...........Magic has enchanted us since the beginning of recorded time. Even skeptics will sometimes allow themselves to believe in magic. It doesn’t take a psychology degree to know that there is some facet in all of us which still longs for the wonderment of childhood. All magic relies upon a marriage between perception and misdirection – in truth magic takes place within ourselves, which all good magicians understand.
..........Magic arguably began with witchcraft, although much magic as we know today is stage magic, as opposed to ritual or performance magic. One of the earliest magical pioneers was Jacob Philadelphia, although he preferred to tout himself as a scientist. In the 1700s he worked as a physicist, astrologer, mechanic, alchemist, and Kabbalist—once he even found a position chasing away ghosts in for the Holy Roman Emperor of Vienna. Another famous early magician was Jean Eugene Robert Houdin, who was a French magician in the 1800s. Houdin believed to have invented the modern style of stage magic, and his methods were so impressive that the young, Hungarian-born Ehrich Weiss, an aspiring magician and escapologist, was moved to actually take his name. We now know Ehrich Weiss as the famous Harry Houdini. Although Houdini died of a ruptured appendix following a stage performance, his work continues to live on in the stage magic of such modern conjurers as Siegfried & Roy, Criss Angel and David Copperfield. Magicians have never before been able to reach so wide an audience, and perhaps this is the greatest of all for magic.
..........The psychology behind magic is that it is impossible for a human being to notice everything. In order to make sense of the world, our brains take shortcuts. These shortcuts work by filling in the "gaps" with the way things are supposed to work, and the way things are supposed to look. Simply put, magic works by exploiting the efficiencies of the mind. Magicians also utilize misdirection, so that viewers do not perceive the trick at all—they are distracted by the wrong hand, the beautiful woman. However, although the psychology behind magic is easily explained, watching a beautifully conceived magic show can be deeply pleasurable. Experience how your brain works as the magician performs. That's half the fun! Although magic is always, in reality, misdirection and illusion, our experience of childlike wonderment at a magic show is magical in itself.
..........It is particularly fascinating that in this modern day and age educated people are still so thoroughly entertained by magic, especially when common sense tells us that an unusual event cannot be so. If a magician executes his or her performance well, his or her tricks go undetected; these cognitive illusions are equally thrilling to men, women and children alike. But these tricks only work because a magician understands how we are likely to perceive the world.
Story behind the article:
Allison has been a curious student of psychology since high school. She brings her understanding of the mind to work in the weird world of internet marketing with psychologydegree.net . She approached to write about psychological appeal of magic, with short summary of magic history, which is quite a pleasure to read.
...........Magic has enchanted us since the beginning of recorded time. Even skeptics will sometimes allow themselves to believe in magic. It doesn’t take a psychology degree to know that there is some facet in all of us which still longs for the wonderment of childhood. All magic relies upon a marriage between perception and misdirection – in truth magic takes place within ourselves, which all good magicians understand.
..........Magic arguably began with witchcraft, although much magic as we know today is stage magic, as opposed to ritual or performance magic. One of the earliest magical pioneers was Jacob Philadelphia, although he preferred to tout himself as a scientist. In the 1700s he worked as a physicist, astrologer, mechanic, alchemist, and Kabbalist—once he even found a position chasing away ghosts in for the Holy Roman Emperor of Vienna. Another famous early magician was Jean Eugene Robert Houdin, who was a French magician in the 1800s. Houdin believed to have invented the modern style of stage magic, and his methods were so impressive that the young, Hungarian-born Ehrich Weiss, an aspiring magician and escapologist, was moved to actually take his name. We now know Ehrich Weiss as the famous Harry Houdini. Although Houdini died of a ruptured appendix following a stage performance, his work continues to live on in the stage magic of such modern conjurers as Siegfried & Roy, Criss Angel and David Copperfield. Magicians have never before been able to reach so wide an audience, and perhaps this is the greatest of all for magic.
..........The psychology behind magic is that it is impossible for a human being to notice everything. In order to make sense of the world, our brains take shortcuts. These shortcuts work by filling in the "gaps" with the way things are supposed to work, and the way things are supposed to look. Simply put, magic works by exploiting the efficiencies of the mind. Magicians also utilize misdirection, so that viewers do not perceive the trick at all—they are distracted by the wrong hand, the beautiful woman. However, although the psychology behind magic is easily explained, watching a beautifully conceived magic show can be deeply pleasurable. Experience how your brain works as the magician performs. That's half the fun! Although magic is always, in reality, misdirection and illusion, our experience of childlike wonderment at a magic show is magical in itself.
..........It is particularly fascinating that in this modern day and age educated people are still so thoroughly entertained by magic, especially when common sense tells us that an unusual event cannot be so. If a magician executes his or her performance well, his or her tricks go undetected; these cognitive illusions are equally thrilling to men, women and children alike. But these tricks only work because a magician understands how we are likely to perceive the world.
Story behind the article:
Allison has been a curious student of psychology since high school. She brings her understanding of the mind to work in the weird world of internet marketing with psychologydegree.net . She approached to write about psychological appeal of magic, with short summary of magic history, which is quite a pleasure to read.