Living among spirits : The concept of magic and the supernatural in contemporary visual pop-culture

KAPCÁR, Andrej. Living among spirits : The concept of magic and the supernatural in contemporary visual pop-culture. In Occulture 2022: Occulture Esoteric Conference, 7 - 9. October, 2022, Berlin, Germany. 2022.

Basic information

• Original name: Living among spirits : The concept of magic and the supernatural in contemporary visual pop-culture
• Authors: KAPCÁR, Andrej.
• Edition: Occulture 2022: Occulture Esoteric Conference, 7 - 9. October, 2022, Berlin, Germany, 2022.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Presentations at conferences
• Field of Study: 60304 Religious studies
• Country of publisher: Germany
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: URL
• Organization unit: Faculty of Arts
• Keywords in English: magic; esotericism; spirituality; popular culture; media studies; video games; cognitive studies
• Tags: International impact, Reviewed

Abstract

The times, where esoteric knowledge, hidden pantheons, or secret magical practices were reserved for just an initiated few, or ostracizes as something not belonging into the mainstream cultural sphere are long past. Due to the immense technological advancements in the past decades, and especially the growing importance of the internet, hidden knowledge has shifted from clandestine meetings and private libraries into the spotlight of the everyday life. Movies, series, animations, video games, or graphic novels are heavily influenced and inspired by magical practices and supernatural phenomena. Gods, demons, even real historical figures, such as Aleister Crowley, are being reimagined and placed into storylines, partially true to their historical origins, partially adapted according to the creative mind of the author. And through their new form, they are gaining a new level of popularity. The intensive aesthetic appeal of their depictions is being reflected not only in the rise of interest in magic as a practice, but also in noticeable changes in the lifestyle in general. This presentation will explore how the concept of magic(k)and the supernatural is represented in several chosen case studies of visual pop-culture, as well as what kind of influence does it have on the audience.

Links

• MUNI/A/1377/2021, interní kód MU: Name: Víra a tradice po rozpadu jistot modernity: K antropologii a historiografii po postkolonialismu a postmoderně (Acronym: VITRAROM)

Investor: Masaryk University