When to Use Magic Within the progression of a training program, there are four specific times when magic is appropriate.

1. Use magic to begin the learning segment.
In my opinion, the best instructional designs are those that capture attendee attention immediately while framing up the learning to come without resorting to artificial “icebreakers.” The very word icebreaker implies a counterproductive learning metaphor. Trainers shouldn’t try to break through as if using an ice pick. Instead, the focus should be on melting the cold atmosphere present due to trainee fear and apprehension. Magic is an ideal resource for pulling learners immediately into the presentation without putting them on the spot with a pointless activity.

In my early days, I performed magic at children’s birthday parties. Often the children where keyed up and needed to settle down before I could begin. Instead of waiting for them to settle, I would invite them (so that we could “introduce” ourselves to each other) to shout their names out as loudly as they could. Once they had shouted their excess energy out and were ready to focus on the show, I would begin the performance.

In a similar fashion, most movies begin with a prologue that teases the audience with fragments of information. The intent of the prologue is not to begin the story, but rather to stall for time until everyone is seated, to capture the attention of those already seated and to place the audience in the proper mood for the story to follow.

Magic, when placed in this kick-off position, functions in a like manner. It provides an interesting way to begin without really beginning. The trainees who have arrived on time receive extra value while the late arrivals don’t miss critical instruction. An introductory magic illusion also captures learner attention, drawing them in and releasing tension in the process. And, if the magic trick you place here directly relates to your content, it will provide your learner with a frame of reference for the content that follows.

2. Use magic to refocus energy.
Master magician Sam Sharpe once commented, “People will always pay attention so long as they are curious. Keep them guessing and wondering by doing the unexpected. Unpredictability is a key factor in holding attention.”

When performing in nightclubs, I often found that the audience's attention would wander. It's not that those audiences weren't enjoying the show. Rather it was the fact that there were more stimuli present than the average person could simultaneously absorb. To recapture wandering attention, I would present a flashy, attention capturing, illusion. As a result, the patrons would pay closer attention lest they miss any future illusions.

In the training or classroom, learner focus also wanders. Learning can be hard work and any learner, even the most attentive, will occasionally tune the trainer out. The best defense against a

In my early days, I performed magic at children’s birthday parties. Often the children where keyed up and needed to settle down before I could begin. Instead of waiting for them to settle, I would invite them (so that we could “introduce” ourselves to each other) to shout their names out as loudly as they could. Once they had shouted their excess energy out and were ready to focus on the show, I would begin the performance.

In a similar fashion, most movies begin with a prologue that teases the audience with fragments of information. The intent of the prologue is not to begin the story, but rather to stall for time until everyone is seated, to capture the attention of those already seated and to place the audience in the proper mood for the story to follow.

Magic, when placed in this kick-off position, functions in a like manner. It provides an interesting way to begin without really beginning. The trainees who have arrived on time receive extra value while the late arrivals don’t miss critical instruction. An introductory magic illusion also captures learner attention, drawing them in and releasing tension in the process. And, if the magic trick you place here directly relates to your content, it will provide your learner with a frame of reference for the content that follows.

2. Use magic to refocus energy.
Master magician Sam Sharpe once commented, “People will always pay attention so long as they are curious. Keep them guessing and wondering by doing the unexpected. Unpredictability is a key factor in holding attention.”

When performing in nightclubs, I often found that the audience's attention would wander. It's not that those audiences weren't enjoying the show. Rather it was the fact that there were more stimuli present than the average person could simultaneously absorb. To recapture wandering attention, I would present a flashy, attention capturing, illusion. As a result, the patrons would pay closer attention lest they miss any future illusions.

In the training or classroom, learner focus also wanders. Learning can be hard work and any learner, even the most attentive, will occasionally tune the trainer out. The best defense against a

Magic, when placed in this kick-off position, functions in a like manner. It provides an interesting way to begin without really beginning. The trainees who have arrived on time receive extra value while the late arrivals don’t miss critical instruction. An introductory magic illusion also captures learner attention, drawing them in and releasing tension in the process. And, if the magic trick you place here directly relates to your content, it will provide your learner with a frame of reference for the content that follows.

2. Use magic to refocus energy.
Master magician Sam Sharpe once commented, “People will always pay attention so long as they are curious. Keep them guessing and wondering by doing the unexpected. Unpredictability is a key factor in holding attention.”

When performing in nightclubs, I often found that the audience's attention would wander. It's not that those audiences weren't enjoying the show. Rather it was the fact that there were more stimuli present than the average person could simultaneously absorb. To recapture wandering attention, I would present a flashy, attention capturing, illusion. As a result, the patrons would pay closer attention lest they miss any future illusions.

In the training or classroom, learner focus also wanders. Learning can be hard work and any learner, even the most attentive, will occasionally tune the trainer out. The best defense against a

When performing in nightclubs, I often found that the audience's attention would wander. It's not that those audiences weren't enjoying the show. Rather it was the fact that there were more stimuli present than the average person could simultaneously absorb. To recapture wandering attention, I would present a flashy, attention capturing, illusion. As a result, the patrons would pay closer attention lest they miss any future illusions.

In the training or classroom, learner focus also wanders. Learning can be hard work and any learner, even the most attentive, will occasionally tune the trainer out. The best defense against a lack of attention is to place the suggestion in the learner’s mind that paying attention is vital. This can sometimes be accomplished with the force of the content alone, but occasionally the content requires help. A well-placed magic trick tied to the subject matter can help. It suggests that interesting things occur in this classroom and that, in order catch it all attention is required. In addition, when a session is focused and serious, a magic trick can provide some levity, much as a steam valve functions on a pressure cooker, releasing excess tension in a safe and timely manner.

3. Use magic to illustrate a key point.
All magic tricks, to be successful, are tied to a story. Magicians call it “patter.” Many would-be magicians have discovered to their sorrow that buying a trick alone is not enough to make them magicians. As magician Dariel Fitzee explained, “The secret is NOT important. The ONLY thing that is important is its favorable impression on the majority of the spectators.” It is often the story that leaves that favorable impression.

In learning, some of the most effective points are made through metaphorical stories. (A metaphor is a figure of speech where a word, a phrase or an item from one context is applied in another context.) As Peg Neuhauser explained, “Stories allow a person to feel and see information as well as factually understand it . . . because you ‘hear’ the information factually, visually and emotionally, it is more likely to be imprinted on your brain in a way that it sticks with you longer, with very little effort on your part.”

Magic tricks, owing to the importance of patter for an effective presentation, are ideally suited for illustrating key points through stories. A visual magic trick combined with patter related directly to the point being made is an unbeatable combination. The language in the story appeals to the left hemispheric logic circuits while the illusion and the metaphor it represents appeals to the holistic right hemisphere. The result is a powerful learning tool.

4. Use magic to conclude the learning segment.
The strongest entertainments have fully satisfying endings. Before Hollywood releases a new movie, it is common practice to screen it for a test audience. If the studio discovers that the test audience dislikes the ending, the ending gets changed. Many films, including Casablanca, Patriot Games, Fatal Attraction and The Bourne Identity have had their ending altered through this process. The alternative is disappointed moviegoers, bad word of mouth and ultimately, poor box office.

In show biz, there is an old saying about starting strong and finishing even stronger. For successful entertainers, the ending is the high point of the performance. In a similar manner, the conclusion of training is an important moment. The trainees have accomplished something of importance and should be allowed to luxuriate in that achievement. A magic illusion, when placed as a coda to the learning, functions as the exclamation point. It concludes the event in a special, memorable manner.

What Magic To Use
Knowing when to use