Real Magic

Not all magic is the same. Most magic - as performed by magicians - consists of clever ways of making you think "Wow! How did they do that?".

This is the type of magic that immediately looses it magic once you see how it is done. I have watched some explanations of typical magic tricks and have felt the urge to "unsee" the explanations, because knowing how its done lets all the air out of the balloon, so to speak.

Some magic on the other hand, retains its appeal even after you know how it works. Optical illusions are good examples. The very definition of an optical illusion is that even when you understand what is going on in the illusion, your brain continues to "fall for it". I have watched some explanations of optical illusions and never feel the urge to "unsee" the explanations. The air remains in the balloon even when I know what it going on.

That is real magic.