Forgive me if someone has posted this before...
After seeing this article:http://www.freakonomics.com/2012/04/27/messing-with-memory/
about how "alarmingly easy to create false memories for people, even when they know an event didn’t happen. "

What is the craziest story you heard about your own performance?

I did a show and got a call the next day from someone who couldn't make it to the previous show. She told me she heard about my show and how I flew around the room and all this crazy stuff. I didn't do anything close to that. It turns out the client tried to tell her about my show, but she wasn't quite paying attention, so the client started messing with her. She heard THAT part. Anyways, she book another show, but what is YOUR crazy story?

I listened to a re-telling, and apparently I made this guy's signed card magically appeared in his own wallet.

Someone else told their friend that I made a bowling ball appear under my hat. (It was only a cannonball, but I'll never tell. )

Great idea for a topic, Kameron!

In his book Magic: The Complete Course, Joshua Jay gives instructions on making a home-made Invisible Deck. He also gives a new routine for it, which has a few advantages over the classic routine. His routine is this:

Pretend to give the spectator an invisible deck of cards and have him/her pick one, name it, and then put back into its invisible box. Then open an (apparently empty) paper bag (the kind used for sack lunches) and, while holding the bag, invite the spectator to toss the imaginary deck of cards into the bag. Right after the deck is thrown, the sound of a deck of cards landing in the bag is heard. The magician then takes out the deck -- now clearly visible -- then opens the card box, then spreads the cards from hand to hand with the cards facing towards the spectator. However, one card is found to be facing the other way. The spectator takes this card, flips it over, and it is revealed to be the selected card!

So I did this trick for a friend, and it succeeded in baffling her. I didn't know it until later, but afterwards she went to a mutual friend's father (who is also a magician) to ask him how I did the trick. (He wouldn't tell.) Later I did the trick for the same father explaining to him that it was Joshua Jay's routine. After I finished the trick for him, he realized that this trick I had just performed for him was the same trick she was asking him about, but she described it in such an odd way that it wasn't clear to him (until then) which trick I had done.

You're reading this second hand, but basically one of the things she said about me and my routine was:

"He took all the cards and stuffed them in a paper bag and then pulled out my card."

Granted, her description may not sound so impressive, but if you add a few details with just the right wording (such as "first it wasn't there and then it was!") it can make a listener think something grand and ineffable happened.

-- J-L

It seems to be true that generally people hear and see only about 25% of what we communicate. It may not be a bad idea to say and show things in a few DIFFERENT ways for perception to "sink in."

(Hope you got at least 25% of that).

Or say that you do things you don't do (like I never touched the deck and then you chose a card), since they will probably just remember the ending and then think back on how we got their and remember your words. In that way you can turn your tricks into real magic, atleast in their memories.

A few years ago, I did an effect for people at a youth group. I put a penny in their hand and waved over it, turning it into a dime. After about a week, word got back to me that not only did I levitate and allow someone to run a broom under my feet to prove I was really doing it, but when a phone rang in their kitchen, I held out my hand and it flew to me so I could answer it. That was always funny to me.

I try to be as honest as a magician can be. ie "There's no supernatural force here, I've learnt some tricks."
So at an aftershow party Im doing some IT tricks with some mental magic and the ocassional card effect whilst talking about people like Popoff, Hydrick and Sylvia Brown. All the while explaining that magicians know the methods that these people use and how easy it is to fool the public with a bit of bulls#t. I ended the magic with a demo of a street magic levitation and a "goodnight." Seeing the people the next day at the theatre I kept getting asked how "I flew and would I pretty please teach them for work."
The magic worked but I guess the public service announcement failed.

I have been doing the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism, aka Medieval reenactment) thing for about 40 years.

A friend of mine was going to be crowned as King at Coronation, and as is tradition, many people offer gifts to the new Crown during court. I was on the docket to make a presentation in this outdoor setting. Over the course of the court, many people had provided the Royal couple with bottles of spirits, some purchased, some brewed or vented by the giver. When I had my opportunity, I presented the Square & Circle, producing a set of etched glass goblets that I had done, telling them that I had noticed that they had been given several bottles, and I realized that they needed something from which to drink. Appreciation from the Crown, applause from the audience, my portion of the show was over.

About two years after this event, I overheard a Lady retelling the tale, so I discretely listened in. According to her, not only did I produce the goblets from thin air, but a magnum of champaign as well! Never argue with someone who, wittingly or not, increases your reputation by exaggerating your feats.

I combined an inject 2.0 effect with electric touch for the reveal. I did this to a female colleague a few months back and up to this day she's convinced that because of me, she now get's frequent electric shocks. she doesn't believe me that there is no correlation and even my buddy (who knows the secret) couldn't persuade her that it's just coincidental..

I have enjoyed reading the posts above! --Particularly 'cuz, they illustrate a point that I always emphasize when I'm mentoring. I usually begin by quoting the late Dr. A.M. Wilson's masthead on the "op-ed" page of the old "SPHINX" magazine. In the masthead was a statement: "Magic is an art that sometimes instructs, often amuses, but, always entertains."

Of course, most of us, who have been "around" for awhile, and, have seen a "few" demonstrations (not performances!)of a trick, have long ago realized that the good Doctor was mistaken. MAGIC IS NOT INHERENTLY ENTERTAINING!

If the PERFORMER of a trick has developed, and has used, a good PRESENTATION, and, the PRESENTATION "fits" his PERSONALITY. the odds are, that the spectator(s) will experience "magic", and, will be ENTERTAINED.

Now, here's the point (that will keep my post from screwing up this interesting thread:) The trick that was presented with a good presentation (etc.) created the MAGIC, NOT IN THE PERFORMER'S HANDS, NOT ON HIS CLOSE UP PAD, NOT ON THE PLATFORM, >>>BUT<<< IN THE SPECTATOR(S) >>>MIND(S)<<<.

Principle: "Magic" is 5% sleight of hand skills, 5% esoteric principles of science, 5% SENSORY ILLUSION, and, 75% PSYCHOLOGY. Those last two parts of the principle are very SUBJECTIVE. Everyone "sees" according to his/her own IMAGINATION, INTELLIGENCE, and, EXPERIENCE.

So! Nobody "sees" the same thing! And, in telling about it, because they experienced "magic", they tend to exaggerate what they saw.

SIMPLE, ISN'T IT!

Performing sponge bunnies, iI’ll often hear later how I produced 20, 30, or even 50 bunnies at the end...

Like the game telephone

This reminds me of the massive reaction the world gave to David Blaine's levitation in his original special. The next day, and for weeks later you would hear people talk about how high he floated, etc... Not to undercut it, it was well done. But you would hear some people talk about it like "I watched him fly!" Hahaha!