I knew a man who did both stage magic and close-up parlor magic. He was very good, good enough to do international tours and perform on TV.
He was also a friend, and I once interviewed him for an article. I spent a good bit of time watching him work. We talked about this question, and he said, “You just saw the ring pass through the rope. Why don’t you believe it?” I said, “I believe in the properties of solid matter, so I don’t believe what I think I saw. I know there’s something special about that ring or that rope, and you know what it is even if I don’t.”
He said, “Most people wouldn’t say that. Most people would believe what they saw, or think they saw.” Now, that was amazing to me.
He promised to explain one card trick to me, after repeatedly confirming that I really wanted to know. I did, and I promised never to tell. But after that I watched everything he did a little differently, and I figured some of it out on my own.