Magic | Calm Reading For Sleep

Unwind with this calm bedtime reading about the fascinating world of magic and illusion. Let this gentle exploration of illusion, sleight of hand, and stagecraft guide you toward peaceful sleep and relief from insomnia. Discover how magicians throughout history have mastered deception and wonder, blending science, psychology, and artistry to amaze audiences across centuries. Benjamin’s soothing, steady voice brings these stories to life—no whispering, just tranquil, fact-filled narration designed to calm your mind and ease you into rest.

Perfect for quiet nights, gentle curiosity, and unwinding from stress or anxiety. Press play, close your eyes, and drift into the mystery of magic. Happy sleeping!

Transcript

Welcome to the I Can't Sleep podcast where I help you drift off one fact at a time.

I'm your host Benjamin Boster and today's episode is about magic or illusions.

Magic is a performing art in which audiences are entertained by tricks,

Effects,

Or illusions of seemingly impossible feats using natural means.

It encompasses the sub-genres of close-up magic,

Parlor magic,

And stage magic among others.

It is to be distinguished from paranormal magic,

Which are effects claimed to be created through supernatural means.

It is one of the oldest performing arts in the world.

Modern entertainment magic is pioneered by 19th century magician Jean Eugène Robert Houdin has become a popular theatrical art form.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries,

Magicians such as John Neville Maskelyne and David Devon,

Howard Thurston,

Harry Keller,

And Harry Houdini achieved widespread commercial success.

During what has become known as the golden age of magic,

A period in which performance magic became a staple of Broadway theater,

Vaudeville,

And music halls.

Meanwhile,

Magicians such as Georges Méliès,

Gaston Vell,

Walter Arbuth,

And Orson Welles introduced pioneering filmmaking techniques,

Informed by their knowledge of magic.

Magic has retained its popularity into the 21st century by adapting to the mediums of television and the internet,

With magicians such as David Copperfield,

Penn and Teller,

Paul Daniels,

Chris Angel,

David Blaine,

Darren Brown,

And Shin Lim modernizing the art form.

Through the use of social media,

Magicians can now reach a wider audience than ever before.

Magicians are known for closely guarding the methods they use to achieve their effects,

Although they often share their techniques through both formal and informal training within the magic community.

Magicians use a variety of techniques,

Including sleight of hand,

Misdirection,

Optical and auditory illusions,

Hidden compartments,

Contortionism,

And specially constructed props,

As well as verbal and non-verbal psychological techniques such as suggestion,

Hypnosis,

And priming.

The term magic etymologically derives from the Greek word magia.

In ancient times,

Greeks and Persians had been at war for centuries,

And the Persian priests,

Called magush in Persian,

Came to be known as magoi in Greek.

Ritual acts of Persian priests came to be known as maia and then maika,

Which eventually came to mean any foreign unorthodox or illegitimate ritual practice.

To the general public,

Successful acts of illusion could be perceived as if it were similar to a feat of magic,

Supposed to have been able to be performed by the ancient maioi.

The performance of tricks of illusion or magical illusion,

And the apparent workings and effects of such acts,

Have often been referred to as magic,

And particularly as magic tricks.

One of the earliest known books to explain magic secrets,

The Discovery of Witchcraft,

Was published in 1584.

It was created by Reginald Scott to stop people from being killed for witchcraft.

During the 17th century,

Many books were published that described magic tricks.

Until the 18th century,

Magic shows were a common source of entertainment affairs.

The father of modern entertainment magic was Jean-Eugène Robert Audin,

Who had a magic theater in Paris in 1845.

John Henry Anderson was pioneering the same transition in London in the 1840s.

Towards the end of the 19th century,

Large magic shows permanently staged at big theater venues became the norm.

As a form of entertainment,

Magic easily moved from theatrical venues to television magic specials.

Performances that modern observers would recognize as conjuring have been practiced throughout history.

For example,

A trick with three cups and balls has been performed since 3 BC,

And is still performed today on stage and in street magic shows.

For many recorded centuries,

Magicians were associated with the devil and the occult.

During the 19th and 20th centuries,

Many stage magicians even capitalized on this notion in their advertisements.

The same level of ingenuity that was used to produce famous ancient deceptions,

Such as the Trojan horse,

Would also have been used for entertainment,

Or at least for cheating in money games.

They were also used by the practitioners of various religions and cults from ancient times onwards to frighten uneducated people into obedience or turn them into adherents.

However,

The profession of the illusionist gained strength only in the 18th century,

And has enjoyed several popular vogues since.

Opinions vary among magicians on how to categorize a given effect,

But a number of categories have been developed.

Magicians may pull a rabbit from an empty hat,

Make something seem to disappear,

Or transform a red silk handkerchief into a green silk handkerchief.

Magicians may also make something appear to move from one place to another,

Or they may escape from a restraining device.

Other illusions include making something appear to defy gravity,

Making a solid object appear to pass through another object,

Or appearing to predict the choice of a spectator.

Many magic routines use combinations of effects.

Among the earliest books on the subject is Cancioni's work of 1489,

Natural and Unnatural Magic,

Which describes and explains old-time tricks.

In 1584,

Englishman Reginald Scott published The Discovery of Witchcraft,

Part of which was devoted to debunking the claims that magicians used supernatural methods and showing how their magic tricks were in reality accomplished.

Among the tricks discussed were sleight of hand manipulations with rope,

Paper,

And coins.

At the time,

Fear and belief in witchcraft was widespread,

And the book tried to demonstrate that these fears were misplaced.

Popular belief held that all obtainable copies were burned on the accession of James I in 1603.

During the 17th century,

Many similar books were published that described in detail the methods of a number of magic tricks,

Including The Art of Conjuring,

1614,

And The Anatomy of Ledger Domain,

The Art of Juggling,

Circa 1675.

Until the 18th century,

Magic shows were a common source of entertainment at fairs,

Where itinerant performers would entertain the public with magic tricks,

As well as the more traditional spectacles of sword swallowing,

Juggling,

And fire-breathing.

In the early 18th century,

As belief in witchcraft was waning,

The art became increasingly respectable,

And shows would be put on for rich private patrons.

A notable figure in this transition was the English showman Isaac Fox,

Who began to promote his act in advertisements from the 1720s.

He even claimed to have performed for King George II.

One of Fox's advertisements described his routine in some detail.

He takes an empty bag,

Lays it on the table,

And turns it several times inside out,

Then commands 100 eggs out of it,

And several showers of real gold and silver.

Then the bag began to swell,

And several sorts of wild fowl ran out of it upon the table.

He throws up a pack of cards,

And causes them to be living birds flying about the room.

He causes living beasts,

Birds,

And other creatures to appear upon the table.

He blows the spots of the cards off and on,

And changes them to any pictures.

From 1756 to 1781,

Jacob Philadelphia performed feats of magic,

Sometimes under the guise of scientific exhibitions throughout Europe and Russia.

The father of modern entertainment magic was Jean-Eugène Robert-Odin,

Originally a clockmaker,

Who opened a magic theater in Paris in 1845.

He transformed his art from one performed at fairs to a performance that the public paid to see at the theater.

His specialty was constructing mechanical automata that appeared to move and act as if alive.

Many of Robert-Odin's mechanisms for illusion were pirated by his assistant,

And ended up in performance of his rivals John Henry Anderson and Alexander Herman.

John Henry Anderson was pioneering the same transition in London.

In 1840,

He opened the New Strand Theater,

Where he performed as the Great Wizard of the North.

His success came from advertising his shows and captivating his audience with expert showmanship.

He became one of the earliest magicians to attain a high level of world renown.

He opened a second theater in Glasgow in 1845.

Towards the end of the century,

Large magic shows permanently staged at big theater venues became the norm.

The British performer J.

N.

Maskelyne and his partner Cook were established at the Egyptian Hall in London's Piccadilly in 1873 by their manager William Morden,

And continued there for 31 years.

The show incorporated stage illusions and reinvented traditional tricks and exotic,

Often oriental,

Imagery.

The potential of the stage was exploited for hidden mechanisms and assistance,

And the control it offers over the audience's point of view.

Maskelyne and Cook invented many of the illusions still performed today,

One of his best known being levitation.

The model for the look of a typical magician,

A man with wavy hair,

A top hat,

A goatee,

And a tailcoat,

Was Alexander Hermann,

1844 to 1896,

Also known as Hermann the Great.

Hermann was a French magician and was part of the Hermann family name that is the first family of magic.

The escapologist and magician Harry Houdini,

1874 to 1926,

Took his stage name from Robert Houdin and developed a range of stage magic tricks,

Many of them based on what became known after his death as escapology.

Houdini was genuinely skilled in techniques such as lock picking and escaping straitjackets,

But also made full use of the range of conjuring techniques,

Including fake equipment and collusion with individuals in the audience.

Houdini's show business savvy was as great as his performance skill.

There is a Houdini museum dedicated to him in Scranton,

Pennsylvania.

The Magic Circle was formed in London in 1905 to promote and advance the art of stage magic.

As a form of entertainment,

Magic easily moved from theatrical venues to television stations.

This opened up new opportunities for deceptions and brought stage magic to huge audiences.

Most television magicians perform before a live audience,

Who provide the remote viewer with a reassurance that the illusions are not obtained with post-production visual effects.

Many of the principles of stage magic are old.

There is an expression,

It's all done with smoke and mirrors,

Used to explain something baffling,

But effects seldom use mirrors today,

Due to the amount of installation work and transport difficulties.

For example,

The famous Pepper's Ghost,

A stage illusion first used in the 19th century London,

Required a specially built theatre.

Modern performers have vanished objects as large as a Taj Mahal,

The Statue of Liberty,

And a space shuttle,

Using other kinds of optical deceptions.

Stage illusions are performed for large audiences,

Typically within a theatre or auditorium.

This type of magic is distinguished by large-scale props,

The use of assistants,

And often exotic animals such as elephants and tigers.

Parlour magic is done for larger audiences than close-up magic,

Which is for a few people or even one person,

And for smaller audiences than stage magic.

In parlour magic,

The performer is usually standing and on the same level as the audience,

Which may be seated on chairs or even on the floor.

According to the Encyclopedia of Magic and Magicians by T.

A.

Waters,

The phrase parlour magic is often used as a pejorative to imply that an effect under discussion is not suitable for professional performance.

Also,

Many magicians consider the term parlour old-fashioned and limiting,

Since this type of magic is often done in rooms much larger than the traditional parlour or even outdoors.

A better term for this branch of magic may be platform,

Club,

Or cabaret.

Close-up magic,

Or table magic,

Is performed with the audience close to the magician,

Sometimes even one-on-one.

It usually makes use of everyday items as props,

Such as cards,

Coins,

And seemingly impromptu effects.

This may be called table magic,

Particularly when performed as dinner entertainment.

Escapology is a branch of magic that deals with escapes from confinement or restraints.

Harry Houdini is a well-known example of an escape artist or escapologist.

Pickpocket magicians use magic to misdirect members of the audience while removing wallets,

Belts,

Ties,

And other personal effects.

It can be presented on a stage,

In a cabaret setting,

Before small close-up groups,

Or even for one spectator.

Mentalism creates the impression in the minds of the audience that the performer possesses special powers to read thoughts,

Predict events,

Control other minds,

And similar feats.

It can be presented on a stage,

In a cabaret setting,

Before small close-up groups,

Or even for one spectator.

Theatrical séances simulate spiritualistic or mediumistic phenomena for theatrical effect.

This genre of stage magic has been misused at times by charlatans pretending to actually be in contact with spirits or supernatural forces.

For this reason,

Some well-known magicians,

Such as James Randi,

Aka The Amazing Randi,

Have made it their goal to debunk such paranormal phenomena and illustrate that any such effects may be achieved by natural or human means.

Randi was the foremost skeptic in this regard in the United States.

Children's magic is performed for an audience primarily composed of children.

It is typically performed at birthday parties,

Preschools,

Elementary schools,

Sunday schools,

Or libraries.

This type of magic is usually comedic in nature and involves audience interaction as well as volunteer assistance.

Online magic tricks were designed to function on a computer screen.

The computer screen affords ways to incorporate magic from the magician's wand to the computer mouse.

The use of computing technologies in performance can be traced back to a 1984 presentation by David Copperfield,

Who used a Commodore 64 to create a magic show for his audience.

More recently,

Virtual performers have been experimenting with captivating digital animation and illusions that blur the lines between magic tricks and reality.

In some cases,

The computer essentially replaces the online magician.

In a 2008 TED talk,

Penn Gillette discussed how technology will continue to play a role in magic by influencing media and communication.

According to Gillette,

Magicians continue to innovate in not only digital communication,

But also live performances that utilize digital effects.

The 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns ushered onto the world stage a surge of online magic shows.

These shows are performed via video conferencing platforms such as Zoom.

Some online magic tricks recreate traditional card tricks and require user participation,

While others like Plato's Cursed Triangle are based on mathematical,

Geometrical,

And or optical illusions.

One such online magic trick,

Called Esmeralda's Crystal Ball,

Became a viral phenomenon that fooled so many computer users into believing that their computer had supernatural powers that the fact-checking website Snopes dedicated a page to debunking the trick.

German magician Vitus Vid performed interactive magic tricks live on TV from 1993 to 1997.

Viewers were able to call Vitus Vid live in the television studio and perform a magic trick with him directly.

In total,

Vid performed this special magic 87 times every other week.

Theatrical magic describes a dramaturgical,

Well-thought-out performance that has been specially designed for the theater and theater-like situations.

It is not about individual tricks that are strung together,

But about logical connections of tricks that lead to a story.

Math magic is a genre of stage magic that combines magic and mathematics.

It is commonly used by children's magicians and mentalists.

Corporate magic is magic performed at corporate events and can be done as straightforward entertainment,

As is common for customer or employee appreciation events or holiday parties,

Or as a type of education or training,

As in professional development or team-building workshops.

Tradeshow magic uses magic as a communication and sales tool,

And is commonly used to generate leads during events where there is steep competition for the attention of attendees.

Gospel music uses magic to catechize and evangelize.

Gospel magic was first used by St.

John Bosco to entice children in 19th century Turin,

Italy,

To come back to school,

To accept assistance,

And to attend church.

The Jewish equivalent is termed Torah magic.

Street magic is a form of street performing or busking that employs a hybrid of stage magic,

Platform,

And close-up magic,

Usually performed in the round or surrounded by the audience.

Since the first David Blaine TV special,

Street Magic,

Aired in 1997,

The term street magic has also come to describe a style of guerrilla performance in which magicians approach and perform for unsuspecting members of the public on the street.

Unlike traditional street magic,

This style is almost purely designed for TV and gains its impact for the wild reactions of the public.

Bizarre magic is a branch of stage magic that creates eerie effects through its use of narratives and esoteric imagery.

The experience may be more akin to small,

Intimate theater,

Or to a conventional magic show.

Bizarre magic often uses horror,

Supernatural,

And science fiction imagery in addition to the standard commercial magic approaches of comedy and wonder.

Comedy magic is the use of magic that is combined with stand-up comedy.

Quick change magic is the use of magic which is combined with the very quick changing of costumes.

Camera magic or video magic is magic that is aimed at viewers watching broadcasts or recordings.

It includes tricks based on the restricted viewing angles of cameras and clever editing.

Camera magic often features paid extras posing as spectators,

Who may even be assisting in the performance.

Camera magic can be done live,

Such as Darren Brown's lottery prediction.

Classical magic is a style of magic that conveys feelings of elegance and skill akin to prominent magicians of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Mechanical magic is a form of stage magic in which the magic uses a variety of mechanical devices to perform acts that appear to be physically impossible.

Examples include such things as a false bottom mortar in which the magician places an audience member's watch,

Only to later produce several feet away inside a wooden frame.

Mechanical magic requires a certain degree of sleight of hand and carefully functioning mechanisms and devices to be performed convincingly.

This form of magic was popular around the turn of the 19th century.

Today many of the original mechanisms used for this magic have become antique collector's pieces and may require significant and careful restoration to function.

Magicians describe the type of tricks they perform in various ways.

Opinions vary as to how to categorize a given effect and disagreement as to what categories actually exist.

Some magicians today,

Such as Guy Hollingworth and Tom Stone,

Have begun to challenge the notion that all magic effects fit into a limited number of categories.

Among magicians who believe in a limited number of categories,

There has been disagreement as to how many different types of effects there are.

Some of these are listed below.

Production The magician produces something from nothing.

A rabbit from an empty hat,

A fan of cards from thin air,

A shower of coins from an empty bucket,

A dove from a pan,

Or the magician himself or herself appearing in a puff of smoke on an empty stage.

All of these effects are productions.

Vanish The magician makes something disappear.

A coin,

A cage of doves,

Milk from a newspaper,

An assistant from a cabinet,

Or even the Statue of Liberty.

A vanish,

Being the reverse of a production,

May use a similar technique in reverse.

Transformation The magician transforms something from one state into another.

A silk handkerchief changes color,

A lady turns into a tiger,

And a different card changes to the spectator's chosen card.

Restoration The magician destroys an object.

A rope is cut,

A newspaper is torn,

A woman is cut in half,

A borrowed watch is smashed to pieces,

Then restores it to its original state.

Transposition A transposition involves two or more objects.

The magician will cause these objects to change places as many times as he pleases,

And in some cases ends with a kicker by transforming the objects into something else.

Teleportation The magician causes something to move from one place to another.

A borrowed ring is found inside a ball of wool,

A canary inside a lightbulb,

An assistant from a cabinet to the back of the theater,

Or a coin from one hand to the other.

When two objects exchange places it is called a transposition.

A simultaneous double transportation A transportation can be seen as a combination of a vanish and a production.

When performed by a mentalist it might be called teleportation.

Escape The magician,

Or less often an assistant,

Is placed in a restraining device,

Like handcuffs or a straitjacket,

Or a death trap,

And escapes to safety.

Examples include being put in a straitjacket and into an overflow tank of water,

And being tied up and placed in a car being sent through a car crusher.

Levitation The magician defies gravity,

Either by making something float in the air,

Or with the aid of another object,

Suspension.

A silver ball floats around a cloth.

An assistant floats in mid-air.

Another is suspended from a broom.

A scarf dances in a sealed bottle.

The magician levitates his own body in mid-air.

There are many popular ways to create this illusion,

Including Asura levitation,

Balducci levitation,

Invisible thread,

And king levitation.

The flying illusion has often been performed by David Copperfield.

Harry Backstone floated a lightbulb over the heads of the public.

Penetration The magician makes a solid object pass through another.

A set of steel rings link and unlink.

A candle penetrates an arm.

Swords pass through an assistant in a basket.

A salt shaker penetrates a tabletop.

Or a man walks through a mirror.

Sometimes referred to as solid through solid.

Prediction The magician accurately predicts the choice of a spectator or the outcome of an event.

A newspaper headline.

The total amount of loose change in the spectator's pocket.

A picture drawn on a slate.

Under seemingly impossible circumstances.

Many magic routines use combinations of effects.

For example,

In cups and balls,

A magician may use vanishes,

Productions,

Penetrations,

Teleportation,

And transformations as part of one presentation.

The methodology behind magic is often referred to as a science,

Often a branch of physics,

While the performance aspect is more of an art form.

Dedication to magic can teach confidence and creativity,

As well as the work ethic associated with regular practice and the responsibility that comes with devotion to an art.

The teaching of performance magic was once a secretive practice.

Professional magicians were unwilling to share knowledge with anyone outside the profession to prevent their work laity from learning their secrets.

This often made it difficult for an interested apprentice to learn anything but the basics of magic.

Some have strict rules against members discussing magic secrets with anyone but established magicians.

From the 1584 publication of Reginald Scott's Discovery of Witchcraft until the end of the 19th century,

Only a few books were available for magicians to learn the craft,

Whereas today mass-market books offer a myriad titles.

Videos and DVDs are a newer media,

But many of the methods found in this format are readily found in previously published books.

However,

They can serve as a visual demonstration.

Persons interested in learning to perform magic can join magic clubs.

Here magicians,

Both seasoned and novitiate,

Can work together and help one another for mutual improvement,

To learn new techniques,

To discuss all aspects of magic,

To perform for each other,

Sharing advice,

Encouragement,

And criticism.

Before a magician can join one of these clubs,

They usually have to audition.

The purpose is to show to the membership they are a magician,

And not just someone off the street wanting to discover magic secrets.

The world's largest magic organization is the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

It publishes a monthly journal,

The Linking Ring.

The oldest organization is the Society of American Magicians,

Which publishes the monthly magazine,

MUM,

And of which Houdini was a member and president for several years.

In London,

England,

There is the Magic Circle,

Which houses the largest magic library in Europe.

Also,

Sigrid's,

The British Society of Mystery Entertainers,

Caters specifically to mentalists,

Bazaarists,

Storytellers,

Readers,

Spiritualist performers,

And other mystery entertainers.

Davenport's Magic in London's The Strand was the world's oldest family-run magic shop.

It is now closed.

The Magic Castle in Hollywood,

California,

Is home to the Academy of Magical Arts.

Traditionally,

Magicians refuse to reveal the methods behind their tricks to the audience.

Members in professional magicians' organizations often requires a commitment never to reveal the secrets of magic to non-magicians.

When Justin Flom,

In 2020,

Began disclosing how tricks worked in Facebook videos,

Other magicians publicly and privately criticized and ostracized him.

Magic performances tend to fall into a few specialties or genres.

Stage illusions use large-scale props and even large animals.

Platform magic is performed for a medium-to-large audience.

Close-up magic is performed with the audience close to the magician.

Escapology involves escapes from confinement or restraints.

Pickpocket magicians take audience members' wallets,

Wristwatches,

Belts,

And ties.

Mentalism creates the illusion that the magician can read minds.

Comedy magic is the use of magic combined with stand-up comedy.

An example being Penn and Teller.

Some modern illusionists believe that it is unethical to give a performance that claims to be anything other than a clever and skillful deception.

Others argue that they can claim that the effects are due to magic.

These apparently irreconcilable differences of opinion have led to some conflicts among performers.

Another issue is the use of deceptive practices for personal gain outside the venue of a magic performance.

Examples include fraudulent mediums,

Con men,

And grifters who use deception for cheating at card games.

Reviews

Thank you, Benjamin. I’m trying to recover from a bout with gastroenteritis (so fun) and these are helping me to get some sleep. 💙

Great reading, Ben! 📖 I was transfixed. And put to sleep 😴💤 like magic! Thank you! 🙏🏻😊💕