So what you are essentially saying is that you would choose to believe in a God because it makes you feel good and you feel that it makes your life interesting? Would that be a fair description of your view?
Pretty much yes. Theism isn't necessary to make my life worthwhile, but it does improve it. I liken it to having a pillow, it's not necessary to have a pillow to sleep, but since it makes your bed more comfortable why would you forgo it?
I must admit that this notion appears alien to me personally. As my title indicates I do not include things into my view of reality that we do not have evidence exists. Now, we know that the placebo effect is real and we also know how it works. The interesting part with regards to this idea of magic that you describe is that the placebo effect still works even if you know that the medicine/treatment you are receiving is fake. Science advances by not being satisfied with "it works" but rather by continuing to enquire "sure, but HOW does it work". This has led to the amount of understanding that we currently have about the world in which we live.
Do you not think that that is a valid pursuit
Scientific advancement is a perfectly valid pursuit, but I still reap the benefits of it even if I'm not a scientist, so why would I give up my own comfort for no additional benefit?
Also, the placebo effect CAN work even if you know it's fake, but it's still better to believe that you are doing something genuine. In the case of magic it makes more sense to tell yourself that you are invoking gods/demons than to tell yourself you are invoking your own psyche. Sure, you'll get more effect from telling yourself exactly what it is you're doing than by doing nothing at all, but not only is this a bland way of going about things, it also reduces the psychological impact of the ritual. Magic is largely about the drama involved and it's the drama that triggers both the placebo effect to make positive changes in your life and also the emotional intensity that alters the way you feel immediately after the ritual.
Like I say, I'm a pragmatist. To me dissecting exactly how something works is interesting, but otherwise useless if it doesn't improve the effects of the thing in question. Magic works just as well when you understand the placebo effect as when you don't, all you gain is a new perspective on it. Now with that new perspective you can either say "Well now I know how this works I won't use it anymore" or you can say "It still works, I'll still use it."
