Everyone loves magic. We are awed by great illusions. Everyone, even if they never saw him, knows and loves the magic of Houdini. But he never really considered himself a magician, he considered himself an escape artist. Many of the world’s greatest illusions and escapes today are based on Houdini’s original acts. 

So what is it that is so captivating about a great escape? What is it that enthralls all of us, even to this day, young and old, about watching something seemingly impossible happen? There must be a reason so many have been totally captivated and submersed in magic. It’s because we all love to see someone overcome impossible odds. We all want to see someone do something we can’t imagine, even if it is just an illusion.

Being in a human body is the illusion of the soul. Our souls are escape artists, and life is our magic trick. It is our challenge. The physical body and world becomes our bonds and our chains. Our essence is trapped, and it is trying to escape. That is what it is here to do, escape the illusion of our reality.

The escape artist willingly puts himself into bonds, restraints, and chains. Each time he escapes, he sets up a bigger challenge. The more seemingly impossible it is, the more willing he is to try it, accomplish it, and master it. The more threatening and impossible the trick seems, the bigger the crowd attends to watch. Each time he escapes, the world marvels in wonder and awe, and he sets up a new challenge, a bigger challenge. This is the way of the escape artist. 

This is the way of the soul. Entering the restraints and confines of the human body, and setting up greater challenges each time. Willingly entering, knowing its goal is to set itself free, and having all others wonder, marvel, and believe. As with every escape, the stage is set before entering, and the trick to escaping is set up before starting the illusion. To the spectators watching seeing someone else overcome the impossible, even if they do not believe that they themselves are capable. They see it, and know it can be done, and so they look for the truth knowing there is a way.

Every escape artist designs, practices, and knows the trick to escaping his challenge. No matter how hard it looks, he can escape the challenge, because he set it up before he entered. He knows it is an illusion, and he knows how to overcome it. 

But things are different in heaven with our souls, because all the other souls can see behind stage as well, and know the secret to the illusion. So if your audience already knows the illusion, there is no great joy, mystery, and wonder. The twist of fate is that our souls needed to go one step farther. We decided to forget the secret. We no longer know the escape plans when we jump into our body. So we planted clues along the way and all others watch in anticipation and hope that the clues are enough of a reminder to help us overcome all the challenges and illusions we set up for ourselves.

Let the magic begin… LIFE!