Magicians have understood the importance of getting people to look in the wrong place at the right time for centuries. Stage magicians use the concept to make sure the audience never glimpses what's really going on, what's behind the curtain, or creeping up behind. Illusion works the same way. I particularly love optical illusions, because they toy with our perceptions in ways that are nearly impossible to defeat even when you know exactly what's going on. Check this out...
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| Is it 2 or 3 prongs? |
It's a classic illusion, but knowing all about it doesn't help. You still see the 3-pronged fork. Our brains are so well trained in seeing things that it doesn't know it's being fooled. There's another one that is typically called the "Dragon Illusion" which has to be seen to be believed (I've linked that to a YouTube video showing the magic).
Fooling audiences is fun for both sides, really. The performer is rewarded by gasps of awe, and the audience enjoys seeing magic come alive. It doesn't matter that it's all trickery. I think that's much of the joy, where both sides work together and create something greater than any of its parts. Poetic imagery aside, it's great fun. Enjoy it, and stop trying to figure out how the magician makes the rabbit appear out of a hat. Let the magic happen.
- M
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