This one is pretty long, due to my own interest and previous research on the matter. Couldn't make it shorter, my apologies.
Black magic is characterized, in most Western traditions, as a set of magical practices intended to gain power, control, or personal satisfaction at the cost of harming, manipulating, or subduing the will of other people, nature, or spiritual forces. It is often antagonized to "white magic," which would have purposes of protection, healing, or selfless aid, although this dichotomy is more culturally than philosophically rigorous.
Ethically, black magic is situated in the debate over respect for free will, the pursuit of the common good, and responsibility for actions. Ethically, manipulating the will of others, deliberately causing harm or seeking power over individual dignity constitutes a transgression of fundamental principles of human morality.
Furthermore, it is argued that the use of black magic fosters an internal justification of evil, where the practitioner rationalizes his or her actions by ideological means, which can lead to desensitization to the suffering of others and disregard for collective values. This moral bias can be aggravated if the practitioner acts under the belief that the harm inflicted is deserved or necessary to recover one's own good.
Spiritually, multiple cultures and religions warn that black magic acts as a channel of access for energies or entities considered harmful, demonic or chaotic, unleashing the invocation of occult forces and, thus, provoking the transgression of sacredness and divine order.
The psychological effects of black magic can be severe and multifaceted, both for the practitioner and for the alleged victim and his or her environment. One of the documented mechanisms is the nocebo effect: the unshakable belief of having been a victim of magical "workings" produces actual physical and emotional symptoms, including insomnia, panic, anxiety, depression, paranoia, obsessions, sensory disturbances and even psychotic breaks.
Some researchers note that "controlling obsession" is another common outcome, where the black magician develops a compulsion for control, progressively replacing his or her ethical-emotional sense with a perception of power over others. Victims, on the other hand, may develop dependency on healers, healers or protection rituals, increasing their emotional and economic vulnerability.
Those who request moorings, spells or "jobs" often experience feelings of guilt, deterioration in self-esteem, loneliness and a tendency to self-victimization when the results do not meet their expectations or, on the contrary, they feel that the damage done has been turned against them.
Philosophically, black magic raises severe questions about individual responsibility, the use and abuse of power, the ethics of manipulation, ontological alienation and the conflict between individualism and the common good. The desire to control destiny, defy the natural order or exploit others puts the practitioner in a position of hubris denounced by both classical and modern moral philosophy.
Moreover, the existence of magical practices has been explored as part of the human response to mystery, to the inexplicable, to the desire to endow suffering and adversity with meaning and agency. In this view, black magic is symptomatic of the tension between the limits of reason, superstition and the need for belonging or control.
Anthropology has approached the phenomenon from the need to understand symbolic, power and belief systems specific to each sociocultural context. Witchcraft is often interpreted as a mechanism for channeling anxieties, resolving social conflicts, consolidating identities and resisting dominant power. However, the use of black magic as an instrument of harm reveals its inherent dangers, especially when it is politically instrumentalized or legitimized by power interests.
Modern anthropological insight is that, although the concept of black magic varies, its consequences - from physical and emotional trauma to victims to the social self-destruction of entire communities - are universal and require comprehensive approaches that include education, health and restorative justice.
Historical and anthropological archives are replete with examples related to black magic, mass condemnations (such as the burning of witches in modern Europe), lynchings of alleged witches in contemporary Africa, medieval persecutions in Asia and famous cases such as the Salem trials in 1692. In Latin America, the repression of indigenous and African ritualists by the Inquisition and the colonial powers generated waves of violence and cultural disappearance under the accusation of black magic.
Personally, I believe that the practice (or reception) of black magic can degrade energetic balance, cause "soul loss", obsession with negative entities, spiritual dysfunction and physical, mental and affective disorders. Those who act out of selfish or harmful interest may manifest symptoms of existential emptiness, permanent dissatisfaction, insomnia, nightmares, loss of motivation and disconnection with their own life purpose.
For me, voluntary openness to dark forces brings with it spiritual slavery, rupture with the divine and a karmic burden that is difficult to erase, even if there is deep true repentance and ritual or sacramental measures of purification.
In our contemporary societies, it is necessary to execute the ethical, social and academic task lies in combating the instrumentalization of superstition, protecting the vulnerable, promoting mechanisms of reconciliation, and fostering ethical and spiritual education oriented towards respect, compassion and individual and collective autonomy. The critical study of black magic and its consequences is, finally, a call for ethical vigilance and the defense of human dignity at all levels of existence.
