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MAGIC
By
MISDIRECTION
CHAPTER SEVEN
The intended dupe of the magician's wiles is, of course, the spectator. He is the objective. All of the performer's endeavor is aimed at deceiving him. He is the obstacle the magician encounters. In him are combined the formidable barriers the deceiver must breach and the very weaknesses that make him vulnerable.
It is the magician's task to learn how to avoid the barriers and to attack the weak spots.
lt might be interesting to look at things from his viewpoint, for the moment. What the spectator sees and what the average magician thinks this spectator sees might be considerably surprising, even revealing.
Deception is actually magic in reverse. What the spectators see is magic—presuming that the performer's efforts have been successful. The identical performance, from the magician's viewpoint, is deception. The spectator sees things that appear to be impossible. The magician sees happenings that are not at all mysterious. When the performer does The Egg Bag Trick, the spectator believes he sees an egg taken from an empty bag. The magician, from his viewpoint, merely takes an egg from a secret compartment in the bag.
So, in order that the operation may become deception, it is mandatory that the magician realizes at all times what the spectator sees—and understands.
The source of the spectator's experience, magical or otherwise, is his perceptions. Everything he undergoes is perceived, in some manner, through his senses. The sum total of his conscious life comes to him through the five senses, but more particularly through the senses of seeing and hearing.
The spectator's senses can convey to him only what is seen, heard, felt, tasted, or smelled. The egg and the egg bag are seen. What he sees the performer do with them comes through his eyes. What the performer says about them comes to the spectator through his ears.
But the mind, not the eye, sees. The mind, not the ear, hears. The mind, not the fingers, feels, So it is with all of the senses. Ultimately the sense impression is a function of the mind. Through these senses, the mind is this spectator's means of direct acquaintance with that which is external to him.
But his perceptive sense includes both awareness and consciousness.
He is aware of something that is outside of himself. He is aware of this through his own vigilance in observation. Or it may come through information. Awareness is the result of drawing inferences. It is a deriving by reasoning or implication, a concluding from facts or premises, or a finding as a consequence, conclusion or probability. These come from what he sees, hears, feels and acquires from the other senses. But the mind, too, is involved in the process deeply.
So, when the magician shows this spectator the egg, the latter's awareness carries him much further than the mere act of seeing. He recognizes it as an egg because he is familiar with eggs through past experience. He knows eggs to be definitely material objects with certain definite identifying characteristics. He knows the egg would be broken if it were to be struck against the band as the magician strikes the bag into which it is placed. He knows the egg would fall from the bag, when the bag is inverted, if the egg were inside. He also knows anything heavy that might be inside of a cloth bag, would fall out, if the bag were inverted. Well, here we are already, going into the force of gravity. Before we could finish, ultimately we might possibly explore a considerable portion of his education and personal experience.
There is another factor present while the spectator is perceiving. This is consciousness. Even while this spectator is aware of what he is experiencing, he is also sensible to an inward state. This sensibility to an inward state or an outward fact is consciousness. It is a step beyond awareness. It applies particularly to that which is felt within this spectator. But since this spectator is conscious, as well, of what he sees, hears, feels and otherwise apprehends, these, too, enter his mind. This, his consciousness of a thing, may range from mere recognition to direct attention.
It is that peculiar function of being aware of an inward state that particularly interests us here. This is because the spectator, influenced by past experience, does not necessarily believe all he sees. This is especially true at a magician's demonstration. The spectator comes to the performance prejudiced against what he is to see.
Thus, if the performer were to handle the egg in a manner unlike the way in which an egg is usually handled the spectator would be conscious of a jarring note. The same might be said of the magician's remarks in connection with the egg. If he were to refer to it in some manner so as to suggest that, perhaps, the egg were not an ordinary egg, the spectator would be conscious of that incongruity.
It is curious to note just how strongly these remarks affect the spectator's mental processes. If the magician were to hold the egg up and say, "This is a most extraordinary egg," the spectators would take the opposite viewpoint. They would be certain the egg was quite ordinary. But if the performer were to say, "This is an ordinary egg," the spectators would immediately suspect it.
It is almost a safe rule that the spectators invariably disbelieve what the magician says to them, if what he says seems to be important to him. That is one reason why direct statements are usually avoided by skillful magicians, when an important phase of the operation of the trick is involved.
The more skillful magicians will make direct statements only in connection with unimportant details or when their direct statements can be and are substantiated.
On the other hand, the skillful magician relies upon indirect methods where something vital is concerned. He handles, and refers to, the important thing as if it were of no consequence. He avails himself of the spectators' experience, habits, and familiarity with things, to gain his point. He allows the spectator's consciousness to infer that the egg, or bag, is ordinary. He doesn't arouse the spectator's suspicions.
The deception the magician seeks to accomplish is an attack upon the spectator's mind. Specifically, it is an attack upon his understanding.
Since the spectator's understanding is what he learns through the senses, influenced by his reasoning, it is obvious that the magician must influence what the spectator s senses convey to the latter.
Of course, the magician must also influence the factors that contribute to the spectator's understanding.
The ideas in a spectator's mind arise from stimuli. A stimulus evokes or induces a response or a reaction. Without these stimuli, there is no conscious thought. The responses resulting from these stimuli are matters of the spectator's heredity, environment, training, experience, interests, disposition, knowledge, education and many other complex factors.
Merely placing unnecessary stress upon the egg or the bag stimulates the mind to activity.
Normally, the spectator's mind wanders around, picking up ideas and thoughts from varying stimuli. These stimuli may come from conscious or subconscious suggestion. Often this is a matter of habit. Frequently the course the mind may take is the result of an association of ideas, a chain of thought or a path plotted by successive stimuli. These are responses which in themselves become stimuli for still other responses.
Frequently it best suits the purpose of the magician not to disturb this normal chain thinking.
The spectator's understanding is no minor adversary. This understanding is the sum of the mental powers by which he has acquired, retained and extended his knowledge. It is his power of apprehending relations. It is also his power of making inferences from these relations. What learning he has, naturally, comes from some source. His understanding includes what he knows from being told. It includes what he has received as implied or intended. It includes an ability to take or assume things as tacitly meant. His understanding knows through information he has received. It exercises power of comprehension.
When the magician does his trick with the egg and the little black bag, he has this magnificent mental reality to encounter. It cannot be lightly dismissed.
The information that this spectator's understanding acquires comes from what is seen, what is heard and what is derived through the other senses. It also includes what is implied or suggested. It comes from reading, observation and instruction.
The acquirements of a lifetime are available to this spectator at the very moment the magician brings out the egg and the little black bag.
The faculty or power of understanding is intellect. Obviously, it is the spectator's power to understand that which is immediately presented to him in sense perception. The magician usually is aware of this. But the spectator's intellect also includes those things known by process of reasoning. It is an assemblage of faculties that is concerned with knowledge. Magicians often overlook this latter phase.
Included in the spectator's mind are all forms of conscious intelligence. This is activated intellect, the ability to exercise the higher mental functions. It is also a readiness of comprehension. To a varying degree, this spectator is a creature of thought. Don't overlook the important fact that the spectator has knowledge of things that may not even be obvious or apparent, for some reason. This knowledge comes from information that has been given him, from what he observes, and from his inferences based upon his experience.
From the above foundation-an extremely simplified one, admittedly-we might undertake to construct our structure of deception.
The spectator sees the magician himself. He is aware of the performer's appearance, his dress, his features, and his posture. He is conscious of the type of person he seems to be, of his style of talking, of his apparent educational background. He even realizes something of the performer's disposition. Yet much of this information comes to the spectator subconsciously. The mind has a way of putting together clues from here and there, clues which definitely establish this performer as an individual.
It is an automatic process, the specific details of which the spectator is totally unaware.
Suddenly ask this spectator what kind of person the performer is—his appearance, his mannerisms, his disposition and other characteristics. The spectator will answer readily enough. He will also reveal much more than the details the eyes have perceived. Mixed with what the eye brings to him will be opinions and conclusions possible only through mental activity, coupled with what he has observed.
Take the egg we have referred to, for example: It might be the proper size, the proper shape and the proper color. Yet this spectator may be conscious that it is not a real egg. His conclusion has been formed through subtle details that he, himself, might not be able to identify. The same might hold true of the bag. This spectator might have convictions that the bag is not as simple as it seems. These are not necessarily convictions based upon mere suspicions. They may be convictions created by intangible details, which when brought together, subconsciously influence the spectator's opinion and conclusion.
This might be caused by the performer's manner of handling the egg or the bag. While he is viewing the performer, this spectator is, of course, seeing the manner in which the magician conducts himself with the properties he uses.
Definitely a more revealing part of the presentation than the mere appearance of the magician and his properties is this manner of the performer.
The senses merely convey to the spectator what the magician looks like and his conduct. The performer may handle these properties confidently, naturally, and with assurance, or his attitude might be unnatural, showing lack of confidence, and with too-great care in handling things about which the performer is plainly worried.
The sense picture also includes what the magician explains, as well as what he does not explain. It includes his auxiliary remarks, his posture, his gestures, his inflection and all other details to which the senses are attuned.
But in the background-weighing, classifying, accepting and rejecting, comparing with past experience-is the judgment and understanding of this spectator. He detects an overtone. He is aware of a relaxation or a tension. He senses confidence, and its lack. He recognizes the natural and unnatural. He concludes what he believes to be true, to be dubious, and to be untrue.
And much the same holds true of the properties employed by the performer. They may seem ordinary or palpably special. They may appear to be simple, complex, or even suspicious and doubtful. What the magician does with them-and to them-may be natural or unnatural. Many details go to form a conclusion.
These properties have shape, size, quality, color and meaning. They may be strange or familiar, ordinary or extraordinary, real or imitation, disguised or undisguised, even free or restricted.
Coupled with the performer's conscious conduct is always the mannerisms that come subconsciously. These unconscious actions, remarks, inflections and the like are often more revealing than what the magician sets forth consciously.
Interlocked with the general appearance of the performer and his properties, part of the fabric of the mental concept shaped from the magician's behavior, manner and mannerisms, are the words the performer uses and their delivery. These, too, are an inseparable portion of that which the spectator takes in. Like a chemical change, these basic ingredients—appearance of the performer, appearance of the properties, what the performer does, his manner, what is said, how it is said—all of these basic ingredients combine to form an entirely new, an entirely separate entity. They cannot be separated without taking from this final, complete concept which is formed in the spectator's mind.
Nothing can be taken from all of the factors which go together to form the spectator's final mental image. This is because each part is necessary to complete and color the final result. To the spectator, the details are not separate. Various stimuli, in various ways provoke various responses. Without the exact combination of stimuli, in all particulars, the specific concept received by the spectator cannot be the same.
Let me illustrate this: The performer shows the egg bag empty, and apparently quite ordinary, in the usual manner. The egg is placed in the bag. Ultimately the bag is shown empty. Suppose, now, that. in placing the egg in the bag, the performer has difficulty in finding the opening to the secret compartment. Realizing that the magician is fumbling with the bag, probably sensing a momentary feeling of panic on the part of the performer, the spectator's attention is centered on the bag. This stimulates an idea that perhaps the magician is seeking a hidden pocket. Perhaps an astute spectator, having received the clue he needs, actually can follow the performer's movements, even though cloaked in the bag. This spectator has imagination He is shrewd. He is discerning. Having received the clue he needs, the spectator really sees the magician find the pocket and deposit the egg.
Now, if the performer is using a familiar routine, when this magician brings out his hand and makes the feint as if hiding the egg beneath his armpit, this astute spectator is not deceived at all. He recognizes it for the by-play it is.
Suppose, in contrast, the magician had not found it necessary to fumble. Suppose, instead, he had practiced this move so often and so thoroughly that it became one single, simple, unsuspicious movement. So the astute spectator does not receive the absolutely essential clue he needs. There is no stimulus to direct his thought to the secret pocket inspiration. When the magician's closed hand comes from the bag and makes the sweep toward the armpit, the spectator's attention follows right along, vigilantly. Now his attention is directed to the armpit, with confidence that he has caught the performer. His interest is centered upon the armpit with the same confidence, instead of upon the bag.
But this is only one change that has influenced the spectator's viewpoint. Throughout the presentation of every trick there are hundreds of factors that shape the course of the spectator's thinking. These may range from the obvious and significant to the most intangible and trivial. All of these details, even the most minor, even the very order in which they occur, shape the spectator's ultimate concept.
The expert deceptions, knowing this, takes advantage of the fact. He deliberately colors all details, both major and minor, to accomplish his purpose.
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