5 Effects using only a Pair of Hands and a Brain by ran pink
Copyright © 2014 Ran Pink No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including scanning, photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publishers, the exception to this is the printing of the images which can be printed by the original purchaser of this document. Commercial manufacturing rights for all content herein are reserved.
The following 5 ideas are inspired by Jim Steinmeyer’s “Automatic Palmistry” effect from his amazing book Further Impuzzibilities, published by Hahne. I encourage the reader to go out and get the Impuzzibilites series of books if you like simple self-working magic principles. Every book in the series is a source for inspiration. I’m grateful for his permission to share this simple idea with you. The participant is asked to hold both hands in front of them and close one of their choosing. With one hand open and the other made into a fist, they are guided through random movements to select either the right or left hand. In the end, the mind reader will know which hand is now open and which one is closed. Mr. Steinmeyer has an elegant, short and sweet, process that leads up to the final selection. I urge you to check it out! Due to the simplicity of this original effect, I was to take it further. The basic method: After alternating hands to the number of letters in the participant’s secret thought, the mind reader tells them to repeat the same process by spelling out “left” if their left hand is now closed and vice versa for the right. Due to the right hand being spelled with an odd amount of letters and the left with an even amount, the left hand will always end up being closed. Different word combinations like these will give you control over the circumstances. How many categories could I make sense of? The challenge here is to justify the procedure, so let’s begin with something basic.
Palm Prophet Cardistry Put your hands behind your back and close one of your fists. I will also turn around so I can’t see anything. Now I want you to alternate between hands. When one hand is open the other hand is closed. Go back and forth until you feel like stopping. Next, think of a number between 1 and 10 and alternate that many times. Keep the hand you land on closed. For that hand, spell out if it is your right or left (i.e. if your right hand is closed spell "right") and alternate hands for each letter. Keep the hand you land on closed. There is no way for me to know which hand you have closed at this point. Now imagine holding a deck of playing cards in your closed hand. The deck is split between red and black cards. If your right hand is holding the deck I want you to think of Red, and Black if the deck is in your left hand. Spell the color by alternating hands closed and open. Depending on that color, if the right hand is now closed I want you to think of either Spades or Hearts, and Clubs or Diamonds for your left. Spell out the suit you are thinking of by alternating hands one more time. If your right hand is closed, think of a Picture card, and if your left hand is closed, think of a number card. Attach this to your suit and don’t make an obvious choice. Pull together the image of this card in your mind. And repeat it over and over again: “Queen, Queen, Queen, or whatever
card you are thinking of…” It's a court card. You're not thinking of a Jack, are you. Jack Of Spades? That was just a basic fishing a bit because it’s either going to be the Jack, Queen or King of Spades. Most likely it will be the Jack Of Spades since you said, “don’t make an obvious choice”. A Queen is a fairly obvious choice for a girl, as a King would be for a boy. When you ask them to repeat the card over and over you are going to gauge their reaction to “Queen, Queen, Queen.” If they seem excited then complete the thought, “Queen of Spades.” You could use “King, King, King” instead since you may have eliminated the Queen by the same obvious choice factor. Of course, you may find that a woman or man will still go for the Queen or King depending on their opinion of what is obvious. To fish between King and Jack, I like to go for sounds. I’m getting a “k” sound. If the participant gives off an expressive reaction then I would go for the King. If the reaction is hesitant or nonexistent then I would choose Jack. I’m still getting a “k.” Could it be at the end of the word? Are you thinking of a Jack? There is one other way to fish between the 3 court cards. This idea, that I will be discussing later, uses a simple branching anagram to reveal the playing card by reading the lines on their palm.
Imagine the value of the playing card spelled out on your palm. For example, if you thought of the 8 of Hearts, ignore the suit and picture the letters E-I-G-H-T forming from the lines and veins on your palm. Focus on your card and imagine that now. “Interesting. I think I’m seeing an ‘I’ forming in your palm.” If Yes, then it’s the King. If not, continue. “Actually I’m seeing some more lines forming. Could it be an E?” If Yes, it’s a Queen. If No, it’s a Jack. Remember I-E. Stop reading the letters from their palm and act as if you aren’t getting anything from that exercise. At this point, I would reveal the thought “telepathically” or use my “gut instinct.” If the latter I would find a pen and paper and write it down before having them name their card. Although this can be done without props, an effect that involves cards might as well be done with real cards. If you like the process you can easily setup multiple outs in a borrowed deck of cards. A Queen of spades is palmed off into my pocket, a King of spades is cut to the face, and the Jack of Spades rests on the top. Put the cards in the box and have the spectator pass the cards from hand to hand behind their back for each letter spelled. When they are finished, ask them to bring the deck forward and name their card out-loud. You will now guide them through a mental exercise where the participant imagines moving their card to one of the three positions you’ve setup, then you can guide them to the right
position because you know their card. Have them remove the cards from the box to find their chosen card. For example, it could be at the bottom of the deck, on top, or you could have hidden it in your pocket. In this last variation, have them spell out the name of their card while their hands are still behind their back. This would be a new step and a continuation of the earlier process. For example you’d say, If you’re thinking of the Three, spell it out by passing the deck back and forth between your hands for each letter. You know they’re going to spell either King, Queen, or Jack. The cards will end up in the same hand as the previous step (Right) if they picked one of the male cards (King or Jack), and in the opposite hand (Left) if it’s the Queen. Now ask the participant to bring out the hand that is currently holding the deck. You will know right away if it’s the Queen. If not, ask them to name their card BEFORE they imagine placing it at the face or the top. For the version without props, all that’s left is to fish between the king and jack. If it is the Queen, it’s a pretty clean effect. You can have them just think of their card as they deal through the deck, only to find that it’s not there. Then you can remove the card from your pocket, proving you knew the entire time. Another option is to carry the King, Queen, and Jack of Spades in your wallet or 3-way envelope, which can be used as the item being passed between their hands. Now lets take this idea into another realm.
Palm Prophet Palmistry In a moment I will read your palm, but, before I begin, let me guide you through a process that will allow your subconscious to express its concerns. First I'd like you to place your hands behind your back or where I can't see them. Alternate your hands open and closed and repeat this process until you feel like stopping. Now, spell your first name by alternating hands, open and closed, for each letter of your name. Now that one of your hands is closed, let me remind you that 1) I have no idea which one it is and 2) you had no preconceived notion of what hand you’d land on from the beginning. We’ve basically let fate decide. If your left hand is closed, your subconscious will reveal a message for the future and if your right hand is closed, it will be a message of the present. Based on that, I'd like you to spell out either "present" or "future" by alternating hands open and closed like we did before. Keep the hand you land on closed and remember this as your starting point. I'm going to call out popular pairs of topics that people are concerned about. Choose the topic that makes the most sense for you most at the moment and keep it to yourself. Lets start with Love or Sex. Choose one and spell out each letter by alternating hands. Now that one of your hands is closed again, is it the same hand as before or have the hands switched? If, They switched (Different)
Keep your fist locked tight. It seems as if your reading will have a bit of both the present and future. If, It’s the same hand (Same) Ok. Keep your fist locked tight. This tells me that your reading will be more focused in one particular area. Now choose either Money or Career and spell out the letters like before. Bring forward the palm that is open so I can read it. Now the mentalist can give a palm reading, using the knowledge of the topics of interest to the participant so they can focus the reading. If they answer, "the same hand,” it means their left hand is closed and the topic they’re thinking about is LOVE. If they answered "different hand,” it means their right hand is now closed and the topic they’re thinking about is SEX. When they bring out the OPEN hand at the end, you'll immediately know which hand was closed. Therefore, you'll know whether they chose MONEY or CAREER. The chart below will illustrate.
After "Future" and "Present" the left hand will be closed. You will not know if they chose Present Or Future, but by stating that the reading will involve either present or future, in 3 out of 4 cases, they will switch hands at some point. You can then blur the lines within the reading. It tells you something about the participant when they choose sex over love. They could be wearing a wedding ring, have a tan line of a ring, or show no sign of ever being married. Combined with the age of the participant, you’re able to gain some insight into their world. These same principals can apply to Career vs. Money. If they choose Career, I’m obliged to think they’re interested in or currently earning a satisfactory living. Money, on the other hand, could mean they’re undergoing some fiscal issues or are more interested in instant gratification rather than focusing on a long-term solution. Of course there are many factors that can apply while making these sorts of judgment calls, so always take into consideration the appearance and energy of the participant. If you’re performing this over the phone, you’ll need to find out which of their hands remains open in the end. You
can ask either by using the “present” and “future” ploy or by asking if the same hand is closed from the last step. Either way, you should ask for this information instead of telling them to bring their hand forward so you can read it. In a video chat this is not a problem. Palm Prophet Variation Force Another solution is to force the outcome like in the playing card version. You guide them to think of specific concerns based on which hand is now closed. After the initial spelling of “future” and “present” the participant’s left hand will be closed. If the next options are spelled with an even number of letters, the same hand will be closed as before. If their chosen concern is spelled with an odd number of letters, the opposite hand will closed. This way, you can design the outcome and give a scripted reading based on each of the forced concerns. I like both versions, but the original presentation offers the participants a free choice between two “concerns.” That freedom can give you true insight into the subject’s state of mind.
Palm Prophet Zodiac This uses an introduction similar to the playing card version. The participant is asked to open and close their hands until they feel like stopping. This time you can ask them to spell out something meaningful with their hands, such as their mother’s name. In a moment I'm going to read one of your palms. Right now you have one of your hands in a fist - I don't know which one. This has been left up to fate. If your right hand is in a fist, then the reading will be in regard to your present life. If your left hand is in a fist, the reading will concern the future. Whichever one it is I want you to spell out either 'future' or 'present.’ Remember which hand is in a fist now. This will be important in a moment. Now spell out the month you were born in using the same method. Now that you've done that, is the hand that you have closed now the same as before or did your hands switched? If, They switched (Different) Keep your fist locked tight. It appears as if your reading will have a bit of both the present and future. If, It’s the same hand (Same) Ok. Keep your fist locked tight. This tells me that your reading will be more focused in one particular area.
Now spell out your zodiac sign using the same procedure. Bring out the hand that is now closed. I want you to squeeze your fist tightly before you open it to increase the blood flow. It’s easier for me to read your palm that way. There is something that you’re doing right now. It’s slowly developing into something that is going to change your life. It might be a seed of an idea, or it might be something that you've been working at for years. If you continue to work hard and work smart, you will be able to handle the positive change this will bring. Focus on your zodiac sign. Imagine the lines of your hand moving around, making letters. Now picture it spelling your zodiac sign and let me see if I can read into your imagination. I think I'm seeing an ‘O’… no sorry that’s an ‘A’. Hmmm, you are difficult to read so I would say you’re an Aries. ---This was a basic walkthrough of what the effect would be like in person if the participant’s hands were behind their back. One could just as well use a pendulum or amulet in the hands of the spectator and let them pass it from hand to hand instead of closing and opening their fists. This means one could also use technology or magnets that sense where the object is without needing to ask if they've switched hands or have the same hand closed. My goal here is to be able to do this effect without a prop. No electronics or gimmicks. I'd rather use the participant’s imagination by having them imagine a glowing sphere of energy in the hand that’s closed. When appropriate, you could even have the participant use a ring they’re wearing
or some other small personal item. Ultimately these effects are most impressive over the phone, considering that the participant, using speakerphone, will have the freedom to look at their hands without trying to hide them from you. At the end of the process the mentalist will ask the participant one more time if they've either switched hands or have the same hand closed (unless this is being performed live via video chat). Over a standard phone call the participant is asked to stare at their palms and act as the "sender" as the tiny branching anagram letters are called out. They can first imagine the "sphere of energy" jumping into the cellular transmissions. The long distance will cover up any fuzzy "no's." In a video chat you can determine which hand they bring forward. Have them put their hand directly in front of the camera as you reveal the letters. See the chart below for the basic branching anagram system. The first letter in on the list is called out. If the response is negative then the zodiac sign next to the letter is the one being thought of. If the response is "yes" then move on to the next letter. If all the responses are yes then it’s the zodiac sign listed in bold.
In the outcome, “Different-Different”, you’ll have to eliminate Libra from the branching anagram. You can use the ploy made popular by Derren Brown, having them repeat their sign over and over. As if giving an example repeat, “Libra, Libra, Libra” or whatever sign you’re thinking of. The idea here is to get a response - like a smile - if the person is a Libra. Otherwise the person will just confirm that they’re following your directions and are waiting for the next step. Another approach is to comment on the fact that they keep changing hands. It’s balanced like the scales of justice, you’re not a Libra are you? If not, you could respond with, “I didn’t think so…” or, “Good, Libras are hard for me to read.” You may want to take a chance with this fishing question to eliminate Libra at the beginning while they are alternating hands. Something worth taking into account is the length of the names of the Zodiac. If it takes them longer to spell out
the sign, it’s safe to assume it’s one of Capricorn, Sagittarius, or Aquarius. These each reside within different groups, so if you sensed a long spelling, and you know which group, you may want to take a shot at it. R and L stand for Right and Left hand. If you’re performing this for someone in person you don't have to ask if it’s the same hand again. Take into account the first answer and then have them bring out the open hand in the end. As soon as you see which hand is closed you’ll know which branching anagram to use. When you ask over the phone a second time, disguise it as “a gauge of how much future or present information may appear in the reading.” Then use your cold reading skills and knowledge of the Zodiac sign to give a positive reading. I’d suggest finding a book on Palmistry or how to give readings.
Palm Prophet Animal Totem Native Americans, and many other cultures use animal totems as an aid in self-discovery, giving them incredible avenues of self-expression and awareness. They believe animal totems can reveal pieces of the past and glimpses of our future. Webster's Dictionary defines a totem as: "A natural object, usually an animal that serves as a distinctive, often venerated emblem or symbol. A means of personal or spiritual identity." I’m going to have you create your own Animal Totem and we’ll let the hands of fate decide. Now you will go through the explanation of the hand alternating process as in the previous effects, but this time we’ll use some different words to force the left hand. If your left hand is closed spell ‘Mind’ and if your right hand is closed spell ‘Heart’. Their left hand will be closed. For the Animal Totem, we’re going to force the outcome by predicting something that has been in view or in play the entire time. We will create an Animal Totem with a different animal for each aspect starting with the legs (Action), followed by the body (Spirit), and lastly the head (Mind). If your left hand is closed your legs will be those of a Bear and if your right hand is closed your legs will be those of a Raven. Now spell the one you chose by alternating your hands open and closed as before.
Now lets choose the body. If your left hand is closed you’ll have the body of a Tiger and if your right hand is closed you’ll have the body of an Eagle. Spell out your choice with your hands as before. Lastly, lets make the head. If your left hand is closed you’ll have the head of Fox and if your right hand is closed you’ll have the head of an Owl. They’ll end up with the legs of a Bear, body of a Tiger, and the head of an Owl. There are a few ways you could reveal this. You could Photoshop an image of the combined animals parts or even make a little wood carving of them. If the object is small enough to fit in a little pouch, it could be used as the object passing in their hands rather than making fists. This way the prediction is in play the entire time. A folded printout would work just as well. Keep in mind that you can use any combination of animals as long as you can map out where each fist will end up. Feel free to customize it. The other option is to reveal the meanings of the animal parts they chose by tying them into a personality reading. You can eventually describe the animal creation with a mind-to-mind visualization exercise. If you search for Animal Totem on the Internet you can find the symbolism behind each animal.
Palm Prophet Lie Detector This is an obvious idea if you like “which hand” effects. Follow the playing card process until they spell “left” or “right” and you force the left hand. In this case they’re going to be passing a coin from hand to hand for the count. You will give them a choice to be a Liar or tell the Truth. We are going to play a lie detector game. I want you to choose between the role of a liar or someone who tells the truth. The liar must say the opposite of the truth and the truthteller must always tell the truth. Spell out either liar or truth by passing the coin from hand to hand for each letter. Now if you are the truth-teller keep the coin where it is. If you are lying, pass the coin to the other hand. I’m going to ask a simple yes or no question and you must answer in character. Is the coin in this hand? Point to each hand and ask the same question to show the inconclusiveness of their response. However, you know the coin is in their right hand. Based on their answer you’ll know if they’re lying or telling the truth. If they say no when you point to their right hand, they’re lying. If they say yes then they’re telling the truth.
You can use the one-ahead principle to predict which role they would play and which hand the coin would end up in before they make those choices. The presentation can be about psychic detectives or something based on the movie “Minority Report.” In this film, strange beings know when a crime is going to happen before it does and citizens are arrested before they commit the crime. For this you’ll need a pair of business cards each with a blank side. Before they make their choice of character, liar or truth-teller, you will write, “Right Hand”. They will then spell it out and end up with both hands forward. You’ll ask if it’s in this hand or that hand and find out whether they lied or told the truth. As you’re writing which hand you think the coin is in on the second card, you actually write, in this example, “liar.” Don’t let them see this. Have them open the hand with the coin as you take the card that’s in your hand and perform the Monte move: using the card in your hand to scoop up the card on the table. As you flip the cards over, the thumb pulls the card that was on the table towards yourself as you display both cards. It’s a quick displacement switch - it looks as if the card in your hand said, “Right Hand” and the card on the table said, “Liar” the entire time.
Final Thoughts I wanted to present you with a variety of concepts to make it a bit easier to find what’s most suitable for your needs. Create something new! I’d love to see what you come up with. See the last page for a cheat sheet for the two effects that need them. Feel free to print it out on photopaper or cardstock to keep in your wallet and study or look at in secret during your presentation. I’d also suggest printing out the strange Totem creature a few pages back to use as the object that gets passed from hand to hand.
Thank yous Jim Steinmeyer for writing the Impuzzibilities series (published by Hahne). He was kind enough to allow me to work with his self-working magical concepts and share them here.. My friend Colin McLeod who also uses “which hand” techniques to force names of celebrities and other non“coin is in this hand” concepts. He uses a completely different method than explained in this eBook. Thank you Colin for expanding on presentations for these types of effects.
Check out other Ran Pink Mentalism Effects at WorldWideMagic.com
