The Hindu Rope Trick
Science has never been able to explain the remarkable feat of "white magic" know as the Hindu rope trick. Since the time of Marco Polo Western travelers have marveled at this uncanny and inexplicable performance. There are many variations, but the trick in ins complete and classic form is described as follows: the conjurer takes a large ball of rope, fastens one end to a sack, and tosses the other into the air. Instead of falling, the ropes keeps ascending until its upper end is lost to sight, while its lower end becomes taut. The performer's boy helper climbs lightly up the rope until he too disappears. When he is ordered down, his voice is heard, refusing. Angered, the man climbs after him with a knife between his teeth. Soon, to the horror of the crowd, blood and pieces of the boy's body shower down. the magician returns and throws a sheet over the dismembered corpse. In a moment, he removes the sheet and reveals the boy smiling and well. Though some photographs show parts of the performance, photographers usually get nowhere. For instance, some British soldiers once slipped into the audience of a magician with a camera and stop watch. The watch functioned and showed their time perception to be accurate, but their negatives were entirely blank. The jealously guarded secret of the fakirs is still safe from prying curiosity.
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edited: This article can be found at http://www.ety.com/HRP/media/hypnotism.htm. I've edited out the last paragraphs because quoting whole articles is against the forum rules.
Science has never been able to explain the remarkable feat of "white magic" know as the Hindu rope trick. Since the time of Marco Polo Western travelers have marveled at this uncanny and inexplicable performance. There are many variations, but the trick in ins complete and classic form is described as follows: the conjurer takes a large ball of rope, fastens one end to a sack, and tosses the other into the air. Instead of falling, the ropes keeps ascending until its upper end is lost to sight, while its lower end becomes taut. The performer's boy helper climbs lightly up the rope until he too disappears. When he is ordered down, his voice is heard, refusing. Angered, the man climbs after him with a knife between his teeth. Soon, to the horror of the crowd, blood and pieces of the boy's body shower down. the magician returns and throws a sheet over the dismembered corpse. In a moment, he removes the sheet and reveals the boy smiling and well. Though some photographs show parts of the performance, photographers usually get nowhere. For instance, some British soldiers once slipped into the audience of a magician with a camera and stop watch. The watch functioned and showed their time perception to be accurate, but their negatives were entirely blank. The jealously guarded secret of the fakirs is still safe from prying curiosity.
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edited: This article can be found at http://www.ety.com/HRP/media/hypnotism.htm. I've edited out the last paragraphs because quoting whole articles is against the forum rules.
