9 Secrets of Famous Magic Tricks That Will Impress Even the Most Skeptical Audiences

The amazing world of magic attracts both children and adults. As kids, we all loved magic tricks, didn’t we? We get older, but a good tasteful trick or illusion never does.

We at Bright Side were quite surprised to find out that swift hands, thorough preparation, and a lot of practice are pretty much everything a magician needs. Satisfy your inner child’s curiosity, and find out how some of the most interesting magic tricks are really done!

9. Bottomless drinking cup

The trick involves 4 transparent tumblers. Each of them is twice as large as the previous one. The smallest one is filled with milk. The magician pours the milk into the tumbler that is twice its size, and...the milk completely fills the second tumbler. Then he pours the milk into the third tumbler, and the milk again doubles in volume.

How it’s done: There’s a solid plastic cylinder filling the center of each tumbler. However, it leaves a narrow channel around the sides. So the milk doesn’t miraculously double but fills a specially designed space, which is...yes...only 8 oz.

8. Run over by a truck

The magician (or, in this case, his attractive assistant) lies down and gets ready to have a huge truck run over him or her. It actually does run them over, but magically no one gets hurt.

How it’s done: When performing this trick, the magician relies completely on the laws of physics. Counterweights that were placed inside the truck beforehand just shift the balance of the truck, so the wheels on the lighter side of the truck only touch the top of the magician without causing any damage.

7. Light bulb without electricity

A completely ordinary unplugged light bulb flickers in the magician’s hand. How in the world is this possible? Well, he needs not only sleight of hand but also some imagination and resourcefulness.

How it’s done: The light actually comes from a small gadget hidden in the magician’s hand. It’s a simple battery-powered flashing LED. The magician can switch it on whenever he wants. From the front, it looks like the bulb is lighting with the help of some magical power.

6. Split man

The magician looks like he was cut in half and is now holding his own legs.

How it’s done: This is just an optical illusion. If you look closely, you might notice that the man is holding plastic mannequin legs. All he needs to do is make the right posture and wear baggy clothes to conceal all the secrets.

5. Linking rings

The magician begins by showing you that the 3 rings are solid. A second later, he somehow hooks 2 of them together and then magically separates them. Magic!

How it’s done: It really is just sleight of hand because there is a tiny gap in one of the rings, which he conceals in the palm of his hand. Although it looks like the rings are still linked together, they were actually unhooked a moment earlier.

4. Disappearing doves

The magician opens the special box and places a bird inside. Then he closes the lid. A magic spell and...the magician opens the box and gives the lid to his assistant. Where is the dove now? It’s gone!

How it’s done: It’s all in the magic lid. It has a secret compartment where the dove is hidden. The magician just needs to make sure that the assistant conceals the secret compartment.

3. Anti-gravity lean

Undoubtedly, Michael Jackson was one of the greatest singers and dancers in the world, but his performance in the music video Smooth Criminal left all of his fans with one single question: How did he do this amazing gravity-defying forward lean?

How it’s done: The secret here is his specially designed shoes with a hitching mechanism. A special slot at the bottom of the heel connected to a peg on the floor, so Michael could easily support his own body weight even when performing that iconic dance move.

2. Card fishing

The magician asks a volunteer to pick a random card, and he shows it to the audience. Let’s say it was the 6 of hearts. Then the volunteer randomly places the card back into the deck. The magician drops the cards into a top hat. Next, he takes a simple rope. He drops the end of the rope into the hat, and...somehow pulls out the card that was picked before. The 6 of hearts!

How it’s done: First of all, the deck only appears to be an ordinary one. It contains 52 of the exact same card — the 6 of hearts. Second, inside the hat, one of the 6 of hearts is already tied to a short piece of trick rope with a powerful magnet on the end. The rope that the magician lowers into the hat also ends with a magnet. The 2 magnets attach to each other, and that’s how you get “your” card.

1. Levitating man

Some believe that special meditation techniques allow people to levitate. But if you see a street magician dressed up as a monk levitating in the air, don’t believe your eyes that easily.

How it’s done: To levitate in the air, the magician simply uses a special metal construction cleverly hidden under his baggy clothes.

Which of these trick revelations impressed you most? Do you happen to know any other secrets behind popular magic tricks? Please share with us in the comments!