A Simple Impression Direct Mind Reading
A Simple Impression - Direct Mind Reading ...............................................................3 Introduction................................................................................................................3 Effect..........................................................................................................................4 Method .......................................................................................................................6 Construction...............................................................................................................9 What you need .....................................................................................................10 Opening the Clipboard.........................................................................................10 Concealing the Edge ............................................................................................10 The Insert .............................................................................................................11 Sealing the Clipboard...........................................................................................11 Retrieving the Information...................................................................................12
A Simple Impression - Direct Mind Reading Introduction This is really a combination effect, more to show the possibilities than a routine to be slavishly followed. The effect as described is ‘audience tested’ and will have a huge impact ‘as is’. However, the main point is to show the mechanics of how such effects are achieved. The effect involves two classics of mentalism – a reproduced drawing and the correct divination of thought of word/person. I hope you find the following useful Chan
Effect A spectator is asked up on stage. Performer : ”Hi, I’d like to try something with you, it may or may not work; but just relax and don’t worry about it – if anything goes wrong from now on, it’s my fault – not yours; OK ?” Subject :
Performer : ”Now, you drew something, a simple picture, or geometric shape – you should have that picture sealed in an envelope somewhere” Subject : “Yes” (pulls heavy brown envelope from their pocket) Performer: ”Did you show this drawing to anyone? I include that rather noisy group over there” (points to the group in the audience which are obviously the subject’s friends – due to reactions when called on stage) Subject: “No < random confirmation/expansion>” Performer:”OK great. Here’s what I want you to do, and keep in mind that this is something that’s not guaranteed – we’ll both try this and see how we get on OK? Subject : Performer: ”I want you to THINK about the picture inside that envelope. BLOCK everything else out. The audience, your friends, what you’re doing after the show – everything. Until there’s nothing left - but YOU… , ME…. and that DRAWING. Are you starting to do that ?” Subject : Performer: ”Fantastic, that’s it – SLOWLY START TO CLOSE YOUR EYES if it helps, there’s nothing here but you… me…. and your drawing……. I’m moving over here slightly, I’m just PICKING UP a marker and a pad – but don’t let it interfere with what you’re doing. Just KEEP YOUR EYES CLOSED, keep thinking about yourself, the drawing and about MY VOICE. That’s all there is, that’s all that matters I’m starting to DRAW now, I want you to see your drawing and I want you to imagine me drawing it. Make it strong and bold, almost as if your mind was a projector – the image is already there, all I have to do is copy it – that’s it – make it as sharp and FOCUSED as you can” Performer: “Fantastic….. In a moment I’m going to ask you to open your eyes, when I do that I want you to be aware of where you are and what has happened to you up to this point; you will feel safe and relaxed, but I do NOT want you to react to anything you will see…… If you understand this please nod.
Performer: “ OK - OPEN YOUR EYES (theatrical click of both fingers) You did great by the way – could you please open the envelope with your drawing, show it and describe it in your own words” [of course the drawings match – round of applause]
Performer: “Honestly, that was outstanding – I’m really loath to let you go, so while I’ve got you up here – can we try one more thing ?” Subject : Performer: “Fantastic – OK. I’ll asked you to think of a relative, but someone who’s not here tonight. Can you get THAT person’s name in your mind right now ?” Subject : Performer: “Keep it there, strong and bright and vivid, think of that person and what they mean to you…. The first thing I’m getting is that the person you're thinking of is female ?” Subject : Performer: “Now, I don’t want TO FREAK YOU OUT or anything – but it’s a very strong feeling – almost like a sister ? – yes ? the name’s fairly long - it has 2 letters the same near the middle ? There’s an L in there… it’s at the start - Lorraine ? it’s Lorraine!” Subject : [huge round of applause – you move on to your next effect, or simply call it a night]
Method Hopefully, the above sounds pretty cool and you want to know the method. Unfortunately the method itself is ridiculously simple, it just requires a bit of showmanship (which probably isn’t a PC word – so I apologise) on your part. Every wondered what ‘not for the hobbyist’ disclaimers on professionally available tricks are about ? Generally their about this sort of thing, for this to be 100% effective – you have to perform it to strangers. It can be performed in more ‘informal’ settings; but you’ll have your work cut out for you. The first thing to do – is to select your ‘victim’. Ideally - they will have the following attributes, though you can ‘wing it’ and adjust as you perform this sort of effect more often. 1.They have come with a set of friends (to loudly disclaim ideas that they were a stooge) 2.They are not the ‘natural leader’ of the group 3.They are not over confident and likely to try and ‘catch you out’ 4.BUT – they are also not likely to clam up and freeze ‘on stage’ 5.This really covers 3 and 4 – they are compliant. OK – that sounds tricky, but you will almost invariably start to spot ‘the type’ after a few performances. Even if you get it wrong; the effect(s) will probably still work – it might just involve slightly more work on your part. So, you’ve selected your victim, hopefully their drinking with their friends either in a bar or at a table long before the show is going to start. You approach them… “Hi, I’m , look I’m doing a bit later on this evening, it’s sort of a magic thing, and for part of it I need a volunteer – would you be up for something like that ?” “It’s nothing heavy or embarrassing, it’s just I can’t ask anyone up on stage unless they’re OK with it beforehand; so… if you want to do it, that’d be fantastic” “You’ll do it – great, OK look – does this make sense to you ?” You hand them a clipboard and a (thick) brown envelope. The clipboard has a blank A4 piece of paper attached to it (perforated near the bottom), as well as a small piece of paper clipped on top of that. The small piece of paper has the following instructions on it:
Hi, without anyone else seeing what you are doing - please think of and draw any simple picture or geometrical shape. Make it strong and bold as it may have to be seen from the stage. Then, think of a close relative who is not here with you tonight and write their name on the bottom of the page. Tear off the name of the relative and either destroy it or keep it in your pocket. Then fold the drawing and seal it in the envelope.
They read the text. “Do you have a pen with you ?” If no “No worries use mine” If yes – again no problem Depending on how confident you are, you then either walk away or turn you back. If you picked 100% right, the subject will retire to a quiet place and follow the instructions. If not, they may stay where they are and follow them. Either way, you return or turn around after you know they’ve finished. OK – now we’re going to make the clipboard invisible. “Have you finished ? great.” They start to hand everything back to you, “Hang on no, you need to keep the envelope – put it in a pocket or somewhere safe” “Did you ?… use your pen in the end ?” “Ignore me – I’m always losing pens, you start to get paranoid about it after a while” “Yeah, thought it was mine – just wanted to make sure I wasn’t stealing your pen on you” So – you’ve mentioned the pen, and the envelope – the clipboard has been returned to you silently and has not been mentioned, after all they have been at pains to keep the ‘instruction sheet’ attached to it – which obviously belongs to you. Afterwards – all that they will remember is that they drew something which you could not have seen. They may not even remember writing down the word which you will later ask them to recall with the obscure sentences: “OK. I’ll asked you to think of a relative, but someone who’s not here tonight. Can you get THAT person’s name in your mind right now ?”
Before we get to the construction of the clipboard, if they just write down the name that you’re going to reveal later – how do you know their relationship to that person ? That requires a bit of work on your part…. Pay attention to your subject/victim. A married woman aged twenty plus to forty who writes down a currently fashionable name will be thinking of one of their children. A married man on his own will most likely write down the name of his mother or his wife. Again, you can tell from type of name that was written and looking at the company he is currently keeping. A single man or woman will most likely write down the name of one of their siblings or of their mother. The same logic applies to grandchildren and grandparents. If you do not feel confident as to the relationship between the subject and the written name – you can either ‘pump’ “I see a young person” or simply reveal the name. There is also a reason for asking for a “simple picture or geometric shape” to be drawn – population stereo types. Even if people aren’t aware of these – they will think about it later and conclude that if you ask someone to draw the above they will most likely draw: 1.a house 2.a circle 3.a stick figure 4.a triangle This is 100% true, and it will re-emphasis the vague false method presented. Most importantly – it will make the revealed name look totally impossible “I can see how he would have got the picture of a house – I would have guessed that – but did he know your sister was called Lorraine ? Have you seen that guy before anywhere ?” The clipboard is slipping further and further away…….
Construction OK, before you read the following and start to baulk at how obvious and simple it is, I want you to keep in mind two things. 1. The description that follows is a ‘working’ prop that I have placed in the hands of countless ‘victims’. 2. There is a huge difference between visible magical props and mentalism ‘props’ Looking at point 2 – when a magician presents you with a prop, you’re naturally suspicious. It probably has glitz edges (it may even come from ‘The Mysterious Orient”) , and you know that when you put that oversized die in there – something odd is going to happen to it. Not because you’ve seen the hidden mechanism; but because you know it’s a magical prop. It’s probably more expensive and better made than the things you got in your “Sooty’s Pointless Magic Set” one Christmas – but it’s still a dodgy box. So, it’s well made – its mechanism is hidden to ‘controlled casual’ inspection; but it’s really just a puzzle. It’s not magic – the guy with the top hat knows how the box works and you don’t – you begin to suspect that it’s because he paid more money for it – or possible he has comprising pictures of Sweep and Sue. Mentalism props aren’t used in the same way; they are either genuinely invisible (swami gimmicks, silver bullet etc.) or they are presented as ordinary everyday things such as clipboards – often BEFORE the fact. You’re handling of the clipboard should be such that it is a convenience rather than a ‘prop’. It’s something to lean on while writing – that’s it.
So, onto the clipboard
What you need 1.The cheapest ‘plastic covered’ clipboard you can find. The ones I use cost me less than 2 quid – which almost place them in the disposable prop range 2.A craft or Stanley knife 3.A metal ruler 4.Some paper glue (like PrittStick or UHU) 5.Some carbon paper 6.Some sheets of A4 paper 7.A maker pen which approximately matches the colour of the plastic on the clipboard (after you’ve made the clipboard - you can use the marker pen in your act to recreate the drawing, so it doesn’t go to waste)
Opening the Clipboard The clipboard will consists of a piece of cardboard sealed in plastic, the plastic being ‘heat sealed’ around the 4 sides of the cardboard.
We’re going to take our knife and metal ruler and cut off the ‘seal’ on the bottom of the clipboard. It’s not big, and it’s not clever – and you might want to ask to bill payer first before you dial – but that’s what we’re going to do.
Concealing the Edge OK, so now we’ve ‘opened’ the clipboard – but if someone looks at it ‘edge on’ from the bottom (which – btw they won’t) they’re going to spot it -so we best cover our tracks. So, we take our marker and colour the bottom edge of the cardboard to match the surrounding plastic.
The Insert The insert consists of a sheet of A4 paper with a piece of carbon paper attached to it. (the right way around, you’ll only make this mistake once). Take a sheet of A4 and put a ‘strip’ of paper glue on the top of the page.
Then, place a piece of carbon paper (carbon side down) and attach it to this piece of paper.
Take this combined carbon/normal paper and insert it intro the clipboard as far as it will go.
Sealing the Clipboard So the insert is in, take the paper glue and apply it to the cardboard inside the clipboard near the bottom edge (both sides). Now seal the clip board by squeezing down the open edge onto the cardboard
Retrieving the Information Once your subject has finished, take the clipboard to a quiet corner and open it up from the bottom end – remove the insert – and you’ll see exactly what was drawn/written.
That’s it – have fun Chan
