BILL GOLDMAN'S
MENTAL
YARN A Product of FUN Incorporated Chicago Illinois 6 0 6 3 9 USA Copyright © 2003. All Rights Reserved. www.funinc.com
THE STAGGERING EFFECT Simply Stated: A spectator thinks o f an object. T h e magician instantly, without guess work or chance o f failure, tells the spectator exactly what object they have in mind.
T h e Detailed Description: T h e spectator is asked to think of either the word "even" or the word "odd." T h e magician hazards a guess - was the spectator thinking "odd"? W h e t h e r o r n o t the p e r f o r m e r g u e s s e s correctly is immaterial. T h e test gets harder from here o n out. T h e spectator next thinks of a n u m b e r between o n e a n d ten and associates it with a phrase. But rather than having a 1 0 % chance of reading the spectator's thoughts, the magician increases the difficulty level yet again. Taking the feat into the realm of the impossible, the spectator is asked to associate their thought-of phrase with an object from another list. Amazing as it may seem, even before the spectator knows
what object they have in mind, the magician knows what they are thinking! With unerring accuracy, the thoughtreader tells the spectator exactly what object he has in mind.
METHOD AND PRESENTATION T h e secret of this stunner is so devilishly simple, you'll almost cry from excitement once you know how it works.
provided to give you another option should you care to r e p e a t the trick o r if you w o u l d like to vary y o u r performance. Begin the trick by asking the spectator if she believes you can read m i n d s . Whatever the answer is, tell her you think that you can, but that you'd like to start out with an easy test, to "warm u p . " A s k her to think of the word "even" or the word "odd." A s
It's a force!
in even numbers or odd numbers. And once she has one of the two choices in mind, you're going to read her thoughts
N o w , now.
and tell her which of the two she was thinking of.
T h e force isn't a force in the traditional sense of the word. You're not going to ask people to pick a card or anything so despicable. In fact, you're going to let the spectator force the item on herself. Here's how:
lists at a time. T h e second and third sets have been
Provided with this booklet are two pairs
of lists. O n e set was printed on red card stock, the other on blue, and the third on yellow. Blue lists are used in conjunction with each other, red with each other, and yellow with each other. You get the idea. U s e one set of
N o w take a guess. Just guess. It doesn't matter if she's thinking of even or o d d . You just take a stab at it. W h a t you're trying to do is figure out whether she's thinking of even or odd without alluding to the fact that this teeny, tiny bit of information is the entire secret of the trick you're about to perform. S o , if you got it right, just tell her, "I knew it," and move
o n . If you got it wrong, make up an excuse as to why. "Well, what did you expect? G e n u i n e m i n d reading?" works well and might get a laugh (or groan). In our example, let's a s s u m e that she picked even, and that one way or the other, you now know this. Amazingly, at this point, the trick is over, as far as the actual work you have
"Let's make this really difficult," you continue. Tell her that you'd like to take the experiment o n e step further by delving into the world of association. You've got another list on hand (convenient!) that you'll use for this. Tell your spectator to listen to the list that you're about
to d o . But for the spectator, things are just beginning.
to read. It's c o m p o s e d of several objects - a dozen or so.
Tell
has in mind with o n e of the objects from the list you're
her that you'd like to make the next test more
difficult. Y o u ' r e ready for the real deal. N o more 5 0 / 5 0 . T h a t ' s just kid stuff, you joke. T o increase the difficulty, you introduce a card on which has been printed ten phrases, each o n e next to a number, from o n e to ten. Since she was thinking of "even," you ask her to think of and even n u m b e r between one and ten. T h e n , once she's got that n u m b e r in m i n d , have her look at her n u m b e r on the list and remember the phrase next to it. Show her the list. In this example, we'll use the blue one. Give her a moment to consider it, see her number and the corresponding phrase. (Don't let her tell you what the phrase is. Just have her keep it in mind.) Since she is thinking of an even number, she will choose one of the following five words: Yarn, Golden Color, A Ball, Cat's Toy, or Round.
You would like her to associate the word or phrase she about to read. N o w read the list to her. Try to do so in a steady rhythm so as not to seem like you're trying to influence her choice of objects in any way. O n c e you've read through the list, put it away. A s k the spectator to concentrate on her new object. Tell her that you'd like her to envision the object on the table (or floor, or wherever) in front of her. Tell her that you'd like her to picture you picking up the object and placing it in her hand. Tell her to indulge you and to cup her hands in readiness to receive the imaginary object you're about to drop into them.
For the killer finish, mime the action of picking up the object from the table a n d slowly placing it into her outstretched h a n d s . In our example, she will end up thinking of the Yellow Ball of Yarn, which is what you mimic dropping into her h a n d s . Finis.
BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT OBJECT SHE HAS IN MIND?
W h y does this work? Studying the lists provided will reveal quite a bit about why Mental Yarn works. T h e key to the effect is really in the numbered lists provided. For example, look at just the even numbers on the numbered blue list. See how they can all be associated with the Yellow Ball of Yarn on the other blue list? Yarn. Golden Color. A Ball. Cat's Toy. Round. O n e element of the object can easily be associated with one of these phrases. S o , when you ask a spectator to associate one of these things with something on the other
Simple.
list, they're left with no option but to think of the Yellow Ball of Yarn - it's the only option that makes sense based
If she was initially thinking of "even," then on the blue list, she will end up thinking of the Yellow Ball of Yarn. O n the red list, an even n u m b e r will yield the C h r i s t m a s T r e e . O n the yellow list, even will yield a r e m o t e controlled car.
on your instructions and their choices. T h e same goes for the odd n u m b e r s and the C a r v i n g Knife. All the odd n u m b e r e d phrases can s o m e h o w be associated with the knife - b u t the association is not obvious. T h e phrases seem different enough that when
If odd is the selection, then on the blue list, the selection
a spectator looks at the n u m b e r e d list, everything will
will always be the carving knife. O n the red list, the
seem like it was c o m p o s e d in a r a n d o m fashion.
selection will be the Wristwatch. O n the yellow list, it's the cherry popsicle. It always works. N o kiddin'.
O f course, the red lists work the s a m e way, but with
different phrases a n d force objects. S a m e thing for the
Over the phone: O n the p h o n e with a potential client
yellow list.
or a friend you'd like to impress? Read both lists to them
ALTERNATIVE PRESENTATIONS/ OPTIONAL HANDLINGS
over the p h o n e a n d tell them to visualize the object dropping into their h a n d . Even though you're not in the same r o o m , you're still able to perform the trick once you know if they're thinking of even or odd.
N o Props Miracle: After performing the effect a few times, you'll begin to memorize the lists. O n c e you know
O n the C o m p u t e r : Y o u might be able to perform
them by heart, you'll be able to perform this miracle
Mental Yarn via email or instant messenger. J u s t follow
without the props! J u s t remember that you'll need to
the instructions, but instead of reading out the lists, email
memorize the numbered lists in order.
them to y o u r participant. H o w e v e r , m a k e s u r e the
On Stage: There is no reason Mental Yarn has to be
on the lists for too long. Providing them with instructions
recipient of your emails doesn't have a chance to dwell performed in one-on-one situations. The astonished reactions of the volunteers you choose will be all that's necessary to sell the effect to a larger audience. Because there are two possible choices (even and odd) you can perform this with two people on stage, each "thinking" of a different object. Positioning a person on either side of you, you instruct one of them to choose either even or odd. If he selects odd, you instruct the other person to think of an even number. This way, there is no chance of them thinking of the same number. Revealing two different thoughts (objects) can truly double the impact of this mind-boggling effect.
to delete your m e s s a g e s (the ones that contain your instructions and the lists) once they've been read might be a way to prevent this from happening.
Other Possibilities: W h a t about o n the radio? O n TV?
Mental Y a r n can b e performed in nearly any
situation, under test conditions. Try the trick with a radio listener that's called in, or a caller (perhaps two?) o n a T V show. You might be able to perform the trick for the entire T V audience by flashing the lists o n the screen.
WHAT TO SAY AND HOW TO ACT
you're going to drop the object into her hand, build things
T h e key to success with this trick is really in the way you
imaginary ball of yarn, say, "Be sure to catch the soft,
phrase your delivery of the script. T h e right script can
yellow ball of yarn as I drop it into your hand. Don't let
make or break your performance.
it roll away!"
up with appropriate phrasing and acting. If dropping the
D o n ' t s : For example, never, ever use the phrase "Freely
If you're going to set an imaginary knife in her hand, say
Associate." Never. W h e n it comes time for the spectator
something like, "I'd better not drop this into your hand. In
to associate the phrase they are thinking of from the 1-10
fact, be very careful as I set this on your palms. This carving
list with one from your list of objects, if they actually
knife is sharp!" Topical jokes are easy to make when
freely associate, then they can choose any one of the
discussing an object. O n the red list, for example, if the
objects off the list. T h i s is exactly what you don't want to
christmas tree is selected, you have plenty of opportunities
h a p p e n ! W h a t you w a n t to h a p p e n is for t h e m to
to make quips about holidays with the family.
deliberately associate their phrase with an object from your list.
You might consider having the appropriate objects on your table and dropping them into the spectator's hands
D o n ' t let the s p e c t a t o r s e x a m i n e or dwell o n the
(have them close their eyes first!) once they've settled on
numbered lists. They'll catch on rather quickly to the
o n e . In the case of a C h r i s t m a s tree, you'll need a
secret if allowed to study them. S o dispose of these at the
miniature o n e .
first p o s s i b l e m o m e n t . W h e n they first look at the n u m b e r e d list, don't give them a n opportunity to look at
"Sell" the effect once you know what object she's going
all the n u m b e r s , just the o n e they have in mind.
to pick. D o n ' t just follow the usual procedure - you've
Dos: W h e n it comes to the point in the routine where
you know the outcome of the trick. M a k e the most of it!
got every opportunity for a great presentation because
A BRIEF HISTORY T h i s effect is based on Ed M e l l o n ' s principle called synomity, first introduced in his classic and one phase of a N e d Rutledge effect.
Synonomental
