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By NITISH S. RELE
It would have been one of the greatest magical feats ever. But the Indian rope trick. never happened. Here's how it works or worked, for that matter: A rope rises into the air. A boy climbs the rope and when he gets to the top, he disappears into thin air. People expressed
their amazement after witnessing the illusion, and pictures captured the stunning moment.
Conjured by an amateur magician and printed in the "Chicago Tribune" in 1890, which admitted four months later that the story was false, the hoax spread like wildlife throughout the world. In his new book, "The Rise of the Indian Rope Trick: How a spectacular hoax became history" (265 pages, published by Thunder's Mouth Press), Scotland-based author Peter Lamont explains how the rope trick became one of the most successful hoaxes of all time and the reason so many people fell for it.
A winner of the Jeremy Dalziel prize in British History, Lamont is a research fellow at University of Edinburgh in Scotland and specializes in history, theory and performance of magic. He traveled to India in search of the legendary rope trick and has performed as a magician and psychic. Here is an interview with him:
LAMONT: It was simply the mystery. A great deal had been written about the rope trick, but very little had been based upon evidence. I realized that if the evidence was checked properly, the mystery might yet be solved.
KHAASBAAT: So far, how has the response been to the book?
LAMONT: The book is already available in India, via Penguin. Already, the response there (and in other countries) has been of two kinds. On the one hand, there have been countless reviews about the combination of rigorous research and humorous prose. This is particularly satisfying, because (a): I spent a very long time checking and citing all the appropriate evidence (which is normal in academic history, but rare in popular history), and (b): I think that academic research should be fun as well as insightful. On the other hand, there have been a few people who have complained about the book debunking this greatest of Indian myths. This is a little odd because (if they had bothered to read the book), they would realize it is not an Indian myth, but a myth about India that was created in the West. But the legend grew on the back of stories by people who did not check the facts, so it seems only traditional that this should continue to happen.
KHAASBAAT: How can the common people who believe stories that are fed to them as
truth despite all logical senses and their outright impossibility be convinced otherwise?
LAMONT: It's not just common people. History is full of well educated, intelligent people believing in the most extraordinary things. Even the rope trick was supported by testimony from the British aristocracy (which, as we all know, is so much more reliable than the rest of us). But to regard something as outright impossible is neither scientific nor skeptical. It is a matter of evidence and argument. I think everyone could benefit from being more skeptical about claims and counter-claims, whether these are coming
from God-men, gurus, politicians, or journalists (or even historians).
KHAASBAAT: What next for you? Another book on magic?
LAMONT: My next book is called "The First Psychic." It's about the first psychic. Hence, the title. The subject of the book is, I think, the most interesting man I have ever come across. A household name in the 19th century, virtually unknown today. But he's the person for whom the word psychic was invented. And he's a Scotsman, which makes him even more interesting. The book will be out in August. Meanwhile, you can read a
couple of paragraphs about him in the �Rise of the Indian Rope Trick.�
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