Keelan Leyser

Keelan Leyser is one of the world's leading digital illusionists and tech magicians. A performer, keynote speaker and mentalist, his career spans technology, psychology and the art of deception. He is the co-author, with the late Dr David Lewis, of Unseen: Blind Spots and Why We Miss What Matters Most, published by Bloomsbury Sigma.

Keelan's understanding of how illusions exploit gaps in human perception lies at the heart of Unseen. Where David Lewis brought decades of academic research in neuropsychology, Keelan brought a lifetime of practical experience in misdirection, priming and the manipulation of attention, built up over nearly three decades of professional performance.

A former British Magical Grand Prix Champion and British Champion of General Magic, Keelan has performed in over 60 countries and appeared on more than 100 television shows, including Penn & Teller: Fool Us, Masters of Illusion (CW), and his own BBC documentary The Magical World of Keelan Leyser. His YouTube clips have been viewed hundreds of millions of times.

Lewis & Leyser

The Partnership Behind Unseen

Keelan first met Dr David Lewis while studying Philosophy and Economics at University College London (UCL). It was David who gave Keelan his start, recognising the unique value of a performer who could demonstrate the very cognitive principles that psychologists spent their careers studying.

The two formed Lewis & Leyser in 2001, delivering lectures and interactive workshops at conferences around the world for Fortune 500 companies including Microsoft, Intel, Google and BP. Their work together combined serious academic research with live demonstration, showing audiences, rather than simply telling them, how their perceptions could be manipulated.

Unseen is the final product of that partnership. Written over three years, it combines Keelan's performance expertise with David's academic research to create a book that uses real examples, from deepfakes to shopping psychology to stage magic, to show how blind spots shape the way we all see the world.

Technology & Perception

Where Magic Meets Science

Keelan is known for his use of technology to create illusions, using iPads, generative AI, robots, LED screens, drones, virtual reality, holograms and social media to engage audiences in ways that feel impossible.

This experience fed directly into Unseen. The book looks at how the same cognitive shortcuts that make magic work (misdirection, priming, expectation bias, change blindness) are exploited every day in business, politics and digital technology. Keelan's career as a performer gave him a working knowledge of concepts like illusioneering, the deliberate exploitation of cognitive biases for commercial or strategic gain.

His keynote presentation, Reimagine The Impossible, covers many of the same ideas found in the book, challenging audiences to question their assumptions and look past what they think they see.

Find Out More

Visit keelanleyser.com for Keelan's full biography, keynote speaking, TV appearances and performance enquiries.