How to Perform the Invisible Touch Trick

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Updated: July 11, 2019 | References

The invisible touch trick makes it seem like when you touch one volunteer on the shoulder, another volunteer who has their eyes closed can feel it in the same place. While the trick makes it look like you only touched one of the participants, in reality, you actually touch both of them! You can either misdirect your audience to hide when you touch them or you can use an invisible elastic band to make the trick more convincing. Once you’re finished with the trick, your audience will be wowed!

Method One of Two:
Touching the Participants Secretly

  1. 1
    Ask 2 volunteers to stand 4–5 ft (1.2–1.5 m) apart. Find 2 people who are watching you and ask them to participate in your trick. Look for couples or people who are related to one another and tell them that they have a “special bond” that you can tap into. When the volunteers stand up and approach you, tell them to stand far enough apart so they can’t touch one another.[1]
    • If you want to seem more impressive, ask for 2 complete strangers for your trick. That way, you can tell the people you’re performing for that you will create a bond between them.
  2. 2
    Tell one of the participants to close their eyes. Ask either of the volunteers to close their eyes tightly so they can’t see what you’re doing. Once their eyes are closed, wave your hands in front of them and ask them if they can still see what you’re doing. If they can, then try covering their eyes with a blindfold instead. Tell them that they need to stay quiet while you do the trick or else it won’t work.[2]
    • It doesn’t matter which person you ask to close their eyes.
  3. 3
    Wave your hands around the person who closed their eyes. Tell the volunteers and anyone watching the trick that you’re detecting their energy or something similar. Move your hands all around the person’s body without actually touching them. Wiggle your fingers to add more to your performance.[3]
  4. 4
    Touch the top of the person’s shoulder discreetly. Keep wiggling your fingers around the person with their eyes closed. When your hand is near the shoulder that’s furthest away from the people watching, lightly tap the top of their shoulder with one of your fingers. Do it as quickly and as fluidly as possible so no one else notices that you actually touched them.[4]
    • You can touch the person with their eyes closed anywhere on their body as long as you can do it secretly.
    • Tap them in the same place multiple times if you want to make your trick more impressive. Space out when you touch them so it doesn’t feel intentional.

    Tip: Point your other hand toward the other person during your trick to help divert the audience’s attention so they’re less likely to notice you touching the person with their eyes closed.

  5. 5
    Tap the same shoulder on the other person deliberately. Once you’ve touched the first person on the shoulder, stop moving your hands around them and face the second person. Quietly walk closer to them and wave your hands around them in the same way as the first person. Tap the person’s shoulder so the audience notices, and be sure it’s the same shoulder you touched on the first person. The audience will think this is the only time you’ve touched the people involved in your trick.[5]
    • If you touched the first person somewhere else other than the shoulder, then be sure to touch the second person in the same place.
  6. 6
    Ask the person with their eyes closed if they felt a touch. After you touch both of the participants, see if the first person felt any sensations while they had their eyes closed. When they say they did feel something, ask them where they felt it. When they answer, they should say their shoulder. Everyone else will think that when you touched the second person on the shoulder, the person with their eyes closed felt it in the same spot.[6]
    • If you touched the volunteers multiple times, then ask how many times they felt the sensation as well.
    • Be sure to thank your volunteers when you’re finished with the trick.

Method Two of Two:
Using Invisible Bands

  1. 1
    Put an invisible elastic band around one of your hands before the trick. Invisible elastic bands are thin and clear so they’re very hard to see up close or at a distance. Put your hand through the elastic band so it’s wrapped around your palm. Position the band so it’s in the crook of your hand between your thumb and index finger.[7]
    • You can buy invisible elastic bands online or from magic stores.
  2. 2
    Ask 2 people to stand 4 ft (1.2 m) apart. Look for 2 volunteers to help you perform your magic trick. See if there are any people who are in a relationship or are related in some way so you can use their “bond” as an explanation for the trick. Ask the participants to stand on opposite sides of you so they’re about 4–5 feet (1.2–1.5 m) apart from one another.[8]
    • You can also choose 2 strangers if people watching you don’t know one another.
  3. 3
    Have one of the participants close their eyes. Choose 1 volunteer and ask them to close their eyes so they can’t see. Test their vision by waving a hand in front of their eyes and asking if they can still see you at all. If they can, you may need to use a blindfold or something similar to cover their eyes.[9]
  4. 4
    Wave your hands around the person who has their eyes closed. Keep your hands about 3 in (7.6 cm) over the person who has their eyes closed. Wiggle your fingers so it looks like you’re “sensing their energy” so you can perform the trick. In reality, wiggling your fingers helps divert everyone’s attention away from your actual movements.[10]
    • Don’t touch the person who has their eyes closed by accident or else you may spoil the rest of your trick.
  5. 5
    Slip a finger between your palm and the elastic band to stretch it out. While you’re moving your hands around the person with their eyes closed, slide the index finger on your opposite hand under the elastic band to stretch it between your hands. Once you have the elastic band on your finger, pull your hands 4–5 inches (10–13 cm) apart to stretch it out.[11]

    Warning: Be careful not to stretch the elastic too far or else it may snap and ruin the rest of your trick.

  6. 6
    Scrape the elastic over the tip of the person’s nose. After the elastic is pulled tight, hold your hands on either side of the first person’s face. Lightly move your hands down and wiggle your fingers so the edge of the elastic band grazes the tip of their nose. Be sure to stay fluid and deliberate with your motion so you don’t draw too much attention to yourself. At the end of your movement, make fists with your hands so the elastic slides off your finger.[12]
    • Don’t go too fast or else the elastic could snap and possibly hurt your volunteer.
  7. 7
    Touch the other participant’s nose with a playing card. Take a playing card out of your pocket and show it to your audience and the volunteers. Hold the edge of the playing card and slowly run it down the tip of the second person’s nose. When you’re finished, put the playing card back in your pocket.[13]
    • Lightly touch the end of the playing card against their nose so you don’t accidentally give them a papercut.
  8. 8
    Ask the person who had their eyes closed if they felt a sensation. When you’re finished, see if the person with their eyes closed felt anything touch them. When they say they felt someone touch them, ask them where they felt it. The person who had their eyes closed will say their nose because they felt the elastic. The audience can’t see the elastic, so they’ll think the person with their eyes closed felt something when you touched the second person’s nose.[14]
    • Thank your volunteers for helping you before they sit back down.

Community Q&A

Add New Question
  • Question
    Is it possible to perform this at any time?
    Community Answer
    • Yes, if you have at least two people and are in an appropriate setting/environment.
    Thanks! 15 6
  • Question
    What do I do if people don't believe I did the invisible touch trick?
    Community Answer
    • People will know you can't make actual magic happen, so they will know it's a trick. But, even if they do, try to make the trick as tricky as possible and they may wonder, or at least be impressed at your abilities.
    Thanks! 13 8
  • Question
    How do I print a piece of paper?
    Community Answer
    • You don't, you buy one at a store. If you mean how do you print something then you have to use a printer.
    Thanks! 23 40
  • Question
    Is there a mentalist training guide for tricks?
    Community Answer
    • Yes. Check out the book 12 Steps to Mentalism. It was written almost a century ago, but it is still the best. It covers all the basics and most of the tricks you might have seen, at least in rudimentary form.
    Thanks! 3 3
Ask a Question
200 characters left


  • Don’t tell other people how you do your magic trick or else you’ll ruin the secret!
    0 Helpful?  0
  • Be careful that you don’t stretch the elastic band too far or else it may snap.
    0 Helpful?  0

Things You’ll NeedEdit

  • Invisible elastic bands
  • Playing card

About This Article

Co-Authored By:
wikiHow Staff Editor
5 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 6
Updated: July 11, 2019
Views: 140,282
Categories: Magic Tricks | Mentalism
Article Summary

To perform the invisible touch trick, ask 2 people to stand 4 to 5 feet apart in front of you, and get one of them to close their eyes. Then, wave your hands around them and tell everyone watching that you’re detecting their energy. When one of your hands is near the person’s shoulder, lightly and quickly touch it with a finger so nobody notices. As you tap the person, point towards the other person with your other arm to divert attention away from what you’re doing. Once you’ve touched the first person, deliberately touch the person with their eyes open on the same shoulder so everyone can see. Next, ask the person with their eyes closed if they felt anything and where they think they were touched.

Did this article help you?