While magic itself cannot be explained by Psychology and Neuroscience, those who would practice magic certainly have a psychological nature. We think and feel, we sense and perceive, we develop preferences and biases, we learn, we acquire and perfect skills, etc. And for all such things, there are certainly generalities, a fundamental nature around which each individual varies. And underneath it all is a nervous system mediating the various processes that lead to those effects, the thoughts, feelings, sensations, perceptions, biases, skills, etc. .

A preliminary assumption of the current project is that magic is essentially an interaction between human nature, individual nature, and the general nature of things. Science is nothing if not a careful examination of nature. It therefore stands to reason that some subset of various science are relevant to magic, not the least of which being the sciences focused on human nature, like psychology and neuroscience.

As it happens, my graduate study was Psychology with a concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience, and I initiated neuromagic.com about a year out of my PhD program. It’s fair to say I was all about that science at that time. I’ve continued to evolve since then, but the science continues to inspire and inform the various practices detailed here. The current iteration of neuromagick.com is focused on the practice of magic. Where science is discussed, it’s usually an optional addon for interested parties only, and is always clearly labeled. Uninterested parties can skip it without missing anything important.

Let the practices be judged by their effects, in keeping with the site motto: Effectiveness is the Measure of Truth.

R. Eugene Laughlin