The Tinkerbell Effect

[Jarhyn]

So, lots of magic, and concepts of it, revolve around what is known as the "Tinkerbell Effect".

The core of the effect, stated in more words than a proper name, is "effect by which the reality of mere belief will create the believed-in reality."

There are a number of situations where this is documented but one such is the belief of an "financial influencer" of some kind, publicly stated, that a stock is going to go up: people respect such beliefs, act upon them, and this initial belief is causal towards an increase in price!

One thing I am curious of is whether occult authors have spent much time addressing this effect formally and in open terms?

 

[Incognitus]

Honestly, isn't this what most magic is? Crowley's definition of magick is "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will". Many spells and rituals require your acceptance and belief that something will work.

I think a lot of authors have addressed this, just in different terminology and to me it seems like a core tenet of magical practice.

 

[Jarhyn]

Honestly, isn't this what most magic is? Crowley's definition of magick is "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will". Many spells and rituals require your acceptance and belief that something will work.

I think a lot of authors have addressed this, just in different terminology and to me it seems like a core tenet of magical practice.

And to me as well. Which is one of the reasons I think it is important to look at, map out and discuss the Mechanisms of various instances of effect relationships within this class.

In some ways addressing these things on an academic level in clear language both "demystifies" and lends legitimacy to practices that have long been treated with ridicule.

 

[Just Jim]

So, lots of magic, and concepts of it, revolve around what is known as the "Tinkerbell Effect".

The core of the effect, stated in more words than a proper name, is "effect by which the reality of mere belief will create the believed-in reality."

There are a number of situations where this is documented but one such is the belief of an "financial influencer" of some kind, publicly stated, that a stock is going to go up: people respect such beliefs, act upon them, and this initial belief is causal towards an increase in price!

One thing I am curious of is whether occult authors have spent much time addressing this effect formally and in open terms?

I think it's more about suspending disbelief rather than believing in something that is not reality. While scepticism is the ultimate tool for any endeavor, be it magickal or just intellectual, the leap of faith is always required to make the first step.

In philosophy, Donald Davidson has a notion of 'principle of charity' -

'In philosophy and rhetoric, the principle of charity or charitable interpretation requires interpreting a speaker's statements in the most rational way possible and, in the case of any argument, considering its best, strongest possible interpretation.'

In the context of this discussion and why I have chosen POC to make a point, we have to first suspend disbelief and take on board reality in a kind of 'thatness' or haecceity - that is, accepting unique and novel happenings not in the sense of 'that cannot be the case as it does not correlate with reality, it is not necessity' we instead state 'that it is'.

We then have to take what is going on to the limit, conceive its best possible interpretation where it is true based on the haecceity or the 'surprises' of the occurrences or outcomes.

 

[Jarhyn]

believing in something that is not reality

So, I am trying to be very precise with language here.

Believing in "something that is not [currently] reality such that it becomes so" is not itself "religion: uncritical belief" as your statement might imply here.

It is not, in fact, a "leap of faith" knowing that if you do something ridiculous in the bathroom, perhaps several times, associated with "brush yo damn teeth" as a dominant theme, entering the bathroom WILL trigger a reminder to "brush your teeth", as the bathroom's association will now forever carry linkage to the memory of ridiculousness*.

It is making it be as it is wished to be through observable properties of matter and the relationships that precipitate from those states. It is not merely a prayer, but a gnostic doing of work.

*This post is in fact such an execution of active ritual, to strengthen the prior ritual with memories of also sitting on my ass on an internet forum as well. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go brush my teeth.

 

[Scottish_Pride]

That sounds like what the common theory of egregores are. The more people believing in or putting energy into something, the more powerful the concept itself gets, and a thoughtform or egregore can be the result, whether intentionally or accidentally. You can see lots and lots of chaos magicians in particular playing around with this, sometimes having pretty amusing results. "Meme Magick", for example.

 

[DiLoco_DelEted]

So, lots of magic, and concepts of it, revolve around what is known as the "Tinkerbell Effect".

The core of the effect, stated in more words than a proper name, is "effect by which the reality of mere belief will create the believed-in reality."

There are a number of situations where this is documented but one such is the belief of an "financial influencer" of some kind, publicly stated, that a stock is going to go up: people respect such beliefs, act upon them, and this initial belief is causal towards an increase in price!

One thing I am curious of is whether occult authors have spent much time addressing this effect formally and in open terms?

It sounds like magick in general, but more so Law of Attraction or the like. In psychiatric terms, I believe this fits the definition of the DSM term "Magical thinking".

 

[Jadugar]

So, lots of magic, and concepts of it, revolve around what is known as the "Tinkerbell Effect".

The core of the effect, stated in more words than a proper name, is "effect by which the reality of mere belief will create the believed-in reality."

There are a number of situations where this is documented but one such is the belief of an "financial influencer" of some kind, publicly stated, that a stock is going to go up: people respect such beliefs, act upon them, and this initial belief is causal towards an increase in price!

One thing I am curious of is whether occult authors have spent much time addressing this effect formally and in open terms?

It's a favourite technique of Chaotes. I believe the DKMU group does something very similar by spreading their sigils around as much as possible and have the randos witnessing it act as unknowing, perpetual empowers of the sigil. That, and the classic axiom of a truth just being a lie you've repeated enough. I'm sure many of us have stories of rumours being spread so quickly they become truth.

However, I think there's a key difference between the Tinkerbell Effect and the mind magic models of many magicians (oo, alliteration). In a lot of magic thought, it goes "change in unconscious or Will > change in reality," whereas the Tinkerbell Effect goes "change in belief > change in attitude > change in reality." After all, there is such a thing as a reverse Tinkerbell Effect; get enough people that the roads are perfectly safe and watch accident rates soar as people begin to drive less carefully, being wrapped up in the belief that nothing bad can happen on the roads. And I've only ever seen one magical technique have the magician cast for the opposite of what they want (the paradigm working off the belief that the Universe is a little shit that will try to fuck you over, working off the whole "people afraid of spiders are more likely to find spiders in their home" thing).