Magic and Cultural Clashes

Yesterday we were watching this David Blaine Show, and the two most striking segments were one where he went to Haiti and another where he visited the Yanomami tribe in the jungle. The Yanonami seemed to find his tricks cute enough. Surprisingly their facial expressions seemed to be like those that scientists or atheists might make. As in, "That's cute." They were not amazed the way people in the U.S. were. Plus when he pulled out playing cards they had never seen playing cards, so the whole concept of what he was doing was strange.

Haiti was really funny because they were mostly not impressed, and some people got angry. They would say they had seen something way better than that like, "people flying." So Blaine went to visit a place where they wer practicing Voodooo, I guess to become more culturally aware. His expression were way more toned down. And he chased down this group who simply said they did not want his black magic. "It's not black magic I entertain. I'm an entertainer! It's fun!"

Finally he convinced them to see his card trick. He wrote down the number the guy who picked it was guessing. They were mildly amused. Except the guy who had picked the card. "You can see into my mind!?" He said angrily pointing at his head like, "How dare you!"


"It's not what you think." David Blaine had to admit. It's just funny because in the states he can be all mysterious and what not. But here in Haiti it almost seemed like he was almost going to have to admit it was fake because they just took it literally.


I have actually met plenty of people in the states of various cultures who take Magic like this literally. Of course, most of them of from and were raised in other countries. But having been in the states, they know the difference between a magic show and thatother sort of magic and can separate the two as different entities.


It reminds me of one time when South End baseball asked us to perform lion dance, but also an exorcism.
We did it. Because culturally any normal Chinese person can use his mind and perform an exorcism of a sort, and with the Lion Head and drums its even better.


For Catholics you need a priest to defeat or kill the demons or evil spirits.

I assume Santaria or other forms of things that are called witchcraft have a similar nethod, but I am talking in ignorance here.


Our method was much more simple.


So the superstition, which we may or may not believe ourselves, but we certainly don't go preaching it as too assume that ghosts even exist is a big assumption. But for the Atheist reading this let's just say ghosts exist in your mind, so anything comforting to the mind and able to calm the mind down will defeat the ghost, that again is only in your mind. Just thinking it is not always good enough. You need some extra tools or crutches. A stuffed animal, a friend, loud music to give you courage.. got it?

Now for the superstitious reader.

Lots of people will scare away ghosts anyway. Then so do loud noises and bright colors, like drums and lion heads. And then if that's not good enough, we set up an altar and burnt money for them. I.e. we bribed them to leave.

For people not familiar with what we were doing, I supposed it looked like witchcraft, as some curious hispanic kids went to look closer and their mothers shooed them away and told them not to go near there. I.e. in their culture, that sort of thing is to be feared as well as sought out. Bit for Chinese, this was just a ritual, not magic, and it could also be performed for one's ancestors while drinking and gambling and chatting with friends.

But in any case, watching it, was sort of eerie even for our own team. The wind stopped when the incense was lit, and then after the money had burned up and the incense gone, one wind sort of took it all away in one sweep. Could be all coincidence as this does not always happen, but it definitely looked cool and had a bit of an effect on the people watching it, including those performing it.


That being said even though part of us might believe in it to a degree, it is not as literal or something to be feared necessarily, or we always try to find some sort of explanation. Then when one isn't found, it's like "okay that was cool." Or some people get freaked out because they cannot hold these two perspectives, the scientific and the supernatural together at once.

And it is interesting too that those that really believe in magic, would simply not be impressed by David Blaine, or only find it mildly amusing. Their reactions are much more rational. Whereas the people who live in America who may or may not believe in real magic, but are in any case raised to not completely believe in it, start running down the street afraid of what they have just seen or are sometimes reduced to tears.