The Illusionist Brain

More about the book

This book explores how magicians exploit the natural functioning of our brains to create astonishing effects. It takes readers on a journey through the inner workings of the human mind, revealing how magicians interfere with cognitive processes to achieve seemingly impossible feats. By using magic as a lens, the book provides an engaging overview of modern neuroscience, highlighting the unconscious and automatic functions of our brains. Our perception of reality is constructed from memories and sensory information, and our minds adeptly trick us into believing in a continuous experience. While this ability to create meaning from incomplete information benefits survival, it also presents vulnerabilities that magicians skillfully exploit. The authors examine how illusionists manipulate our attention, making us look but not see, and leverage our individual predispositions and fragile memories. Drawing on the latest neuroscience findings, the book explains how magic deceives, surprises, and amazes us, demonstrating how illusionists "hack" our brains to alter perceptions and influence imagination.