My claim that people are magicians in their daily lives is inspired by the writings of the magician Robert E. Neale, who is also a professor of psychi- atry and religion. In The Magic Mirror (2002) Robert refers to our every- day magical performances as life magic, and he offers an example of the parent holding a crying child, chanting: “It’s alright. That’s OK. It’s going to be alright” (10). These words are far more powerful than “Abracadabra!” Somehow, magically, this incantation soothes parent and child alike, and before long, they are all back to sleep.