Interesting article on the benefits of experiencing awe…

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/......-health/

Thanks for referring us to that interesting article.

Great article. I know when I see something that really blows my mind, I get a hit of euphoria for a while. Andrew Goldenhersh and Paul Vigil recently. Also Jeki Yoo.

Good read! Too bad many magicians are drifting away from producing awe to 'gotcha', mystery, or skill demonstrations (opinion).
Yet, I ponder on whether youth raised mainly on vicarious video/tv are capable of much 'awe&wonder'?

I still think so because I think experiencing awe is (hopefully) hard wired in all of us. The challenge is to find ways to bring it out in our audience.

Reading the article reminded me of a few times I felt awe watching magic and mentalist.

Long (long!) ago, I remember, as a kid, seeing Doug Henning at the Ford Theater in Detroit. That was definitely an “awe moment”. Seeing David Cooperfield too. More recently, it’s been Derren Brown and Derrick Delgado.

Funsway, totally agree with your observation of most current "tricksters", and they are not magician's.

However, awe is a universal human emotion that will never go away.
Magician's and mentalist should strive for this result.

Mentalist have a built in advantage.

If a routine ends in applause, it's a trick. If it ends in silence, then you have achieved awe.

my read on new discoveries about the role of the orbital cortex is that conditioning can route experiences
away from cognitive levels where "awe&wonder " has a chance. Those expecting everything to be a trick based one Internet
photoshopping, false headlines, deceptive marketing and political lies can result in the observer simply accepting a conditioned response (superstition)
over any dilemma over astonishment or even mystery. Few today are prepared for live magic or mentalism and may reject observations as "never happened."

This is one reason I will never use an electronic device for mentalism or conjuring. I strive for an authentic experience
and hope to condition the observer's auto-response to "a'wonder" as the first response - with no desire to "figure it out."


Of course, I am not trying to make a living off of "entertain me" driven audiences often addicted to entertainment itself.
If I were, I would have balloon-tying as a backup skill.

Have you ever mystified a spectator? I think it is a level higher then awe. But now semantics are getting in the way.