Vanish Magic Magazine 127 | Join the Magical Journey

and instructional materials, N2G Magic aims to maintain the brand's vitality and increase market share.

His favorite magician? "David Copperfield," he replied without hesitation. Regarding his personal life, N2G describes himself as a dreamer whose ideas often come to him in moments of sleep or insomnia. As a Buddhist, he values kindness and sincerity, holds a pure perspective of the world, and draws inspiration from it.

Words from N2G

Join the Magical Journey

N2G Magic invites magic enthusiasts worldwide to join us on this enchanting journey. With a steadfast commitment to quality and creativity, we strive to bring the power and creativity of Chinese magic to the global stage. N2G Magic looks forward to becoming a symbol of trust and innovation among magicians worldwide in the future.

When asked about his goals, N2G stated: "My goal is to ensure that every set of products undergoes rigorous selection and quality control before shipment, so that users who purchase N2G products can have a 100% satisfactory experience and feel happy and fulfilled when using our props."

For more information and to explore our product range, please visit our official website: n2gmagic.com

37

FEBRUARY | 2025

Vanish Magic Magazine

Audience question: (Mr. Lynch) What do the works of Franz Kafka mean to you?

David Lynch : I love Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis. That piece of writing does something to me…I love that kind of humor, absurdity, and yet big truths, swimming through it, and the way the story is told. I love it. It thrills me.”

—from, Meditation, Creativity and Peace (2006)

AN APPRECIATION OF THE MAGICIAN’S FRIEND

“He was drawn to mystery because he understood mystery as a conversation — a collision of differences, interpretations, perspectives. Not a message sent down from an all-knowing source.

A mystery leaves room for other people to get in there. It is two-way communication.” —Kyle MacLachlan, NY Times, 1/19/25

I never met David Lynch, but I experienced him many times.

1975 . Los Angeles, The Merv Griffin Show. His energetic innocence adoring the Indian monk accepting flowers from the first row where David first encountered Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Harsh TV bright; the spiritual light of a divine teacher. Wrap that up, tie some string around it, “Action! No!!!!! Do it again… OK, action!” Life was a David Lynch film and he let us all know it. The auteur’s auteur. It helped, starting in 1974, there was a magician on Broadway I came to know named Doug Henning (1947-2000) and he too practiced the Maharishi’s meditation.

Lynch was one of the crowd I intellectually ran with, though I’d not hear his name mentioned until some fellow high schoolers told me in 1977 they were going to see the punk band Devo at Alice Tulley Hall at Lincoln Center (New York City) do a midnight show. “And then afterwards, we may bop down to the Village and catch a show of this new tripped out flick, ERASERHEAD. It’ll freak you out bro.”

There was magic afoot; mystery inspired by the commingling of art, rock and adventure. “If you’re an artist you’re my big friend” said Lynch over and over. His work; undeniably majikal. That means “beyond the beyond”, and he mentions this repeatedly in his Meditation, Creativity, Peace world tour documentary where he advises another artist on the magical process of creativity at roughly the fifteen minute mark. You should check it out.

1977 . A painter with Philly street cred; American Film Institute and George Stevens Jr., backing, ERASERHEAD became, after four treacherous years, a cult classic that launched comet Lynch. John Waters, having had midnight Pink Flamingo screenings downtown 5yrs earlier, gleefully exclaimed “David Lynch arrived!” Mel Brooks had him direct The Elephant Man. DUNE followed, and we know how that story pans out, as David might say.

1986 . Blue Velvet. My mother, an alcoholic screenwriter suffering Lynchian family tragedy called, having seen Blue Velvet , “Do you think that could really happen?” and hung up. Later, Diane Keaton told me "I grew up in a David Lynch film." Ms. Keaton directed an

38

FEBRUARY | 2025

Vanish Magic Magazine

BY BEN ROBINSON

episode of Twin Peaks —charismatic, photogenic, black coffee! Topped off with some cherry pie, you begin to understand the self-described Missoula, Montana Eagle Scout and him playing FBI Director Gordon Cole in all Twin Peaks . David did the sound design of his films, TV shows, art installations and world tour lectures titled “Meditation, Creativity and Peace”. The David Lynch Foundation has brought Transcendental Meditation to millions of at-risk children and PTSD patients. My show “ T M, Magic & Me” played Transcendental Meditation centers in New York and California 2016 - 2017. David’s team took interest in promoting peace, meditation and creativity through magic. Doug Henning had set an example.

1992. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me had perhaps one of the greatest special effects (non-digital) that approached John Jack Mallick’s Academy Award-winning floating pen in Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey . During the feature film that was bookended by TWO series called Twin Peaks , the man abducted by spirits to the “Black Lodge” (an inter-dimensional holding area between Heaven and Hell) showed actor Ray Wise floating on a 45-degree angle, sort of the best lean shoe of all time. That had to come from David’s copious reference library of things done just the way he wanted them.

1997. Magician’s precision, Lynch’s LOST HIGHWAY . Robert Blake offering a cell phone for another character to call him while he’s standing in front of the caller; unassailably spooky, and yes, magical. There is magic throughout this film if you pay attention.

2001. Mulholland Drive . Who is the dreamer that dreams? David agreed with Robert Louis Stevenson, we are all more than one; at a minimum, two personalities. Freudiuan, Jungian — an irrational high wire act. The character of the magician in this film offers the “rosebud” of this film in the term “Silencio” as a cane appears in his had. The actor picked for this role had the abandon of precious moments and demanding tradecraft. It has to be a stellar credit to have played the magician in what is considered to be Lynch’s masterpiece.

Whence comes this transcendent view? Meditating fifty years my study begins and ends with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s discussion of a particular sound. He said, all creation begins with this sound. David heard this sound, and he let us all hear it too—through his painting, writing, sculpture, furniture, music, lectures, books, nite clubs, photographs, and his gift of living dreams, his films.

2015. I was given David’s Carnegie Hall box seats for a Transcendental Meditation benefit, produced by David Lynch Foundation, starring Sting, Jerry Seinfeld, Katy Perry, and others. David appeared via video clip, as he was directing the second incarnation of Twin Peaks . I sat so close to the lighting guy I could turn his knobs; I wonder why the director had those seats?

When David Lynch was saluted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Briarcliff Entertainment CEO film producer Tom Ortenberg offered: 
 “ David Lynch was a true giant in the Independent film world and an inspiration to filmmakers the world over. David’s acceptance speech at the 2019 Academy Governor’s Awards was short, sweet and exemplified his humility, shining the light on others while seeking no glory for himself .”

His unconventional 2018 memoir-biography Room to Dream (with Kristine McKenna) provided all and none of the answers.

His paintings became motion pictures. He was sensitive enough to glance a set decorator named Frank Silva while setting the camera angle for a crucial scene in Laura Palmer’s bedroom. Instantly David knew Mr. Silva was the key to the entire story! (He ended up playing Killer Bob). Compelling thought; creative action. Lynchian. He convinced another film director that just because you’re dead doesn't mean you can’t act. David played John Ford in a Steven Spielberg film.

David Lynch has left us; yet he beautifully remains.

_______________ Ben Robinson has been a magician for fifty years and is now making a film featuring knife throwing, iconic comedians and magic. His new book: MAJIKAL: 40 stories of true wonder.

Vedic science in 21st century filmmaking — gentle, daring. Dynamic silence. Restful alertness. Educational entertainment. The normal, bizarre.

39

FEBRUARY | 2025 Vanish Magic Magazine The Magical Women Deck

Navigating

A KickStarter

Campaign

40 FEBRUARY | 2025