Exploring Backwards Causation and Parapsychology

In this episode of Cosmosis, Jay Christopher King sits down with historian and esoteric scholar Mitch Horowitz for a wide-ranging conversation about magic, consciousness, and the anomalous. He is the author of numerous books Occult America, The Miracle Club, and Practical Magick, Mitch is a singular voice who bridges the academy, pop culture, and the esoteric underground with rare clarity and rigor.

Together, they explore:

• The convergence between magical practice and parapsychology
• Ritual as an experimental interface with anomalous phenomena
• The significance of emotional investment and “skin in the game” in psi effects
• Chaos magic, sigils, and how to test magical practice for yourself
• Ethics in magic and the overlooked power of reciprocity
• Sexual transmutation and sex magic as tools of transformation
• The strange reality of retrocausality and backwards time effects
• The cultural blind spots of mainstream science and skepticism
• Mitch’s pivotal experience editing The Super Natural with Whitley Strieber and Jeff Kripal
   

This episode offers a powerful invitation to take magic seriously—not as superstition, but as a methodology of intention, experimentation, and meaning-making. Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or an experiencer just starting to make sense of your reality, Mitch’s grounded, historically informed approach opens new doors.

🎧 Listen if you’re curious about:

• How magical frameworks might stabilize or map high-strangeness phenomena
• What it means to “test” magic—and why your results might come dressed in the unexpected
• How to reclaim personal agency in the face of ontological shock

More From Mitch Horowitz

• Books
• Substack
• Podcast
• X

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TIMESTAMPS
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04:55 Diving into the Conversation with Mitch Horowitz
05:20 Exploring the Intersection of Magic and Ufology
23:01 Mitch Horowitz's Journey into Magic
26:51 Ethics and Practical Magic
37:08 Introduction to Sil Magic
37:51 Origins and Practice of Sil Magic
39:30 The Role of Climax in Sil Magic
41:26 Anarchic Magic and Deity Petition
43:55 Exploring Sex Magic
48:48 Sex Transmutation Techniques
52:19 Backwards Causation and Time
01:06:10 Parapsychology and JB Rhine's Experiments
01:11:19 Conclusion and Final Thoughts