Garlean attacks aren't magic, so what are they?

[LilimoLimomo]

Artificial magic-like effects created using ceruleum as fuel. Pretty much everything they do is technological in origin.

I guess I had thought that things like Magitek were supposed to be like real-world technology, in that they were mechanical and obeyed physical laws. But from what you're saying, it sounds like Garleans can somehow use technology to create something that looks like magic and acts like magic, yet technically isn't magic? Am I getting that right? If so, is there any lore that explains that further? My brain is having trouble wrapping itself around pseudo-magic that can be birthed from technology (presuming that we're outside of the space of really advanced sci-fi stuff like nanomachines).