AOK2

GRAPHOLOGY

I would like to talk a little bit about some of the Graphology

readings I do during performances of AOK2. For many years
the idea of Graphology bored me, and I thought it would
bore spectators too. However, in the AOK2 performance
videos, look at how excited people get when I mention that I
will analyse their handwriting to see what it says about their
personality. People LOVE this, as it is one of the few oracles
or reading systems where you are using information that is
personal to the people you are reading for (their handwriting).
Palm reading is similar, as it uses their lines on their own hand.
As much as I love tarot, it is impersonal as the people have no
connection to the cards.

Graphology, as opposed to forensic handwriting analysis, or

FISH (Forensic Information System for Handwriting) is not a
science, it is a pseudo-science, just like palm reading. There is
no scientific evidence to back up the idea that a person’s
character or personality traits can be determined by their
handwriting. Forensic handwriting analysis on the other hand
is a science, which is mostly used to detect signature forgery
and other written documents used as evidence in a court of
law.
However, this does not stop Graphology and palm reading
from being extremely useful during our performances.

Essentially, you will be using your spectator’s (or another

spectator’s) handwriting to cue you with some things to say
whilst apparently analysing their handwriting.

Everything in existence was either discovered or invented.

Nobody discovered Graphology, meaning it was invented.

Someone, somewhere decided that by looking at a person’s
handwriting, it could tell you about their personality.
Personally I believe there are some elements of truth to this,
for example when I am angry, I press harder with the pen and
write larger, but this determines my current mood, not my
personality. Handwriting is changeable. When I write
normally, my writing looks like it was written during an
earthquake. When I write a greetings or holiday card, my
writing takes on a prettier form. When I am filling out an
official form, my writing is clear and concise, free of any
artistic flourish. I also have a classical, caligraphic style that I
use when making props for work. I’ve worked on a pirate ship,
also as a Victorian era storyteller, in a Vaudeville theatre and
in an 1800’s themed venue. All requiring the use of an ‘old
letter’ style of writing.

All my styles looking like they’ve been written by different

people. So either I have a multiple personality disorder, or
Graphology holds no weight. Still, the use of Graphology
during a performance is strong and does indeed carry a lot of
weight.

You will find a lot of information online about what the various
lines and shapes in writing are supposed to mean. So you
could spend some time learning these meanings from an
anonymous source, or you could just use this incredibly simple
system I created for my own use, which is just as relatable as
any other in depth Graphology system out there.

METHOD

All you do is simply imagine that each letter is a human

figure; the shape of a human body. Imagine all the letters in
their writing make up a group of people standing together,
and you will be talking about the most interesting characters
that stand out to you.
Let’s start with direction. Are the characters standing still,
moving forwards or moving backwards?

STANDING STILL

In this example, the letters do not appear to be leaning back

(to the left) or leaning forwards (to the right). I interpret left as
back and right as forwards as we write from left to right.
Letters leaning to the right would indicate a forward motion.

I interpret these letters as standing still. As though the

characters are looking towards the writer. With writing such as
this, I would say that the writer is very much in the present.
Not thinking too far ahead into the future, they deal with
each situation they face as they occur, along their path.
Currently happy with what is going on in their life right now
and are in no rush to change the way things are. They have
an idea of what they want for the future but are in no rush to
get there.

All I am doing is simply relating the letters to a human figure,

and then relating that figure to my spectator as though it is
them. Speaking metaphorically, with writing such as this I
describe my spectator as someone currently standing still,
living in the present. I might also say that they are the kind of
person who thinks things through thoroughly before making
decisions.

MOVING BACKWARDS

More common in left handed writers, I interpret writing

leaning to the left as someone who often thinks about the past
and how things once were, and strives to bring that back into
their life once again. Maybe they used to feel or behave a
certain way and they no longer recognise that part of
themselves. Writing leaning back is rare, and in my opinion a
little unnatural. You will not be faced with this often. Although
this reading sounds like a fairly negative thing, in performance
I would say that this person is noticing or has noticed a
change in themselves, which may seem new or unusual to
them, but this is only their natural progression through life. The
past, good or bad, shapes us into the people we are today,
and although there may be things in their past that they
would like to recognise in the present, I would remind them
that in the storybook of life, we do not repeat chapters, only
learn and evolve from them.
MOVING FORWARDS

Moving forwards, writing leaning to the right. I would say that

this is a forward thinking person, somebody who doesn’t
spend too much time thinking before putting their thoughts
into action. It would bug them if they aren’t seeing progress in
their endeavours, and are the type of person to adapt quickly
to the situations they find themselves in.

RUNNING FORWARDS

A slightly more extreme slant in the writing would indicate to

me that this is a no nonsense person who likes to get things
done quickly so they can move on to the next thing. It will bug
them if people around them aren’t on the same wavelength or
in agreement with them. They like things to move quickly and
their ability to do so is a skill that they have acquired naturally
through the past few years. They are open to change and in
fact embrace it. If things stay the same for too long for them,
they begin to feel stuck in their situation and are more likely to
take an impulsive vacation, learn a new skill or take on extra
ideas about what they want in life, simply to invite change or
progression. For this person, the most exciting things in life are
the new things, the adventures and of course the challenges.

Next, let’s take a look at the figures/characters themselves.

THE HEAD

If the letters are human figures, look at where the head would
be. Are you seeing large loops like the example above?
Particularly in letters that would have loops at the top, such as
in the A and the R, and especially here in the O in the word
‘knowing’. It is closer to the top of the word than in its usual
place. I would interpret this as a logical thinking, rational
person who doesn’t let their emotions rule their decisions. They
are calculated and make efforts to understand the world
around them and the issues they face in life. They are mind
oriented.

THE HEART

Larger looping in general, in letters such as e, a, o and g. I

interpret this as somebody who is comfortable in sharing their
emotions with people around them. They feel comfortable
talking about their feelings and wear their heart on their
sleeve. If the loops are small and almost filled in by the pen, I
interpret it as someone who tends not to share their emotions
and keep themselves to themselves. Of course they share with
those closest to them but usually, they are the last to let
people be aware of their innermost feelings. Remember:
Large loops = visible heart. Small loops = invisible heart. I
know that sounds pretty harsh but you will never say that out
loud, it’s only a useful memory trick to help you remember.
Larger loops indicate to me that this person is heart oriented,
following their emotions over their rational thought.

CREATIVE FLOURISH

Unusual choice of lettering, dotting ‘i’ with circles or hearts, or

extra information such as smiley faces, even lengthy or curly
tails on letters such as g and y, indicate to me that this is a
creative person who chooses to see the good in things. They
perceive their reality in ways that they choose and are more
likely to be affected emotionally when things outside of their
control are inconsistent with, or contradict their preferred
outlook on life.
EXTRA TIPS

Of course there is a lot more to Graphology than this simple

system, but remember, I put this system together for use in
mentalism performances. I didn’t want to have to memorise
all kinds of meanings for different things. This system isn’t for a
lengthy reading, but an added bonus to the end of a routine.
You only need to say a few lines inspired by the writing you
are looking at, and this system will allow you to do that.

Your choice of pen (Sharpie or similar) and the fact that you
have asked them to write clearly will push most people outside
of their normal handwriting style anyway. Their writing during
this routine will not be the same as their standard handwriting,
so even if you were an experienced Graphologist, the writing
provided by spectators in this routine wouldn’t be a good
enough sample for an in depth reading anyway. Even an
experienced Graphologist would have to resort to the basics,
as spectators are extremely limited in how they will be able to
write, due to both the physical writing instruments and your
given instructions.

This system is all about providing you with something to say in

the moment. You don’t have to be looking at the writing that
belongs to the spectator you are reading for. You will notice
that sometimes in performance I am reading the information
I am peeking (which belongs to another spectator) whilst
talking about the writing as though it belongs to another.
Other times I have fully read the information I am peeking
before second dealing and beginning to talk about the
spectator’s actual writing.

It doesn’t matter who’s writing you are apparently analysing,

all that matters is you have something to say in the moment.
Remember, there is no reason why a person’s handwriting
would tell you about their personality, so it wouldn’t matter if
you are looking at writing that doesn’t belong to the spectator
you are talking to. You will see why when we get to the
Readings section.

The best way (I have found) to do this, which you will see in
the performance where I am sat at a big table with four
people, is I stay silent whilst getting my peek at the next card,
as though I am studying their writing before talking about it,
when in truth I am simply reading my next peek. When I have
read it all, I do a second deal and immediately jump in to
some graphology. This leaves me with the spectator’s genuine
card and writing, which I bring all the attention to before
moving on to the next reveal.

INTERPRETING DRAWINGS

Metaphor, metaphor, metaphor. The absolute best way to

very quickly get good at interpreting drawings is to visit an
art gallery. Make an effort to look at every piece of art in the
gallery and mentally imagine that you are an art expert,
interpreting the art for another person. You don’t have to
know anything about the art! By simply pretending to be an
expert working at the gallery, you will subconsciously slip into
the archetypal role of an expert. Take it seriously, don’t make
fun of the art (no matter how ridiculous it looks). Find meaning
where there is apparently none, make the art seem or sound
better than it actually is. For best results, visit a modern art
gallery where the art has no obvious or immediately
recognisable level of skill or talent. Do this with every piece of
art and you will notice yourself getting better and better at
finding meaning in the abstract, finding order amongst the
chaos. By the time you leave, you will never again struggle to
artistically interpret even the simplest of drawings made by
your spectators.

You could do this from the comfort of your own home by

looking at art on websites and apps such as Pinterest, but if
you make the effort to leave the house and go to a gallery,
you are more likely to focus entirely on your mission and not
get distracted. This is also the same reason why when people
have a gym at home, it gets used a lot less often than if they
had to leave the house to go to a gym. They are there for one
reason only, and removing themselves from any distractions
at home.

I was once complimented on my ability to interpret art by a

curator at the Liverpool Tate gallery when they overheard me
talking to some tourists about a basketball in a fish tank that
they were looking at and trying to understand. In truth, I knew
nothing about this ridiculous piece of garbage, but I was
pretending to be a fine art expert. By simply pretending you
already have the knowledge, you will realise you’ve actually
had the knowledge all along.
READINGS

In the section of the AOK2 download where I am talking

about readings and answering questions through giving
readings, I notice I went off on a number of tangents and
rants, so here I would just like to clarify a few things and
mention a few extra tips and pieces of advice.

Mentalists are always looking for a system or a structure to

giving readings. Always looking for techniques that will show
us how and what to say to make it seem like we are reading a
person. The truth is, there’s nothing to stop us from reading
them for real. Why fake something that can be done for real
which is often even easier?

The only thing readings systems do is inspire content. This

does not mean that what you say will be relevant to your
spectator. Your statements are only as good as your
spectator’s ability to connect them to their life. You provide the
words, they provide the meaning. So why limit yourself to a
system when in the end, it never truly matters. You could say
anything (as long as it is polite, uplifting and not life
changing). Be truthful in what you feel and genuinely sense
when talking to someone. Take one look at them and ask
yourself: What do I feel is happening in this person’s life and
how does it make them feel? Whatever answer you give
yourself, that is the content for your reading.

Using a system over your genuine feelings will not guarantee

you any more ‘hits’. You could have the best system in the
world but if your spectator cannot connect your statements to
their life, then you will receive no hits.

By freeing yourself from using any system, you will allow

yourself the opportunity to say things that you wouldn’t have
said if you were using a system and honestly, truthfully, this is
when you get your best hits. Wild guesses out of nowhere and
speaking from my own natural knowing have gotten me some
of the greatest hits I could ever imagine, and there is no
reason why you cannot do it too.

Unfortunately we didn’t capture much of this on video when

filming AOK2. If only we were filming the next night, we
would have documented some incredible things. Typical! But
you do not need to see me doing this when you can do it for
yourself.

Yes our mentalism routines have methods, but this does not
mean that our readings require methods too. We do not need
to trick someone or speak in vague terms that sound specific,
just speak the truth from within and that is all you will ever
need.

Don’t forget, with AOK2 you have definite hits where it

matters. You’ve peeked the information and you are
absolutely going to hit with that. So before your definite
reveal, give yourself a chance to say something, anything that
you honestly feel and you will surprise even yourself with some
of the things you come out with.
You don’t have to believe in psychic ability, you just have to be
open to the possibility that there is more to life than we think
we know. The ability to genuinely read someone is something
we all have access to, we just have to grant ourselves access in
the first place, and you can do that right now.

When you look at some of the bigger mysteries in life, such as

around 95% of the universe being totally invisible, 95% being
dark energy and dark matter that we have not yet made the
technological or scientific advancements in to analyse or
understand, that’s huge! So when you look at something like
that in comparison to genuinely trying to sense a few things
about a person, it doesn’t seem that big of a deal, does it? In
comparison to larger, massive mysteries, the smaller ones
don’t actually feel that out of reach.

We see everything in life from the perspective of an individual,

looking outwards. So anything outside of our immediate
understanding is often labelled as impossible or not true. But
when you look at things from the other end of the scale, if you
start with the biggest mysteries on the planet and list them all
according to size, by the time you get to ‘intuitively reading
another person’, you would be that close to your neutral state
of being that it would seem so close within reach, you’ll
wonder why you ever doubted your ability to do it in the first
place!

We often forget that what we label as reality is only a

projection of our very limited physical senses. Our eyes can
only see less than 1% of the Electromagnetic spectrum. We call
it visible light, it’s the only thing we can see. We can only hear
less than 1% of the acoustic spectrum, and it’s like that for our
other physical senses too. So if what we see, hear, touch, taste
and smell is reality, then we are only experiencing less than 1%
of reality! That’s almost nothing and yet we think we know it
all.

The mind however, is different. It shouldn’t exist and yet it

does. Unlike the physical senses, we cannot count, weigh or
measure the mind. Even in modern neuroscience, talk of the
mind is almost taboo. We can study the brain and brain
function and activity, but when it comes to the mind, we
literally have almost nothing.

The greatest scientists in the world still cannot explain the

mind and its possibilities or limitations, so who are we to
assume that we can? We don’t know if our mind can be used
to look inside someone else's, but what we do know is that our
mind at least has the ability to provide us with useful
information to say during a reading. One likely solution is the
following:

The subconscious mind receives approximately 11 million bits

of information per second, and only around 40 or 50 bits of
information are sent to the conscious mind to be consciously
processed. That’s a huge amount of information to lose every
second. The moment you present yourself, or at least pretend
to be someone who can provide readings, suddenly you will
have greater access to information, simply because the
subconscious recognises the situation you’ve put yourself in. It
knows that you are searching for extra data regarding the
person in front of you. Ask and you shall receive. This data or
information may not be ‘psychic’ in nature, but still valuable
bits that we have received, due to the presence of those in
front of us. We receive all kinds of extra information about the
people we interact with every day, but most of the time that
information goes unnoticed. Put yourself in a receptive state,
actively waiting for your thoughts to provide you with
information about the person in front of you, speak your
findings and watch what happens!

You may still think that the subconscious still cannot receive
facts about another person’s life, but remember you are not
providing facts, only words. Your spectator is the one who
finds meaning in those words.

If an aggressive person walks towards you making eye contact

with you, suddenly your mind is flooded with information
about what might happen next and you prepare yourself for
it. Your subconscious recognises the situation you are in and
provides you with necessary information. The same thing
happens during performances, don’t ignore it. Your mind is on
your side.

Then we’ve got brainwave function. Our normal, natural state

is what’s known as Beta, a neurologist will tell you the same.
Beta brainwaves dominate our normal waking state of
consciousness when attention is directed towards cognitive
tasks and the outside world. Beta is a ‘fast’ activity, present
when we are alert, attentive, engaged in problem solving,
judgment, decision making, or focused mental activity. During
a performance we reach a higher level of Beta, meaning we
have greater access to parts of the brain than usual. This
alone is enough to grant us access to things that we wouldn’t
usually think or say.

In an ideal world, we would reach a Gamma state during our

performances (good luck with that though!) Gamma
brainwaves are the fastest of brain waves (high frequency, like
a flute), and relate to simultaneous processing of information
from different brain areas. Gamma brainwaves pass
information rapidly and quietly. The most subtle of the
brainwave frequencies, the mind has to be quiet to access
gamma. Gamma was dismissed as 'spare brain noise' until
researchers discovered it was highly active when in states of
universal love, altruism, and the ‘higher virtues’. Gamma is
also above the frequency of neuronal firing, so how it is
generated remains a mystery. It is speculated that gamma
rhythms modulate perception and consciousness, and that a
greater presence of Gamma relates to expanded
consciousness and spiritual emergence.

To reach such a state of being during a performance would

be extremely difficult, but we can experience something
similar when we are in a ‘flow state’. You’ve all experienced this
at least once in your life, when you can speak with perfect
clarity, almost faster than you can think. Firing out information
that you didn’t even know you were holding on to.

The only reason I wanted to mention this here is to show you

that our varying states of being literally allow us access to
things outside of the norm. Your brain activity right now as you
read these words can and will be different when you’re in the
middle of a performance. Trust in your varying levels of
consciousness and it will serve you well, I promise.

Probably the easiest technique that you can use during

readings is to guess with a story.

Guessing with a story allows you to disguise your guesses as

impressions you are receiving. If you are going to throw out a
guess, put it in a story. Then, if your spectator cannot relate to
it, simply say, “That’s fine. A number of images appear in my
mind and I don’t know where they come from. If I don’t tell you
everything I see, think and feel, I may miss some important
details.”

Guessing with a story is as simple as this. Look at your

spectator and allow your mind to show you a dream-like
scene which includes your spectator. Don’t consciously
construct a scene, allow one to naturally unfold and tell your
spectator exactly what you see. As it is dream-like, this allows
for things to be slightly unnatural. For example, in a recent
performance of AOK2 I said to the lady,

“I see you as a child holding hands with your father. You are at
the zoo and he is pointing at the elephants.”

I said this because that is what I saw. Next, I simply allowed

my spectator to find whatever metaphorical meaning she
chose. If they cannot find one, provide one for them. If not
taken literally, another way to look at the above scene would
be as though it was her father teaching her about some of the
bigger and more important things in life. Simple!

Construct a dream within reality. Give them a dream whilst

they are awake. Anything you describe as a story, no matter
how brief, will be imagined by your spectator. I bet you,
reader, even imagined a little girl holding hands with her
father looking at elephants when you read the above line. It’s
automatic!

Present your stories not as psychic statements (which are

supposed to reveal truth) but as impressions you are receiving.
“This is what I am seeing and I don’t know why, maybe you can
help me make sense of it…” and go from there.

So many times I have done this and so many times my

spectators have found meaning in what I have said.
Sometimes literal, sometimes metaphorical. If they do not find
meaning during the performance, they often have afterwards
and told me all about it. If and when this happens to you,
don’t forget to be genuinely interested. This is all about your
spectators, and if you honestly care about your impressions,
you will listen intently to the feedback.

If all else fails, you’ve got your definite reveal from your peek.
You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain!
I hope this PDF provides some extra insights and clarity on
the entire entity that is AOK2, and maybe even for your other
routines too!

Thanks for reading and until next time, I wish you all the best
with your new favourite mind reading technique!

Much love,

Lewis Le Val. 2019.

AOK2