In some Christian traditions, people experience glossolalia, or the gift of tongues.

在一些基督教傳統中，人們會體驗到 "舌語"（glossolalia）或 "方言"（tongues）的恩賜。

It's described as a gift from the Holy Spirit that allows the receiver to speak a language they don't understand.

它被描述為一種來自聖靈的禮物，能讓接受者說一種他們不懂的語言。

But this gift isn't unique to Christianity.

但這種天賦並非基督教獨有。

When spirit mediums aim to speak with the dead, they sometimes enter a trance where, in a similar way, a new voice flows through them.

當靈媒想要與逝者對話時，他們有時會進入一種恍惚狀態，在這種狀態下，一種新的聲音會以類似的方式在他們體內流淌。

One of these is often recognized as a religious experience, while the other is often considered magic or superstition.

其中一種通常被認為是宗教體驗，而另一種通常被認為是魔法或迷信。

So what's the difference between a spell and a prayer?

那麼，咒語和祈禱有什麼區別呢？

Between channeling spirits and channeling the Holy Spirit?

引導靈魂和引導聖靈之間有什麼區別？

Where's the line between religion and magic?

宗教和魔法的界限在哪裡？

INTRO

導言

Like religion, magic of course means different things to different people.

就像宗教一樣，魔法對不同的人當然有不同的含義。

Like to me, magic means being terrified as a child of a man who apparently had the ability to spontaneously generate guinea pigs from a top hat because, as he later explained to my mom, rabbits were too expensive.

就像對我來說，魔法意味著小時候被一個男人嚇壞了，他顯然有能力從一頂高帽中自發地生成豚鼠，因為他後來向我媽媽解釋說，兔子太貴了。

But that's not the only definition of magic.

但這並不是魔法的唯一定義。

Also like religion, there's no one way to do magic.

就像宗教一樣，變魔術也沒有唯一的方法。

The word groups together a bunch of diverse practices that call on invisible powers to influence the physical world.

這個詞彙集了一系列不同的做法，這些做法藉助無形的力量來影響物質世界。

Rituals deemed magical are often personal, private, and goal-oriented, striving to heal or defend or transform someone's life.

被認為具有魔力的儀式通常是個人的、私密的和以目標為導向的，旨在治癒、保護或改變某人的生活。

Like when I convince myself that if I just win this game of video game soccer, AFC Wimbledon will win a game of actual soccer.

就像我說服自己，只要我贏了這場電子遊戲足球賽，AFC 溫布爾登隊就會贏得一場真正的足球賽。

That's magical thinking, right?

這就是神奇的思維，對嗎？

Now in some traditions, people gain magical abilities by chance, like Tang Qi, spirit mediums in parts of China and Southeast Asia who are believed to heal the sick and bring good luck, piercing their own skin as they write messages from the spirits possessing them.

現在，在某些傳統中，人們通過偶然的機會獲得了神奇的能力，比如唐七，中國和東南亞部分地區的靈媒被認為能治病和帶來好運，他們一邊刺穿自己的皮膚，一邊寫下附在自己身上的靈魂的資訊。

So those born at certain times and on certain dates are capable of becoming Tang Qi.

是以，在特定時間和特定日期出生的人能夠成為唐七。

But in other traditions, anyone can learn magic by studying the occult or secret knowledge of supernatural forces, like Wicca, which aims to revive the pagan worldviews of pre-Christian

但在其他傳統中，任何人都可以通過學習神祕學或超自然力量的祕密知識來學習魔法，比如巫術，它旨在恢復基督教之前的異教世界觀。

Europe.

歐洲。

Most Wiccans practice magic alone, but they also come together at seasonal gatherings called sabbats and in networks called covens.

大多數巫師獨自施法，但他們也會在名為 "安息日 "的季節性集會上聚集在一起，並組成名為 "女巫團 "的網絡。

But regardless of how it's practiced, the idea of magic often comes with negative stereotypes, right?

但無論如何實踐，魔法的概念往往伴隨著負面的刻板印象，不是嗎？

People view it as dubious or even demonic, reserved for sinners and charlatans.

人們認為它是可疑的，甚至是惡魔，是罪人和江湖騙子的專利。

And pop culture hasn't always helped with that.

而流行文化並不總能幫上忙。

But it wasn't always that way.

但並非總是如此。

The English word magic comes from the ancient Greek mageia, a word they got from the Persian

英語單詞 "magic "來自古希臘語 "mageia"，而 "mageia "一詞來自波斯語 "magic"。

Magi, which you might recognize as another name for the wise men who went all out for the Virgin Mary's baby shower.

馬吉，你可能知道這是智者的另一個名字，他們為聖母瑪利亞的嬰兒洗禮而全力以赴。

In ancient Greece, people from all walks of life sought out things like amulets and potions for protection and healing, and occasionally revenge.

在古希臘，各行各業的人都在尋找護身符和藥水等東西，以求保護和治癒，偶爾也會復仇。

Magia was seen as closer to philosophy and medicine than spirituality and religion.

與精神和宗教相比，"魔法 "更接近於哲學和醫學。

But no one really called their own practices magia.

但沒有人真正稱自己的做法為魔力。

Greek and Roman authorities used the term to demonize people they didn't like or rituals they found weird or spooky.

希臘和羅馬當局用這個詞來妖魔化他們不喜歡的人或他們認為怪異或詭異的儀式。

In fact, the Greek philosopher Celsus hurled allegations of magic at someone you may have heard of—Jesus Christ.

事實上，古希臘哲學家塞爾蘇斯曾對一個你可能聽說過的人--耶穌基督--提出過魔法指控。

Fast forward to medieval Western Europe, and these accusations went into overdrive.

轉眼到了中世紀的西歐，這些指控又開始大行其道。

Christianity was growing, and the Church saw magic as a threat—something that only those in league with the devil practiced.

基督教在不斷髮展，教會認為魔法是一種威脅，只有那些與魔鬼結盟的人才會使用魔法。

Accusations of magic and witchcraft were often lobbed at women and people in marginalized communities.

魔法和巫術的指控往往針對婦女和邊緣化社區的人。

And for centuries in Europe and eventually North America, this had deadly consequences.

幾個世紀以來，這種情況在歐洲並最終在北美造成了致命的後果。

It's estimated that over 50,000 people were executed across Europe for witchcraft between the 15th and 18th centuries.

據估計，15 至 18 世紀期間，整個歐洲有超過 5 萬人因巫術而被處決。

The vast majority women, and often single women, were deemed dangerous because they weren't tied to a man.

絕大多數女性，通常是單身女性，都被認為是危險的，因為她們沒有與男人綁在一起。

In New England, between 1638 and 1725, women with little power were disproportionately accused of witchcraft.

1638 年至 1725 年間，在新英格蘭，沒有什麼權力的婦女被控施巫術的比例過高。

During the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692, an enslaved indigenous woman named Tituba was one of the first to be accused after confessing to, quote, signing the devil's book and bewitching young girls, though scholars today argue it's almost certain her confession was coerced.

在 1692 年臭名昭著的塞勒姆女巫審判中，一位名叫提圖巴（Tituba）的被奴役土著婦女是首批被指控的人之一，她承認在惡魔之書上簽字並迷惑少女，但今天的學者認為，幾乎可以肯定她的供詞是被迫的。

By the 19th century, the meaning of the word magic had evolved further.

到了 19 世紀，魔術一詞的含義有了進一步發展。

Scholars saw it as irrational, theorizing that magic was the earliest stage of cultural development followed by religion and eventually science, once a culture had shaken off its old superstitions.

學者們認為這是不理性的，並提出了這樣的理論，即魔法是文化發展的最早階段，一旦文化擺脫了舊的迷信，宗教和科學就會接踵而至。

But no one could agree on where to draw the line between magic and religion.

但對於魔法和宗教之間的界限，沒有人能夠達成一致。

Bronislaw Malinowski argued that religions asked spiritual beings for help while magic manipulated those spiritual beings.

布羅尼斯瓦夫-馬林諾夫斯基（Bronislaw Malinowski）認為，宗教向精神存在尋求幫助，而魔法則操縱這些精神存在。

Emile Durkheim, meanwhile, said that religions were communal while magic was more of a solo thing.

與此同時，埃米爾-杜克海姆（Emile Durkheim）說，宗教是群體性的，而魔術則更多是單打獨鬥。

But whatever the rule, there were always exceptions to it.

但無論規則如何，總有例外。

And even today, academics can't agree on a definition of magic.

即使在今天，學術界也無法就魔法的定義達成一致。

Scholar Drew Wilburn names a variety of qualities that make something magic, including attempting to manipulate objects and using religious practices like prayer and sacrifice and performing actions to serve an individual.

學者德魯-威爾伯恩（Drew Wilburn）列舉了使事物具有魔力的各種特質，包括試圖操縱物體、利用祈禱和獻祭等宗教習俗以及採取為個人服務的行動。

Other scholars see magic as a quality of a ritual, where you're working toward a specific effect.

其他學者認為魔法是儀式的一種特質，是為了達到某種特定的效果。

Still others see magic as a term that maligns legitimate practices and doesn't have a practical use at all.

還有一些人認為魔術是一個詆譭合法做法的術語，根本沒有實際用途。

And it gets even more complicated when you consider how to apply these boundaries, which were conceptualized in Western Europe, to the rest of the world.

如果考慮如何將這些在西歐形成的界限應用於世界其他地區，情況就會變得更加複雜。

Like the Islamic term sahir often gets translated as magic, even though it describes things that wouldn't fit in the English category, like gossip and slander, not just sorcery and demons.

就像伊斯蘭術語 "sahir "經常被翻譯成 "魔法"，儘管它描述的是不符合英語範疇的事物，比如流言蜚語和誹謗，而不僅僅是巫術和惡魔。

Plus, traditions like Tibetan Buddhism just aren't so keyed up over the differences between prayers and spells.

另外，像藏傳佛教這樣的傳統並不太在意祈禱和咒語之間的區別。

And that's something I think about a lot because religion and magic have often overlapped in my world.

這也是我經常思考的問題，因為在我的世界裡，宗教和魔法經常重疊在一起。

I used to be a student chaplain at a children's hospital, and I developed a private superstition.

我曾經是一家兒童醫院的學生牧師，是以我產生了一種個人迷信。

I always laid out my shoes and my chaplain jacket in a very particular way designed to ward off injuries and illnesses among the kids in the hospital.

我總是把鞋子和牧師夾克擺放得非常特別，目的是防止醫院裡的孩子們受傷和生病。

And I guess that's a private and superstitious practice, like magic.

我想這是一種私人的迷信做法，就像魔術一樣。

But I would also pray for the protection and health of all children in the hospital, which

但我也會為醫院裡所有兒童的保護和健康祈禱。

I suppose is a religious practice.

我想這是一種宗教習俗。

So it's not just common for these things to coexist, I would argue it's almost inevitable.

是以，這些東西共存不僅很常見，我認為幾乎是不可避免的。

Even those of us who don't believe in the supernatural still wish and hope after all.

即使是我們這些不相信超自然現象的人，畢竟還是會有願望和希望。

While the hierarchy of magic-bad, religion-better, science-best has a long and sordid history, it doesn't necessarily help us to understand why people practice magic.

雖然 "魔法-壞"、"宗教-好"、"科學-好 "的等級制度由來已久，而且骯髒不堪，但它並不一定有助於我們理解人們為什麼要練習魔法。

For that, let's head to the Thought Bubble.

為此，讓我們前往 "思想泡泡"。

Three snakeskins, a sacrificed sheep, three days and three nights without food, water, or clothes.

三張蛇皮，一隻獻祭的羊，三天三夜不吃不喝不穿衣。

That's what it took for author Zora Neale Hurston to be welcomed into the world of Hoodoo.

這就是作家佐拉-尼爾-赫斯頓受到伏都教歡迎的原因。

Before Hurston was a novelist, she was an anthropologist, and she came to New Orleans in the late 1920s to study this closely guarded, often misunderstood, tradition.

在赫斯頓成為小說家之前，她是一名人類學家，她在 20 世紀 20 年代末來到新奧爾良，研究這一受到嚴密保護、經常被誤解的傳統。

Hoodoo had started with enslaved people who adapted West and Central African rituals at a time when openly practicing their traditions was a crime.

伏都教起源於被奴役的人們，他們改編了西非和中非的儀式，當時公開奉行他們的傳統是一種犯罪。

Hoodoo combined knowledge of plants, spirits, and ancestors, and was believed to have the power to hurt people or help them.

伏都教結合了植物、神靈和祖先的知識，被認為具有傷害人或幫助人的力量。

Hurston went all in, earning experts' trust and training with them for months.

赫斯頓全力以赴，贏得了專家們的信任，並與他們一起訓練了幾個月。

Some specialized in death, others had recipes for changing someone's mind, or dealing with a bad landlord, or landing a job.

有的人專門研究死亡，有的人則有改變別人想法的祕方，或對付壞房東的祕方，或找到工作的祕方。

They taught her their spells for the hard parts of life—betrayal, breakups, gossip, loneliness.

他們教她如何應對生活中的困難--背叛、分手、流言蜚語、孤獨。

Like, to keep a secret, you could write it down, fold the paper up, and slip it into a corpse's hands, whispering the secret in its ear.

比如，要保守一個祕密，你可以把它寫下來，把紙折起來，然後塞到一具屍體的手裡，在它耳邊低聲說這個祕密。

Or to split up spouses, you could put dirt from a fresh grave in the corners of their bedroom while repeating, just fuss and fuss till you go away from here.

或者，為了拆散配偶，你可以在他們臥室的角落裡放上新墳的泥土，同時重複 "大驚小怪，直到你離開這裡"。

Hoodoo was full of supernatural solutions for everyday problems, including protection from violence—a major concern for generations of black Americans.

伏都教充滿了解決日常問題的超自然方法，包括保護人們免受暴力侵害--這是幾代美國黑人最關心的問題。

And because Hoodoo didn't shy away from that reality, it gave a sense of power to people who'd been without it for so long.

由於伏都教並不迴避這一現實，是以它給了那些長期沒有力量的人們一種力量感。

Today, some Hoodoo practitioners embrace the magic label, while others claim it's just a way of life.

如今，一些伏都教信徒接受魔法標籤，而另一些人則聲稱這只是一種生活方式。

Either way, as Hurston wrote in 1931,

無論如何，正如赫斯頓在 1931 年寫道的那樣

Nobody knows for sure how many thousands in America are warmed by the fire of Hoodoo.

沒有人知道在美國有多少人被伏都教的火焰所溫暖。

Thanks Thought Bubble.

謝謝 "思想泡泡"。

So, whether we call it religious, spiritual, or magical, traditions like Hoodoo often reflect the social conditions of the people practicing them.

是以，無論我們稱之為宗教、精神還是魔法，像伏都教這樣的傳統往往反映了信奉者的社會狀況。

And by the 1930s, anthropologists like E.E. Evans Pritchard were starting to argue that magic wasn't necessarily at odds with rational thinking.

到了 20 世紀 30 年代，E.E. Evans Pritchard 等人類學家開始認為，魔法並不一定與理性思維相悖。

People often used both magical and scientific reasoning to explain events.

人們常常同時使用魔法和科學推理來解釋事件。

For example, if a building fell down and killed someone, the Azande of what's now South

例如，如果一幢大樓倒塌並砸死了人，現在南亞的阿贊德

Sudan might suggest witchcraft as the reason why this terrible accident happened at that moment to that person.

蘇丹可能會認為，巫術是這起可怕事故在那一刻發生在那個人身上的原因。

But they'd also diagnosed that termites had gnawed the wooden beams and caused it to collapse.

但他們也診斷出，白蟻啃食了木樑，導致木樑倒塌。

Where science could answer the question, why?

科學可以回答 "為什麼？

Magic could answer the question, why me?

魔術可以回答 "為什麼是我？

Magical practices are essentially strategies that help people make sense of the world and manage uncertainty.

神奇的實踐本質上是幫助人們認識世界和管理不確定性的策略。

Like a 22-year-old chaplain who doesn't know what the night holds in store.

就像一個 22 歲的牧師，不知道今晚會發生什麼。

And often we see really similar strategies within established religions.

我們經常會在一些成熟的宗教中看到類似的策略。

Like, consider protective objects like this Jewish amulet created to shield a young girl from evil forces.

比如，考慮一下保護性物品，比如這個猶太護身符，它是為了保護一個年輕女孩免受邪惡力量的侵擾而製作的。

Or this shirt wrapped with verses from the Quran and the 99 names of God intended to protect the person wearing it.

或者是這件裹著《古蘭經》經文和 99 個真主名字的襯衫，目的是保護穿著它的人。

And we also find the use of specific words or phrases of power in many established religions, like the Hindu mantra Om Namah Shivaya, which people repeat to bring healing and calm.

我們還發現，在許多成熟的宗教中都使用了具有力量的特定詞語或短語，比如印度教的咒語 "唵嘛呢叭咪吽"（Om Namah Shivaya），人們重複唸誦它可以帶來治癒和平靜。

Or how some Muslims say Ayat al-Kursi twice a day for protection.

還有一些穆斯林每天念兩次 Ayat al-Kursi，以求保護。

Or like how I recite the Lord's Prayer whenever I'm on an airplane.

就像我在飛機上背誦主禱文一樣。

Twice, actually.

實際上是兩次。

Once when it takes off and once when it lands.

起飛時一次，降落時一次。

And it's not weird.

這並不奇怪。

Nobody thinks it's weird.

沒人覺得奇怪。

And what might otherwise be called magic sometimes goes by another name.

而原本可能被稱為魔法的東西，有時也會被冠以另一個名字。

Like miracles.

就像奇蹟一樣

There's a long history of Catholic reports of the Virgin Mary appearing in shrouds or the sky, and statues weeping tears or blood.

天主教關於聖母瑪利亞披著裹屍布或從天而降、雕像流淚或流血的報道由來已久。

Some Hindu gurus gain authority through healing and mind-reading and conjuring.

一些印度教大師通過治療、讀心術和變魔術獲得權威。

And in Myanmar, Buddhist Weiza, or wizards, are said to have special powers to heal and fly and turn metal into gold.

而在緬甸，佛教衛扎（即巫師）據說擁有特殊的能力，可以治病、飛行和點石成金。

When we recognize how common magical practices are, even among established religions, we can see how they respond to the many uncertainties and fears that make us human.

當我們認識到魔法實踐是多麼普遍，甚至在已確立的宗教中也是如此時，我們就能看到它們是如何應對人類的許多不確定性和恐懼的。

These days, magic is as commonplace as good luck charms and as visible as witches sharing spells on TikTok.

如今，魔法就像幸運符一樣司空見慣，就像女巫在 TikTok 上分享咒語一樣顯而易見。

And while some stigma certainly remains from centuries of bad PR, many magical communities are reclaiming their identities.

雖然幾個世紀的不良公關肯定會留下一些汙名，但許多魔法社區正在重新找回自己的身份。

For example, brujería has roots in indigenous practices that were punished and demonized and driven into hiding by colonizers in the Catholic Church, leading to centuries of stigmatization throughout Latin America and the Afro-Caribbean.

例如，brujería 起源於土著習俗，這些習俗受到天主教會中殖民者的懲罰和妖魔化，並被驅趕躲藏起來，導致整個拉丁美洲和非洲-加勒比地區幾個世紀的汙名化。

But today's brujas are working to reclaim their image by talking publicly about how their practices help them find balance and a feeling of connection to their ancestors.

但是，今天的 "野蠻人 "正在努力恢復自己的形象，公開談論他們的做法如何幫助他們找到平衡以及與祖先的聯繫。

It's important to remember that these categories are created.

重要的是要記住，這些類別是創建的。

They're created by us.

它們是由我們創造的。

And we create categories like magic or religion to make sense of the world around us.

我們創造了魔法或宗教等類別，以瞭解我們周圍的世界。

They may be just words, but those words cast ideas into the world.

它們可能只是文字，但這些文字將思想投向世界。

And those ideas create structure and meaning in society, building and reinforcing systems of power.

而這些觀念創造了社會的結構和意義，建立並強化了權力體系。

These words can even conjure illusions, like the idea that some people deserve persecution or that their practices are somehow inferior to others.

這些詞甚至會讓人產生幻覺，比如認為某些人應該受到迫害，或者他們的做法在某種程度上不如其他人。

But when we part that veil and peer beyond, we can see that the lines that would divide us are, at best, murky, and that the definition of magic is as malleable as we need it to be.

但是，當我們揭開這層面紗，窺探其中的奧祕時，我們就會發現，我們之間的界限充其量不過是模糊不清的，而魔法的定義也是可塑的，只要我們需要它。

Sometimes we bend it to wield power, others to fight against it.

有時，我們利用它來掌握權力，有時，我們利用它來對抗權力。

But one thing is certain, these traditions can conjure feelings of empowerment and resilience and connection, even in a world that's difficult and uncertain.

但有一點可以肯定的是，這些傳統可以讓人感受到力量、韌性和聯繫，即使是在一個充滿困難和不確定性的世界裡。

And no matter which way you define it, there is a certain magic in that.

無論你如何定義它，其中都蘊含著某種魔力。

In our next episode, we'll ask the question, what does it mean to be Hindu?

在下一集中，我們將提出一個問題：印度教意味著什麼？

I'll see you then.

到時候見

Thanks for watching this episode of Crash Course Religions, which was filmed in our studio here in Indianapolis, Indiana, and was made with the help of all of these nice people.

感謝您收看本期《宗教速成班》，本期節目是在我們位於印第安納州印第安納波利斯的工作室拍攝的，是在這些好心人的幫助下完成的。

If you want to help keep Crash Course free for everyone, forever, you can join our community on Patreon.

如果您想幫助《速成課程》永遠免費，可以加入我們的 Patreon 社區。