Robert LAMAR ~ SkepTricks

Thanks to Nielsen Magic for permission to use the above image.

What exactly is SkepTricks? SkepTricks is the act of studying and understanding the principles that a conjuror utilizes to create acts of illusion and utilizing those principles within a skeptic's way of thinking. A conjuror has a unique way of looking at the world. This is not to say that a conjuror is smarter then anyone else. Not at all. What it does mean, though, is that a conjuror sees the world differently, and they tend to think differently about that world, then the average person. For example, if someone were to approach you right now and ask you to cause the computer monitor that you are reading this webpage from to float in the air, most people would respond by saying that the request is impossible. But not a conjuror! Putting time and money issues aside, a conjuror will look at the request, study the location where the desired effect is to take place, and then come up with possible solutions that would allow him/her to create the illusion of the computer monitor floating in the air. Where most would say such a request is impossible, a conjuror will find a solution. Again, it does not mean that a conjuror is smarter, but they do have a different mindset when it comes to problem-solving.

The conjuring arts have been instrumental over the years in assisting skeptics, skeptical organizations, and ultimately the public, with the exposing and debunking of supernatural, paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. From the beginning of the twentieth century with Harry Houdini (March 24, 1874 - October 31, 1926, born Ehrich Weiss) who brought to light (literally) the goings on within the darkened seance rooms of the spiritualists, to James "The Amazing" Randi (born August 7, 1928) who has exposed the fraudulent claims of the likes of self-proclaimed psychic Uri Geller and televangelist faith healer Peter Popoff. Their exposes were made possible by applying the principles they had learned as conjurors. As conjurors they deeply understand not only how and why people are fooled, but how people fool themselves.

The purpose of this website is not to turn you into a conjuror. If that were to happen, though, that would not necessarily be a bad thing. The conjuring art is a fascinating art form that I have been associated with for over 40 years. Rather, the purpose of this site is to take you inside the inner world of the conjuring arts and teach you some of the principles that a conjuror utilizes that allows him/her to create illusion. Now, I want to make something very clear at the outset: if you are looking for the secrets to some of the great illusions of the masters of today (Criss Angel, David Blaine, David Copperfield or Penn & Teller) you have come to the wrong place. This site will not expose any trade secrets that are currently in use by performers today. Being a performer, myself, it would be asinine for me to teach the secrets from the material that I (and others) utilize to derive a living. You will learn, however, a number of principles that conjurors utilize that, when applied, will greatly enhance your critical thinking skills and provide you with enhanced weapons that you can add to your arsenal as a skeptic. These will include looking at some of the the principles of psychology that are used to deceive people, optical illusions and some simpler (but very effective) beginner's tricks. These added skill sets will supplement what you already know and will allow you to look at supernatural, paranormal and pseudoscientific claims with a conjuror's eye. You will be able to pick up things that would go completely unnoticed to an average observer.