Cover of Hindu Magic: An Expose of the Tricks of the Yogis and Fakirs of India

Hindu Magic: An Expose of the Tricks of the Yogis and Fakirs of India

  • Free to read
  • 45 min read
  • 14 chapters
  • Reading level: 8th & 9th grade

"Hindu Magic: An Expose of the Tricks of the Yogis and Fakirs of India" by Carrington is a scientific publication written during the early 20th century. The book critically examines various traditional performances and tricks attributed to Indian yogis and fakirs, assessing their nature and the methods behind them. Carrington aims to demystify these acts and reveal the underlying principles of deception, rather than attributing them to supernormal abilities. Throughout the book, Carrington systematically describes and analyzes several well-known tricks performed by Indian conjurers, such as the mango-tree trick and the basket trick. He provides detailed explanations of how these illusions are executed, often involving clever manipulation, special preparations, and the use of props that lead to the appearance of miraculous feats. The author emphasizes the psychological aspects of these performances, illustrating how audience perception and expectation can enhance the effects of the tricks. By unraveling the secrets behind these so-called magical phenomena, Carrington encourages readers to view such acts through a lens of critical inquiry rather than superstition.

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  • Magic tricks · India

Read the opening

Hindu Magic

In this pamphlet I propose to consider the phenomena which are presented by the fakirs and yogis of India, and to inquire into their nature and the method of their production.

The feats performed by Indian fakirs are numerous, but I shall describe those most commonly witnessed: the mango-tree trick, the basket trick, the bowl of water trick, the dry sands trick, the rope and dismembered body test, levitation, snake charming, burial alive, etc.

As so much is heard of Indian magic, and the powers of the Oriental performer, it may be well to examine their performances somewhat critically, and to see how far we are entitled to assume that there is anything in them suggesting the supernormal, anything calling for explanations that necessitate the operation of laws “other than those known to Western science.”

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Contents

  1. Hindu Magic
  2. The Mango-Tree Trick
  3. The Basket Trick
  4. The Dry-Sands Trick
  5. The Coloured-Sands Trick
  6. The Diving Duck
  7. The Jumping Egg
  8. The Beans and Scorpion Trick
  9. The Basket and Birds Trick
  10. The Ball of Cotton Trick
  11. The Brass Bowl Trick
  12. Snake-Charming
  13. Voluntary Interment
  14. The Rope Trick

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About this edition

This free edition of Hindu Magic: An Expose of the Tricks of the Yogis and Fakirs of India by Hereward Carrington comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #65121, released 2021-04-20. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Archaeology & Anthropology, Psychiatry/Psychology.

Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).

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