Investigating Magic's Potential To Reduce Stress

Abstract

Stress significantly influences brain health by affecting emotional regulation, cognitive performance, and autonomic nervous system functioning. While existing stress-reduction strategies such as breathing exercises and mindfulness are well studied, attention-based and visually engaging methods have received less attention. Live magic performances may reduce stress by capturing attention, create positive emotional responses, and promoting present-moment awareness. This pilot study examined whether watching a short, standardized magic routine produces measurable changes in stress using both psychological and physiological indicators. Twelve participants (ages 11–57) completed the State form of the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) and underwent measurements of heart rate variability (HRV; RMSSD), blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) before and after viewing a three-minute card magic routine. Results showed a mean decrease in STAI-S scores from 38.9 to 35.9 (mean change −3.0) and a mean increase in RMSSD from 48.6 ms to 50.0 ms (mean change +1.4 ms). Diastolic blood pressure showed a small average decrease, while systolic blood pressure and SpO₂ showed minimal or inconsistent changes. Although physiological outcomes varied across participants, reductions in self-reported anxiety were observed in most individuals. These preliminary findings suggest that watching magic may reduce perceived stress and support further investigation with larger samples and control conditions.