France magique


The diversity of popular and magical beliefs, and the social practices dispensed by mediums, radio-therapists, healers, witches, ghost hunters, fire cutters, exorcists and shamans are all part of France's cultural diversity and identity.
This project offers a non-exhaustive inventory, through a dozen reports, of ancient practices that have survived by reinventing themselves, as well as new beliefs and customs directly influenced by technologies and stimulated by the troubled times we are living through.

In a society dominated by technology, where every human component responds to a process of rationalization, disenchantment with the world and mistrust of science (the contaminated blood affair, for example) seem irreversible.
Magical beliefs, particularly those offering natural health alternatives, exploded, offering hope and fascination.
A study carried out at the end of the 90s by Guy Michellat, former director of the CNRS, already concluded that beliefs in magnetic healing and the laying on of hands were vital and increasingly widespread.
At the time, over 55 precent of those surveyed said they believed in these methods.
In 2020, when one in two French people has already visited an alternative medicine practice (such as a magnetizing healer), new technologies are bringing about a veritable revolution in practices. Witches 2.0 perform online disentanglements, while spirit mediums turn the tables on visio.
The populations turning to beliefs are increasingly connected and getting younger.
The supervision of these activities and practices on the Internet is becoming complex.
Today, it's difficult to contain the rise in scams and the divisive thinking of the majority of "natural" practitioners, who have powerful platforms to convey their ideology, for example, anti-vax in the context of a health crisis.
These reports were made in various regions of France where these beliefs are rooted
(notably in Berry, the Paris region, Franche-Comté, the Alps, Corsica, Provence, etc.).


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