One of the most pressing questions when magic is magic show is: “how did she do it?”. Magic tricks basically work because of an asymmetry in knowledge between the performer and the audience and because the magician manages the attention of the audience, so-called misdirection. One of the most studied concepts in the science of magic.

Psychologists have worked closely with magicians to discover the real secrets of magic for more than a century. Their main question is to find out how our minds can be so easily deceived. How does our brain process the images it receives from the eyes and how can magicians manipulate our perception to make us see illusions.

The research is still ongoing and the journal Frontiers in Psychology recently dedicated a research topic to the performance of magic.

Psychology of Magic

Many researchers around the world are working together with magicians to learn about the mind by studying how audiences perceive magic tricks. The videos below provide an overview of the work currently being undertaken.

The fact that magic tricks are possible shows us how feeble our mind really is. Studying magicians can help psychologist to better explain how our perception works, which is important in improving, for example, road safety and other aspects of life where correct perception is essential.

If you like to know more about the psychology of magic, read the works from the bibliography or purchase Perspectives on Magic or other books on the science of magic from the bookshop.