Résumé :
Over the centuries, magicians have developed extensive knowledge about the manipulation
of the human mind—knowledge that has been largely ignored by psychology. It has recently
been argued that this knowledge could help improve our understanding of human cognition
and consciousness. But how might this be done? And how much could it ultimately
contribute to the exploration of the human mind? We propose here a framework outlining
how knowledge about magic can be used to help us understand the human mind. Various
approaches—both old and new—are surveyed, in terms of four different levels. The first
focuses on the methods in magic, using these to suggest new approaches to existing
issues in psychology. The second focuses on the effects that magic can produce, such
as the sense of wonder induced by seeing an apparently impossible event. Third is the
consideration of magic tricks—methods and effects together—as phenomena of scientific
interest in their own right. Finally, there is the organization of knowledge about magic into
an informative whole, including the possibility of a science centered around the experience
of wonder.

DOI  : 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01508