The original video was posted in July 2021 and has since racked up nearly 17 million views, garnering attention with the claim that the trick can make people fall for you. Lloyd, in subsequent videos, says it’s never failed her. Does it actually work? While there may not be a foolproof “magic trick” to make someone instantly fall in love with you, there may be more to this move than you think. “We pick up on people’s nonverbal cues—and eye contact is a nonverbal cue—as a way of communicating with somebody, and especially somebody that you’re interested in,” psychotherapist Annette Nuñez, Ph.D., LMFT, tells mbg. Not only does eye contact convey respect and confidence, but she says it also shows that you are engaged and listening attentively to this person. According to certified sex therapist De-Andrea Blaylock-Solar, MSW, LCSW-S, CST, “Research shows us that holding your gaze with someone you’re interested in can really foster connection.” In the 1997 experiment2 that inspired the famous “36 questions to fall in love,” researchers found that they could foster intimacy between strangers by having them ask each other a series of personal questions followed by four minutes of uninterrupted eye contact. More recently, a 2019 study3 found that while eye contact may not directly affect romantic attraction, it does enhance intimate self-disclosure and reduce uncertainty toward a person. So eye contact may not be some kind of magic trick, but it does seem to help create the kind of intimacy that contributes to falling in love. “There’s a lot more that goes into falling in love besides doing a trick like that,” says Nuñez. That said, she says eye contact certainly can foster more intimacy and vulnerability—and even have some seductive power. “I’ll have [client couples] do eye gazing because it gives a certain level of vulnerability,” Blaylock-Solar adds. “It doesn’t mean that it’s a trick to fall in love, however.” Nuñez agrees, noting that if you’re really looking for true love, it’s going to take more than a simple trick. True love comes down to time, effort, and a conscious choice on both people’s part. “If you have to trick someone into it, then maybe assess whether you want somebody to lust after you or if you want somebody to really love you,” she adds. When it comes to really making someone fall in love with you, Nuñez says to focus on showing up for this person consistently and communicating openly and honestly. “You want a relationship with love that’s built on trust and honesty, so the more consistent you can be with a partner, and the more you’re there to listen without judgment, not make the relationship solely about you, you know, and being present—that’s number one,” she says. Even Lloyd never said this trick works for a love-at-first-sight moment but rather to enhance intimacy that is already building with a crush.
