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LearnMagic

Party Tricks

The Magnetic Hands

You ask someone to interlock their fingers, point their two index fingers forward with a gap between them, and hold still. Then you talk. Within twenty seconds their fingers begin closing on their own, and they cannot stop it. This is suggestion magic — the effect happens inside the volunteer, which is exactly why it stays with them long after the party ends.

EasyNo materials
Learning time
10 minutes
Practice time
~20 minutes
Recommended age
10+
Setting
Standing, at a party or gathering, with one willing volunteer and a small audience.

Safety note: Ask permission before you begin and before you touch anyone — many performers never touch the volunteer at all, which is the safest approach. Stop immediately, cheerfully, and without comment if the volunteer looks uneasy, says stop, or simply wants to lower their hands. Never continue for a laugh, never hold anyone's hands in place, and skip this effect entirely with anyone who has not clearly agreed to take part.

Lesson overview

What the audience sees

A volunteer laces their fingers together and extends their index fingers with a few centimetres of air between them. You never touch them. You simply describe the pull — and their fingers slowly, visibly close, while they laugh and insist they are not doing it.

What the magician does

You are combining a real quirk of anatomy with steady, repetitive suggestion. Interlocked hands naturally bias the extended fingers inward, and your calm running commentary tells the volunteer's mind exactly what to expect. The suggestion does most of the work; the anatomy guarantees you a result.

Why it works

Nothing is hidden, so there is nothing to catch. The volunteer feels the effect from the inside and becomes your most persuasive witness — they will insist to the room that they were not moving their own fingers, and they will be telling the truth as they experienced it.

You'll practice

  • Set the volunteer's hand position precisely
  • Deliver slow, repetitive suggestion in a calm voice
  • Read your volunteer and adapt if nothing is happening
  • Close the routine kindly, leaving the volunteer feeling good

Materials

No materials

Substitutes: None required — the volunteer's own hands are the only prop, so this travels everywhere with you.

Before you begin

  1. Practise on yourself

    Interlock your own fingers, extend your index fingers with a gap, and hold for thirty seconds. Feel the inward pull so you can describe it truthfully.

  2. Write your suggestion script

    Prepare about thirty seconds of slow, repetitive lines about magnetism. Improvising here produces rushed, unconvincing patter.

  3. Choose a willing volunteer

    Pick someone relaxed and clearly happy to take part. Never pull in a reluctant person for the sake of a bigger reaction.

Environment: A calm corner of a room works better than the middle of a loud party. The volunteer needs to hear you clearly and concentrate for half a minute. A mirror — or your phone camera propped up — shows you exactly what your audience will see.

Step-by-step lesson

Step 1 of 80%

1. Ask before anything else

Start with a genuine question: 'Would you like to try something? You can stop any time you want.' Wait for a real yes. A volunteer who has actively agreed relaxes, and relaxation is the raw material this effect is made from.

Important: If the answer is anything less than an enthusiastic yes, thank them warmly and move on to someone else.

Why this works: Consent is not only the right thing to do — it is also the method. A guarded volunteer resists suggestion; a willing one leans into it.

The secret is sealed

Magicians earn secrets by intending to use them. Reveal it when you're ready to learn — and keep it to yourself afterward.

Performance script

A sample script to adapt — make it your own, and never rush the pauses.

  • "Would you like to try something? You can stop whenever you like — just say so."
  • (Demonstrate with your own hands.) "Lace your fingers, tight. Now point both index fingers forward, small gap between them. Perfect."
  • "Look at the gap. Just the gap. Don't look at me, there's nothing interesting here."
  • "There's a pull between them now. Getting stronger. Like two magnets that have just noticed each other..."
  • (As they close.) "There it is. Closer... closer... and touching. Shake your hands out — all yours again. Give them a round of applause, this was all them."

Performance tips

  • Never touch the volunteer's hands unless you have asked and been told yes — demonstrating on your own hands is better anyway.
  • Speak at half your normal speed. The pace of your voice is doing most of the work.
  • Choose a volunteer who is smiling and leaning in, never one who is being pushed forward by friends.
  • Give a clear, cheerful ending and make sure they shake their hands out before you move on.
  • Credit the volunteer at the finish. The applause should go to them, which makes them glad they took part.

Common mistakes

  • Starting without clearly asking, or ignoring a volunteer's hesitation.

    Fix: Ask outright, wait for a real yes, and tell them they can stop at any point. If in doubt, pick someone else.

  • Talking quickly and cleverly instead of slowly and repetitively.

    Fix: Write thirty seconds of simple, repeated suggestion and deliver it at half speed.

  • Pushing on for a minute or more when the volunteer is clearly not responding.

    Fix: Cap it at thirty seconds, pay them a compliment, and move straight into another effect.

  • Setting a gap so wide that closing it looks like a deliberate movement.

    Fix: Three or four centimetres is ideal — close enough to close naturally, wide enough to be visible.

  • Ending abruptly and moving on while the volunteer is still holding the position.

    Fix: Always say the pull is fading and ask them to shake their hands out before you continue.

Practice checklist

0/6 done

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Want to go further with party tricks? Magicians point beginners at Mark Wilson's Complete Course in Magic by Mark Wilson.

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Published 2026-04-21 · Updated 2026-07-08 · Read our responsible magic guidelines