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Cognitive Theory of Magic Sørensen, Jesper — Ceremonial Magic

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⚜️ Ceremonial Magic −46%

Cognitive Theory of Magic Sørensen, Jesper

Name: Cognitive Theory of Magic Sørensen, Jesper
Price: 150.00 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780759110373

✍️ Sørensen, Jesper

Reader Score

4.6

(1 review)

$150.00 ~~$278.00~~ Save $128.00 (46%)

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

This volume offers a rigorous critique of traditional analytical approaches to magic. By evaluating classical ethnographic cases, Jesper Sørensen explains how human cognitive architecture processes ritualized behavior. The text demonstrates how distinct objects are mentally linked through principles of contact and likeness, allowing one item to represent and alter another. Sørensen details how performing a ritual prompts representations of efficacy, shaping how participants perceive causation. The study highlights the direct connection between fundamental magical thought and the creation of formal, institutionalized religious rituals across human societies.

Sørensen, Jesper

📚 all books by this author (2) →

⚜️

Ceremonial Magic

🏛 Altamira Press 📖 232 pages 📔 Hardcover ISBN: 9780759110373

Fun Fact

Sørensen delivers a sharp, intellectual dissection of magical thought, offering fresh insights into why rituals feel potent. It excels in linking anthropology with cognitive psychology. However, practitioners seeking spiritual validation may find it too clinical. It sits firmly in academic theory, essential for understanding the mind behind the magic.

📚 This Book in Collections

⚗️ Magick Studies

📝 Description: Cognitive Theory of Magic Sørensen, Jesper

Jesper Sørensen addresses the universal nature of magic by looking directly through the lens of cognitive science. Moving past older analytical models, the author uses classical ethnographic cases to explain why ritual actions appear consistently across human cultures. The text focuses on the mental mechanics behind everyday magical thought, specifically examining how ritual practitioners infuse power into their acts. It examines how concepts of similarity and physical contagion allow people to link separate objects and manipulate one through another, while analyzing how ritual performance makes these magical actions feel genuinely effective to participants. Sørensen brings these mental features together to present a unified cognitive framework. He demonstrates how human minds process ritualized behavior as purposeful action and how those actions fit into wider, complex event structures. Ultimately, this framework provides fresh insight into how magic helps form institutionalized religious rituals. The volume covers the psychology of religion, mind-body-spirit concepts, and formal magick studies. This hardcover Altamira Press edition suits readers seeking an academic analysis of ritual logic and religious psychology. It does not suit practitioners looking for spellcasting guides, practical instructions, or modern devotional material.

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Sørensen’s dismantling of outdated models is refreshing, yet this dense academic approach will alienate casual hobbyists seeking simple spell instructions. It is not suited for readers who prefer mystical immediacy over structural analysis. However, for those willing to engage with complex ethnographic cases, the insight into how physical actions trigger psychological representations is profound. The book demands patience and a willingness to confront the scientific mechanisms behind belief. It is a challenging but rewarding read for the intellectually curious occultist.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Serious practitioners and scholars seeking to understand the psychological underpinnings of their craft will find this text indispensable. Sørensen offers a compelling argument that magic is a rational cognitive process, transforming how one views ritual efficacy. For those tired of mystical vagueness, the analysis of contagion and similarity provides a tangible framework for understanding why certain actions feel potent. It validates the practitioner's experience through scientific lens, making it essential for anyone wishing to deepen their theoretical grasp of ceremonial magic without sacrificing intellectual rigor or empirical grounding.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

Scholars of ritual studies, psychologists of religion, and practitioners interested in the mental frameworks that underpin magical efficacy rather than just its historical or sociological context.

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

Sørensen’s dismantling of outdated models is refreshing, yet this dense academic approach will alienate casual hobbyists seeking simple spell instructions. It is not suited for readers who prefer mystical immediacy over structural analysis. However, for those willing to engage with complex ethnographic cases, the insight into how physical actions trigger psychological representations is profound. The book demands patience and a willingness to confront the scientific mechanisms behind belief. It is a challenging but rewarding read for the intellectually curious occultist.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No, it analyzes the cognitive processes that make practitioners perceive rituals as effective, treating magic as a psychological phenomenon rather than an ontological one.

While rigorous, it avoids excessive jargon, focusing on clear cognitive explanations that appeal to those interested in the mechanics of belief.

📖 Who should read this

Scholars of ritual studies, psychologists of religion, and practitioners interested in the mental frameworks that underpin magical efficacy rather than just its historical or sociological context.

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Cognitive anthropology

Ritual efficacy

Psychological contagion

📜 Historical context

Emerging from the critique of Frazerian and Malinowskian traditions, this work bridges cognitive science and anthropology. It moves beyond viewing magic as primitive error, positioning it instead as a universal feature of human cognition that explains how ancient rituals persist across cultures by exploiting innate mental shortcuts.

📚 Glossary

Contagion
Similarity
Ritual Efficacy

📔 Questions to reflect on

When have you felt a physical object held power beyond its material properties?
How does the similarity between a symbol and its target influence your emotional response?
In what ways do your daily rituals create a sense of control over uncertain outcomes?