Magical Consciousness – A Journey into the Mystical World of Illusions
When you think about magic, what comes to mind? A man in a tuxedo pulling rabbits out of a hat? The dazzling lights of Las Vegas shows? Or perhaps something a little more personal, more intimate—like the feeling of sheer awe and confusion as you watch a magician seemingly defy the laws of nature right before your eyes.
In the most recent episode of the Mindbend Podcast, Elizabeth and Eric—better known as The Cosmic Romantics—shared their world of magic, consciousness, and performance, painting a picture that goes well beyond the stereotypical tricks. It’s not just about sleight of hand or illusion; it’s about the extraordinary states of consciousness that magic evokes both in the performer and the audience. For those lucky enough to attend their shows at venues like Black Rabbit Rose in Los Angeles, magic becomes something more—a doorway into the unknown.
For Eric and Elizabeth, magic goes beyond simply pulling off a trick. The experience is about entering a state of consciousness that can almost feel supernatural. As Elizabeth explained, watching magic for the first time can induce a sense of wonder that’s difficult to compare to anything else.
Personally, I remember being consistently stunned for hours, when I first attended The Magic Castle, a legendary Los Angeles magic venue. That prolonged state of awe, induced after watching preposterous trick after trick, is akin to entering an altered state of mind—one where perception and reality start to blur.
But what about the magician’s experience? What goes through the mind of someone who knows the secrets behind the tricks? Eric and Elizabeth both shared how they’ve spent years mastering their craft, working with magicians like their friend Fitzgerald and a fellow performer named Asia, a fire eater and sword swallower. It’s a small, close-knit world where magicians have an unspoken code of ethics. Revealing tricks isn’t just frowned upon; it’s seen as a betrayal of the art. The mystery is part of the magic, after all.
Yet, despite the high stakes of their profession, Elizabeth and Eric embrace the unpredictability of live performances. In a particularly candid moment, Elizabeth talked about how performing magic can feel like tricking the mind, much like how psychedelics alter perception. There’s a parallel there, one that seems to resonate deeply with their work. “Magic is about perception,” Elizabeth said. “You’re tricking the mind, making something that seems impossible, possible.”
Their reflections on performing magic brought up fascinating insights into the mindset of a magician. For Elizabeth, stepping onto the stage takes her into a “different world”—a place where the nervousness and self-doubt of everyday life melt away, leaving her fully present and in control. The adrenaline, the crowd, the lights—it all transforms her into someone else, someone she deeply admires.
Eric echoed that sentiment. When it’s showtime, the two of them enter what they describe as a “fugue state”—a flow of focus that pulls them completely into the moment, blocking out everything else. Even life’s biggest worries seem to disappear. It’s an experience that transcends ordinary consciousness, and much like magic itself, it feels like stepping into another reality.
While they perform regularly in front of both magicians and laypeople, the dynamics of each show change depending on the audience. For magicians, it’s about trying to fool other professionals—there’s a bit of a friendly rivalry to see if you can pull off something truly innovative. But for the general public, the goal is pure entertainment. And with that, comes the thrill of keeping the audience on the edge of their seats, wondering what’s real and what’s not.
It’s this sense of wonder that draws comparisons to altered states of consciousness—particularly the effects of psychedelics.
For Elizabeth, her creative process has been influenced by substances like psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and cannabis. Though she doesn’t take these substances while performing, she’s used them during her creative process and they’ve even informed her process when setting about to write new routines and scripts. Much like a songwriter pouring their heart into music, Elizabeth has found that psychedelics open up new avenues of inspiration for her, allowing her to incorporate deeper, more personal elements into her magic.
One particularly psychedelic experience occurred when Elizabeth took an unexpectedly strong dose of cannabis tincture while working with friends on a TV project. That high sent her into a profound trip, during which she astral-projected and experienced vivid, emotional visions. In this altered state, she found herself reliving a middle school memory—an eighth-grade dance where she had longed for her crush to ask her to dance to the song “All My Life” by KC and JoJo. In her psychedelic reverie, she heard a voice telling her that “the vastness of the universe is so much bigger than this moment,” a revelation that ultimately guided her to make life-changing decisions, including asking Eric out and leaving a relationship that no longer served her.
Despite the intensity of that trip, Elizabeth now regards it as one of the best things that ever happened to her, describing it as a cosmic event that provided profound clarity. The combination of magic and psychedelics, for her, became a way of accessing a deeper understanding of herself and her art.
For Eric, the idea of using psychedelics to boost creativity is intriguing, but he’s more cautious when it comes to incorporating them into performance. While he acknowledges the potential benefits, he prefers to keep his mind sharp on stage. Still, the influence of these substances on their creative process is undeniable, and it continues to shape the magic they create together.
Eric and Elizabeth mused about the mysterious and insular nature of the magic world. Despite the rise of platforms like YouTube and TikTok where tricks are frequently exposed, magic has managed to survive and thrive. There’s something timeless about it—something that technology and spoilers can’t quite diminish. At its core, magic is about creating a moment of awe, a suspension of disbelief that transports the audience to another reality.
For Eric and Elizabeth, magic is more than just an art form. It’s a means of exploring consciousness, bending reality, and revealing the extraordinary hidden within the ordinary. I’m glad I took the leap of faith and asked them onto the show, and I think you’ll enjoy hearing from this delightful duo.
Whether on stage at Black Rabbit Rose or in the quiet moments of their creative process, The Cosmic Romantics continue to push the boundaries of perception—both their own and their audience’s.