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 (Blackstone, 19).
We have seen magic as a form of entertainment, from making someone disappear, to sawing a girl in half. But all great illusions have an explanation. “Magic, as we have seen, is about power- a seemingly magical power used and expressed by a skilled actor to create the illusion of miraculous happenings’. But the most mysterious part of magic is how these miraculous happenings are performed. The real power of magic lies within the native effects themselves (Blackstone, 117).
Magicians refer magical appearance of an object as a production. Th 20-century magician David Blaine uses production. He as through time has taken magic to an extreme. Blaine’s productions usually consist of cards and unusual objects. There is no size limit to a magician’s product. “The only limits is in his skill and ingenuity in doing it”. Like all magicians David Blaine has been practicing since he was a kid. From card tricks to mind games, his technique has been worked on until it was presentable (Blackstone, 118).
The opposite of production is making something disappear. Ever 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 (World Book, 50).
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