Magical Features Research Articles

Sympathetic Magic: A Psychological Enquiry

Abstract Sympathetic magic features strongly in virtually all religious traditions and in folk customs generally. Scholars agree that It is based on the association of ideas perceived as external, mind-independent causal realities, as connections mediating causal influence. Moreover, religious folk believe that this mediation involves forms of supernatural agency. From a psychological perspective, the key question revolves around the principles by which the cognitive system deems some of its content to reference the external world and other content to constitute internal mental forms of activity like thoughts, feelings and attitudes. The paper proposes that the critical factor has to do with the balance between two distinctly different kinds of cognitive content: representations of things (mentation arising in the form of something other than itself), as distinct from registrations referencing the intrinsic phenomenal properties of the mental state itself. The balance between these two determines whether content is perceived as external worldly event or a form of internal mental content.

Reading Magical Realism in Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children for Supporting EFL Students’ Cross-Cultural Awareness

The present study explores the magical realism contents in the Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie. It also aims to investigate the way the magical realism contents to be adapted and integrated into the cross-cultural understanding material to support the EFL students’ cross-cultural awareness. The qualitative research method is employed for analysing the primary source by consulting it to the secondary sources. From the story, it is found that the struggle is available between two opposing structures in a mystical realist document, and one of them is working toward the development of a fantasy universe from the other. These are the worlds of fantasy and life, and they are all present and vying for the reader's interest. Thus, the study may deduce that Rushdie employs magical realist features such as time dilation and the introduction of myth, legends, and folklore. Rushdie has built something unique with Midnight’s Children, and Saleem is honestly attempting to tell the tale of his existence, and the life of the new country. Moreover, based on the contents found, the instructional activities can be designed by adapting the magic realism content found in the story to build the cross-cultural awareness of the Indonesian EFL students. Moreover, magic realism content can also be an alternative and variation on the language and cultural classes.

Magical and Mystical Aspects in Nepali Manuscript Illuminations

Nepali Manuscript illuminations are traditional miniature paintings found in religious manuscripts, including Prajnaparamita, Pancaraksa, Shivadharma, Visnudharma, and Devimahatmya. The religious manuscripts narrate mythical events in verbal texts and illustrate mythical characters and their actions simultaneously. The forms, figures and activities of the characters are symbolic, magical and mystical. The paintings present divine and supernatural characters in their spectacular feats of real life. The artworks represent the characters and events of Hindu and Buddhist myths. Despite the presence of magical and mystical elements, the visual narratives teach moral lessons to the real people of the real world. The symbols signify something else beyond the represented visuals. The miniature paintings motivate the readers and viewers for reading and learning by telling interesting stories. Presentation of strange and unusual characters and events renews viewers' perception providing delight while suggesting ethical values of the society. The presentation through magical and mystical characters and actions conveys moral lessons aesthetic manner. This article traces the magical and mystical features of Nepali manuscript illuminations and attempts to throw light on their significances.

Analysis of the Characters in The Sacred Book of the Werewolf

The Sacred Book of the Werewolf is a masterpiece of Russian postmodernism literature, which is filled with magic features, oriental and occidental religions, as well as cultural symbols. The author depicts a series of expressive characters in almost acerbic descriptions. Especially when the oriental elements in foxes from China encounter the occidental elements in wolves from the West; the collision of the two cultures is obvious, which portrays all living creatures during the end of the Soviet Union and Contemporary Russia.

Sömürge sonrası feminist kurguda büyülü realist unsurlar: Sevgili Arsız Ölüm ve Beloved üzerine karşılaştırmalı bir çalışma

In terms of race, gender, and class hierarchies, the female characters of Sevgili Arsız Ölüm and Beloved suffer the pressure of being societal outsiders along with patriarchal oppression. This outside pressure leads them to recreate colonization (sometimes a woman can oppress another woman) and sometimes to fight back more in their lives. By analyzing the conflict between the real and the imaginary in both novels, one can understand that it is possible to see suffering and the need for self-discovery by oppressed characters across different times, spaces, and stories. Toni Morrison successfully incorporates magical realist features into her masterpiece Beloved, which manifests Black people’s tragic history and their difficult lives as a result of racism. Latife Tekin, who is a leading magical realist author in Turkish Literature, presents the problems of Turkish people who have immigrated from rural to urban environments and their strivings for self-identification in her novel Sevgili Arsız Ölüm. Typical tenets of magical realism are present in both novels, such as non-linear time and space, passing narrative voices, extraordinary events, and traditional beliefs and fantasy. By referring to the magical realist style of narration and postcolonial feminist theory, the aim of this comparison is to observe the common struggles experienced by non-white and non-Western women in todays’ world. The aim of the study is to discuss the other side of the hidden and/or distorted realities produced by the oppressors, and to analyze the attendant historical, social, and psychological issues by focusing on female characters.

The irrational and the shift of human boundaries in contemporary novels by Castillon, Martinez and NDiaye

The infiltration of magical, marvellous and fantastic features in novels which have a realist anchoring is a remarkable trend in contemporary literature by women writers in French. In order to reveal the issues conveyed by such an imagery built on various literary traditions, I examine the representations of the irrational in recent novels by three authors: Eux (2014) and Les Pêchers (2015) by Claire Castillon, Du Domaine des murmures (2011) and La Terre qui penche (2015) by Carole Martinez and Ladivine (2013) by Marie NDiaye. I use the term “irrational” as a comprehensive notion referring to the fantastic and supernatural elements in the novels, including altered perceptions, paranormal and strange occurences, metamorphosis, staging of an alter ego, monstrosity and animality in human beings, life-after-death issues, emphasised relations to nature, and other phenomena and states that can not be explained by logic. Formulations of the irrational theme exploit a literary patrimony, related in particular to the traditions of medieval marvellous literature, the fairy tales, fantastic literature, surrealism and fantastic realism. I find that the irrational articulates a shift in human spatiotemporality towards vegetal states, animality or monstrosity, and initiates an altered approach to the world. A displaced sense of reality stemming from irrational phenomena and perceptions leads to a dislocation of human consciousness which is performed through the narrative voices. The framework for the analysis consists of a feminist and posthumanist conceptualisation which involves the notions of ‘performativity’ and ‘traces’ developed by Butler and Derrida.

Ground state properties and potential energy surfaces of 270Hs from multidimensionally-constrained relativistic mean field model

We study the ground state properties, potential energy curves and potential energy surfaces of the superheavy nucleus $^{270}$Hs by using the multidimensionally-constrained relativistic mean-field model with the effective interaction PC-PK1. The binding energy, size and shape as well as single particle shell structure corresponding to the ground state of this nucleus are obtained. $^{270}$Hs is well deformed and exhibits deformed doubly magic feature in the single neutron and proton level schemes. One-dimensional potential energy curves and two-dimensional potential energy surfaces are calculated for $^{270}$Hs with various spatial symmetries imposed. We investigate in detail the effects of the reflection asymmetric and triaxial distortions on the fission barrier and fission path of $^{270}$Hs. When the axial symmetry is imposed, the reflection symmetric and reflection asymmetric fission barriers both show a double-hump structure and the former is higher. However, when triaxial shapes are allowed the reflection symmetric barrier is lowered very much and then the reflection symmetric fission path becomes favorable.

Magiese realisme en die religieuse in Bidsprinkaan

This article explores the magical realist features in André P. Brink’s novel Bidsprinkaan (the Afrikaans version of Praying Mantis) namely, the shaping of a hybrid and liminal world in the postcolonial context and the consequent effect on different religious perspectives of the Christian missionaries and the Khoi people. Kupido Kakkerlak is a representative of both these worlds. The hybrid position of a magical realist perspective containing both the magical and realist realms of religion and peoples’ daily existence and the intertwining of myth and history are discussed while the author also focuses on the specific magical realist characteristics of the text. The implicit and explicit undermining of the Christian belief of the missionaries as one of many belief systems in the world of Kupido Kakkerlak and his people seems to be one of the possible interpretations of this text. The role of magical realism in questioning and undermining one of the master narratives of colonialisation, i.e. the development of Christianity in colonial territories, is shown.

The Spatial Differentiation of the Suitability of Ice-Snow Tourist Destinations Based on a Comprehensive Evaluation Model in China

Ice, snow, and rime are wonders of the cold season in an alpine climate zone and climate landscape. With its pure, spectacular, and magical features, these regions attract numerous tourists. Ice and snow landscapes can provide not only visually-stimulating experiences for people, but also opportunities for outdoor play and movement. In China, ice and snow tourism is a new type of recreation; however, the establishment of snow and ice in relation to the suitability of the surrounding has not been clearly expressed. Based on multi-source data, such as tourism, weather, and traffic data, this paper employs the Delphi-analytic hierarchy process (AHP) evaluation method and a spatial analysis method to study the spatial differences of snow and ice tourism suitability in China. China’s ice and snow tourism is located in the latitude from 35°N to 53.33°N and latitude 41.5°N to 45°N and longitude 82°E to 90°E, with the main focus on latitude and terrain factors. A poor fit is concentrated at latitude 20.45°N to 35°N and longitude 100°E to 122°E; the difference is that the latitude is low and affected by the Japanese warm current. The analysis of the suitability of ice and snow tourism can be employed as a reference for the development of ice and snow tourism.

Ἐγώ εἰμι ῾Ερμῆς. Eine dramaturgische Facette der antiken Zaubersprache

The formulary of ancient magic features an expression, which is object of analysis in the present paper. It consists of the predicate ἐγώ εἰμι followed by the name of one or more gods or daemons. By this, the person reciting the magical spell identified him- or herself with a supernatural entity. A detailed overview of its stylistic and semantic features reveals how the formula is to be counted among those rhetorical devices of the magic act that enhanced its dramatic force. Rather than believing to be actually possessed by some divinity, the speaker-actor of the formula played the role of that divinity, thereby staging the magic ritual as a dialogic performance.

Another big discovery-metallofullerenes.

Several days after the first experimental observation of the 'magic number' soccerball-shaped C60 in a laser-vaporized cluster beam mass spectrum by Kroto and co-workers (Heath et al 1985 J. Am. Chem. Soc. 107, 7779-7780. (doi:10.1021/ja00311a102)) they also found a magic number feature owing to La@C60 in a mass spectrum prepared by laser vaporization of a LaCl3-impregnated graphite rod. With the advent of macroscopic synthesis and the following successful separation and purification of metallofullerenes, both experimental and theoretical studies of metallofullerenes have developed quite rapidly to date so as to elucidate their structural, electronic, magnetic and transport properties. Furthermore, a bottom-up closed network growth mechanism has experimentally been shown to play a crucial role in generating various types of metallofullerenes.This article is part of the themed issue 'Fullerenes: past, present and future, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Buckminster Fullerene'.

Flower and Chicken Painting from the Symbol's and Myth's Perspective

Chicken and flower painting could be accounted as s school in Iranian typography, however determining its place and its analogy with the European paintings for the people acquainted to the Iranian culture would be under question. Especially finding the 4 thousand years old painting of Simorgh and Vispuish tree makes us think that main symbols of flower and chicken which is plant and bird, is taken from the Simorgh and Vispuish flower. For this purpose investigating bird's (Simorgh's) and plant (tree) myths was taken place. Interestingly Simorgh which in Avesta is called "Saen" has been compared with other mythical birds like Phoenix and eagle and its magical features and its irrefrangible relation with Vispubish tree which contains the seeds of all plants and its healing feature was investigated. From one side, Sohrevardi words which carries Iranian thoughts prove the relation between Iranian perfectionism and these two myths. There were major changes after the entrance of Islam in Iran, however these two myths survived, tree in the shape of plant and Phoenix in the shape of a small bird was painted beside it. If this design was European, it would not be so acceptable for the society and under the effect of fashion, it would disappear very soon. Social mindset of the past has effected its formation and survival. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n2s1p409

Believing what we do not believe: Acquiescence to superstitious beliefs and other powerful intuitions.

Traditionally, research on superstition and magical thinking has focused on people's cognitive shortcomings, but superstitions are not limited to individuals with mental deficits. Even smart, educated, emotionally stable adults have superstitions that are not rational. Dual process models--such as the corrective model advocated by Kahneman and Frederick (2002, 2005), which suggests that System 1 generates intuitive answers that may or may not be corrected by System 2--are useful for illustrating why superstitious thinking is widespread, why particular beliefs arise, and why they are maintained even though they are not true. However, to understand why superstitious beliefs are maintained even when people know they are not true requires that the model be refined. It must allow for the possibility that people can recognize--in the moment--that their belief does not make sense, but act on it nevertheless. People can detect an error, but choose not to correct it, a process I refer to as acquiescence. The first part of the article will use a dual process model to understand the psychology underlying magical thinking, highlighting features of System 1 that generate magical intuitions and features of the person or situation that prompt System 2 to correct them. The second part of the article will suggest that we can improve the model by decoupling the detection of errors from their correction and recognizing acquiescence as a possible System 2 response. I suggest that refining the theory will prove useful for understanding phenomena outside of the context of magical thinking.

Single-particle neutron characteristics of Cd isotopes with N of 50 to 82

Experimental data on single-particle neutron energies of Cd isotopes are analyzed within a dispersive optical model. Parameters of the potential are extrapolated to the region of unstable isotopes with a neutron excess. The evolution of calculated single-particle spectra and occupation probabilities of single-particle orbits corresponds to formation of magic features in Cd isotopes with N = 50, 82. The results from calculations agree with the concept that the 174Cd isotope with N = 126 forms the end of the peninsula at the neutron drip line.

Il tema del travestimento nella Chanson de Geste Analisi di aspetti e motivi nell’epica francese dei secoli XII e XIII

This article provides a study of the disguise theme in texts from the French epic literary tradition of twelfth and thirteenth centuries, when the theme of disguise was developed through many different ways and multiple perspectives. From the option which suggests a kind of double interpretation in a particular context where it is possible to detect clear interferences with popular culture, to the confirmation of the authentic epic scheme, this analysis through the French epic chanson de geste tradition provides an overview of the main disguise features in texts such as Le Couronnement de Louis, Le Charroi de Nimes, La Prise d’Orange concerning Guillaume d’Orange and the related cycle of poems. The survey continues with Maugis d’Aigremont, and discusses the topic of the trickster, where the disguise theme is enforced by magic and fairy elements. These elements suggest a wide range of implications and meanings, such as the struggles between regal authority and vassals, inside a frame of sociological value as recognized in the Renaut de Montauban and the presence of a popular culture level through the representation of his adventures and magic features in the Maugis d’Aigremont poem.

The magical features of immersive audiovisual environments

The magical features of immersive audiovisual environments

The magical features of immersive audiovisual environments

The magical features of immersive audiovisual environments

Diamond Haiku, and: Orchard House, and: Self-Portrait

This 40th anniversary issue edited by best-selling novelist Alice Hoffman (The Dovekeepers, Practical Magic) features new work from Ursula K. Le Guin, Marge Piercy, Jennifer Haigh, Ann Hood, and Wally Lamb; an interview with Elizabeth Bishop from the archives; and a story from Ploughshares ' first Emerging Fiction Writer's Award winner Thomas Lee.

Here, There Are Blueberries

This 40th anniversary issue edited by best-selling novelist Alice Hoffman (The Dovekeepers, Practical Magic) features new work from Ursula K. Le Guin, Marge Piercy, Jennifer Haigh, Ann Hood, and Wally Lamb; an interview with Elizabeth Bishop from the archives; and a story from Ploughshares ' first Emerging Fiction Writer's Award winner Thomas Lee.

Safety

This 40th anniversary issue edited by best-selling novelist Alice Hoffman (The Dovekeepers, Practical Magic) features new work from Ursula K. Le Guin, Marge Piercy, Jennifer Haigh, Ann Hood, and Wally Lamb; an interview with Elizabeth Bishop from the archives; and a story from Ploughshares ' first Emerging Fiction Writer's Award winner Thomas Lee.