Maybe I'm not fully understanding what your saying but are you implying we only perceive animals in the physical sense because of our supposed enourmous egos? Well how can babies and toddlers perceive animals then because do they have enourmous egos as well? I'm not mocking you I'm just trying to formulate an understanding of where your coming from here.
Again maybe I'm not fully understanding this but are your saying if that if you don't consciously believe in this 'magic' then it won't affect you? Dosen't that render it completly ineffective and therefore pointless in actual combat?