Penn Jillette, D.J. Grothe, James Randi—three prominent atheists, three accomplished magicians. (Anyone care to volunteer some thoughts as to why many atheists are attracted to magic? Or is there something about studying and performing magic that lends itself to atheism?)
My favorite atheist magician at the moment is the UK’s Derren Brown. You really ought to search YouTube for his work—some of his tricks put the gospels’ miracles to shame. Converting wine into water? Pfft! Try converting a room of atheists into believers. Brown did it.
“Instant Conversion” Part I
“Instant Conversion” Part II
And in this clip, Derren Brown demonstrates the power of presuppositions, unquestioned beliefs, and…voodoo?
I hope you took the time (or will find time) to watch these must-see videos. (Sorry that I resorted to Megavideo; YouTube disabled embedding for all Derren Brown videos.) I really enjoy Brown’s style, because not only is he a great showman, he’s a great educator also. His tricks demonstrate the mind’s susceptibilities and the importance of skepticism.
I’ve actually seen the instant conversion video before. I’ve always been really curious about the methods and techniques mentalists and magicians like Derren Brown use to get these reactions out of people.
There’s another video of him using subtle number tricks to get a payout on a losing horse at a horse race.
Watch closely. He never actually takes her ring.
Here’s one more Derren Brown video where he “adjusts” a woman’s perception of color: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr-QtNE9k84
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