The magic shop is getting requests from people all over the world asking ‘How did David Blaine push a needle through his arm?’

David Blaine’s new TV special Real or Magic seems to have done its job very well! He perfectly blurs the lines between illusion and reality and the magic trick that blurs this line the most is his personal version of needle through arm that closes the show.

So, how did David Blaine push a needle through his arm? The truth is that nobody other than David and his most trusted associates really know. The general consensus of the public is that he must have actually pushed the needle (or skewer to be precise) through his arm. It should go without saying though that no one should attempt to copy this illusion as there are many things that could go wrong including paralysis and even death.

When looking at this amazing piece of astonishment though there are a few things to take into account.

Firstly, David Blaine has been preparing this TV special for nearly a decade. He puts immense amounts of care and thought into his presentations, he also prepares himself for each stunt or magic trick over long periods of time. He is a perfectionist and takes his performances very seriously.

David also has access to the best medical advice and the best magic consultants the world has to offer so whether it was an illusion or real he has advice from the world’s best and most sought after authorities on the subject. So whether it was real or magic he has had the best advice and the best tuition on how to perform this bizarre feat.

David Blaine performed this to an actor in the show. It was a controlled, staged and directed performance, with a spectator that was not an unsuspecting member of the public. Ricky Gervais was part of the show himself.

David Blaine is as committed to the art form of magic as anyone could be. He has the time and money to delve deeply into any theory of any subject he wishes. There is no telling if he spent months learning these techniques from the tribesmen of New Guinea or Mayan’s (who regularly pierce their faces and bodies as part of a ritual they perform), or whether he and his team have in fact, come up with a diabolical method for showing this effect!

Once again David Blaine has fooled us all. He has an amazing ability to keep us all guessing, whether you are a magician or a layperson.

I would like to mention that we at the Merchant of Magic do not advise anyone try any such stunt at home, David Blaine is a professional and has some of the world’s best assistants help him train to perform these illusions and stunts. Maybe it was really a magic trick, in which case really trying to push a needle through your arm would be very silly!

However, if you wish to perform a magic trick that shows an illusion like David Blaine’s needle through arm I highly recommend you check these out: