There are several methods of creating an illusion of a spoon spontaneously bending. Most common is the practice of misdirection, an underlying principle of many stage magic tricks. In one or several brief moments of distraction, a "psychic"/magician can physically bend a spoon unseen by the audience, then gradually reveal the bend and thus create the illusion that the spoon is bending before the viewers' eyes. The spoons usually bend at the point where the bowl met the handle, where bending would require the least force.
The most famous spoon-bender is the Israeli-born Uri Geller, an alleged psychic who claims to be able to bend spoons, as well as other metal objects. He has numerous critics, though, especially in the scientific community, who claim he is both charlatan and con-man.
- "Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth . . . There is no spoon . . . Then you will see that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself." — Spoon Boy, The Matrix