24+ Most Popular Magic Tricks Explained

As kids, we loved a good magic show—we were fascinated by it, and now as adults, we're just as mesmerized by magicians. Even after all of these years, we're still wondering about the secrets behind magic tricks.

Image by Lauren Alkan/MJ

But you don't have to wonder anymore! We're here to reveal how the most popular magic tricks actually work. Prepare to be amazed!

Walking on water is one of those magic tricks that’s pretty well known around the world. It’s origins come from as far back as the Bible, when Jesus supposedly managed the trick himself. Back then, it wasn’t considered a magic show staple, but rather a sign that he was the son of God. Hundreds of magicians have tried to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, and some of them have been successful. If you want to stun your audience, this trick is one of the best to pull out. There are few things more impressive than seeing someone defy the laws of physics like this, especially when they put on a convincing performance.

Unfortunately for biblical fans, there’s more to this trick than meets the eye. While it might appear that these magicians are successfully managing to cross a liquid surface as though it were solid, there’s actually something hidden in the water. Perspex boxes which are incredibly hard to see when submerged are placed where the magician plans to walk. With these in the water, they’re easily able to traverse the surface while maintaining the illusion. Some performers might put on a bit of a show while doing this, such as pretending to lose balance and potentially fall in, but it’s all just part of the act. Not such an impressive trick now is it.

Another trick that is popular with many magicians is the levitating man (or woman). Many street performers like to try this one out, and it usually goes down a treat. The trick sees the magician appearing to float in midair with nothing below them. The only thing connecting them to the ground is a stick that they hold onto, but this can’t be enough to keep them levitating for so long, can it? Most pedestrians have no idea how these people manage it, so it’s obviously a very convincing trick.

Did you think there was something dodgy about that stick? If they were genuinely levitating in the air, the magician wouldn’t need anything to hold onto. Indeed, there is more to this stick than it might first appear. Connected to it are two metal plates, one at the bottom and another higher up. The lower plate provides stability and is hidden by a piece of prop design, while the performer’s clothes conceal the other. The magician can sit on this plate all day long and appear to be levitating.

Most of us are familiar with this trick. It’s one of the oldest in the book, but it never fails to impress. There’s not really much to the act; all the assistant has to do is get in a box with their head, arms, and feet sticking out of various holes. The magician then grabs several implements to stick through the box which appears to separate the assistant’s body. Despite looking as though they’ve been dismembered, the assistant keeps smiling as the audience is shown the magic at work.

It’s not possible for a person to be cut in half like this and survive, so it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that more than one person is hiding in that box. The feet that you see hanging out actually belong to a second assistant, one who’s in there from the start. Their body fills the bottom half of the box, while the assistant on stage takes up the top half. They don’t get to sit in the most comfortable of positions, but we’re sure the illusion is worth it.