The "Time Misdirection" Card Reveal

Some principles in magic feel like second nature to us. Often, though, that’s only because we hear about them so frequently and link them to actions that seem vividly familiar. In truth, what we "know" is often just a simplified version we've internalized over time.

That’s the case with misdirection: a concept we learn very early in magic, and that we tend to associate with the idea of “controlling the spectator’s attention” in a way that ends up leaving us with only a surface-level understanding.

Misdirection isn’t just about using the body and eye contact to make the audience look away from the method; that’s only the starting point. From there, misdirection branches into countless different forms—many of which we don’t even realize exist.

You’ll definitely read more about misdirection on One Ahead in the future: the subject is vast and cannot be summed up in a single article. For now, though, we can try to lay a small brick on the less-considered side of misdirection—through a technique you can start using right away.

Time Misdirection

As a general definition, we can say that time misdirection refers to all those occasions when the performer lets time pass between an action and what follows it. Very often, that action is central to the method.

Two very different examples:

• A mentalist on stage hands a prediction to an audience member. By the time the prediction is finally revealed, the passing of time may have created false memories about where that prediction came from and about the spectator’s selection process; it will have erased the memory of any slip in the method; and it will have reinforced the sense of impossibility of the effect.

• In card magic, the cross cut force works a thousand times better when applied with a good dose of time misdirection; the longer the pause, the less obvious it becomes that the chosen card actually came from the top of the deck rather than the center.

To sum it up—time misdirection serves two main purposes: to help the method by erasing its weak points; and to enhance the impact of the effect, especially when it comes before a revelation.

Time misdirection hides an exciting universe of techniques and principles in magic: the importance of controlling rhythm (slowing down is another way to create time misdirection); the value of silence; and scripting.

In the example we’ll look at with the technique explained below, time misdirection won’t just be a way to erase the method—it will also make one of the most common actions in magic dramatically stronger.

It’s a way to reveal a chosen card; one that requires no sleight of hand, that even a child could do, but that drastically increases the impact of any card revelation. If you’ve ever looked for a better way to end your go-to “pick a card” routine, this technique is for you.