magic therapy

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MitsuMatsu
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Joined: February 11th, 2008, 12:00 pm
Location: Yokohama, Japan

magic therapy

Postby MitsuMatsu » November 13th, 2013, 5:02 am

I think that magic therapy like “Project Magic” and “Healing of Magic” focuses on rehabilitating various injured people, not preventing to develop dementia or memory loss for aging people.

However, I personally think magic is also very much effective to activate the brain work and delaying dementia development if he continues to enjoy performing, crating his own ones, as an amateur magician.
(Actually almost of all magicians club that majority consists of senior members doesn’t have any one suffering dementia, in Japan.)

Assuming you are in a similar situation, does anyone could tell me whether there is any reference that gives some evidence or article showing the causal correlation between magic and prevention of dementia, or discussing it?

Mitsu Matsu

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: magic therapy

Postby Richard Kaufman » November 13th, 2013, 11:12 am

There has been a study that the card game Bridge is specifically known to help prevent the symptoms of dementia.
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Jonathan Townsend
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Re: magic therapy

Postby Jonathan Townsend » November 13th, 2013, 11:23 am

Proving causation (magic in specific) for a particular mindful activity is going to be a challenge. Alert behavior is not the same as effective and reliable cognitive processing in the rest of ones environment.

a study? with a control group (no change), a social group (say singing) and a study group where a mindful exploration of actual rehearsal and performance of magic - not sure that's been done or explored as science. There are just so many factors in this craft and how folks participate or study that I'm skeptical of the approach.

magic in specific vs theater? magic in specific as opposed to chess or painting?

on the anecdotal level - Sam Schwartz was working on card problems and puzzles well into his years, also Ken Krenzel (and likely many others in our craft) and these folks were alert and "with it". Perhaps Vernon would also be a fine example if seeking to propose a study.
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time


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