If you have watched television shows like Criss Angel Mindfreak, The Science of Magic and The Criss Angel Supernatural, you would definitely be familiar with Criss Angel himself. For those of you, who might not have heard the name, Criss Angel is a famous magician, illusionist and actor who ruled the world of television in early 2000s by displaying his amazing techniques on air.
For those who were deeply fantasized by his art, here are some of the Criss Angel tricks revealed.
- Levitation
One of Criss Angel`s most popular tricks was levitation.
Levitation refers to the act of raising yourself, or some other person or thing, above the ground, causing them to float in the air. Viewers are mesmerized by the performer`s magical powers, but in reality, it’s just an illusion.
How many of you have wondered why massive levitations like flying-above-buildings were not portrayed by him in front of live audiences but only in TV shows?
The trick is that the performer was using a crane to create the illusion that he was flying. The artist or the subject (depending on who is to be levitated) is tied to a crane using very thin cables which are not visible in bright sunlight. Dark colored clothing is worn by the subject, and the camera angles are adjusted to make the cables completely unnoticeable.
The artist/subject is then smoothly lifted with a crane, slow enough to make it seem natural.
For those who are wondering how come any of the spectators in those television shows did not notice anything unusual, you would be further surprised to know that they were all paid actors who were fully aware of the truth and just pretending to act surprised.
- The chain trick
The most obvious consequences of tying a person’s neck in chains and then pulling those chains is that the person will die due to strangulation.
However, Criss Angel used to surprise people in his shows when he would wrap a heavy chain around his neck and invite random people from the audience to pull that chain from both ends. When people would find the chain harmlessly passing through his neck and the performer standing there perfectly all right, they understandably believed it to be a show of some powerful magic.
However, this Criss Angel trick was revealed to be a deception as well. The loophole in this situation was the artist`s long hair which hid the chain partially so the audience was not able to notice that it was not actually tied but positioned in such a way that it created the required perception.
The artist then purposely created such facial expressions as if he was tensed or feeling strangled. Volunteers pulling the chain were told in advance not to stop or loosen grip even if they feel the artist is being hurt.
The fact that the magician acted – as if he was feeling pain after the stunt – to give the situation a more realistic effect proves that he is not just a good illusionist but also a very good actor as well.
- Walking on water
If someone tells us that they can walk on water, and by water they mean a pool, pond, or river rather than water spilled on the floor, we are bound to say that either the person is lying or he has certain magical powers.
What if we see them doing that for ourselves?
We will surely be left spell-bound and impressed. This is exactly what happened to Criss Angel fans when they saw him walking on water in some of his shows.
What they did not know is that it was actually Plexiglas, and not water the magician was walking on.
Plexiglas is a transparent material, but unlike glass it is strong and unbreakable. The fact that it is not only difficult to detect when immersed in a few inches of water, but also has a refractive property, makes this trick seem like a reality to the audience.
The audience in all of his television shows were paid actors anyways and he further gained the trust of at-home TV viewers, by directing the camera towards his feet, telling them to see for themselves that there was nothing but water beneath his feet.
Well, even though we were all dumbfounded by the act at that time, today we have this Criss Angel trick revealed.
- Cutting a person in half
There have been many adaptations of the famous Criss Angel trick in which a woman`s body is split into two pieces.
In the famous act which leaves people horrified, a person who is acting as the subject is usually asked to lie down. Two other random people from the live audience (again paid actors), are instructed to pull the subject in opposite directions with one pulling him/her by her upper body and the other by her feet.
Viewers are left speechless and frightened as they see the person`s body splitting into two pieces.
After viewing this act, most people are convinced that the performer certainly has divine magical powers, especially when the person cut in half is even alive and screaming in horror.
The truth behind this trick is that they are actually two different people positioned to seem like one. The reason why results appear in a way that makes it impossible for us to believe this, is that one of the participants is a medically challenged person born with sacral agenesis. Sacral agenesis is a condition in which the lower part of the body is partially or completely missing.
When presented like a complete body before splitting, the lower body that seems to belong to the same person is actually a contortionist bending in such a position that only his legs are visible and he is placed right next to the joint where the other participant`s legs would have been.
This allows for the upper body to be seemingly pulled apart, yet the person remains alive.
Both the participants are team members of the illusionist, whereas those viewing on television wonder how something as unnatural as this could even happen.
Even though some famous Criss Angel tricks have been revealed in this article, there are so many more that you will be amused to learn about and how easily you have been deceived by magicians and illusionists for years.