Real magic is the misinterpretation of the trick/illusion in the mind of the spectator. The hand is NOT quicker than the eye! This is the biggest fallacy in our business. It is simply not possible for me to move my hand faster than you can see it.
It is, however, possible for me to redirect your attention.
Therefore in my opinion, and according to the late and great Tommy Wonder (my favourite close up magician of all time), magic is the result of redirection of the audience’s attention on the behalf of the performer.
Misdirection sounds too haphazard to me. Let’s just call it redirection shall we?
If 3 people see a car accident, 3 honest people, within a matter of seconds they will give different reports as to what happened. This is not intentional deception; it is the way the mind works. This is the way all good magicians work - we play with your mind, we create illusions on all levels with what you see, what we say, helping you to perceive and believe what we want.
