I apologise if I come off as rude, but honestly, quoting entire paragraphs from a Wikipedia entry about a movie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prestige_%28film%29#Plot) directed by a man who only knows of stage magic on base research done for the movie, and based on a book written by a man who never practiced stage magic either?

Come on. There are theories and then there are grasping for straws.