Legitimate Combination

Basic Effect
The subject forgets the combination set to their birth year only to remember again
later.
Verity
The combination may be set and opened legitimately if one programs it to the
subject's
birth year.
Examining the Script
"Have you ever set a combination lock to your secret set of numbers only to forget
it
again when you wanted to unlock the lock? Most of us have, I'm sure. An easy way
around this is to set the combination to something you already know. If you're
comfortable sharing, what year were you born? ...Really? So you might set the lock
combination to 1974. While that 's an easy enough number to remember, I might set
it to
my mother 's birth year for a little added security. Even with such a personal
number as
the combination, our minds sometimes can 't hang onto it when we 're put on the
spot to
open the lock. I'm going to reset this lock to a new combination. I don 't want you
to see
it just yet."
The above works just like the shirt color ploy used previously (See Luminous
Lethe).
The difference is that when it comes time for the subject to dial in the right
combination,
he's cued with the following: "You know the combination. All you have to do is
think
back to it. It's a bit hard to hang onto, but you know it. " Most of the time this
is all that's
needed to cue the subject's memory about his birth year. The nice part about this
is that
the audience doesn't necessarily realize the lock's combination is simply the four
digits
called out by the subject.
If you find that asking for the subject's birth year inappropriate, you may ask for
an
anniversary or any number of other dates that may be of significance.
Of course the lock is handled the same way as explained previously to seemingly
make
the subject forget the combination.
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