Last updated: June 16, 2026
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| Author | Dean Radin, PhD |
| Publisher | Harmony Books |
| Published | 2018 |
| Narrator | Dean Radin |
| Rating | ★★★★★ |
The word “magic” is a deliberate provocation. Dean Radin — Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, with a résumé that includes Bell Labs and the government’s STARGATE program — uses it to reclaim a concept that science has dismissed as superstition. His argument: the phenomena lumped under “magic” throughout human history correspond precisely to what controlled laboratory experiments now show are real effects.
What It Covers
Real Magic (2018) is structured as both a scientific argument and a historical tour. Radin begins by tracing the concept of magic across cultures and centuries, then makes the scientific case:
- Meta-analyses of psi research — summarizing statistical evidence from thousands of controlled experiments across decades
- The replication problem — addressing skeptical critiques directly, including why psi effects are difficult to replicate on demand
- Quantum mechanics and consciousness — Radin’s theoretical framework suggesting consciousness may interact with physical reality in ways current models don’t account for
- The suppression of psi research — why mainstream science has been reluctant to engage with data that doesn’t fit the materialist paradigm
Why It Matters
Real Magic connects directly to UAP research in a way that isn’t always obvious at first. The same government that classified UAP programs also funded decades of psychic research — STARGATE, GONDOLA WISH, GRILL FLAME — because they believed human consciousness might interact with physical reality in measurable ways. If Radin is right, that belief was justified.
Radin is a scientist writing for a general audience, and he’s careful not to overstate his evidence. This is not woo. It’s a careful, rigorous argument that the phenomena are real, the data supports them, and the scientific community’s reluctance to engage is a sociology problem, not a physics one.
Closing Recommendation
Who should listen: Essential for readers who want to understand the science underlying the consciousness-centered view of UAP. Pairs directly with Jacobsen’s Phenomena and Mack’s Passport to the Cosmos.
Who can skip it: Readers committed to a purely hardware-based UAP model — though it might expand your framework in useful ways.
Bottom line: Rigorous, accessible, and quietly revolutionary. One of the most important books on this site for understanding the full scope of UAP research.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Real Magic by Dean Radin about?
Real Magic (2018) presents the scientific case for genuine psychic phenomena — including telepathy, clairvoyance, and mind-matter interaction — drawing on over a century of laboratory research. Radin argues that science has systematically suppressed this evidence and that psi phenomena are real, repeatable, and measurable.
Who is Dean Radin?
Dean Radin is the chief scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) and holds a PhD in educational psychology from the University of Illinois. He has conducted laboratory research on anomalous consciousness phenomena for over three decades and has published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
How does Real Magic relate to UAP research?
Many UAP researchers — including Vallée, Puthoff, and Elizondo — believe consciousness and psychic phenomena are connected to the UAP phenomenon. The government’s simultaneous investment in remote viewing (documented in Phenomena by Annie Jacobsen) and UAP investigation suggests official awareness of this connection.
Does Real Magic present peer-reviewed evidence?
Yes. Radin draws primarily on meta-analyses of laboratory experiments published in peer-reviewed journals, including his own work. He addresses common objections from skeptics and argues the statistical evidence for psi exceeds the evidence for many accepted scientific findings.
