There used to be a show on TV, maybe called The Masked Magician?, that showed how certain magic tricks are done. It was very interesting, but you'd still have to have a great amount of talent to pull then off.
I was on a cruise with my daughter and she was chosen from the audience to get her head cut off in a guillotine. Down came the blade....but her head was still on. She said she felt a pressure on the back of her neck and then a puff of air, but still didn't have idea how it worked.
My dad was an amateur magician, so I knew how he did his tricks, but he only did very simple things.
I've seen a few of the great magicians do their shows in Vegas and other places. Boy, it sure looks real!