khafra comments on Rationality Quotes October 2011 - Less Wrong

3 Post author: MinibearRex 03 October 2011 06:41AM

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Comment author: khafra 05 October 2011 04:57:28PM 3 points [-]

No vote, but I've known several engineers who believe in black magic, voodoo, and/or rain dances.

Comment author: Emile 22 October 2011 08:35:58PM 0 points [-]

Is this a reference to Agile methodologies?

Comment author: khafra 22 October 2011 11:47:08PM 3 points [-]

Heh, it could be--but no; this is about a few educated, professional engineer friends of mine who are into pagan, asatru, ceremonial magick, and voudoun. Quite literally, black magic and voodoo (although I have yet to meet any who are well versed in native american ceremonies).

Comment author: bogus 23 October 2011 12:03:25AM 2 points [-]

In all fairness, paganism, voudoun and magick are more like shared ceremonial practices than "religions" in a conventional sense. And these ceremonies might well have instrumental value as mind-hacking devices: "worshiping" a voudun "form" probably primes your mind towards that form's attributes (love, war etc.). This is especially useful in collective ceremonies, where it also acts as a screening/signaling device.

Comment author: Xom 22 October 2011 09:00:32PM *  2 points [-]