This vanish and reappearance effect was created by French magician Mickael Chatelain in 2016.
BLINDED uses no optical illusions and no black art.
The magic happens right in front of your eyes.
A freely chosen, signed card becomes completely invisible, while the spectator can clearly see straight through the large keyhole.
Then, just as mysteriously, the card restores itself back to normal.
Welcome to another post from Info Ruckus Magic trick Secrets Revealed series.
BLINDED Card Trick Routine:
He shows a special card with a large keyhole cut through the center.
At the bottom is the word VISIBLE.
A spectator freely selects a card and signs it.
He places the signed card behind the keyhole card.
The back of the card is clearly seen through the cut-out.
He then turns the keyhole card over. The word now reads INVISIBLE.
He places the signed card behind it again.
This time, when he removes his fingers, the keyhole is empty.
The card is no longer visible.
The spectator can even insert a finger through the keyhole to confirm nothing is there.
The signed card is slid slightly above and to the side of the keyhole.
The opening remains empty, proving the center is missing.
Finally, the card is pulled out from behind the keyhole card.
The signed card has fully returned—normal, solid, and visible once again.
Watch how Mickael Chatelain performs BLINDED:
BLINDED By Mickael Chatelan Trick Explained
Before explaining how I think BLINDED by Mickael Chatelain works, it’s important to note that the demo video edits out two key moments.
- You never see the performer actually place the spectator’s card behind the keyhole card.
- You also never see him clearly remove the card from behind it at the end.
That omission is the first clue to the method.
Though you can see Mickael switches the kid’s signed card to his own gimmick card at 0:18.
The second clue is that the spectator’s card can only be slid out a small distance from the special card.
The third clue is the movement and position of the index finger when doing the trick.
From these details, it appears the effect uses a gimmicked card with a concealed rectangular window.
When the two cards are closely aligned in the video, the position of the secret opening becomes apparent.
Based on this, I assume this is where the concealed hole is located.
After analyzing the back design of a Bicycle playing card, it appears to be an ideal place to camouflage the cutting line for the opening.
However, I then realized that if the cut-out window opens to one side, it would be too wide and would extend beyond the edge of the card.
I later noticed a faint white line in the middle of that central section in this video.
From this, I suspect the piece operates like a bi-fold door..
It is likely attached with invisible elastic threads at both ends, allowing it to close automatically.
This is what I think how BLINDED by Mickael Chatelain trick is done.
A Telling Details:
After writing this post, I came across the BLINDED gimmick card online.
This discovery suggests that my earlier speculation may be correct.
Here is a close-up view of the cutline and the invisible elastic thread attached to the concealed opening mechanism.
Psychology Of Mickael Chatelain BLINDED Trick
The BLINDED trick by Mickael Chatelain creates a powerful sense of impossibility by playing with perception and expectation.
Spectators see the chosen card clearly through the keyhole, which builds a sense of trust in what they observe.
When the card suddenly vanishes and later reappears, it violates their expectations, creating astonishment.
Key Psychological Drivers:
The Perceptual Anchor: By showing the card clearly through a keyhole, the magician establishes a “truth.” This builds false certainty, making the eventual vanish feel like a violation of physical laws.
Object Permanence Disruption: Humans have a hardwired belief that objects don’t just vanish. BLINDED shatters this cognitive bias, creating a “logic gap” that results in instant astonishment.
Selective Attention: The keyhole acts as a psychological spotlight. By narrowing the spectator’s attentional field, the method remains hidden in plain sight while the brain focuses entirely on the “impossible” visual.
Cognitive Ease to Shock: The routine starts with a familiar, low-stress setup. This lowers the spectator’s analytical defenses, ensuring the climax hits with maximum impact.
BLINDED by Mickael Chatelain succeeds by forcing the brain to reconcile two contradictory realities, leaving the audience in a state of “positive confusion” that defines great close-up magic.
Sneak Peek: ZIG ZAG Trick By Jay Sankey Secret Revealed
I think the secret behind the 2022 Jay Sankey ZIG ZAG trick does not used any elaborate gimmick card.
This Jay Sankey close up effect is by switching to a pre-prepared gaff card.
There are various ways to present this zig-zag card trick.
In this demo, you can see Craig Petty switches a palmed card from his right hand at 1:00, then at 1:26 he openly disposes the other folded card.
From 1:49, his left thumb is gripping the folded-in section of the customized zig-zag card at the center.
At 1:56, he mimics a sudden, forceful pull, creating the illusion that the middle section of the card is sliding to the left.
In reality, no sliding occurs. He is simply using his right thumb to unfold and open the concealed section of the customized zig-zag card.
This handling is similar to Jay Sankey’s approach in his own demo, where the folded-in portion of the card is pushed out rather than actually shifted.
Jay Sankey Zig Zag Card Trick Exposed
Basically this is how Jay Sankey ZIG ZAG card looks like before unfolding the hidden piece:
Read the full post ZIG ZAG By Jay Sankey Trick Secret Revealed And Explained
👉 Check out ZIG ZAG 1 by Mickael Chatelain trick secret revealed.