The Power of Magical Thinking (False Alarm! part vii)
Magic! That’s what alt-right face-punchee Richard Spencer claims brought Trump to the White House. Esoteric historian Gary Lachman investigates and discovers an unholy alliance of memes, chaos, and positive thinking. Michael Hughes, author of Magic for the Resistance offers us some counterspells. Also the Hitler’s Magician controversy, the magician at the heart of the CIA, and the Fox Sisters take their spirit knocking to Rochester. Plus your host takes a magical ride down the Trump Tower escalator.
2018 is not the first time truth, fiction and lies have merged together. In the 1850s, people turned to the dead for answers. In the 1930’s, Hitler and the Nazis tried to remake the world using magic and pseudoscience.
In phase two of False Alarm! we’re going to bounce between the second half of the 19th century, the interwar years and the present to find out if we are doomed for a repeat.
New series logo by Val Dorito.
Magical Intelligence
Special correspondent Chris tells us why one of the CIA’s first hires was a magician.
Hitler's Magicians
We learned last week from Eric Kurlander, author of Hitler’s Monsters, that Nazi leadership was plugged into the supernatural… but they wanted stuff that worked. This is why they hired debunkers to help sort through the real and the fake magic.
Hitler loved magic and was good friends with the head of the Magician’s Circle… so suffice to say the magic did not stop.
The Dark Side of Fame
As the Fox Sister’s ability to talk to the dead got attention in the media, a series of tests were conducted to prove that they were for real. Tests that made them understand the uncouth treatment they had been receiving from men.
Ada Calhoun continues to read from her essay called The Sisters Who Spoke To Spirits.
The Chaos Magicians
Richard Spencer believes that the alt-right dreamed Trump into the White House with meme magic. Gary Lachman, author of Dark Star Rising: Magick and Power in the age of Trump traces chaos magic all the way to Trump’s childhood minister, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, author of The Power of Positive Thinking.
Resistance Magic and Offensive Magic
I turn to Michael Hughes author of Magic for the resistance for some spells to fight back. Then I take matters into my own hands and head to Trump Tower to do my own spell… Can I summon Trump’s mother to fix her mistake?
STILL A FEW TOE COINS LEFT!!!
2 comments on The Power of Magical Thinking (False Alarm! part vii)
Howdy — Another mind-blowing program.
I think I caught a misspeak you might want to think about correcting. The author of “The Power of Positive Thinking” is Norman Vincent Peale” rather than “Norman Foster Peale” (if I heard you right). It’s at about minute 16:50.
Keep up the great work!