Do magicians want to be worshipped - examination

[Kpmagic]

People think magicians want to be worshiped, i.e they want people to accept their magic as real or atleast admire their ability to outsmart them. That is SO not true. I would get depressed if the only people who can worship me are idiots and I'm only capable of getting respect by appealing to them and being fake. how exactly does that make me happy? btw, that's one reason i can't see God enjoying people of inferior intellect worshiping him.

Anyway, one of the most ANNOYING frustrating things about magic is that you sense it can pull the spectator into a positive world in their own heads but it is the most offensive oft-misinterpreted thing on the planet - "ugh, another magician wanting to trick me" "u think i'm gullible enuff to believe it's real?" bla bla bla. Those are NOT my intentions at all. It's funny how a movie can be one giant illusion but you don't take offense at it.

How is the magician supposed to lower your guard? If he says it's a "trick, not real" it ruins the effect even though he doesn't want you to believe it's REAL either. I swear, this is the NUMBER ONE mystery in the art of magic, period. You can't get your message across when people are already framing your thing as something bad, them crossing their arms and 'indulging your narcissism' for a moment only to make sure to let u know "that's a nice TRICK, dont know how u did it" even though u never were trying to suggest it was REAL, so there's no need for them to act like that. The mentality i'm trying to produce in the spectator, after witnessing my magic, is "haha this is crazy. can't explain that. i like how he didnt say it was real or a trick, bc if i didnt know any better, and I do, it could def pass as the real thing haha. this is hilarious, fun, mysterious."

As a magician, i actually had that experience when another magician showed me his magic, knowing full well it wasn't real but feeling that vibe I just described. My only intention is to share that same vibe w other people but I keep running into people's psychological barriers who assume the worst about my intentions. Psychology in magic is an often overlooked aspect that keeps people looking down on the art or demonizing it.

Recently made this video of some of my magic but i'm pretty sure it comes off as self-involved, glory-seeking, wanting to look powerful. Trying to convey another image is what I'm seeking.

My problem - every time I make a video or perform - is that I'm either coming off as 'thinks he's cooler than everybody' or the complete opposite, too panzy gay. You can't look TOO vulnerable or people will get the wrong ideas...so you try to give the other image..then they think you're an ass... ugh.

 

[wZEnigma]

I like how you butchered an otherwise good post by slyly justifying your atheism/agnosticism and making a gay joke.

 

[Steven the Wizard]

I too, feel your pain. Many people who I perform magic with know that it's not real, and often times they call it a good "trick". This is why I refrain from overusing "trick" and prefer to call each thing an "effect". If I call it a "trick", it overstates the obvious, and people seem to adopt a more "magic isn't real, you're not fooling me" attitude. That aside, I call each piece that I perform an "effect", that causes the spectator to soften the thought of everything being a simple "trick". At times I even get asked by spectators about magic, and them wondering if I believe that it's real. In situations like this, I find it easiest to say that it's not so much about what I believe, it's more about what the spectator believes. However, I tend to add a mind reader aspect to my effects, and I found that in doing this that people actually believed it was more about them, than magic. Which is what we as magicians want, is to make the magic all about the spectator(s).

 

[Kpmagic]

I like how you butchered an otherwise good post by slyly justifying your atheism/agnosticism and making a gay joke.

I have nothing against gays, wasn't referring to the sexual orientation, but to its 'other' meaning..u know..kinda like gay can mean 'happy' and other things not related to sexuality. Even if you are a staunch SJW and could somehow do some historical semantic sorcery in an attempt to trace the other definitions of gay to the sexual definition, I still was not thinking of sexual orientation when saying the word. So, trust me, nothing against gays. As for my lack of belief in god, well u got me there. But that definitely was not the intention of the post.

 

[Kpmagic]

I too, feel your pain. Many people who I perform magic with know that it's not real, and often times they call it a good "trick". This is why I refrain from overusing "trick" and prefer to call each thing an "effect". If I call it a "trick", it overstates the obvious, and people seem to adopt a more "magic isn't real, you're not fooling me" attitude. That aside, I call each piece that I perform an "effect", that causes the spectator to soften the thought of everything being a simple "trick". At times I even get asked by spectators about magic, and them wondering if I believe that it's real. In situations like this, I find it easiest to say that it's not so much about what I believe, it's more about what the spectator believes. However, I tend to add a mind reader aspect to my effects, and I found that in doing this that people actually believed it was more about them, than magic. Which is what we as magicians want, is to make the magic all about the spectator(s).

Yes, exactly. When approaching people, I try to not mention the word trick or real magic as my lead-in to the effect. Both cause a wall to be thrown up (one suggests they're stupid, one suggests they're gullible). I'm thinking they need something that catches them by surprise where they don't know that what you are about to do even RELATES to magic. Then it happens. And you walk away leaving them to interpret it. I was thinking, if I put the invisible deck in a little black bag, I could approach a stranger and say "excuse me, could you help me out? I don't know if my eyes are playing tricks on me but can you see thru this bag?" and let them hold it and examine it up close. Then say "if I told you there was a deck of cards in that bag, and there's one card face down in that face up deck and it will pop into your head right when I touch your shoulder *touch their shoulder* what would you say it was?" Then I could get away with surprising them with the reveal and leaving them w the excitement I want since it never was framed wrong from the beginning (as "real" or a "trick"). I came up with that idea recently and am thinking of testing it out one day bc I think it is something like this that we need to start doing with our approach. I'm sure the spectator knows u could just be flirting w their mind, a professional bs artist who has nothing but good intentions, scurrying along after a bout of play. so it wouldn't be like u expected them to believe your nonsense at the start. So everyone wins.

 

[TateE]

I think if you try to convince a spectator that you have supernatural powers is complete bull. You want yourself and them to have a good time and when you or they walk away you don't want them thinking that you are a God of some sort.

 

[The Magic X]

I think if you try to convince a spectator that you have supernatural powers is complete bull. You want yourself and them to have a good time and when you or they walk away you don't want them thinking that you are a God of some sort.

Agreed, TateE.

Whenever I'm trying to preform an effect, I have to be careful with how I present it. I try to play it off where they know I'm doing something but it looks impossible at the same time (if that makes any sense and doesn't sound like bull)

It may just be me, but whenever I'm doing an effect, I'll often look as surprised as the spectator, and do everything I can to show them that I thoroughly enjoy making them happy. Which, after all, it's the whole goal of magic.

 

[Elok]

As a magician I don't look to be worshiped or idolized. I learn and perform magic to make people happy. I perform most of my illusions for friends, they know that I don't actually use black magic but they are always stunned by my illusions. well except for my friend who is also a magician.

Anyways, when I walk up to people I usually say something to the effect "Hello, I'm a street magician are you interested in seeing some magic? Most people say yes and are very dumbfounded by the illusion(s). I personally believe that during the effect you need to act. If you want it to be astonishing you need to build an excited atmosphere. However, at the end of a performance I act like it's perfectly normal that my shirt changed colors or that I just transposed two cards while they were holding it in their hands with full knowledge of what the cards are. It is even better when you can let them keep a card or whatnot because they can always go back and look at it with the same feeling of awe.

You do need to be careful of who you perform it for though. some people will get very physical trying to get the gimmick from you. I've had people wrestle me trying to get a deck they thought was gimmicked. I've also had people that were extremely underwhelmed. I quote "That's it?" this was asked of me after performing dress-code. With these people you need to be careful. With those that react violently just leave as quick as you can, show them the gimmick if it means getting away unscathed. With the unimpressed try another effect, if they don't react just walk away.

More to the question. Don't try to appear like you despise "common folk" or that you actually are a sorcerer. But also don't appear too lax, this doesn't allow the spectator to react fully.