The Magic Cafe Forums - Real Magic as a cause vs skill as a cause

Here is a story that appeared in a post (and there are lots of similar ones)

Quote:

On 2009-02-19 23:44, Irfaan wrote:
SHEER AWESOMENESS!!!!

Ok, so my girlfriend and I are at a Bed & Breakfast for valentines. I've known the owners for quite some time and have built up a little reputation for magic. So I'm in my room, practicing card throws, and at the end slip the deck into my pocket without putting it back into it's case.

I go outside to the pool area, and sit down with everyone in the hut for a barbecue. Without provocation, the owner starts telling everyone around the table how amazing I am with magic and so forth, and completely out of the blue, his wife produces a blue deck of cards still in it's case and hands it to me and demands that I show everyone a trick.

By chance the topic of conversation changed just then, and at the same time I had an epiphany! Nonchalantly, I removed the deck from its case, stole 2 jokers + 1 indifferent card and slipped them with my right hand into my right pocket with my RED deck as my left hand came forward over the table with the blue deck.

Equally nonchalant, I slipped the red deck (now showing blue backs) out of my right pocket as my left hand slipped the blue deck into my left pocket (my pockets are under the table). Face up, I arrange the blue jokers and indifferent card as per Paul Harris's Color Stunner, slip the gaffed deck back into the case on the table, and leave it there about 2 feet away from me.

The conversations continue for about ten more minutes, when suddenly someone remembers that I have to do a trick for them. And I swear, that deck lying innocently on the table 2 feet away looked as if I had never even touched it!

So I slip the deck out of it's case, and go into the routine. When I changed the color of the deck at the end, people were gob-smacked!! Some jumped out of their chairs, one lady dropped face first into the table top, and 1 guy just pointed and said, "that's just wrong, dude".

Imagine changing the color of an untouched, borrowed deck? If I saw a magician do that, even though I know a few methods, I would have fallen off my chair too!! Oh yes, one old lady took the now red deck and started rubbing the backs, to see if the color would come off! Sleight of hand (which layman use to explain everything), is OBVIOUSLY (to them) completely IMPOSSIBLe in this case!

Talk about good luck! Everything in the right place by chance! How often does that happen, you know, when you get the chance to perform a REAL miracle?? Anybody else got some good stories?

To me, this story confirms several essential points

* An effect has more impact and builds a stronger reputation for the performer when "magic" (that imaginary cause that we fake to supply it as an explanation to impossible cause to effect relationship.

* "time displacement" (inserting intermediary actions/time between the actual secret cause and the alleged magical cause at the magical moment) is one of the strongest tool for offering "real magic" as an alleged solution to an impossibility. Check Darwin Ortiz's "Designing Miracles" on this. It seems to me that, actually, what an audience considers as "real magic" is just a secretly redundant term for saying impossible-cause-to-effect-relationship: if it appears truly impossible, it's "magic".

* Simon Aaronson appears to be right in his statement: "the point is not for them not to know how it's done, it's for them to know that it can't be done"

Lawrence O Inner circle French Riviera 6811 Posts	Posted: Sep 12, 2009 09:09 am 0 Here is a story that appeared in a post (and there are lots of similar ones) Quote: On 2009-02-19 23:44, Irfaan wrote: SHEER AWESOMENESS!!!! Ok, so my girlfriend and I are at a Bed & Breakfast for valentines. I've known the owners for quite some time and have built up a little reputation for magic. So I'm in my room, practicing card throws, and at the end slip the deck into my pocket without putting it back into it's case. I go outside to the pool area, and sit down with everyone in the hut for a barbecue. Without provocation, the owner starts telling everyone around the table how amazing I am with magic and so forth, and completely out of the blue, his wife produces a blue deck of cards still in it's case and hands it to me and demands that I show everyone a trick. By chance the topic of conversation changed just then, and at the same time I had an epiphany! Nonchalantly, I removed the deck from its case, stole 2 jokers + 1 indifferent card and slipped them with my right hand into my right pocket with my RED deck as my left hand came forward over the table with the blue deck. Equally nonchalant, I slipped the red deck (now showing blue backs) out of my right pocket as my left hand slipped the blue deck into my left pocket (my pockets are under the table). Face up, I arrange the blue jokers and indifferent card as per Paul Harris's Color Stunner, slip the gaffed deck back into the case on the table, and leave it there about 2 feet away from me. The conversations continue for about ten more minutes, when suddenly someone remembers that I have to do a trick for them. And I swear, that deck lying innocently on the table 2 feet away looked as if I had never even touched it! So I slip the deck out of it's case, and go into the routine. When I changed the color of the deck at the end, people were gob-smacked!! Some jumped out of their chairs, one lady dropped face first into the table top, and 1 guy just pointed and said, "that's just wrong, dude". Imagine changing the color of an untouched, borrowed deck? If I saw a magician do that, even though I know a few methods, I would have fallen off my chair too!! Oh yes, one old lady took the now red deck and started rubbing the backs, to see if the color would come off! Sleight of hand (which layman use to explain everything), is OBVIOUSLY (to them) completely IMPOSSIBLe in this case! Talk about good luck! Everything in the right place by chance! How often does that happen, you know, when you get the chance to perform a REAL miracle?? Anybody else got some good stories? To me, this story confirms several essential points * An effect has more impact and builds a stronger reputation for the performer when "magic" (that imaginary cause that we fake to supply it as an explanation to impossible cause to effect relationship. * "time displacement" (inserting intermediary actions/time between the actual secret cause and the alleged magical cause at the magical moment) is one of the strongest tool for offering "real magic" as an alleged solution to an impossibility. Check Darwin Ortiz's "Designing Miracles" on this. It seems to me that, actually, what an audience considers as "real magic" is just a secretly redundant term for saying impossible-cause-to-effect-relationship: if it appears truly impossible, it's "magic". * Simon Aaronson appears to be right in his statement: "the point is not for them not to know how it's done, it's for them to know that it can't be done" Magic is the art of emotionally sharing live impossible situations
Bob Sanders 1945 - 2024 Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts	Posted: Nov 3, 2009 02:17 pm 0 Learning that it can be done is undoubtedly magic. Bob Sanders Magic By Sander Bob Sanders Magic By Sander / The Amazed Wiz AmazedWiz@Yahoo.com
Donnie Buckley V.I.P. Cleveland, Ohio 1123 Posts	Posted: Nov 3, 2009 02:32 pm 0 There is another great thread relevant to this topic in Table Hoppers (The Perfect Effect): http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......rum=5&13 Rings-N-Things Magic Manufacturing
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