- 07 Dec 2010 01:40
#13569362
Astonishment is not an emotion that's created. It's an existing state that is revealed. The magician's role is not that of con man or of novelty entertainer or mr. ego. The centre of magic has always been the therapeutic experience of our natural state of mind which spectators and magicians call astonishment or amazement. But that primal experience is so powerful and the taboo of "losing" our mind is so great that we water down the experience with jokes, excuses and "hey! It's just a trick!"
When the experience of astonishment starts to be recognized as a highly valued destination, the win/lose magician vs spectator game starts to dissolve. Suddenly both magician and spectator are on the same team, equally responsible for getting the most of the moment. Tricks are tools and our natural state of mind, astonishment, is real. Magical illusions dissolve cultural illusions in order to reveal truth and a moment of something real.
When the experience of astonishment starts to be recognized as a highly valued destination, the win/lose magician vs spectator game starts to dissolve. Suddenly both magician and spectator are on the same team, equally responsible for getting the most of the moment. Tricks are tools and our natural state of mind, astonishment, is real. Magical illusions dissolve cultural illusions in order to reveal truth and a moment of something real.