What is the art of magic? | Lawrence Hass | TEDxSMU

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Far from tricking people, lying to them, and deceiving them, I suggest that magic is an art form that celebrates impossible things, thereby energizing people to see beyond accepted limits and to imagine new possibilities for transformation. This account of magic performance overturns common misconceptions about magic and helps explain why there have been magicians in every recorded human culture. Lawrence Hass, Ph.D., is a magician and a philosopher. He is Associate Dean of McBride’s Magic & Mystery School in Las Vegas and is Professor of Humanities at Austin College (Sherman, Texas). Lawrence performs his artistic, inspiring magic at universities, corporate events, theaters, and nightclubs—from coast-to-coast in America and internationally. He performs regularly in Las Vegas and the world-famous Magic Castle in Hollywood. He is also a celebrated teacher of magic and an award-winning author of essays and books about the art, including his international bestseller, Transformations: Creating Magic Out of Tricks (2007). Dr. Hass’s work as a philosopher-magician has been featured in the New York Times, USAToday, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and on the Discovery Channel. About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)