Gustav Kuhn

The misdirected mind

Magic is an artform that relies on deception and misdirection to create experiences that violate our understanding of the world. For example, magicians can make objects disappear in a puff of smoke or read your mind. Humans have always been captivated by magical experiences, and the psychological mechanisms that underpin these experiences provide important insights into the nature of cognition. In this option we will examine why our mind can be deceived into experiencing things that we know to be impossible. We will start by examining why we enjoy being fooled and examine how the scientific study of magic can help us understand the human mind. Magicians use misdirection to create their magical illusions, but these principles are applied to wide aspects of our lives (e.g. politics, cyber deception). We will examine how and why misdirection works and challenge the amount we truly perceive and look at a range of perceptual illusions. Magicians create magical illusion that we know to be false, but a large proportion of the population mistake these magical phenomena as reality. Why do people believe in magic, and what role does magical thinking (e.g., paranormal beliefs, superstitions) play in our everyday cognition? Mentalism is a form of magic that involves manipulating psychological processes rather than the physical world and magicians have developed powerful misdirection techniques that manipulate our thoughts. We will examine the science behind this form of mind control (i.e. forcing) and challenge the idea that we are in control over the things we do and think. In the final part we will examine hypnosis and look at the extent to which hypnotic suggestions can influence people’s thoughts and behaviours.

By the end of this option, you will have gained a new perspective on our susceptibility to misdirection, and you may even have learnt to perform a trick or two.

Learning objective 1. Challenge intuitions about our cognitive abilities 2. Gain insights into our susceptibility towards misdirection and misinformation 3. Apply cognitive psychology to the real world 4. Gain a new appreciation for the art and science of magic

Format: This option will be taught in five interactive lectures, and you will have the opportunity to learn to perform some magic tricks. There will also be a voluntary session in which you will experience what hypnosis feels like.

Lecture 1

Introduction to the art of magic - What is magic? Historical, philosophical and psychological perspectives; Artful deception – why do we enjoy magic, and what can we learn from scientifically studying magic?

Lecture 2

Deception, misdirection, and misinformation - What is misdirection? How much of the world do you perceive, and can you trust the things you see and remember? How is misdirection applied to our everyday life?

Lecture 3

Why do people believe in magic? What role does magical thinking (e.g., paranormal beliefs, superstitions) play in our everyday cognition

Lecture 4

Mind control - How much control do people have over the things they think and do? How can magicians control people’s choices?

Lecture 5

Hypnosis – What is hypnosis – distinguishing between fact and fiction. and to what extent can hypnotic suggestions control what people think and do?

Readings

Kuhn, G. (2019). Experiencing the impossible: The science of magic. MIT Press.

Ekroll, V., & Wagemans, J. (2016). Conjuring Deceptions: Fooling the Eye or Fooling the Mind? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 20(7), 486-489. https://doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.tics.2016.04.006

Pailhès, A., & Kuhn, G. (2021). Mind Control Tricks: Magicians’ Forcing and Free Will. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 25(5), 338-341. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2021.02.001

Sample lecture – Gustav Kuhn at the Royal Institute

A humorous and approach to the science of magic: The Infinite Monkey Cage