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MOVING WITHOUT TRYING
Levitation, sway and ideomotor effects
1 OF 5 THIS SESSION• RANDOMLY SELECTED
YOUR TRICK
THE PHANTOM PULL
Draw their hand towards yours without touching it.
01
WHAT THEY SEE
Your open hand hovers several inches away from the participant’s hand. As you slowly move yours backwards, their hand begins to follow — as though an invisible elastic connection has formed between the two.
02
WHAT YOU SAY
Hold your hand comfortably here and keep the arm loose.
Imagine there’s an invisible elastic thread connecting the centre of your palm to mine.
You do not need to follow me deliberately. Just notice the feeling of that connection.
As I slowly move my hand away, imagine the elastic becoming tighter.
Tighter... until your hand begins to feel that gentle pull forwards.
That’s it. Do less, not more. Let the hand follow the pull by itself.
And now the elastic snaps free — stop there and relax.
03
HOW TO DO IT
- Seat the participant comfortably and ask them to hold one hand loosely in front of the body with the elbow bent and relaxed.
- Place your palm facing theirs several inches away without making contact.
- Create the idea of an invisible elastic thread joining the centres of both palms.
- Move your hand backwards very slowly, only a few centimetres at first. Fast movement encourages deliberate copying; slow movement gives ideomotor response time to develop.
- Tell them to do less rather than try harder. This reduces conscious imitation and keeps attention on the imagined pull.
- If their hand begins to follow, maintain the same steady pace and acknowledge the movement quietly.
- Stop before they have to lean or extend the arm awkwardly.
- End by saying the elastic has snapped free, stop your own hand instantly, and have them relax.
04
MAKE IT LOOK RIDICULOUSLY GOOD
THE SHOWMAN’S EDGE
01Never touch their hand during the effect. The visible air gap is what sells the invisible connection.
02Keep your movement smooth and slow. Jerky pulling makes the participant look as though they are simply copying you.
03Look at the imaginary space between the palms, not at their face. The audience will follow your gaze.
04Once their hand follows clearly, reduce your verbal guidance. Your moving hand becomes the suggestion.
05Stop the effect suddenly with ‘snap’. The contrast between smooth following and an instant stop creates a strong finish.
06Do not pull so far that the participant has to reach or lean. A small clean follow looks better than a big awkward one.
07After the stop, briefly hold the position before everyone relaxes. That frozen picture gives the audience time to register what just happened.
Keep the participant seated or securely balanced and never pull the hand far enough to make them reach, twist or lose balance.
SAFE • RESPECTFUL • SERIOUSLY IMPRESSIVE