Talk:Spell (paranormal)

New article content
If this topic has been discounted in the past as not deserving its own content I think that should be revisited, in light of Magic word and the incomplete coverage in Magic (paranormal). The historical section of this could be expanded a great deal and I would appreciate help from anyone interested in doing so. Magic spell, Magic charm and Magic incantation should probably redirect here but Magic charm may also imply an amulet. Obotlig (talk) 21:21, 2 June 2012 (UTC)


 * Scope. The lead sentence implies that the three terms are synonyms ("spell, charm, or incantation") for something linguistic ("set of words, spoken or unspoken").
 * But our article Incantation says that incantations are linguistic charms or spells.
 * See also the disambiguations Charm and Enchantment.
 * (Magic spell does now redirect here.) --P64 (talk) 20:34, 14 August 2013 (UTC)

Pharmakeia as method of binding someone with a spell
I believe this article needs expanding to include the fact that {{pharmakeia]] was often the vehicle binding someone with a spell with and without uttered words to accompany it. This article needs to be expanded to include this. Binding someone with a spell did not simply involve chantting words but often involved the use of pharmakeia. It would be benificial if this article pointed to this fact. 2602:306:C518:62C0:7560:4718:4121:2E90 (talk) 05:35, 19 July 2012 (UTC)

Spells and placebo effect
The placebo effect is well-known in pharmacology and relies on the expected effect a subject has pertaining a treatment. As Plato stated: "I said that the cure itself is a certain leaf, but in addition to the drug there is a certain charm, which if someone chants when he makes use of it, the medicine altogether restores him to health, but without the charm there is no profit from the leaf." Plato (Charmides, 155-6) I think this article should mention that spells are also used as a method to harvest the placebo effect. Mikeschaerer (talk) 06:39, 12 December 2014 (UTC)