If he did, he would have been able to tell Criss what was in his envelopes.
Anthony Bass
I'm not quite caught up on the Phenomenon episodes, but just to argue for the point of arguing, maybe he didn't want to.
If he did, he would have been able to tell Criss what was in his envelopes.
Anthony Bass
Same reason you don't tell those same people you live in a mansion and talk to a god at night and drive expensive cars while fighting crime.
It's a blatant lie.
Actually, I reference my earlier statement on my Power of Dreams show.
I never say one way or the other whether or not I have powers, and I don't need to. I create an ambience lit by candles with my voice softened and ideal for an intimate setting. The magic is done by my spectators. With me helping to guide them, they warp metal with their minds, experience a past life in prehistoric times, and face and conquer one of their deepest fears.
At no point do I need to act like a con man and tell everyone how magical I am. The spectators are given reason to believe in their own strength of will and mind. They're inspired to better themselves for the experience and shown to recognize the beauty in the world around them.
I structured the show to stimulate four out of the five senses, and I might add Taste-icular to stimulate the sense of taste as well. The scripting is heavily steeped in Romantic philosophy, and the atmosphere is one of mystique and mystery.
I never need to claim I have powers, but I also never need to say I don't have them, because it never comes into question.
This is an interesting show for me because I also am a practitioner of haunted magic. I avoid saying I have any mediumistic powers or denying to maintain the atmosphere of the show, but I do come clean if I suspect that someone is taking this a little too seriously.
I honestly feel like turning over two cards and saying look at THIS card is more of a lie than anything you've stated.
Brother, count your I's and My's. The focus of presenting yourself as someone who can do real magic is on the audience. What do they think? I think this is the important part what way do you want them to turn?
I'd like to play devil's advocate here because it seems a question is asked and most everyone agrees with the proper way to go about it. Proper being what is expected among the magic community on how to treat your spectators. What though if you do claim you have powers? Wouldn't that make everything you make appear or dissappear more realistic and engaging to the audience? Or is everyone afraid to get called a scam artist? As long as you don't gather a following/cult and claim to harness the powers of Jesus what is wrong with having people think other people can do extraordinary things? It could even make people strive harder to make their own lives better.
This is an interesting show for me because I also am a practitioner of haunted magic. I avoid saying I have any mediumistic powers or denying to maintain the atmosphere of the show, but I do come clean if I suspect that someone is taking this a little too seriously.
Just wondering, people who are in this thread, do you consider PK effects to be lying? A.k.a. saying that with your mind, yo're bending the spoon/making something move?
I tell the audience that there is a psychic connection between people in love (or married, or friends, etc). I tell them that this phenomeon is called "Partner Psychosynchosis".
I sit down one of the couples, tell the sitted person to close her eyes and remain absolutely still no matter what happens.
I tell them that this is important because I have to get the flow of air between the two people clear so a strong psychic connection is made. I wave my hands around the sitted person, then wave hands around the standing person. I then touch the standing person.
I then tell the seated person to open her eyes and ask her if she felt a touch. She does and exactly where I touched her standing partner!
The people are impressed. They have found a new psychic thing they can try. They start to think and ask me questions "Is clearing the air something you have to be a psychic to do? Exactly how do you clear the air? What is the vibes you feel?" etc.
Then I land the bomb.
I tell them that I made the whole thing up. I don't expose it, but I do tell them everything I said was false. There is no such thing as "Partner Psychosynchosis", that I made that up, and I've done nothing paranormal.
I then say "Honestly, all I've really done was fool you."
Dead. Silence.
Now they are thinking. They are replaying the trick in their heads, discarding the paranormal stuff. To this day no one has figured it out, but the seed is planted. They are now more amazed because simple human real life mundane things caused a now impossible effect. No psychic, no god, no ghosts. Just mundane human and science.
The trick becomes real magic because it was done in the real world.
I agree. I don't think people should lie and pass themselves off as real magicians. But, one point I have is that for example, when someone does a loop effect, what does he say? I think for those effects, one can't say either that they have powers, for he is a liar, or, saying it was a trick, which partially takes away the impossibility for the trick.
Just wondering, people who are in this thread, do you consider PK effects to be lying? A.k.a. saying that with your mind, yo're bending the spoon/making something move?
I'd just like to post something I heard Alain Nu say in a recent interview with Lee Asher that Lee sent in a newsletter to all of his subscribers. Nu said:
"Whether you're a magician, or a mentalist, or a side show artist, or a hypnotist, or anybody within this large mystery-making paradigm – consider that everything that you do is an actual power. Not necessarily a real power or a fake power, but a power. A power that enables you to do the things that you do. It enables you to get done the things that you get done. That power enables you to do just about anything from influence people in many different ways to possibly ‘earn your keep' within a job or just about anything. When you put someone in a state of mind that only this mystery making do can, you're putting people in a state of mind that kind of breaks down their sense of reality and though sometimes they might just be suspending their disbelief when they get put in that state of mind, I think that potentially there's a good place to inject some seed of wisdom, something that will empower them, that will make them a better person. Perhaps if we see our magic as something that enables us to do that – maybe we can evolve more and legitimize our art even more than it ever has."
Hope that gets you thinking.
Anthony Bass
On the other hand, take out too much of the mystery, and there's nothing special about it at all. So you have to maintain a balance.
The only thing I ever tell and or ask my audience after a performance is if they enjoyed it and if they would like to see something else. Often I ask if they enjoyed it if they are open mouthed and speechless. But regardless I honestly think that doing either (saying you have powers or saying you are doing a trick) is not my cup of tea. I say I do Illusions (i saw somebody else here in the forums say that also, something about tricks, prostitutes and cocaine?). If they want to see an illusion I perform one. Great, was it a trick? sweet. Was it powers? awesome. What I am doing does not matter as long as my audience enjoys it. If they believe it is a trick, then they may respect my sleight of hand. If they believe I have powers, good for them, I never made such a claim. Let them believe what they want. If my performance is good I should not need to explain myself. I would say it is a problem if I come in CLAIMING I have powers. If you stay away from either thing, tricks or powers (hence me saying it is an illusion) they will make of it what they will. I do not take advantage of anyone. I am there to entertain. If that means laughter then sweet, but if it means amazement then sweet too. If I'm performing and make a fish appear, maybe I could downplay it saying that my fish's name is Edward or something, making him slightly mundane. But hey, my illusion was there for them to have a reaction, to see something interesting/amazing/entertaining, for us to communicate. I firmly believe this is the most important thing there is. Forget about me having powers, what good is that? Doesn't it feel better for the audience when THEY feel like THEY have powers when you do tricks involving them? Again, I think the aim of your thread is a very good one. This is just my opinion. Claim nothing, be ready to entertain and let them react as they will... and simply have them enjoy themselves.
Juan.
I prefer to let people know its all slight of hand. This is because people know that there is no such thing as magic so if i try to say i am really magic then they try to prove me wrong,