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Author argues 'woo' practices like Tarot offer value despite metaphysical claims

The author argues that seemingly unscientific practices, often labeled as "woo," can possess genuine value despite their practitioners making unwarranted metaphysical claims. Drawing parallels to meditation, which was once dismissed by the scientific establishment but later found to have demonstrable health benefits, the piece suggests that practices like Tarot may also offer utility. While the explanations for these benefits might be flawed or nonsensical, the underlying methods could be optimized for specific purposes, similar to how the rules of chess have evolved for optimal play. AI

Summary written by gemini-2.5-flash-lite from 1 source. How we write summaries →

IMPACT Suggests that even seemingly nonsensical practices may hold underlying value, prompting a re-evaluation of dismissed methodologies.

RANK_REASON This is an opinion piece by a named author on a blog discussing the potential value of unscientific practices.

Read on LessWrong (AI tag) →

Author argues 'woo' practices like Tarot offer value despite metaphysical claims

COVERAGE [1]

  1. LessWrong (AI tag) TIER_1 · Kaj_Sotala ·

    Taking woo seriously but not literally

    <p><span>I think that a lot of “woo” - a broad term that includes things like chakras, energy healing, Tarot, various Eastern religions and neopagan practices, etc. - consists of things that have real effects and uses, even if many (though not all) of their practitioners are mist…