Magicians often perform more than just magic, their routine is analyzed and hand crafted to deliver a unique experience to their audience each time they perform. Their entire show is based on creating illusions, which distort reality in an artistic manner. Illusions are universal and can be shared by generations and across borders. Magicians do not have to worry about offending anyone, because true magic is not offensive. Illusions are based on the assumptions our brain makes without us knowing any better.
Magicians thrive on our perceptions and how we perceive certain elements of everyday life. For example, when someone uses a dummy our first reaction is to think the dummy is talking because its mouth is moving. The ventriloquist is able to deceive us by talking with his mouth closed and looking innocent. Illusions take advantage of our brain’s organizational system, including our depth perception and other auxiliary senses. There are different types of illusions, including optical, auxiliary, and tactile.
An optical illusion has to do with how we perceive something to look. This occurs when our brain processes information but the magician purposely deceived our vision. The precept does not match what we see, and therefore we become distraught. Optical illusions occur naturally throughout our day, however; it is easier to notice man-made optical illusions because they are not normal. Certain magicians will utilize tactile illusions such as the phantom limb, the thermal grill illusion, and the cutaneous rabbit illusion. Magicians such as Vitelli, David Copperfield, and David Blaine have been known for performing this type of magic.
Despite the type of optical illusion, the magicians perform these routines in order to provide entertainment for their audiences. Creating magic is hard work and requires an extensive amount of training, education, and experience. A magician will never become famous overnight, such idols as David Copperfield and Vitelli took years to gain public acceptance. Magic is both an art and a science: it is beautiful yet scientifically probable.