What if magic were real? Not magic like a Hogwarts letter arriving in the mail, or the feigned magic of Houdini, but real magic: A genuine but hidden power that resides within each individual. A power tied to our consciousness. A power that makes phenomena like telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis not only possible, but inevitable.

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According to Dean Radin (PhD, psychology), Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), bestselling author, and featured scientist in the New York Times Magazine, magic is real, and science is on its way to understanding it. In his new book, Real Magic (Harmony Books), Radin paves the road to new scientific horizons, arguing that magic is a natural aspect of reality that everyone is capable of tapping into with diligent practice.

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Unlike books that discuss magical beliefs, or insist that magic has been disenchanted by science, Radin’s view is grounded in a century of evidence-based laboratory tests. He pulls from his forty years of experience conducting controlled laboratory studies in universities and industry, including formerly classified work for the U.S government. His results, plus those compiled from a century of scientific research, are astounding, demonstrating that thoughts are things, that we can sense others’ emotions and intentions from a distance, that intuition and intention are more powerful than we’ve been taught, and that everyone can tap into the power that undergirds the physical universe itself.

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Real Magic begins with a history of magic over the centuries, exploring how natural magic of yore such as astrology, alchemy, and herbalism evolved into today’s sciences of astronomy, chemistry, and pharmaceuticals. It then reviews the scientific evidence for magic, introduces simple magical techniques, and it explains why magic is poised to play a key role in exploring the frontiers of future science. You can expect to learn:

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• The three types of real magic: force of will, divination, and theurgy

• The origins of real magic

• The practical foundations of real magic: attention and intention

• The importance of meditation and affirmation

• How to create a sigil, or specific symbol, to help attain a desired goal
   

As captivating as it is informative, Real Magic will propel you into a future where conventional perspectives are challenged and scientific boundaries are pushed. Where terms like “supernatural” and “paranormal” are understood to be quaint colloquialisms, and where magic is no longer used as a synonym for nonsense, but as an important forerunner for leading edge advancements in science and technology.

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Endorsements

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A thought-provoking book. The author makes a convincing case for the reality and significance of magic. —Brian Josephson PhD, Nobel Laureate in Physics and Emeritus Professor of Physics, Cambridge University

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Some scientists are confident that we already know what is and is not possible. But the truth is that science is very much in its infancy. To advance our understanding requires bold excursions into domains some might consider heretical, including esoteric legends about magic that have persisted for thousands of years. This is what Dean Radin sets out to do with Real Magic. In my judgment, it succeeds in blazing new trails. Well worth the read. -- Kary Mullis PhD, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry

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I’m trained in mathematics, epidemiological research methods and statistics. I have found neither random nor systematic errors of study designs to explain away the strong statistical evidence presented among the six classes of scientific experiments summarized in this chapter. -- José Becerra, M.D. (posted on Linked-In)

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Dean Radin’s Real Magic is a real treat. It is part history, part academic book, and a completely easy-to-read non-fiction book about a topic that has long been thought to be fiction. Radin works his magic to explain how magic has permeated Western culture while simultaneously being relegated to its margins. Magic has never gone away, and for good reason--because it works. Radin, a research scientist, delivers an accessible book about matters that many scientists are unable, and unwilling to address. His impeccable credentials are laudable, but even more extraordinary is that he makes this knowledge easy to understand and accessible to everyone. I absolutely loved reading Real Magic. - Dr. Diana Walsh Pasulka, Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion, University of North Carolina, Wilmington

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Magic as a scientific discipline? In Real Magic, Dean Radin makes exactly that case. Just as medieval astrology evolved into astronomy, and alchemy into chemistry, today’s parapsychology -- seemingly “magic” -- stands ripe for acceptance as an emerging scientific discipline. Thousands of experiments published in standard peer-reviewed journals attest to a new openness. It’s becoming acceptable to discuss psi phenomena in polite company. In Radin’s engaging book, tinged with humor and borne of impeccable logic and proper scholarly restraint, a strong case is made for taking psi phenomena seriously, even if mainstream science offers no tangible explanations. The open-minded reader will come away richly rewarded. You will not forget this unique book. - Gerald H. Pollack PhD, Professor of Bioengineering, University of Washington; Editor-in- Chief, Water; Director, Institute for Venture Science

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Real Magic gives a fascinating insight into both the historic and modern perspectives of magical practice.  The modern ‘magic’ that Dean Radin refers to embodies a range of ‘psi’ phenomena whose occurrence is stubbornly statistically significant.  Their magnitude may be modest, but after hundreds of thousands of high quality experiments, instances of remote viewing and precognition for example, are persistent outcomes that cannot be explained away by chance or poor methodology.  From a conventional scientific point of view these are anomalies that do not fit the existing paradigm. For Dean Radin these phenomena are an inevitable consequence of a universal consciousness that underpins the very fabric of space-time itself.  For most of us, the myriad distractions of the everyday world dull our senses, but with concerted effort, yoga and meditation, it seems that gifted individuals might be capable of amazing things.  But as Radin says “Magic is real, but no one said it’s going to be fast or easy.” -- Dr Steve Boreham, Department of Geography, Cambridge University 

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In Real Magic, Dean Radin, one of the great pioneers of parapsychology research, brings his trademark rigor, clarity and humor to show how the perennial principles of what we’ve called ‘magic’ are natural consequences of what leading-edge science is now revealing about the unified nature of reality. The book is replete with evidence and examples of naturally magical phenomena and experiences. Based on an emergent and radically expanding understanding of the informational and conscious nature of reality itself, its enormously timely and lucid message is that we are all magical beings, and that we are Innately able to experience supernormal phenomena such as telepathy, remote viewing and the power of synchronicities – if we choose not to be limited by the hitherto dogma of materialism and separation. -- Dr Jude Currivan, cosmologist and author of The Cosmic Hologram: In-formation at the Center of Creation

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Real Magic by Dean Radin is a fascinating introduction to the magic that most of us long to master - the ability to see beyond the surface of reality and to know the truth that lies in its depths, using the deep nonlocal consciousness we have access to once we learn how. He shows us that this magic is real by sharing with us carefully designed scientific experiments that give clear evidence that our consciousness can manipulate the material universe. And he provides tools for us to discover and enhance this magic, this great power of consciousness, in our own lives. - Marjorie Woollacott PhD, Professor Emeritus, Neuroscience, University of Oregon, author of Infinite Awareness: The Awakening of a Scientific Mind

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The history of magic is a history of the innate or super natural powers of consciousness and language over . . . well, over just about everything. Because such superpowers appear to be innate, do not rely on any external deity, and violate our assumptions about how the world actually works (more like a living language than a dead machine), these human potentials have been marginalized, condemned, even persecuted over the centuries by a variety of religious and now scientistic authorities. Here Dean Radin does the exact opposite: he puts such cosmic capacities in conversation with the history of science and demonstrates just how intertwined magic and science really are. He even tells us "how to do it,” that is, how to recognize, own, and practice our own secret superpowers. Forget about the movies. Here’s the real thing. Here's the real magic. -Jeffrey J. Kripal PhD, J. Newton Rayzor Professor of Religion, Rice University, author of Secret Body: Erotic and Esoteric Currents in the History of Religions and many other books

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With scientific precision and an expanded model of consciousness based on many years of patient experimentation, Real Magic explores the new frontiers of what passes for "reality" in our modern world of quanta, entanglement and multiple dimensions. Magic is the ancient source of modern science: It reflects humanity's desire to control its environment and life itself. With clear thought and welcome humor -- a rare commodity in this field -- Dean Radin shows that the study of magic is not only a matter of historical curiosity: It also holds an important key to future knowledge of ourselves and the universe our thoughts create. —  Jacques Vallee PhD, computer scientist, venture capitalist, author of Passport to Magonia, Wonders in the Sky, and many other books.

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Real Magic illustrates the limitations of 20th century science and proposes a more comprehensive view that incorporates ideas that have been associated with magic throughout the ages. Blending history, humor, and plausible hypotheses, Dean Radin illustrates that there is a staggering amount of evidence for a broader view of science that offers hope for the future of humanity. — Jessica Utts PhD, Professor of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, past-President of the American Statistical Association, and author of numerous statistics textbooks.

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Scientists tend to be critical of the scholars who reputedly refused to look through Galileo’s telescope. In Real Magic, Dean Radin lays out impressive evidence that “there are more things in Heaven and Earth” than are dreamed of in 21st Century physics. How will this story end? Will 21st Century physicists prove to be more like Galileo, or more like his opponents? — Peter Sturrock, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Applied Physics, Stanford University, awarded the Rayleigh Prize (Cambridge University), Hale Prize (American Astronomical Society), Arctowski Medal (National Academy of Sciences), Space Science Award (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics), author of Late Night Thoughts about Science.

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We have entered an age when simple artificial neural networks (ANNs), with only a few hundred neurons, outperform humans in more and more tasks. This is forcing people out of jobs and seriously threatening our future. How can a simple system of a thousand neurons outperform humans with billions of neurons and, as many of us believe from inescapable experience, some kind of real soul? The answer is that ANNs are usually designed to focus. We too need to develop our own ability to fully focus our own minds to keep up, to connect with each other better, and to survive and grow as a species. I commend Dean Radin for his efforts in Real Magic to extract what the esoteric traditions from all over the world have learned, to help us train ourselves to focus the full powers of our minds, and for moving us forward (like Freud and Jung) on the long and difficult but all-important road to bring this line of inquiry into the forefront of science. - Paul Werbos PhD, former Program Director, National Science Foundation, Past-President, International Neural Network Society, www.werbos.com, and author, The Roots of Backpropagation.

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In Real Magic, Dean Radin, reveals the reality of certain forms of “magic,” as we come to a far more powerful manifestation of our free will, and a much deeper knowing of the natural world and of our powers on emerging reality. Highly recommended! —Eben Alexander MD, neurosurgeon, author of #1 New York Times bestseller, Proof of Heaven, and co-author of Living in a Mindful Universe.

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Filled with fascinating facts and intriguing ideas, Real Magic places the laboratory findings from parapsychology in the broader context of centuries of magic practices.  This wholly original work then points toward new understandings of reality that can no longer be ignored. —Jim B. Tucker, MD, Bonner-Lowry Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Science, University of Virginia Health System, author of the New York Times bestseller Return to Life: Extraordinary Cases of Children Who Remember Past Lives.

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Dean Radin writes about all those scientifically and experimentally proven findings that for most people, are beyond imagination, mysterious, or even impossible. This is what Radin calls ‘magic’. Everybody and everything are always interrelated, interacting, and interconnected, beyond time and space. To better understand this challenging new worldview we need a new paradigm in science. Highly recommended. —Pim van Lommel MD, cardiologist, author of Consciousness Beyond Life.

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Knowing Dean Radin’s scientific work (and appreciating his sense of humor!), I knew I’d like Real Magic, but after the first page I was hooked and read the whole book in a day.  Parapsychologists have too often gotten stuck in abstractions about psychic abilities, but Radin now situates parapsychology where it belongs: it’s about magic.  And magic is about humanness and our spiritual nature, not just spells and love potions Read, enjoy, learn! — Charles T. Tart PhD, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, University of California, Davis; Emeritus Faculty, Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, author Altered States of Consciousness, and many other books.

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Real Magic will be known as one of the few real paradigm-changing works of science. Radin builds a case, supported by plenty of data as well as by theoretical ideas that are all real and can be studied. Consciousness is the foundation of everything. This is what makes magic so real—it will be the new science. A very delightful book, highly recommended. —Menas C. Kafatos PhD, Endowed Professor of Computational Physics, Chapman University, co-author of the New York Times bestselling You Are the Universe.

  

The Real Magic of Dean Radin isn't magic at all – it’s that he continually insists on a clear eyed, fact based assessment of the accumulating data that "Real Magic" is real.  In past books regarding cultures and ways of practice that touch on reports of psi phenomena around the world and through history, he made it clear that today's refusal to acknowledge the reality of scientific support for such phenomena is the unscientific view.  In this new book, he shows that magic is real and that today's bias against belief and practice of magic is the aberration.  Furthermore, the delightful, easily flowing nature of his text - covering complex histories of magic and high level scientific analyses - is, itself, magical.  Real Magic is real magic. –Neil Theise MD, Professor of Pathology at NYU School of Medicine.

 

Dean Radin shows how even a weighty subject like the nexus of esoteric ideas and modern science can still be an entertaining, easy read. He teaches us here that real magic, understood as an aspect of consciousness that we’re just beginning to grasp, is not a regression to ancient superstition, but rather an intriguing and surprisingly persuasive anticipation of future science. –James Fallon PhD, Professor, Psychiatry & Human Behavior, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, and author The Psychopath Inside: A Neuroscientist's Personal Journey into the Dark Side of the Brain.

 

Real Magic is a philosophical and scientific milestone.  Dean Radin explores the history and foundations of magic, proposing a worldview uniquely appropriate for the challenges of the 21st century. This book is a brilliantly organized bridge that spans the esoteric traditions, magical lore, parapsychology, and science. - Stanley Krippner PhD, Professor of Psychology, Saybook University, author of Extraordinary Dreams and How to Work With Them, awarded the 2002 American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology, and many other distinctions.

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"Radin cleverly frames yesterday's sorcery as today's edge science. Must reading for would-be Gandalfs and Circes." -- Nick Herbert PhD, physicist, author of Quantum Reality

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There is a tacit agreement in conventional science to deny, ignore and remain silent about the most astonishing fact of our lives — the capacity of our consciousness to shape our existence and the so-called physical world. This is the equivalent of blind men refusing the gift of vision. In Real Magic, Dean Radin challenges us to abandon this childish pretense, this taboo, not on the basis of faith but of science itself. Our future likely depends on how we respond to the key messages in Real Magic. -- Larry Dossey MD, author One Mind:  How Our Individual Mind Is Part of a Greater Consciousness and Why It Matters