In the world of theatrical illusion, misdirection is an art of deceit in which the performer draws audience attention to one thing to distract it from something else. Controlling attention of the audience is the main goal of any theater, and the foremost need of any magic act. If the magic is of the “pocket trick” variety or the stage is a major production, misdirection is the central key to the success. The term is used to describe either the effect (the the focus of the observer on an unimportant object) or the sleight of hand and patter (the magician’s speech) that creates the illusion.

It’s difficult to determine who first coined the phrase, however an early reference to misdirection appears in the writing of a renowned author and magician named Nevil Maskelyne: Admittedly, it is a method of distracting the senses of the audience in order to screen from being aware of certain information in which confidentiality is essential. The same time, the magician, writer, artist and performer Tarbell noted, Nearly all the art of illusion relies on this art of misdirection.

Some magicians who have studied and evolved techniques for misdirection are Max Malini, David Blaine, Tamariz, Tony Slydini, Tommy Wonder as well as Dai Vernon.

Henry Hay describes the central act of conjuring as a manipulation of interest.

Many magicians can divert attention from the audience in two primary ways. One causes the audience to turn their attention away for a short moment, so they aren’t aware of a act or gesture. The other method alters the audience’s perception, distracting them into thinking that something else is a significant factor in the performance when it really isn’t a factor in the effect at all. Dariel Fitzkee says that the true skill of the magician is in the skill of his performance in changing the spectators mind. Additionally, sometimes a prop like magic wands aids in misdirection.

Misdirection is at the heart of nearly all successful illusions. Without misdirection, even the a mechanical gimmick or the most skilled sleight-of-hand is not likely to make an impression of real magic.

Misdirection makes use of the limitations of the human mind to present a false image and memory. The mind of a typical spectator can only focus on only one thing at a given time. The magician makes use of this to manipulate the audience’s ideas or perceptions of sensory input and lead them to make false conclusions.

Many magicians have debated the use of the term, misdirection, causing many discussions about what it is and how it operates.

Celebrated illusionist Jon Finch made a distinction between direction and misdirection. One is a negative word as opposed to the other, positive. In the end, he sees the two as the same thing. If a performer, through some method, has influenced the minds of the viewers to believe that he has done something he hasn’t accomplished, he has incorrectly guided them into that belief; hence, misdirection.

Tommy Wonder has pointed that it’s more effective, from the magician’s perspective to focus on the positive aim of directing attention to the audience. He writes that misdirection suggests the wrong direction. It implies that attention is directed away from something. When we keep using this term, it eventually becomes so ingrained in our minds that we may begin to perceive misdirection as directing our attention away from rather than toward something.

Tony Slydini said that if a magician believes that, the audience will believe in it, and the magic they can’t perceive. Misdirection is true when they accept what the magician says and then follow the magician. reference