subverting the text

Junctioning in Final Fantasy VIII! Personal opinion on this? Is it like magic, you mentally reach out and grab them, so there's a "physical" mental component to it? Is it different than magic because they're sentient? If there is no physical component, how do people tell them apart when choosing to Junction? How does Garden "track" who has what GF (per Squall's console attaching two GF to him in the beginning of the game)?

I am really interested in thoughts on this, and/or fic recs that handle human/GF/magic interaction in a nonphysical capacity? For instance, Static by squeemu or Yes by seventhe.

*curious*