Do you believe in wizards and magic? The magic tricks or illusions often make us wonder: How did they do that? The truth is that the "wizard" did nothing but trick your brain. And he didn't struggle because your brain is a liar.
In the following video posted on YouTube, magician David Kwong and author of the book Spellbound reveal the "7 principles of illusion". These are the principles that turn a simple gesture into a magic trick:
Mind the gap: Your brain creates shortcuts and makes assumptions to help process the incomplete visual data it receives.
Write the script: Magicians want you to believe that you are seeing, so they will give you specific orals information or a script where you have to fill in some blanks. It is mental manipulation at its best.
Load up: The trick you see is the result of a preparation made by the magician. It's like sitting at a delicious meal in a restaurant and forgetting how much time and effort it took to build it.
Free choice design: Magicians often make you feel that you have some choices, and you really have only one choice. If you feel you have control, you will fall deeper into the illusion.
Work with the familiar: Magicians play on your brain's need to spot patterns. If a wizard shows you just a few cards from a deck, your brain will fill in the blanks and assume the deck is complete.
Back Up: Magicians always have a backup plan - or three or four of them. They are ready for anything, say, an unusual choice, and have planned secondary illusions to compensate for the surprise. You will never fool a magician. If you think you can, you have already lost.
Check Box: Like a director or a photographer, magicians know how to draw your attention exactly where they want. You will always look at what you want to look at, because your brain can not help.
Illusions may not be magic, but they can easily trick your brain.
Watch the video from the Wired channel: