Enlighten

You present a matchbox and explain that sometimes imagination becomes reality. You ask the spectator to simply imagine that they are in a dark room with a candle.

You then pass them the matchbox and request that they open the same under the table, remove a single match and hold it in their clenched fist so that no one can see.

They put the matchbox back on the table.

You then ask them to imagine that they are using the selected match to light the candle, blow out the match and then return the used match to their hand.

This is all in the spectator's imagination.

You then open the matchbox that has been on the table and tip out the contents, which has nothing but normal unlit matches.

When the spectator opens their hand, they hold the ONLY match that is lit and used, supposedly to light the imaginary candle.

Oh, and did I mention, that the spectator can examine everything afterwards, a true enlightenment.