David Hoffmeister & A Course in Miracles is a DVD that provides an introduction to the ancient art of magic and the secrets kept by those who practice it. Magic has been viewed as “just a kid’s game” until recently, but this DVD gives the full picture as to what it’s really about and the benefits of learning it. It also goes into some great detail acim podcast about David Hoffmeister’s background and what he’s all about. There are thirteen DVDs in total, each one ranging from ten to thirty minutes long. They are formatted so that you can sit back and relax with them, watching the DVD as if you were doing it at home (on your TV or computer).
What makes this DVD especially helpful is that David Hoffmeister breaks every single step of the magic process down into their most basic steps, then shows you how to do them. This makes it easy to learn the different methods and apply them to your own personal use, rather than having to study a complicated form of magic you may never use. The way it’s presented is also highly impressive. Much of the video is used for explanation, and there are a few minutes where David uses his trademark magic tricks to demonstrate how they work, too. David uses various classic illusions such as the coin-flipping over the head, the disappearing coin and of course, the one he did on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where he flashed the coin in front of her and then disappeared afterwards.
David’s A Course in Miracles on Spotify is easy to understand and gives a lot of insight into how magic is done, as well as lots of detail about David’s methods. For the purposes of this review I’ll concentrate on the video portion of the DVD. While there was plenty of visual instruction, it seemed like only David would benefit from these videos, as he seemed to master them easily and seamlessly. This, however, was definitely not the case with some of the other guests who didn’t seem to get the same degree of attention. Still, overall, this was a very good introduction to magic and it looks like this could be an ongoing series, or even a real live performance.
From the description of the cover of A Course in Miracles on Spotify it seems that David might have channeled his energies into this book, as he has put out a number of similar books and DVDs. His style is clear and his wit is engaging. I enjoyed watching the backwards/ forwards videos, which were accompanied by David doing the trick, and watching his reaction to those that followed. If you want an idea of what David does best, check out his videos on YouTube.
At the end of the day, A Course in Miracles on Spotify is merely a re-telling of the same tricks we’ve seen David perform on previous DVDs. However, it doesn’t feel like a David Hoffs book in any way. There’s nothing unique or original about it, just like the vignettes you’d find in a collection of short videos.
That said, the book is a quick read. It’s easy to become absorbed in the stories and learn them quickly and easily. As a beginner to magic, I would suggest starting with the easiest tricks first, and then working your way up to harder and more advanced stuff. The first few tricks aren’t difficult to do, and really are just advanced versions of the tricks we’ve already seen David perform. So if you’re thinking of taking up magic, this is a good book to start with. It’s also available as a DVD, so you can have a physical copy of the DVD to bring along with you wherever you go.