Magic used by Durham University experts in psychology

Jul 23 2008 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

DURHAM University experts have found magicians are better at understanding human beings than scientists.

They joined together with colleagues from Canada to analyse tricks by top performers such as Derren Brown and David Blaine. And they concluded magicians were way ahead of scientists in some areas.

The research team said their findings had potential long-term applications in activities that aim to grab – and hold – people’s attention.

Report co-author and practising magician, Dr Gustav Kuhn, from Durham University’s Psychology Department, said: “Magicians are in some ways miles ahead of scientists. For example, imagine a ball tossed into the air that suddenly disappears, or someone successfully predicting what you will do next.

“These tricks may seem like they defy the laws of physics and logic, but they are actually created through a combination of skill and a deep knowledge of human psychology.

“By drawing upon the practical knowledge and experience of magicians, scientists may obtain new insights into various areas of human perception and cognition that we are still struggling to understand.” The study is published online in the academic journal, Trends in Cognitive Sciences. It outlines the key techniques of the magic trade – categorised as “misdirection, illusion and forcing” – which have only recently been formally identified by scientists and taken seriously as a valid research area.

Dr Kuhn said: “Magic is one of the oldest art forms in the world and relies on people’s ignorance of its methods.

“Although the methods we have developed are proving very useful in investigating the mind, in our dual roles as scientists and magicians, we take great care in protecting the mysteries and secrets of magic.”

The research team was supported by a Wolfson Research Fellowship from Durham University and by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada.

James Hudson, aka Flash the Magician, has been practising magic for five years. The 27-year-old, of Blackfriars, Newcastle, said: “The art of misdirection is directing the attention to the larger movement instead of the smaller one.

“People who watch me often wonder how I manage to bamboozle them. It is interesting that such a study has been carried out by experts into the effect of magic tricks, but I must admit I am not sure how science will benefit from such a study.”

Sarah Lloyd, secretary to the Newcastle Magic Circle, said: “This study certainly makes interesting reading.

“However Newcastle Magic Circle is against the disclosure of magical secrets.

“We, therefore, leave it to the individual to decide wether or not these particular techniques are really used by magicians.”

To view video footage from Durham University of magic tricks, click here