Do we see reality?

Discuss your favorite close-up tricks and methods.
Al Schneider
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Do we see reality?

Postby Al Schneider » October 5th, 2021, 11:09 am

Magic is about observation. Here is a sample showing that what we see is not always as it is. Controlling this is almost impossible. Even the most intelligent have trouble.

Paris in the
the spring

I’ll bet you missed the extra “the.”

HERE IS AN EXPLANATION WHY (from the internet)
This song title is often used in an informal psychological test.
"Paris in the the Spring" is written with an extra "the". A subject is
is asked to read the text, and will often jump to conclusions and
and fail to notice the extra "the", especially when there is a line
break between the two thes. The reason that the second ‘the’ is
is skipped is because of saccades, jerky movements that eyes
make when looking around. The brain counteracts these movements by
by steadying them and making everything appear smooth. While the
the brain is using saccadic movements to read, it searches for the
the most important words and skips over the less important ones, and
and fills them in using the words around it it and what the brain sees
when it quickly skips over it. For instance, in ‘Paris in the the Spring’, the
the eyes will read Paris and quickly move ahead to Spring, and just
just glance over ‘in the the’, leading the mind to completely disregard the
the second ‘the’.[3]
The single absolute truth is that we don't know.

MagicbyAlfred
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby MagicbyAlfred » October 5th, 2021, 12:16 pm

Was contemplating how this (colloquially speaking, lazy-brain) phenomenon might apply to spectators' observations (or lack thereof) of magic. Possibly in failing to catch discrepancies, such as in the Cross-Cut or Hindu Shuffle forces, the Olram Subtlety, the Flustration Count, Bill Simon's Business Card Prophesy Move, or a count in which the same black king is shown twice, or perhaps even the assumption that is made that the middle of the rope is being cut in the Cut and Restored rope?

Al Schneider
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Al Schneider » October 5th, 2021, 12:45 pm

The question is, do you agree with the explanation and the saccades thing. And how many saw the extra the in "Paris in the the Spring." Right now seeing the extra the is obvious.
The single absolute truth is that we don't know.

MagicbyAlfred
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby MagicbyAlfred » October 5th, 2021, 4:37 pm

Al Schneider wrote:The question is, do you agree with the explanation and the saccades thing. And how many saw the extra the in "Paris in the the Spring." Right now seeing the extra the is obvious.


I did see the extra "the" upon my initial reading, and I do agree with the saccades thing. But I'm still trying to figure out how, if at all, that phenomenon applies to spectators' observations of magic. I gave some theoretical examples in my last post that involve spectators' failures of observation, but I don't know if those examples exemplify saccades or maybe just some other deficiency in human observation or perception.

Al Schneider
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Al Schneider » October 5th, 2021, 5:21 pm

Your reference to those other tricks is accurate. My goal here is to point out that human minds do not observe all that is before them. They use massive numbers of triggers to build an image in their head. I believe that this is a superhigh level beyond pretend and acting. I apologize here for my deception is working far more than I thought it would. I can' believe no-one has caught me. And I hope that nobody says that they know what I did after I reveal it.
The single absolute truth is that we don't know.

Tarotist
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Tarotist » October 5th, 2021, 5:50 pm

It is true that people don't register things that are right in front of them. I evolved a sequence as part of a Spellbound routine. Bit too complicated to explain but it meant that two copper coins would be visible instead of one. They were only supposed to see one and you would think that if they saw two it would give the game away. Insinctively, I knew that it would work despite the fact it was against all logic. I knew the second one just wouldn't register in the spectator's brain even though it was right in front of his or her very eyes.

However, I hadn't really shown it to anyone to test it so I was foolish enough to show it to grumpy old Albert Goshman who of course actually did the Spellbound routine himself. I asked him if he thought that the layman would notice the other coin. He grumpily responded, "Of course they will see the two copper coins".

I knew I was right and he was wrong so I shouldn't have bothered asking him. I have always thought that the trouble with magicians is that they think their opinions are important so I should have followed my own advice and not asked him in the first place. It turned out that I was indeed right and I have been performing it that way for the last 35 years with no problems whatsoever.

Al Schneider
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Al Schneider » October 5th, 2021, 6:22 pm

You are so far off track. You can read palms, read minds, tell the future, master at magic: and can't see what is in front of you. This not about other people. Ladies and gentlemen, this is about you! And I a feeling bad about this. Maybe I am wrong and can't get what you don't get.
The single absolute truth is that we don't know.

MagicbyAlfred
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby MagicbyAlfred » October 5th, 2021, 6:36 pm

The brain counteracts these movements by
by
steadying them and making everything appear smooth. While the
the
brain is using saccadic movements to read, it searches for the
the
most important words and skips over the less important ones, and
and
fills them in using the words around it it and what the brain sees
when it quickly skips over it. For instance, in ‘Paris in the the Spring’, the
the
eyes will read Paris and quickly move ahead to Spring, and just
just
glance over ‘in the the’, leading the mind to completely disregard the
the
second ‘the’.[3]
Last edited by MagicbyAlfred on October 5th, 2021, 6:39 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Al Schneider
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Al Schneider » October 5th, 2021, 6:55 pm

How many are there?
The single absolute truth is that we don't know.

Tarotist
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Tarotist » October 5th, 2021, 7:08 pm

I could see all the "the's" before your post. I tried to point that out when our posts crossed but the system wouldn't let me. It said I had to wait but I already typed it all out. I DID see it in the same way you that you saw it. I expect other people did too. It is a very old idea.

Al Schneider
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Al Schneider » October 5th, 2021, 7:52 pm

As usual, you are not seeing what is before you. I asked a question, how many the's are there? Perhaps you just don't want to answer the question?
The single absolute truth is that we don't know.

Al Schneider
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Al Schneider » October 5th, 2021, 7:58 pm

Hey tarotist, you may have seen one. Maybe there is 10.
The single absolute truth is that we don't know.

Al Schneider
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Al Schneider » October 5th, 2021, 8:18 pm

OK guys, i hope you are not mad at me for trying to trick you. i was trying to make a point that triggers and scripts could be very powerful in magic. You can go back to de feet.
The single absolute truth is that we don't know.

Tom Gilbert
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Tom Gilbert » October 5th, 2021, 9:16 pm

In law enforcement, one of the tests was watching a video and to remember details for the test questions. People who knew they had to remember what they just saw, didn't score well. Imagine trying to get details from a witness. This must pertain to spectators also. I would imagine.

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Brad Jeffers
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Brad Jeffers » October 5th, 2021, 9:31 pm


Al Schneider
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Al Schneider » October 5th, 2021, 9:42 pm

i presented this script concept in a NY Rubenstein symposium. some time ago. There was a seasoned trial lawyer in attendance. He claims my presentation gave him great insight into his work. Because people have canned scripts in their head, they see the same event differently. I am not saying this is a new concept, I am saying the device is vastly more common than previously thought.
The single absolute truth is that we don't know.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Richard Kaufman » October 5th, 2021, 10:49 pm

I agree with you, Al. Fascinating thing.
Subscribe today to Genii Magazine

Jonathan Townsend
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Postby Jonathan Townsend » October 5th, 2021, 10:54 pm

tough choice between building a model and expecting things or... live every moment in astonishment

remember peek a boo? :)

MagicbyAlfred
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby MagicbyAlfred » October 6th, 2021, 7:29 am

Brad Jeffers wrote:selective attention test


That is amazing! I didn't see the gorilla, but I thought I caught a flash of a banana. Just thought it was probably subliminal advertising by Chiquita or something...

Al Schneider
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Al Schneider » October 6th, 2021, 8:45 am

Magic Alfred
Very well done
Here is the original with extra words highlighted.

----------------------------------------------------------------- oOo ---------------------------------------------------------

Magic is about observation. Here is a sample showing that what we see is not always as it is. Controlling this is almost impossible. Even the most intelligent have trouble.

Paris in the
the spring

I’ll bet you missed the extra “the.”

HERE IS AN EXPLANATION WHY (from the internet)
This song title is often used in an informal psychological test.
"Paris in the the Spring" is written with an extra "the". A subject is
IS asked to read the text, and will often jump to conclusions and
AND fail to notice the extra "the", especially when there is a line
break between the two thes. The reason that the second ‘the’ is
IS skipped is because of saccades, jerky movements that eyes
make when looking around. The brain counteracts these movements by
BY steadying them and making everything appear smooth. While the
THE brain is using saccadic movements to read, it searches for the
THE most important words and skips over the less important ones, and
AND fills them in using the words around it IT and what the brain sees
when it quickly skips over it. For instance, in ‘Paris in the the Spring’, the
THE eyes will read Paris and quickly move ahead to Spring, and just
JUST glance over ‘in the the’, leading the mind to completely disregard the
THE second ‘the’.[3]

I am just trying to point out that there are things outside of our consciousness that control what we see.
And that as magicians, we can capitalize on these factors to be better at our trade.
The single absolute truth is that we don't know.

Al Schneider
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Al Schneider » October 6th, 2021, 9:16 am

i would like to describe my approach to this deception.

My goal was to reveal a trigger then use it on you.
That is, present the extra word thing and then slam you with it to get your attention.
Well, show something that is, "everybody knows that," or "is old as the hills," and hopefully get you to eat crow.
I began by challenging you about the 'the' thing.
then i attempted to get you to make an assumption.
I wanted you to assume I put an explanation to the 'the' thing.
In reality i just wanted to display text for you to read demonstrating how your mind tricks you.
I care not about the explanation. I just wanted you to read something.

For what it is worth I learned something very valuable.
As magicians we attempt to hide reality from the audience.
Like i attempted to hide the extra words in the explanation.
The single absolute truth is that we don't know.

Jon Elion
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Jon Elion » October 6th, 2021, 9:25 am

MagicbyAlfred wrote:The brain counteracts these movements by
by
steadying them and making everything appear smooth. While the
the
brain is using saccadic movements to read, it searches ...

OMG! I am very familiar with the "Paris in the the Spring" phenomenon, so I smugly looked at it quickly and thought myself so clever to have caught it (for the umpteenth time). Perhaps it is that smugness that caused me to relax and turn off the analytical filter for what followed, and I totally missed the subsequent word repetitions.

But slipping something past a spectator during a "relaxed" moment is a different day's discussion.

Thank you for this thought-provoking discussion, Al!

Al Schneider
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Al Schneider » October 6th, 2021, 10:22 am

Jon
"caused me to relax and turn off the analytical filter"

This makes my point in a very strong way.
That's exactly what we as magicians do.
We want to "turn off the analytical filter" when we do the critical move.
Many magicians want to showcase their critical move.
That is why I get so much heat here.
The single absolute truth is that we don't know.

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katterfelt0
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby katterfelt0 » October 6th, 2021, 12:52 pm

Al Schneider wrote:Jon
"caused me to relax and turn off the analytical filter"

This makes my point in a very strong way.
That's exactly what we as magicians do.
We want to "turn off the analytical filter" when we do the critical move.
Many magicians want to showcase their critical move.
That is why I get so much heat here.


I've found your posts fascinating. I'm glad you share your insights, and even if I disagree with some points (has yet to happen, but it could) you have me thinking about some things in a different way.
Effect and method are inextricably linked.

Al Schneider
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Al Schneider » October 6th, 2021, 1:57 pm

You make my day.
The single absolute truth is that we don't know.

Leo Garet
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Leo Garet » October 13th, 2021, 12:09 pm

Al Schneider wrote:You make my day.


Permit me to to spoil it. :)

I recall adverts here in the UK for Harry Lorayne's book, "How To Develop A Super Power Memory." This was back in the very olden days when I was a schoolboy, As well as the stuff that related to the contents and whatnot, off to one side in a separate box, was the "Paris in in the the Spring" thing.

That's when I first came across it. I spotted it, but then maybe (maybe) that's because I was alert, studying the advert.

I still have no idea exactly why it was included as part of the advert.

Tarotist
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Tarotist » October 13th, 2021, 12:18 pm

I remember those advertisements too. I imagine the idea of including the Paris in the Spring thing was to indicate how important observation is in memory. I vaguely seem to remember (no pun intended) that Harry made that point fairly clearly in his book. Incidentally I think that particular book is not only Harry's best book on memory it is the very best book on memory ever written. I use his day for any date system every time I do a numerology reading from someone's date of birth.

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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Jonathan Townsend » October 13th, 2021, 5:48 pm

There's some about saccades here : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saccade

Eye saccades are too brief to use as practical magic method when there's more than one person watching.
Constructing our internal representation of visual reality involves some impressive tricks to erase blinks, saccades, and the blind spot in the middle.

Al Schneider
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Al Schneider » October 13th, 2021, 11:30 pm

Who is deceiving who?
I see "experts" present observation "facts" on the internet and some on Ted.
And some on this forum!
Here is one.
Everyone knows that when your eyes shift from one point to another, your vision shuts off.
Well, I have decided I am an alien from another planet cause that is not true for me.
One day i was working with a calculator in my hand.
My gaze was to the left of the calculator.
My gaze shifted to the right of the calculator.
A trail of dots and dashes flashed in the air before my eyes.
That demonstrated i could observe the calculator when my eyes snapped from left to right.
Most don't know that the LEDs in a calculator are not on constantly.
They are on and off so the battery is saved when the LEDs are off.
The time on is fast enough so the human eye sees it on solid.
Since i am not human, my eye saw the LEDS on and off when my eyes moved.
They appeared as a string of dots and dashes.
The single absolute truth is that we don't know.

Jonathan Townsend
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Jonathan Townsend » October 14th, 2021, 12:08 pm

Old computer monitors (60hz) and faulty fluorescent tube power supplies (about 20hz) have noticeable flicker.
You can also find that effect from car tail lights when moving your head or when the road has turns.

Bill Mullins
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Bill Mullins » October 14th, 2021, 12:18 pm

I first saw the repeated word illusion on the front cover of a Ripley's Believe it or Not paperback. (For a few years, starting when I was about 10 or so, I could expect one or two of these books.)

Tarotist
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Tarotist » October 14th, 2021, 4:15 pm

Bill Mullins wrote:I first saw the repeated word illusion on the front cover of a Ripley's Believe it or Not paperback. (For a few years, starting when I was about 10 or so, I could expect one or two of these books.)


Oddly enough I must have given away thousands of those paperbacks! I was associated with Ripley's International for many years since I sold svengali decks in one of their museums. I took in a lot of money there. In fact there were off season days when I took in more money with the svengali deck than the entire museum took in with admission money!

They had tons and tons of these paperbacks in their basement but because this particular museum didn't have a gift shop like their other properties did, they just weren't being sold and wasted away in the basement. I did a deal with the management and purchased the books very cheaply indeed and gave one away with every svengali deck! Best giveaway I ever had because it was a very substantial looking book. Good quality too. I did a special deal. With every deck they would get a Dutch Looper, a small magic book and the Ripley's book. I remember we were selling 200 decks a day. I think the free paperbacks had a lot to do with it.

Edward Pungot
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Edward Pungot » October 14th, 2021, 9:36 pm

Long term memory storage and top-down brain processing are magical mechanisms in regards to perceiving the "outside" world.

I remember reading Oliver Sacks' Hallucinations book when it first came out (having borrowed it from the local library). There was an unbelievable personal first-hand drug-induced account description of his visual , auditory and other sensory registrars on a particular helicopter scene flying closely overhead his residence. Only to realize later on that there was no helicopter. But at the time it seemed so real, even down to the wind of the blades of the helicopter blowing over him. It was like homemade CGI coming from his own store-house of his brain.

Well, this intrigued the hell out of me. So I managed to acquire the drug from India. The realness is unbelievable.

I remember sitting down at the dining room table alone. My mother is at work but sitting right across from me is my mother talking to me as if she was really there. No ghostly apparition, it looked solid and real as if she was really there, mannerisms and everything, even auditory. The detail and her image imbeded with the surrounding environment was unbelievable. The attention to detail that operates under the radar is staggering just to make everything seem copacetic.

Even logically reasoning to oneself didn't make the illusion go away. What broke the illusion was when I reached out my hand to touch her face, at which point she froze like a robot and the image on her face began to melt as if it were made of wax. The the the...was then edited out.

Al Schneider
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Al Schneider » October 14th, 2021, 10:16 pm

Edward Pungot
Thank you for that.
The single absolute truth is that we don't know.

Edward Pungot
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Edward Pungot » October 15th, 2021, 1:33 am

A cautionary note to the story.
I would not try this again.
I overdosed during the experience and spent 3 days in the hospital with an IV in my arm to flush it out of my system.

MagicbyAlfred
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby MagicbyAlfred » October 15th, 2021, 2:00 am

Edward Pungot wrote:A cautionary note to the story.
I would not try this again.
I overdosed during the experience and spent 3 days in the hospital with an IV in my arm to flush it out of my system.


Wow! Glad everything turned out OK.

Even Timothy would be leary of such an experience.

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Re: Do we see the Matrix?

Postby Jonathan Townsend » October 15th, 2021, 8:48 am


Leo Garet
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Re: Do we see the Matrix?

Postby Leo Garet » October 15th, 2021, 10:07 am

Jonathan Townsend wrote:https://theawesomer.com/diy-persistence-of-vision-wand/455956/
:)


How do you change the the title of the thread?

Edward Pungot
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Edward Pungot » October 15th, 2021, 11:00 am

@Jon

There are plenty of other substances that produce more psychedelic experiences such as fantastical landscapes, oscillating geometric patterns and extreme white light. What surprised me about this particular incident was how normally real my mother was presented to me. It wasn't dreamy or otherworldly but quite the opposite which was quite unnerving.

Al Schneider
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Re: Do we see reality?

Postby Al Schneider » October 15th, 2021, 12:01 pm

Jonathan Townsend
I knew someone would eventually come up with that.
You get five stars.
The single absolute truth is that we don't know.


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