleverNickName]

I wonder how many of us gamers believe in magic, in the okay-for-real-now, this-is-serious sort of way.

Now, I know that there are many different definitions of the word "magic." So to keep the discussion on track (and hopefully avoid the religion boilerplate), I would like us to consider only this one definition of the word for the poll.

From the American Heritage Dictionary:

mag·ic n. The art that purports to control or forecast natural events, effects, or forces by invoking the supernatural.

So, do you believe in it?

 

[Semah G Noj]

Nope.

 

[Dog Moon]

No, but I like to think I keep an open mind. Just because we can't see something or our current instruments cannot detect something, doesn't mean it doesn't necessarily exist. I think it's possible, while unlikely, that perhaps Magic is simply hiding due to fear of people finding out and attempting to exterminate it, experiment on it, or basically be in general harmful to it and those who use it.

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if Magic did exist and its existence was slowly or abruptly leaked into everday life. What would happen?

So while I occasionally think it [since I like to write mainly, and ponder how I could use such an idea in a story], I don't believe with a sureness in it nor do I completely dismiss it as being completely preposterous, just in case there's a chance it truly is real.

 

[Blackrat]

Eh... Cruel question you have there... After long consideration I took Maybe. With all the weird stuff I've witnessed I'd be idiot to say that I don't believe in the possibility of supernatural. *Possibility*, that's the keyword. I can't say I believe in it outright, but I've seen enough to make me wonder, what if... So Maybe.

 

[Jhaelen]

From the American Heritage Dictionary:

mag·ic n. The art that purports to control or forecast natural events, effects, or forces by invoking the supernatural.

Well, I'm firmly in the 'No' camp.

This 'definition', however, is a bit odd or at least incomplete. What does 'invoking the supernatural' mean?

Does 'supernatural' mean something for which no natural explanation is known? If so, the question gets more tricky because I think there may be a few things which cannot be explained satisfyingly yet.

I do not doubt, though, that a natural explanation for everything exists.

 

[Shemeska]

Nope.

However if you can demonstrate it in a controlled setting, and can repeat it in the same setting, you could change my mind. And at the same time you'd win a prize from The Amazing Randi.

 

[Relique du Madde]

I said "maybe" because of quantum uncertainty.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

I said "maybe" because of quantum uncertainty.

Does that mean until we let you out of your box, your answer might be "yes" or "no?"

 

[Blackrat]

Does that mean until we let you out of your box, your answer might be "yes" or "no?"

I believe that would actually make it "yes" AND "no" at the same time .

 

[CleverNickName]

Yes, I know it is a tricky question (and a vague definition, to boot.) English is a strange language sometimes.

I remember reading something recently about this topic...I think it was in our campus newspaper, but I could be wrong. Anyway, it seems that about 20% of the folks surveyed do indeed believe in magic (the supernatural kind, not the sleight-of-hand variety or the popular card game.)

I wondered what kind of results I would get if I polled a group of gamers. We seem to talk about supernatural stuff a lot more frequently than, say, engineering students...