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GROUP SHOW-OFFS
Great for groups, parties and demonstrations
1 OF 5 THIS SESSION• RANDOMLY SELECTED
YOUR TRICK
THE MAGNETIC CROWD
Make a whole group watch their own hands pull together at the same time.
01
WHAT THEY SEE
Several people hold their hands out in front of them with a small gap between the palms. As everyone imagines a powerful magnetic pull, hands across the group begin drifting together — some quickly, some slowly — creating a brilliant room-wide visual effect.
02
WHAT YOU SAY
Everybody hold your hands out in front of you like this, palms facing each other with a comfortable gap between them.
Now imagine there is a powerful magnet in the centre of each palm.
You do not need to help it. Just imagine those magnets switching on... stronger... and stronger.
Notice the first tiny movement anywhere in the room. Fingers may move first... wrists may soften... and those hands can begin drifting together.
That’s it. The closer they get, the stronger the magnetic pull becomes.
Keep watching your own hands and let them meet whenever they are ready.
Perfect. Separate them, shake them loose, and look around at what everybody else just did.
03
HOW TO DO IT
- Ask the group to sit or stand comfortably with enough personal space and hold both hands in front of the chest, palms facing each other.
- Demonstrate the position yourself so nobody has to decode a long explanation. Keep elbows soft and shoulders relaxed.
- Describe an imaginary magnet in each palm and tell everyone not to deliberately push the hands together. Their job is to notice, not force.
- Give the suggestion to the whole room, then stop talking for several seconds so natural ideomotor movement has time to appear.
- As soon as you see movement anywhere, acknowledge it generally: “There it is — somebody’s already moving.” This often increases attention across the group.
- Reinforce the idea that the pull grows stronger as the hands get closer, but never demand that everybody responds identically.
- End when a good number of people have had a visible response. Ask everyone to separate the hands, shake them loose and compare reactions.
04
MAKE IT LOOK RIDICULOUSLY GOOD
THE SHOWMAN’S EDGE
01Stand where you can see most of the room without turning your back on half the group. Your job is to spot the first movement.
02Do not single out the slowest person. Instead, point out the earliest visible success and let social proof do some of the work.
03Keep your own hands still once the suggestion starts. The audience should watch their reactions, not copy your movement.
04Use the room: “Look around for a second.” Seeing several people’s hands together creates a much bigger payoff than one isolated response.
05Do not wait for 100% participation. A messy group response can still look fantastic if you finish while the energy is high.
06Keep the ending sharp: hands apart, shake loose, smile, next effect. Avoid explaining why it worked.
Keep shoulders and elbows relaxed and make sure people have enough space so hands or arms do not bump into the person beside them.
SAFE • RESPECTFUL • SERIOUSLY IMPRESSIVE