Magic, Roleplay, and Playing Pretend
Before I begin this post, A little disclaimer. The following is how I see magic, and I understand that it differs from the view of most practitioners on a fundamental level. I do not expect anyone to take on this viewpoint, especially if it is not useful or empowering to you. However, I do think that posting it here would be helpful for others like me. As per everything with magic, take what resonates, and leave what does not.
I do not, truly, think I am a magical girl. I personally do not think that "the astral" is a plane separate from this reality, and I believe that everything has a scientific explanation behind it. However, I engage with the world as if I am a magical girl who regularly uses awesome powers, and explores the multiverse via the astral plane. These views, while conflicting at first, are navigated through an understanding of the power of play, and what our brains can truly do.
Take my magical girl self, for example. I understand that I do not have magical powers, and everything that I can do in this light is simply the power of placebo and suggestion. However, taking on the viewpoint of a magical girl is incredibly helpful, as it gives me a purpose, and allows me to adopt a framework that makes every day not only purposeful, but exciting. I don't want to outright say that what I do is not roleplay, because if I am being perfectly honest with myself, it is! However, by playing this character, I feel more connected with myself than I ever have been playing the self that society ascribes me to be.
A key that I realized this morning with my practice is that neuroscience and psychology is the catalyst. I am not claiming myself to be a neuroscientist, however I understand the power of the brain in terms of interpreting the world around us. I recently learned for example, that many hallucinations associated with hauntings occur due to an infrasound frequency at around 18 hertz! As much as many would use this as evidence that ghosts and the like do not exist, I do not stand by this. Instead, I choose to see this fact as an explanation for why these hauntings happen, and also understand that to the individuals do experience this, this was a very profound and real encounter for them. The scientific reality does not devalue the emotional truth. Where I differ from most practitioners, is that I create mundane scenarios (such as daydreaming or worldbuilding) based around an emotional truth, because I know my brain will fill in the rest of the puzzle (and because I know that the brain will fill in the rest of the puzzle, it will do so more reliably! aaa brains are so cool)!! I would like to reiterate this: all of the magic that I do is real. If you have had a real magical experience caused or affected by me, I do not want to take that away from you. However, I also want to recognize that for me personally, the reality of magic does not escape the realm of the mind.
I understand that what I am doing is all ultimately a game. However, the game in question is honestly fun as all hell! Play is too often stifled inside of boxes of time and space, whether that be a stadium, a party, or even a screen. However, what I am doing through my alterreality and chunnibyou is unbounding this play from its limits. I believe that every single aspect of my life can feed into this play, creating an unending, hyperimmersive, augmented reality. The only boundaries this game does not cross however, is the boundary of my own knowledge. I know that what I am playing is a game, and if need be, I am more than willing to modify its rules if others want to join in to make it fun for them. I am also more than willing to call a stop to the game if it is genuinely disturbing someone, or change the rules of the game at my preference at any point. Just because my magical life is a game, does not by any means make it any less meaningful or impactful
We are all small. In this vast and confusing world, we are all miniscule pieces of an ever increasing, complex ecosystem. Everyone responds differently to this. Some attempt to become the "most important piece", while others try to appreciate the small, quiet life they have. I on the other hand, choose to make myself big in my own way. I both have resigned to my place in society, as well as actively creating my own world to augment it. In this game world, I am "big" in a way that I choose, in a way that has been modelled to me by media, and in a way that is fun. I would like to reiterate that this is in no way an attempt to prescribe all magic users in the same light that I do, nor is it a way to invalidate any experience. I simply wish to share my own, as well as outstretching my hand to anyone who would care to join. After all, a princess is nothing without her loyal subjects.
P.S., check out the subreddit "r/SASSwitches", that explains my belief system very well (albeit with a different aesthetic and vibe than what im going for), and I may very well crosspost this essay onto there!
