Can Process Philosophy Explain How Magic Works? With Dr Darren Iammarino

Can Alfred North Whitehead’s process philosophy offer a new way of understanding how magic works? Join me live on Saturday, 1 August 2026, at 12 pm EST for a fascinating conversation with Dr Darren Iammarino of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Diego. We will explore the philosophy of magic between 1875 and 1975, beginning with Spiritualism, Theosophy, William James, and the emergence of spirit and energy models. Our central focus will be Whitehead’s process philosophy and its potential to explain magic through an informational and relational model of reality, in which events, consciousness, agency, and influence are interconnected processes rather than isolated substances. We will also consider how yoga, Tantra, and the Yoga Sūtras conceptualise siddhis, or supernormal powers, alongside the influence of perennialism on modern Western interpretations of magic. Can process thought help us move beyond the familiar opposition between supernatural and psychological explanations? Could magic be understood as participation in a dynamic and interconnected cosmos? Join us live and bring your questions for the discussion. Discover more from Dr Darren Iammarino: YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ToTwoTruth?si=eUy8QTaRVEadbkTI Books and author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Darren-Iammarino/author/B00GJ9KV1Y/allbooks?ccs_id=19e6820b-d273-45bc-bdbb-87d6d4faeaa3 CONNECT & SUPPORT💖 MY COURSES 👩🏻‍🎓 https://drangelapuca.com/courses WEBSITE 🔗 https://www.drangelapuca.com/ BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE 📖https://drangelapuca.com/services SUBSTACK ✉️ https://substack.com/@drangelapuca BECOME MY PATRON! 🎩 https://www.patreon.com/angelapuca SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI ☕️https://ko-fi.com/drangelapuca ONE-OFF DONATIONS 💰 https://paypal.me/angelasymposium JOIN MEMBERSHIPS 👥 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPSbip_LX2AxbGeAQfLp-Ig/join MY PODCAST 🎙 https://open.spotify.com/show/2TKoWTGe6OKRokHN2zUIxM?si=dd9f50a734b14f86 MY MERCH 👕 https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/ FOLLOW ME👣 - YouTube (@drangelapuca)🌟 - SUBSTACK 💌 https://substack.com/@drangelapuca - Instagram (@drangelapuca) 📸 - TikTok (@drangelapuca) 🎵 - Twitter (@angelapuca11) 🐦 - Facebook (Dr Angela Puca) 👥 RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖 REFERENCES 📚 (Check the related slide on screen) MY SET-UP 🛠️ - Canon 90D camera 📸 https://amzn.to/3yQclh0 - Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 📷 https://amzn.to/3JjU1BS - Teleprompter 🗒️ https://amzn.to/3linWCB - Shure SM7B Microphone 🎙️ https://amzn.to/3Jm5IYK - Microphone stand 🎤 https://amzn.to/3FueJOn - Lights 💡 https://amzn.to/3Zdk8k1 - DJI Wireless microphones 📡 https://amzn.to/3NWAVVQ 00:00:00 Introduction to Process Philosophy & Magic 00:02:50 Meet Dr. Darren Iammarino: Background & Research 00:12:45 Actual Entities, Prehension, & Subconscious Experience 00:14:17 What is Process Philosophy? (Alfred North Whitehead Explained) 00:14:43 Meaningful Coincidence vs. Causal Magical Influence 00:17:38 How Magic Operates in a Whiteheadian Universe 00:24:17 The Information Model of Magic vs. Magical Energy 00:29:52 Action at a Distance & Non-Locality in Magic 00:33:33 Naturalizing Magic: Do Stones & Objects Have Consciousness? 00:38:25 Atheistic Magic, Panentheism, & Process Theology 00:42:58 Sigil Magic, Chaos Magic, & Altered States of Consciousness 00:51:43 Perennial Philosophy vs. Religious Pluralism 01:01:19 Why Esoteric Practitioners Should Study Process Philosophy 00:05:04 Technomancy, Prediction Markets, & AI Digital Magic 01:07:27 Defining Magic from an Academic Perspective 01:12:29 Join Dr Puca’s growing team of scholars and practitioners ⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️ Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out!