Conjuring a Magical Medium; or, How to Rip a Hole in the Fabric of Reality
Conjuring a Magical Medium; or, How to Rip a Hole in the Fabric of Reality
Shira Chess (2026). "Conjuring a Magical Medium; or, How to Rip a Hole in the Fabric of Reality.” The Journal of Cinema & Media Studies (65.5): 158-177.
Open Access Link: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/idx/j/jcms/18261332.0065.508/--conjuring-a-magical-medium-or-how-to-rip-a-hole?rgn=main;view=fulltext
Abstract: New technologies often carry a patina of magic. It has been well established that historical relationships between media forms (telegraphy, photography, radio, film, and television) often co-emerge with occult beliefs and practices. In this article, I demonstrate how late twentieth-century Technopaganism and the internet developed in tandem, speaking to many of the same desires and methodologies. Technopaganism can be characterized as inherently do-it-yourself (DIY), building on a hacker ethos, and embodying a desire to exceed magical metaphors. Collectively, these characteristics suggest a medium that articulated a magically tinged user-centric desire to hack reality.
Related Research
-
Prompt Coaching for Inclusiveness: A Media Literacy Approach to Increase Users’ Awareness of Algorithmic Bias and Prompting EfficacyChen, C., Mengqi (Maggie) Liao, Phadnis, A., Li, Y., High, A., Abdullah, S., & Sundar, S. S. (2026). “Prompt Coaching for Inclusiveness: A Media Literacy Approach to Increase Users’ Awareness […]
-
Framing of the 2024 of American Elections in International Media: A Comparison Among Nine CountriesIvanka Pjesivac, Sohyun Park, and Moses Okocha’s paper, “Framing of the 2024 of American Elections in International Media: A Comparison Among Nine Countries,” won 1st place in Open category, International Division, […]