David Blaine

I don't think you can say something is or isn't magic. That's what was cool about Houdini, because he was a magician who had a magic show, but he was also an escape artist, and they kind of, over time, blended together. They both kind of enhance each other, I think.

I remember my mother had this deck of cards that her mother had given her and that she passed on to me. It was a gypsy tarot deck that I used to carry everywhere.

As a kid I used to hold my breath longer than anybody else, and then I heard stories about people accidently underwater for 45 minutes - how do you recover from that? It's not a miracle. Something allows us to survive.

My mother was a teacher, and when she wanted to show me art and literature and science, she'd take me to museums, parks and free exhibitions.

Magic is not about having a puzzle to solve. It's about creating a moment of awe and astonishment. And that can be a beautiful thing

But as they say about sharks, it's not the ones you see that you have to worry about, it's the ones you don't see.

It was just like a digital fixation with cards and math and science and then I started to look at images of great magicians from Houdini down the line.

As a kid, I always was obsessed with Houdini.

Basically, I was a kid growing up with a single mother in Brooklyn.

In truth, the only restrictions on our capacity to astonish ourselves and each other are imposed by our own minds.

My mother encouraged it so much. She was so supportive. Even if as a kid, I would do the dumbest trick, which now that I look back on some things, she would love it, she would say that's amazing, or if I'd make the ugliest drawing, she would hang it up. She was amazing.

I think that when Evel Knievel crashed over the fountain at Caesar's, it kind of gave you a credibility and then anticipation for everything he did.

Whether you're shuffling a deck of cards or holding your breath, magic is pretty simple: It comes down to training, practice, and experimentation, followed up by ridiculous pursuit and relentless perseverance.

I believe that fear of life brings a greater fear of death.

Magic's an art where you use slight of hand or illusion to create wonder. And I was just intrigued with that idea.

I thought instead of burying myself under dirt, I'd bury myself under water so everybody could see that you're there.

My only fear is the unknown.

I was obsessed with the idea of fasting and isolation.

I just believe that the feeling of wonder is amazing. I am pushing myself as far as I can humanly push myself... I can only hope for the best and expect the worse.

We are all capable of infinitely more than we believe.

I think everything I do is normal, not paranormal but normal. It's using the power of the mind to achieve whatever we can endure.

I have not had time to reflect on my own truths in many years.

I remember finding a Houdini book at the library and seeing an image of him chained on the side of a building. He looked so intense and scary, and I couldn't get that image out of my head. That started building up my love of magic.

I think anybody can do any of these if they train. I don't recommend it, but anybody could do it if there was a need.

People haven't even begun to tap into the potential of what the mind is possible of doing. We only use a certain percentage of our brains.

I think magic, whether I'm holding my breath or shuffling a deck of cards, is pretty simple. It's practice, it's training, and it's - It's practice, it's training and experimenting, while pushing through the pain to be the best that I can be.

I hope people remember me as a guy who brought magic to the people. You know, pushed the boundaries of wonder.

I'd go to Coney Island to hang out, and I saw a magician doing a rope trick on the boardwalk. I was fascinated. I guess that's how it started.