Perform the Invisible Touch Trick
This is a simple, yet phenomenal illusion that is guaranteed to freak your audience out. Created by the mentalist Banachek, this illusion allows you to demonstrate the power of unseen forces and spiritual energy. As you allow one spectator to simply concentrate on what's happening, you tap another spectator and mysteriously the first person will also claim that they felt a tap for sure, yet the audience all agree that you made no physical contact with the first spectator.
Steps
- Select two people to be your volunteers. To build more excitement in, ask for two people who are relatives or have some sort of bond.
- Have the first participant close their eyes. They will be the one feeling the effect.
- Say something like, "In order to make you fully aware of any sensations, I will ask you to close your eyes now."
- This could be done any way you prefer such as having them look into your eyes or hands while acting as if you're putting them in some sort of trance or just ask them to go into a meditative state.
- Ask the first participant to straighten out both of their arms in front of them with their eyes still closed as you wave your hands around their arms. This is where showmanship comes into play. Tell them you are going to scan their aura, or conjure some sort of spirit. With their arms straight in front of them about shoulder height, have one of your hand above and the other below their hands, making sure to leave space to let the audience see that no physical contact is being made. As you wave your hands and move your fingers from their arm to chest and shoulder area back and forward.
- During the waving motion, secretly tap the spectator behind his/her shoulder. The secret move is that, of course, you do touch them.
- The trick works on a concept called dual reality. When you move on to tap the second spectator, each one of them will think the trick happen at the same time while it happened at a completely different time. So when waving your hands back and forward, when reaching around the shoulder your middle finger actually taps him/her behind the back. But this is covered by the quickness of the move and the constant movement of the other fingers.
- Quickly and dramatically tap the second spectator behind his/her shoulder. Then just go and tap the second participant as many times as you tapped the first one. To make yourself more convincing to the audience, tell the second participant to stay quiet about how many times you touched him/her and where.
- Tell the first participant that they can open their eyes and reveal what they felt. You will be surprised at how this will keep them scratching their heads, build your reputation, and even puzzle other magicians.
Tips
- Although this trick is simple it is extremely important to create an intriguing pattern and showmanship. Banachek's version uses a conjuring of the participant's dead relative. Another pattern goes along the lines of telepathy. But do whatever you find works best and suits you personally.
- You could go straight into the trick. But like many of these powerful illusions, the effect comes best after warming up your audiences with a few tricks beforehand. Perhaps you can use this illusion as your grand finale before you leave.
- It will be handy to know a few mentalism effects to cover it up with.
