Many events were unexplainable and maybe even seemed to be magical before science evolved to what it is today. All questions relating to the origin of life can be answered scientifically. One may question their beliefs based on scientific theory. Human life can be broken down to fundamental theory. Not only geological or biological, but also all events can be answered scientifically. Magic and
magicians have certain function in society. The impossible becomes unexplainable, whether it is fact or fiction. But truly in the minds of magicians, their purpose in life is to leave a mystery, a mystery that science is unable to explain. They leave their mark and give people something to think about, a mark which will never be forgotten. Although magic is able to deceive the minds of many, few understand its effect of
misdirection of the human mind.
The first accounts of magic were recorded around 1700 B.C. It appeared on the Westcon Papyrus and was recorded by an Egyptian chronicler. Stories of magic were handed down for centuries (Blackstone, 12). It has made a profitable living for soothsayer and gypsies, but there are times when magic was a form of
entertainment. During the seventeenth century magic has become a living for some entertainers. Jugglers, wizards, and fortunetellers often appeared as scrub than a man of talent. These respected entertainers attracted lots of attention, not only because of their flaming clothing, but also because of their talents. In time there were traveling performers. Magicians dressed up and traveled for town to town, setting up stages and booths attracting the attention of the people, as well as their money. Pretty soon this sorts of entertainment was everywhere. At fairs they perform when they attract a crowd, then they passed around a hat for donations as if they were beggars. They appeared in places like the market place, street corners, and even adult entertainment bars.
Since magic was first used, magicians have been making things disappear form a coin to an enormous animal. There are two basic types of vanishes, the visible vanish where it can been seen without being covered, to the covered vanishes where it disappears under an object. Making an object disappear is quite impossible, but like all tricks there is a scientifically explanation. “The use of psychological conditioning is to achieve a magical effect”. As an object is repeatedly tossed up into the air, the
audience is controlled by concentrating on the object. As the final tossed is perceived, the
Magician fakes the toss and the audience’s eyes follows the imaginary flight. This is an example of psychological conditioning. Till today, it is still used by many magicians. As one of David Blaine’s
trick, he is supposedly ripping off the
head of a chicken. But as he tucks the chicken’s head under the palm of his hand, he whips out a fake head and pretends to rip it right off its body. As the audience is astonished by this trick, they are not noticing his other hand holding down the head. Like all tricks, magic is just a slight of hand.
In the art of magic the central principle is misdirection. “It is the means by which the magician casts the psychological spell that makes the deception work and the illusion seem real”. A magician using misdirection is able to control what he would like the audience to see, as well as what they think they saw. Misdirection is a process in which the magician misdirects the audience’s attention away from the path by which the sham is accomplished. “The intended result of misdirection is thus misperception”. Misdirection is just a cover up so that the audience is not able to see how the trick was performed. There is no suck thing as a perfect trick. All tricks must conceal at least one weak point of a trick.
Magic is a form of entertainment and mystery. The mystery leaves the audience stunned and fascinated. This is what makes magic more interesting. Magician must protect the secrets of the trick. “Your audience does not know what is going to happen next in your performance, and by never telling them in advance what your are going to do (so that they know what to look for), and by never repeating a trick in the same way (so that the second time around the audience can analyze the action and perhaps discover the method), you have a considerable advantage over them”. Boring people with magic would loose the interest of the trick.
Good magicians defy science and learn from there past mistakes. Science is a logical explanation to everything buy it has its exceptions. Magic is a form of art in which has its weaknesses. If everybody knew how to do the trick, there is no interest to magic. Mysticism has been in the past and probably ever will be one of the great powers of the world. It is bad to pretend its complete opposite. People may argue against it but many should know more and treat it with respect. People must accept magic as something that obeys consistent rules, and upon the effects that are created, people are forced to claim that magic behavior must be part of the physics of the universe, but it is simply based on the foundation of how the brain works.