For example, popular illusionists Penn and Teller smashed all questionable theories about the end of the world and clairvoyants’ omnipotence in their show.
Nevertheless, magnificent tricks performed by professionals fascinate people every day.
Turning one person into another
The magician sits in a bag, and the assistant ties it. Then the illusionist is placed into a chest, and the assistant locks it. The assistant stands on the chest, lifts a cloak, and the cloak falls down to reveal the magician. Then he unlocks the chest, unties the bag, and the assistant is inside (usually in a different costume for a better effect).
The secret: There is an exit in the magician’s bag. It’s often a zipper that can easily be opened from inside. The assistant stands on the edge of the chest, but the upper panel opens easily. When the assistant lifts the cloak, the illusionist gets out of the bag, takes the cloak, and the assistant jumps into the bag. She then changes her costume. The more quickly and cohesively the pair works, the more spectacular the performance becomes.
Throwing knives at a person
At first glance, this trick can look very dangerous. But the person fixed to the target is always safe.
The secret is that the magician doesn’t throw knives. Instead, he hides them in a secret pocket at lightning speed. There is a helper behind the target that shoots knives with the help of a special mechanism on the back of the target. The whole trick is quick and coordinated, which is why we think the knives hit the target.
Stretching
The assistant is placed inside a large box with only her head, hands, and feet sticking out. The magician moves parts of the assistant’s body in seemingly impossible ways.
In fact, when the magician opens and closes the front and rear doors to prove the box is empty, there are 2 more assistants hiding behind the frames. They get into the box through rear doors and put their hands and legs into relevant compartments. All the girls have the same manicure. 2 helpers show their hands and legs, and the girl who has her head outside stands on a chair or lies down.
Turning water into ice
The magician pours water into a glass. But a piece of ice falls out of this glass instead of water. Of course, there are no violations of the laws of physics.
There is a sponge hidden inside that absorbs water. And a piece of ice is also hidden right inside the glass. You can perform this trick at home, but remember that a “magic” glass shouldn’t be transparent.
Disappearing pigeons
The magician places one or more pigeons into a box. But when he opens this box, there are no pigeons inside.
Don’t worry, they are safe. There is just a secret chamber in the top cover: it’s small and invisible, but the birds can stay there for a while.
Buried alive
This trick is always performed in an open area. The magician is placed into a box, and the assistants bury him in the ground. A few seconds later, he escapes from this dangerous trap. Not every magician decides to perform this trick because of the risks involved. But if everything is done correctly, no one will be injured.
The box has a secret door that the illusionist uses to enter an underground room with an oxygen supply and illumination. With the help of special retractable shelves, the magician holds his breath in a shallow hole while his assistants throw the last clods of dirt, and then he escapes quickly.
A needle through the skin
The magician doesn’t endure pain for the sake of a spectacular trick. Everything’s much easier.
The illusionist doesn’t pierce his skin; he pierces a layer of makeup made of rubber glue. Fake blood is placed into a hollow needle, and it pours out from small holes.
Sword swallowing
This spectacular trick fully depends on an artist’s actions.
The focus is that the sword should go in a special direction so as not to hurt any internal organs. The pharynx and gullet should form a straight line. Magicians have to practice a lot if they want to perform this trick.
