Mind Programming and Magic

By Afnan Kazim, C.Hyp

Certified Hypnotherapist | Integrative

Nutrition Health Coach | Personal Trainer

Introduction

Being a hypnotherapist has made me understand how the mind functions. Since my work mainly revolves around mind-programming, I realized that the human mind stores information whether we are aware of it or not, and that is one of the most fascinating aspects of human design. The more I worked with clients and researched the subconscious mind, the more I realized how much influence thoughts, beliefs, and repeated patterns have on our emotions, behaviors, and perception of reality.

While researching magic, I found that many people who practice witchcraft or sorcery describe their work as a form of shadow work. According to many books I have read on this subject, they claim that they summon spirits or demons to possess humans and alter their lives based on the objective of the magic or shadow work. This practice is prohibited in all the Abrahamic religions and is viewed as a great sin. This led me to ask an important question: what is the link between mind-programming and magic?

For many years, I have tried to understand whether there is a connection between what happens within the subconscious mind and what many religions describe as spiritual influence. Throughout this article, I will share my observations as a hypnotherapist, together with findings from my personal research, interviews, religious texts, and historical references, to understand whether there is a relationship between the two.

Mind- programming

As a hypnotherapist, it is very important to help clients overcome their challenges, no matter how big or small they may be. Usually, this is achieved through hypnosis, mind re-wiring, or what I personally like to call mind-programming, because thought patterns are directed and changed through repetition. One of the key elements involved in this process is self-talk.

Self-talk is an important part of hypnosis. For example, you may feel that the room is cold, but if you continuously tell yourself that it is hot, your body gradually begins reacting to that suggestion and sends signals to your brain as though the room is becoming warmer. In simple terms, you are programming your mind to experience something differently through repeated self-talk.

One of the most fascinating aspects of this process is that almost anything can change, including your perception of reality, based on what you repeatedly tell yourself and how your body gradually adapts to that self-talk. The subconscious mind does not simply listen to isolated thoughts; rather, it responds to repeated patterns, emotions, beliefs, and associations that are reinforced over time.

Self-talk also creates perception, and perception eventually forms belief. Once a belief is established, it begins influencing the way we interpret situations, make decisions, and react emotionally. In many cases, the belief itself becomes stronger simply because it has been repeated enough times.

There are many different methods of mind-programming. However, the method I personally prefer is hypnosis because it is a vast field with many different approaches through which the subconscious mind can be accessed. Throughout history, different methods have been used to influence the human mind. One method discussed throughout history and within many religious traditions is magic. This raises another important question: what exactly is magic, and how could it be linked to mind-programming?

Magic

According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, magic is defined as “the use of means (such as charms or spells) believed to have supernatural power over natural forces.” (Merriam-Webster, n.d.) Magic has long been associated with ancient beliefs and traditions.

According to Encyclopaedia Britannica (Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d.), the Greco-Roman tradition held that magicians possessed secret knowledge through which they could channel power from deities, spirits, or ancestors belonging to ancient pantheons. Throughout history, beliefs surrounding magic has differed across cultures, but the practice itself has often been viewed with fear, suspicion, or religious condemnation.

Historically, people accused of practicing witchcraft faced severe punishment. In many European countries, individuals accused of witchcraft were executed, while in England and the American colonies many were hanged after witchcraft became a felony under the law. This historical reaction is not surprising when viewed through the perspective of many religions, as the practice of magic was considered an act against God.

For example, in the Old Testament, Exodus 22:18 states:

“You shall not permit a sorceress to live.” (Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011, Exodus 22:18)

Similarly, Leviticus 20:27 commands that a medium or necromancer should be put to death by stoning. The views within Islam are similar. Numerous verses in the Qur’an prohibit Sihr (magic), while narrations attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) strongly condemn its practice and classify it among the major sins.

Likewise, the New Testament lists sorcery among sinful acts, as seen in passages such as Galatians 5:19 - 21 and Revelation 21:8. According to many books written by witches and Wiccans that I have read during my research, practicing magic often involves rituals and, according to some authors, the summoning of spirits or demons to achieve the intended objective of the work. Whether one accepts these claims or not, they appear repeatedly throughout the literature surrounding occult practices.

Similarly, according to many priests, rabbis, and imams whom I interviewed, individuals believed to be experiencing demonic possession - whether believed to have resulted from magic or otherwise - often reported hearing voices, experiencing disturbing or intrusive thoughts, suffering from recurring nightmares, and undergoing significant changes in their behavior. Interestingly, many of these experiences have also been discussed within psychology, leading some researchers and clinicians to explore whether certain reported symptoms may overlap with recognized psychological disorders. (Kazim, 2026)

The Relationship Between Mind - Programming and Magic

According to my own experience, after interviewing several individuals who practiced forms of magic, together with religious men who were performing exorcisms, I concluded that everything appears to begin at a subconscious level.

To better understand this conclusion, I interviewed several practitioners involved in what they referred to as shadow work. Some claimed that they summoned spirits to repeatedly appear within a person’s dreams, either in positive or negative forms depending on the intended objective of the work. At the same time, many individuals whom I interviewed and who believed they were experiencing possession described persistent nightmares, severe sleep disturbances, recurring intrusive thoughts, and emotional distress, sometimes even before they believed the possession itself had occurred. (Kazim, 2026)

These repeated descriptions led me to focus less on the supernatural claims themselves and more on one pattern that appeared consistently throughout many different interviews: the subconscious mind.

While reading the holy scriptures, I found a fascinating clue. For example, in the Qur’an, Allah mentions waswasa (وسوسة) (The Qur’an,2004,114:1-6), which can be translated as obsessive or intrusive whispers or thoughts that are attributed to Satan or to the lower self (nafs). These whispers aim to create doubt, confusion, fear, anxiety, and deviation from the truth. This immediately reminded me of what I like to call “inserted thoughts.” Although the concept is described differently across religions, the underlying idea of intrusive influences upon the human mind appears repeatedly.

Similarly, in Christianity, unwanted, blasphemous, fearful, or violent thoughts are often described as the “fiery darts” of Satan or as lies intended to induce fear, guilt, temptation, and anxiety. Believers are encouraged to distinguish between their own renewed will and these intrusive thoughts so that they are not deceived into believing that every thought entering the mind truly belongs to them.

Likewise, in Judaism, there is the concept of the Yetzer Hara. Unlike the Christian understanding of original sin or the idea of entirely demonic influence, the Yetzer Hara is understood as an innate, God-given inclination that drives human desires and survival. However, it is also described as a powerful internal force that cannot simply be overcome through human willpower alone. Although these three Abrahamic religions describe the subject differently, I found it fascinating that all of them acknowledge some form of internal struggle involving thoughts, temptations, whispers, or influences upon the human mind.

As a hypnotherapist and mind researcher, I spent many years trying to understand the possible link between mind-programming and what I refer to as “inserted thoughts,” which many people believe are associated with magic and, in some cases, possession. While working with clients and studying the subconscious mind, I came to understand that our subconscious stores an incredible amount of information that is constantly happening around us, whether we are consciously aware of it or not.

For example, imagine you are sitting in a café talking to a friend. While your conscious attention is focused on the conversation, there are cars driving outside, people walking past, cups clattering, music playing in the background, a child crying nearby, someone’s phone ringing, and perhaps even people whispering behind you. Although your conscious mind ignores most of these stimuli because it is focused on your friend, your subconscious mind continues absorbing an enormous amount of this information without you deliberately paying attention to it.

This is one of the reasons I find the subconscious mind so fascinating. It continuously records experiences, emotions, sounds, facial expressions, environmental cues, and associations without requiring our conscious awareness. Many of these stored experiences later influence our emotions, behaviours, perceptions, and beliefs, even if we cannot consciously remember where they originated.

Scientists state that the normal audible frequency range for a healthy human ear is approximately 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (20 kHz). Likewise, humans generally begin hearing sounds from around 0 dB, which is close to complete silence, while pain is typically experienced at approximately 120-130 dB. This demonstrates that our physical senses operate within measurable biological limits.

Likewise, human vision also operates within a limited range. We perceive only a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, while many wavelengths remain invisible to the human eye. Whether discussing sound, light, or other physical phenomena, our senses function within boundaries that define what we consciously perceive.

This made me wonder whether our conscious awareness is only processing a small fraction of everything happening around us while the subconscious continues processing significantly more information. Although science has demonstrated the remarkable capacity of the subconscious to process information outside of conscious attention, many questions still remain about the full extent of this process.

From my own observations, this raises an interesting possibility. If repeated thoughts, suggestions, beliefs, and emotions are capable of programming the subconscious mind, could repeated intrusive thoughts also gradually influence perception, behaviour, and emotional responses over time?

This is where I began drawing a connection between hypnosis and what many people describe when speaking about magic. In hypnosis, repeated suggestion gradually becomes accepted by the subconscious mind, especially when reinforced through repetition, emotion, imagination, and belief. Through continuous repetition, new thought patterns can eventually replace older ones.

Similarly, many individuals whom I interviewed described what they believed to be a gradual process rather than an immediate event. They spoke about recurring dreams, repeated whispers, persistent intrusive thoughts, emotional distress, fear, anxiety, and constant mental repetition before believing that their lives had significantly changed. (Kazim, 2026)

Whether these experiences are interpreted psychologically, spiritually, religiously, or through another perspective, I found it interesting that repetition appeared consistently throughout many of the accounts.

This led me to consider whether what I refer to as “inserted thoughts” may function, at least conceptually, like a repetitive form of mind-programming. If an unwanted thought is repeated continuously over long periods of time, reinforced through fear, emotion, dreams, or constant mental focus, it may gradually become accepted by the subconscious mind in much the same way that positive suggestions can become accepted during hypnosis.

In my view, this may explain why some individuals gradually begin believing thoughts that did not originally feel like their own. Whether those experiences are interpreted through psychology, religion, spirituality, or personal belief will naturally depend on each individual’s worldview. Nevertheless, the recurring pattern of repetition remains an interesting area worthy of further exploration.

Conclusion

In my view, there is a significant relationship between mind programming and what many people describe as magic. Both are deeply connected to the fascinating subconscious mind, where thoughts and beliefs can profoundly shape an individual’s perception, emotional state, and even their capacity to heal from experiences they attribute to magic. This conclusion is based on years of studying the subconscious mind, interviewing practitioners, speaking with individuals who believed they were suffering from its effects, and discussing these experiences with religious figures who perform exorcisms. Although these perspectives come from different backgrounds, I found that many of them described remarkably similar patterns involving intrusive thoughts, recurring dreams, fear, anxiety, and gradual changes in behaviour.

Throughout my experience as a hypnotherapist, I have also observed the incredible ability of the subconscious mind to both acquire and release deeply rooted beliefs. This is one of the reasons I use hypnosis as a gateway to help individuals identify and change unwanted thought patterns. Traditionally, many people experiencing what they believe to be spiritual attacks seek help from a priest, rabbi, or imam. However, this raises an interesting question: what if hypnosis, when practiced ethically and responsibly, could also become a valuable tool alongside religious guidance in helping individuals challenge unwanted or “inserted” thoughts and regain ownership of their own thinking?

I believe there is still much to discover regarding the relationship between the subconscious mind, belief systems, repeated suggestion, and human behaviour. Regardless of how these experiences are interpreted, one fact continues to stand out to me: human beings possess an extraordinary capacity for change. Through awareness, understanding, repetition, and healing, people can reshape thought patterns that may have influenced them for years.

Perhaps one of the greatest gifts we have been given is the ability to consciously reclaim our own minds. We are designed to learn, adapt, heal, and grow. We are, in many ways, programmable - but we have also been given free will. Ultimately, that free will allows us to choose our own thoughts, shape our own beliefs, and write our own stories rather than becoming victims of them.

About the Author

Afnan Kazim, C.Hyp

Founder & Owner, Mind Game Changer

www.mindgamchanger.ae

Afnan Kazim is a Certified Hypnotherapist, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and Personal Trainer who has completed professional studies in Clinical Psychology and Political Psychology. She is the Founder and Owner of Mind Game Changer, where she helps individuals overcome limiting beliefs, improve wellbeing, and create lasting personal transformation through hypnotherapy, subconscious reprogramming, mindset development, and holistic health coaching.

References

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Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Magic. https://www.britannica.com/topic/magic-supernatural-phenomenon

Golden, R. M. (Ed.). (2006). The Oxford illustrated history of witchcraft and magic. Oxford University Press.

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Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Levack, B. P. (2016). The witch-hunt in early modern Europe (4th ed.). Routledge.

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Magic. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magic

National Eye Institute. (n.d.). How the eye works. https://www.nei.nih.gov

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. (n.d.). How do we hear? https://www.nidcd.nih.gov

The Babylonian Talmud. (2012). (M. L. Rodkinson, Trans.). BN Publishing.

The Qur’an (M. A. S. Abdel Haleem, Trans.). (2004). Oxford University Press.

Yapko, M. D. (2018). Trancework: An introduction to the practice of clinical hypnosis (5th ed.). Routledge.

Kazim, A. (2026). Personal interviews with practitioners of witchcraft, religious leaders performing exorcisms, and individuals reporting experiences of spiritual affliction [Unpublished interview data].