About Steve (long version)
Note: Site is still under construction...should prob fix it sometime instead of waiting another few years...
I study magic and wellbeing. I should probably put this press release link somewhere on my site: https://www.gold.ac.uk/news/magic-and-wellbeing/ |
Long Version for those with free time...
I first got into magic when I was 7 years old. It was one of the only hobbies that stuck with me over the years (even though I didn’t really start performing until I was 23). It probably stuck because I was a quiet kid my favorite magic book really emphasized how close-up magic can be used as the misdirection for connecting with others on an emotional level. As quiet kid with only a few friends, that idea really stuck with me.
But mostly, I was a science nerd. I majored in physical chemistry, before stepping out on my own into the real-world. I rejected PhD offers because I was curious about the corporate world...but I ended up feeling depressed so I decide to hide away in a materials science PhD program, where I was more comfortable and could reflect on my life. As I reflected, I also began to study positive psychology because I wanted science-based ideas on how to be happier. I now believe that the quality of our life stems from more than simply experiencing positive emotions like happiness all the time. It also involves other aspects like having a purpose in life, building healthy social relationships, being engaged in your activities, and accomplishing meaningful goals.
This materials science program is also where I began performing magic. At the time, it was too hard for me to approach people and share a trick, so I created an environment that forced me to perform: I created a magic club, and promised opportunities to learn and perform magic.
It worked and I began performing magic a lot more often and love it! I became more extroverted, began doing it professionally, and was meeting a lot of people. However, the scientist in my heart wasn't satisfied with the polite, anecdotal compliments, or my own biased experiences. Was there something more to it? After my performances, I would almost always reflect and wonder what type of controlled experiments I could do to understand what was really going on when magicians performed for spectators. Why did performing magic have such a positive impact on my life? And how could magicians maximize the positive impact they had on their spectators?
Eventually, I discovered that psychologists were already working with magicians to better understand the mind, and I began wondering if I could combine positive psychology with magic. And that’s why I began to switch careers from chemistry to psychology research. I worked full time to fund an online masters where all my assignments involved magic experiments. I began writing a review paper on magic & wellbeing, kept in touch with my mentor at Goldsmimths University of London who was supportive of my work, and gave a few talks on magic & wellbeing. And now my research has led me to some wonderful magic organizations, a grant from the Richard Benjami Trust, and an excellent start for a PhD on understanding the social and emotional experiences of magic...because in the end life’s all about: the relationships we have with other people and how we make them feel.
But mostly, I was a science nerd. I majored in physical chemistry, before stepping out on my own into the real-world. I rejected PhD offers because I was curious about the corporate world...but I ended up feeling depressed so I decide to hide away in a materials science PhD program, where I was more comfortable and could reflect on my life. As I reflected, I also began to study positive psychology because I wanted science-based ideas on how to be happier. I now believe that the quality of our life stems from more than simply experiencing positive emotions like happiness all the time. It also involves other aspects like having a purpose in life, building healthy social relationships, being engaged in your activities, and accomplishing meaningful goals.
This materials science program is also where I began performing magic. At the time, it was too hard for me to approach people and share a trick, so I created an environment that forced me to perform: I created a magic club, and promised opportunities to learn and perform magic.
It worked and I began performing magic a lot more often and love it! I became more extroverted, began doing it professionally, and was meeting a lot of people. However, the scientist in my heart wasn't satisfied with the polite, anecdotal compliments, or my own biased experiences. Was there something more to it? After my performances, I would almost always reflect and wonder what type of controlled experiments I could do to understand what was really going on when magicians performed for spectators. Why did performing magic have such a positive impact on my life? And how could magicians maximize the positive impact they had on their spectators?
Eventually, I discovered that psychologists were already working with magicians to better understand the mind, and I began wondering if I could combine positive psychology with magic. And that’s why I began to switch careers from chemistry to psychology research. I worked full time to fund an online masters where all my assignments involved magic experiments. I began writing a review paper on magic & wellbeing, kept in touch with my mentor at Goldsmimths University of London who was supportive of my work, and gave a few talks on magic & wellbeing. And now my research has led me to some wonderful magic organizations, a grant from the Richard Benjami Trust, and an excellent start for a PhD on understanding the social and emotional experiences of magic...because in the end life’s all about: the relationships we have with other people and how we make them feel.
- first got interested in magic when I was 7 years old after s
- I enjoyed learning magic, but also liked science so I decided I would grow up to do some sort of "sciencey" job and do magic part time
- "Beyond Secrets", the book was entirely about how to become a better magician, the theory behind magic, creativity, and how to connect with your spectators in close-up magic. Being the loner type, with only a few friends, I fell in love with the idea of connecting with people through magic ...
- Naturally gravitated back towards magic
- After a rather depressing year, I ended up deciding that my purpose in life was gonna be "To create long-lasting happiness for others, without an expense to my own well-being". .
- Hiding away in a materials science PhD program as I tried figuring out what to do with my life. What was really meaningful and important to me? Science was cool, but I also kept gravitating back toward the magic.
- I emailed practically every prof in a research paper that I found on twitter
- Found a psych professor at Rutgers that was working with a magician, whom I volunteered for. Quit because I needed money to live and a psych MSc.
- Worked full-timeto fund my part-time masters and save up money, and did magic part-time
- Also began to "learn" investing because I was afraid a psych career wouldn't pay enough and that I'd need another source of income (aka piggybacking off smart investing services like motely fool)
- My aim is to encourage it through the other big area where we spend a good chunk of time: the various forms of entertainment.