I dunno! I rather enjoyed shutting up my sister, who is kinda fanatical. Religion is over the top. Sometimes ya gotta just nip it. I nipped it alright! Yeah, watching my sisters sit with their mouths agape was CLASSIC! I enjoyed that very much!

My friend being angry with me...not so much...

Doug

I just came back to this post for the first time since my last reply. (So glad to see that this conversation hasn't degraded into the flame-wars so often seen around here.)

You all have some great things to consider. I really like the idea of going on to another effect, but that, of course, only comes with the time it takes to learn and perfect those new effects (and figuring out what works together).

I've still only been doing little bits of tricks here and there on a hobbiest basis, and unfortunately, still usually only for people I know. However, the more I do a trick, and the more I learn in general, the better I get at understanding and anticipating certain recurring reactions. And I've learned *which* friends make for a good audience. ;-)

Please, however, keep the advice coming. I am sure other newbs will appreciate any suggestions that are made.

Cheers,
Lelando

Try doing an effect within the context of a story of some kind. It sounds contrived at first, but it works really well. If you perform magic in the "Here I have a coin. The coin goes into my hand. I wave my other hand over it, and now it's gone! Tada!" manner, then you are setting yourself up for it to be interpreted as a puzzle. Also, there is a lot more to the fact that friends--no matter how close, but your trivia game group counts--and family. Our friends and family can make the worst audiences because they know us better, often subconsciously, thean we or they realize. There is also a certain puzzle aspect to effects done with props that can only be magician's props. The more "normal" looking the objects you are performing with the getter. Consider videoing yourself and posting the video and that could give us some insight into what the dynamics are.

Bingo! I highly recommend this book:

http://www.leapinglizardsmagic.com/aaa_n......ales.htm

This will guarantee a change in the perception of your Magic! I should have had this book 30 years ago! $35 is less than most Magic DVDs!

Doug

Methinks the lack of responses here is due to the restrictive choices provided, i.e. either "illusion" or "puzzle." There are many other possible reactions to observing an "inexplicable phenomena." The most vital for performing magicians (for entertainment) is where the observer is overjoyed to simply file the experience away with other such memories with no attempt to either "reconstruct," "determine method" or claim "magic" or "act of God." This is a function of creating the proper "expectation" rather than just "anticipation." The key is to prompt "the story told after" rather than just creating astonishment.

Another scenario is where a magic effect used to support a story or lesson (not for entertainment). The focus here is to trigger the "Attention/Retention Cycle" and the observer can accept the effect/demonstration as a visual aid with littel concern over "solving" or considering it to be "magic."

I can attest to the phenomenon that when the observer does not know you are a magician or are about to perform a magic effect (expectation) the most common result is for them to challenge their view of what is considered impossible (tens of thousands of performances).

Such examples would suggest that if you wish the response to be "puzzle" you can orchestrate the presentation in that direction. If you wish the response to be "must be magic" you can influence that response. Likewise with :lesson" or "challenge the impossible" and other possible conclusions. You must be concerned what the observer will later relate to others about what was observed rather than nay immediate response to you "in the moment."

Recent "neurobiology" discoveries about how our brains indicate we are given little endorphin pleasure jolts for various mental activities. A performer can trigger these in sequence and bias the result of a complex demonstration. Also, the way we arrive at a conclusions looks more like magic than science, the balance determined by genes. Those drawn to be magicians (always seeking the method) are possibly lacking acommon gene that allows others to simply enjoy the magic.