A different side of magic

Is this magic?

Posted by in Chris Williams, Opinions | 6 comments

393975 330120537018593 100000619484888 1020997 322445347 n 210x300 Is this magic?

So I came accross this little effect. This is astonishing. I’ve never seen anything like it. But is it magic?

First, click on the image to enlarge it. Then:

1) Stare at the red dot on the girl’s nose for a full 30 seconds.
2) Look immediately away, to the ceiling or a blank wall.
3) Blink your eyes repeatedly.
4) Prepare to be shocked!

What do you guys think? What makes something a magic trick?

  • Nate Hickey

    This is pretty awesome, no lie hahaha

    • Chris Williams

      I know right, you just don’t expected what is coming. Feel free to direct friends to this page to show them this astonishing little thing.

  • Fin

    Is it that magic and mentalism is where perception has been fooled using manipulations involving physical space, manipulations, gimmicks, maths, language and other such devices to achieve illusions, but the example above, a illusion created purely by our perceptual processes, is a fooling of perception not in the physical space but in the actual wiring of our eyesight/senses/brains? So it’s more of a direct exploitation of a loophole or failing in our senses. Whereas magic needs physical manipulations the example above just goes straight to the senses and works, without any effort on anyone else’s part.

    • Chris Williams

      I would agree fin, however maybe from a magician’s point of view this isn’t magic, but maybe from a layman’s point of view it is, as a layman never sees any manipulation. Also when a magician performs a magic trick isn’t he fooling his audience’s perception? For example the audiences see one card when it is actually not. I can see your well expressed point. I don’t know the right answer to tell the truth. I don’t think there is a right answer. But I think it has sparked an interesting discussion.

  • Steven Blair

    Wow thats crazy. I love stuff like this and I would say its a form of magic.

  • Rod Craddock

    For an explanation and a very good read ,”Sleights of Mind: What the Neuroscience of Magic Reveals about Our Everyday Deceptions. Stephen L. Macknik, Susana Martinez-Conde , Sandra Blakeslee.