Lust of result is the magician’s self-sabotaging attachment to the outcome of a spell, where conscious anxiety, doubt, and obsession prevent the magickal intent from manifesting. This psychological tension effectively holds the desire in a state of potential, blocking its actualization by keeping it under the scrutiny of the rational mind instead of releasing it to the subconscious to operate.
Takeaways from this article include:
- Anxiety and obsession over a spell’s success create a psychic tension that guarantees failure.
- The primary obstacle is the psychic censor, a function of the rational mind that dismisses what it believes is impossible.
- Chaos Magick techniques like sigilization are specifically designed to bypass this internal censor.
- The core solution involves strategic forgetting and the psychological closure provided by banishment rituals.
Defining Lust of Result
Lust of result is the operational term for a state of over-attachment that cripples magickal workings. It’s a fundamental error where the practitioner’s focus shifts from the completed act to a needy desire for its proof, thereby reinforcing the absence of the goal.
The Paradox of Tryharding
Tryharding in magick is the constant application of conscious effort after a ritual is complete, which is paradoxical to its aim. The act of worrying, constantly looking for signs, and attempting to mentally force the outcome keeps the desire chained to the conscious mind. This active, anxious state generates a signal of lack and doubt, directly contradicting the spell’s original intent and preventing it from taking root in the reality-shaping strata of the unconscious.
Attachment vs. Intent
There’s a critical distinction between intent and attachment. Intent is the clear, focused will that is formulated and projected during the ritual—it is the arrow loosed from the bow. Attachment is the act of chasing after the arrow, worrying if it will hit its mark. While a powerful and unambiguous intent is necessary for any successful working, any emotional attachment to a specific outcome, timeline, or method of manifestation introduces doubt and interference, effectively poisoning the operation from the outset. This is why non-attachment is crucial for successful enchantment and any other magickal workings.
The Psychological Mechanism of Interference
The failure caused by lust of result is not a supernatural repercussion but a predictable psychological mechanism. The process hinges on the conflict between the conscious and subconscious minds, with the psychic censor acting as the gatekeeper that invalidates the magickal act.
The Role of the Psychic Censor
The psychic censor is the faculty of the rational mind that filters incoming information against an established model of reality. When a magickal intent is held in conscious thought—as it is during a state of lust for result—the censor analyzes and dismisses it based on logic and prior experience. It asks, “How is this possible?” and concludes that it is not. The primary objective of many chaos magick techniques is to smuggle the intent past this internal guard without triggering its disbelief.
Conscious Mind vs. Subconscious Action
Magickal operations are intended to function at the subconscious level. The desire is impressed upon the unconscious through a ritual act, typically in an altered state of consciousness (gnosis), so that it can manipulate probability and perception without conscious interference. Lust of result prevents this hand-off. By constantly thinking about the desire, the practitioner keeps it within the domain of the conscious, analytical mind, which is wholly unequipped to execute such a task. The work is never delegated, so it is never done.
Implications in Spellcasting and Enchantment
The principle that attachment causes failure is universal across results-based systems, from the sigils of Chaos Magick to the manifestation techniques of the New Thought movement. The mechanism of sabotage remains the same regardless of the paradigm’s specific terminology or ritual structure.
Sabotaging Sigil Magick
Sigilization is a primary form of enchantment in Chaos Magick designed explicitly to avoid lust of result. A statement of intent is rendered into an abstract glyph, charged with energy, and then forgotten. Lust of result shatters this process. By refusing to forget the sigil’s meaning or by anxiously awaiting its effect, the practitioner continuously re-engages the rational mind, decoding the abstract symbol back into a “statement of impossible desire” and allowing the psychic censor to nullify it. The forgetting is not an optional step; it is integral to the operation’s success.
Parallels in the Law of Attraction and Assumption
This concept is not unique to Chaos Magick. The Law of Attraction posits that focusing on the lack of something attracts more lack. Lust of result is a state of intense focus on the fact that the desire has not yet manifested. Similarly, the Law of Assumption, popularized by Neville Goddard, requires the practitioner to assume the feeling of the wish already fulfilled. Lusting for the result is the polar opposite—it is the act of feeling and assuming the wish as pointedly unfulfilled, thus perpetuating that reality.
Strategic Mitigation in Chaos Magick
Chaos Magick provides a pragmatic toolkit for neutralizing lust of result. These methods are not appeals to spirits or gods but are psychological techniques designed to trick the mind into letting go of its own accord.
The Technique of Magickal Forgetting
Magickal forgetting is the deliberate act of putting the spell and its objective completely out of your conscious awareness after casting. This is achieved by immediately redirecting attention to a mundane task, destroying any physical evidence of the sigil or ritual, or launching multiple sigils for various purposes at once to confuse the memory. The goal is not true amnesia but rather the cultivation of a profound state of indifference. The desire must become so unimportant to the conscious mind that it ceases to be a subject of concern, allowing it to gestate undisturbed in the subconscious.
Devocation and Banishment Ceremonies
A banishment or devocation ritual serves as a formal psychological endpoint to a magickal operation. Acts like stamping the foot, laughing manically, or performing a formal rite like the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram create a powerful demarcation, signaling to all levels of the mind that the work is finished. This ritual act of closure helps release any lingering emotional or psychic energy tied to the spell. It is a definitive statement that there is nothing more to be done, which preemptively starves the anxiety and obsession that fuel lust of result.
Common Questions
How can you genuinely forget something you desperately want?
Magickal forgetting is not amnesia; it is the act of achieving emotional indifference and ceasing to consciously dwell on the desire. By treating the completed spell as a “task done and dusted,” you release the anxious attachment, which is the crucial step.
If I’m not supposed to look for signs, should I ignore them if they appear?
You should not actively search for signs, as this is a form of lust of result. If a synchronicity or clear sign appears naturally without being sought, acknowledge it calmly and then let it go without adding emotional charge or second-guessing the process.
What should I do if a spell fails due to lust of result?
If you suspect a working has failed due to attachment, the best course of action is to perform a banishing ritual to formally nullify the original spell. Then, leave the matter alone entirely for a significant period before considering a new approach.
Is lust of result just a Chaos Magick term for a lack of faith?
While related, they are functionally different. A lack of faith implies a disbelief in the system itself, whereas lust of result is a counterproductive anxiety about the success of a specific operation, even if one fully believes in the system’s efficacy.
Is the ‘subconscious’ just another name for spirits or the universe?
In the psychological model of Chaos Magick, the subconscious is treated as a functional component of your own mind that processes information and influences reality without your conscious awareness. While some practitioners may equate it with external forces, the techniques are designed to work regardless of that belief.