I don’t believe in magic!

I don’t believe in magic!

Courtesy of Pixabay.com

During the 20 years of my career as a magician, I often have had the experience of someone from the audience come up to me before or after the show to say: "I don't believe in magic." My response to them is always the same: "Good, that makes two of us!" Some will turn to me and ask, "If you don’t believe in magic, why are you a magician?"

The reason is simple.

According with Wikipedia we have two types of magic: magic (paranormal) the use of paranormal methods to manipulate natural forces and magic (Illusions) the art of appearing to perform supernatural feats.

I understand that for some people the word magic can appear as something mysterious (paranormal) -- something they are afraid of. For others, magic doesn’t exist at all because magic is a manipulation of the reality and they call it a trick.

Hypnosis Stage Shows. Training classes in three days?

Hypnosis Stage Shows

It is very common to see hypnosis stage shows in Las Vegas, a magical city where you can find many great types of entertainment shows. More and more we’re seeing advertisements for hypnosis shows in local cities and towns throughout the country. It seems like there is a craze for hypnosis shows. Some of that might have to do with the growth in hypnosis training programs that promise to make you a stage hypnotist in three to five days. 

The question remains about whether hypnosis shows are real or not. It raises good questions about the practice of hypnosis and if anyone can be hypnotized – or be a hypnotist. 

Magic Trick Revealed

Since the masked magician appeared many years ago, many magicians and those who are not performers but love magic were upset and surprised that this masked magician was revealing secrets that for years and years illusionists have been keeping hidden, only revealing the secrets to those working in magic as a career. 

At that time it was a scandal equaling the shock of the first appearance of miniskirts and bikinis on television all over the world. 

And that’s nothing to say about how the Internet is revealing the secret behind different magic tricks. "Magic Trick Revealed". Now you can learn everything on the Internet from basic magic card tricks to big stage illusions. Videos even show the secrets of how to make a person disappear, a car appear – you name it!!! 

The Prestige: a competition of magicians

The ACE of MAGIC
The Prestige: a competition of magicians

The Prestige is a great movie. It’s one of my favorite movies about magic. It shows the realistic world of the competition of magicians that exists behind the scenes of all stagecraft. 

It is not my intention in this blog post to review a movie. Instead, the movie helps open the door to a larger point: what happens sometimes behind the scenes of magic. 

Ever since I started practicing the art of magic my mind was crazy to find the best way to invent a magic trick and present a magic act. Not much has changed since that day. 

Women in magic - Female Magicians

Women are magical for many reasons, and among those reasons is that many of them are magicians!

For years it was common to see women in magic shows involved as the lovely assistant – appearing from boxes, dancing, being levitated or sawed in half. While the magician, a man, got the applause and the name atop the billing, the women were doing a big portion of the work. 

What’s more, increasingly women are the magicians themselves. 

Many years ago in my birth country of Colombia, I attended a Latin American congress of magic, and with great surprise saw for the first time a woman performing a stage show full of music and sleight of hand.