| Psychological | Subtleties 2 (> VF BanachekPSYCHOLOGICAL SUBTLETIES 2 by Banachek Edited by Doug Dyment and Scott Wells Design and Layout by Mark Garetz Cover Illustration by Louis Daniel Also by Banachek: Psychokinetic Touches Paychokinetic Time Pre-Thoughts Key Erect Pychophysiological Thought Reading Paychokinetic Silverware (the video) Steve Shaw’s Radio Magic (the three CD set) Psi Series (the four DVD set)First Edition 2006 First Printing 2006 ISBN Number: 0970643829 Library of Congress Control Number: 2006927393, Copyright 2006 by Magic Inspirations Houston, Texas wwwmagicinspirations.net Magi Inspirations All rights reserved; no parts of this publication may be reproduced, scanned and/or stored in retrieval systems, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, recordingor otherwise without prior written permission from the publishers. Printed and bound by ‘Thomson-Shore, Ine. Dexter, Michigan USA, Psychological Subtleties 2 DEDICATION Usuallya dedication isto someone —a wife, sibling, or friend—who has had a direct influence in someone's life. This one is a litle different. 1 want to thank someone whom Ihave never met, someone who had no direct influence on me. But in my mind, these thanks are even more befitting, ‘This person influenced my best friend, making him who and what he is today. Without his guiding hand, Tam quite sure that my friend would not have the values and scruples he manifests daily. He would not be the kind family man he is, nor would he be the pillar of the magic and sociat community that I know. He certainly would not thirst for the knowledge he has gained, nor be as patient and understanding a human being. Certainly, without these qualities bestowed ‘upon him, my business partner Scott Wells would not be my friend, let alone my best friend. For that, I thank Scott’s father. May he rest in peace. It is as a direct result of his influence on his son that Scott has influenced who and what I am today, and I am better for it. ‘To Wilbur Wells, (Cetober 18, 1919 — June 22, 2006)Banachek, Psychological Subtleties 2 SPECIAL THANKS ‘Thanks to all who have influenced me in a positive way through the years, with their ideas, creativity, and conversation. A special thanks to all those who contributed in any way, major or minor, to this series of books. Most of you know who you are; some of you do not. in fact, | am quite sure even I don't know the names of all those who have influenced me to become the thinker and performer that 1 am. Still, they all deserve my highest praise and gratitude.Banachek Psychological Subtleties 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication. Special Thanks .. Foreword Introduction Subtle Psychology. Context, Context, Context. Piggy Back-Up. Keep it Moo-ving, Red Hammer Force. Harvesting! Limiting by Inclusion The More the Mertiet ss. A Single Word Makes the Difference... The Orchestrated Foree..m ‘The Orchestrated Force It Mechanical Breakdown .. You Say Carrot, [Say Tomato Terasabos. Mind Opener. ‘The Book of Lies, : A Little Bit about Color nn. Hoy/Karmilovich Test Redux. Color Me A Rainbow... Drving Ms. Daisy, or Was She Called Rose? AMerchant’s Switeh sno aeBanachek Subtle Presentation Points... Shout, Shout, Let It All Out, These Are The Things I Can Think About! on TRead Thoughts, Not Minds! Is Ita Cheap Trick?.. Can anyone do it? . : Are Skeptical People Harder to Read?. Touchy, Touchy, Feely, Feely ‘AMan of Many Names. First Lie Subtle Suggestions Scientists Use MRT to t Subliminal Suggestion ... False Memories. se eee Six Degrees of Separation and the Nailwriter Broadcast Phenom. ae Subtle Pre-Show.. We Have No Secrets! Visualization Equals Process Subtle BlindfOld sense When is a Dot nat a Dot? When it’s Not, Behind Enemy Lines... Eyes Wide Shut Subtle Non-Verbal. Body Language Giving Them the Finger. Down the Line. What's All this Flap About a Phone Book?. Subtle Teaching... : For One to End. Circle Triangle Psychological Subtleties 2 Instant Messaging Pseudo Directing... Stroop Test Number Stroop Test Directional Stroop Test. Disorder in the Court Invisible Word Principle Invisible Letter Principle... Bits & Pieces ‘The Phaomaneil Pweor of the Hmuan Maid ItsOn the Tip of My Backward Alphabet conan Subtle Amnesia Menor Forget Me Nat OF (Remembering to Forget)... Twinkle, Twinkle, Little .. What? Subliminal Square...Banachek Psychological Subtleties 2 FOREWORD Its a distinct privilege to be asked to prepare an introduction to this book. No one appreciates more than I the work of Banachek, an appreciation that has grown over the years. I can perhaps claim to have Known of him and his work longer than any other American magician. I take great pride in being able to say, “I knew him way back when.” That is a story in itself, Very carly in our acquaintance, Banachek was “enlisted” by me as an undercover agent to investigate—from the inside—a major laboratory that was churning out nonsense for exploitation by the media, fabulous stories of miracles that they were experiencing at the hands of various “psychies” who were hornswoggling them mercilessly. He was one of two young magicians whohad volunteered toinfiltrate the system and establish that the scientists involved ‘were incompetent to judge the validity of the obvious tricks that their subjects were performing, Banachek and his sidekick agreed to go into the laboratory and equal or surpass the wonders that the “geuuine” poychics were working on che sclentists They did the job so well that they soon replaced the origina’ subjects of the lab’s investigation, and were thoroughly accepted and touted as genuine, We had accomplished what we set out to do: show that even relatively inexperieneed young conjurers could deceive degreed academics who found themselves out of thoir depth.Banachek T have no idea what specific value this experience provided to Banachek, but it seems obvious that he benefits from everything that comes his way, adding it to his knowledge of how people are deceived. This, is a man who could have become a swindler, a con artist of major proportions, a media darling like so many of the current crooks who are out there feeding, off the gullible. He chose the straight path, and we're all better off for that fact. Yes, you'll find the word “subtle” used frequently in this present book. And for good reason. I'S a word that describes Banachek’s work, his approach, his underlying, philosophy, and his success. Having seen some of the great mentalists at work, Ican tell you that many were largely successful in spite of their bullying and often intimidating — approaches; Banachek has somehow managed to treathis audiences with respect, and part of that respect is that he always levels with them. It’s easy to miss the subtleties in this book. As with certain Charlie Chaplin movies I've seen, upon a later viewing I can spot litle nuances that I earlier missed; with Banachek’s work, the same applies. Dor’t pass by apparently casual or seemingly incidental aspects of what he tells you. The wealth of the whole effect may bbe contained in those details. Choose carefully what you decide to use, being sure that an effect is suitable {or your approach or appearance. You shouldn't be a bearded acrobat in a tutu, Psychological Subtleties 2 Above all, know that the author is a man of great integrity who gives value to his consumers. Don't miss a crumb of this feast James Randi April 2006,Banachek Psychological Subtleties 2 INTRODUCTION When I wrote Psychological Subtleties, 1 never intended it to be a series of books. Yet here we are with beok number two. Book one was a lifetime of ‘experience; book two (or PS2) is a continuation of that ‘experience. My intent with the first book was to give fellow ‘mentalist a toolbox so they can select the right tool(s) at the rght time to place in their own effects. It was never meant to bea book of only psychological forces, although it is often referred to as the stopping, place for those who are looking for such material, It was never meant to be a book of effects, although certainly there are effects in the book. It was never meant tobe a book full of original material, although there is plenty of original material there. It was meant to stimulate thinking and be a book that would help improve the quality of output of my fellow workers, amateurs and professionals alike, It was a book meant for the beginner and the pro, Some consider Psychological Subtteties as the best book ‘on mentalism ever written. Flattering, but a bit of 2 steep claim if you ask me. What worried me, though, were those who just did not “get it” and there were quite a few. [started to doubt my ability as a writer and even more as a teacher. Then slowly the letters started to come. The following is typical of the type of letters I received and still receive:Banachek Dear Banachek, Towe you an apology and a huge thank you, Tread your book Psychological Subtleties d few months ‘ago and I really did not think it a big deat despite the accolades of some well-known people. Some of the routines were in my mind at the time not totally original and the book was not that long of a read. 1 {felt Thad been had. Tiao weeks ago I gave a mentalism show. The show twas okay but not the type of response I wanted Something was missing. After watching the show ‘on video I saxo your book sitting on te cafe table I picked it up and started to re-read it, Suddenly 1 sta things that Thad missed... litle gems on every page. I sharted to take notes and then I watched the video of my show again I took more notes and ‘again watched the video and continued inthis vein all day. When 1 was done I had made six pages of notes and ideas directly asa result of your book. 1 aaa excited [felt I now knew hot to speak and act 2s a mentalist, something I did not realize | was lacking. [knew why my show was not working. Last night I had a very important corporate shove sand I reacived my first standing ovation in over 1 _years of performing. attribute this totally to what ‘you shared in your book The ttl is indeed correct; the first time I read your book Iwas looking atthe effects and not at the tools _you were giving me. Theyare indeed subite, bus they ‘ave what makes the difference between an amateur mentalist and a professional one. 1 will noo tell Psychological Subtletios 2 people that your book is the sltimate textbook for those who wut to be a mentalist or ever a magical performer. Only they must not be like me and look Jor the easy trick, as they will be hard pressed to ‘ind that in your book. But if they want a book of subileties that will take their performances to the next level and give them confidence that they have the experience and knowledge to pull off miracles in any situation handed to them, then Psychological Sublleties is the book to get. Once again, thank you so much; I owe you a Your number one fan, Jim Vanderzyden Due to the fact that some did not understand the intent of the book not being a series of tricks, but more about having a mentalist attitude, I have tried to add more effects in this second book (and some pretty good ‘ones if | do say so myself); however, I must warn ‘you, this book is not intended to be a book of tricks for you to perform verbatim either. Each effect is full of subtleties and advice that you should catalogue and put into your cerebral filing, cabinet. As with the first buuk, itis intended to help you create your own ‘material, infact, there are one or two effects that were given to me to include that are, in my opinion, way too long and slightly convoluted to be performed as a single effect; however, the subtleties they hold are priceless, so they are included. It is up to you to pick and choose which of these you want to use.Banachek Read between the lines; look at what paints the pictures of the effects and not the effects themselves, and I guarantee you will find invaluable information and save yourself time and energy that can be put to ‘good use elsewhere, ‘One last thing before we continue on this journey. Although the psychological mentalist was not original with me (others like Al Koran and Ned Rutledge have used this previously) [ take great pride inthe fact that Lam credited for bringing this type of presentation to the forefront, and even influencing some of the top performers today—to the point where this style of presentation now overshadows the “psychic” presentation of mentalism. Mentalism is no longer a con game. Asa result, Ihave peppered the pages of this book with lots of this type of thinking, To me itis really exciting to see mentalists moving forward and, as a result, respecting our art and creating methods and effects, never thought possible before. Unlike out related art of hypnotism, mentalism is not stagnant. We are not using the same tired old routines and methods. We are looking fresh, and Llike that look; it wears well In thoughts, Banachek 4/20/2006 Psychological Subtleties 2 SUBTLE PSYCHOLOGY The average human brain al birth weighs 14 ounces; its average maximum weight, reached at age 15, is 46 ounces.Banachek Context, Context, Context When using psychological forces of any sort we must think of the context: the visual influerice, the auditory influence, and all other the influences that come into play. It is easy to mess things up if we don't look at the overall picture. For instanee, there is a difference between writing the numbers one through five in a row (see First Lie) and asking a spectator to circle one ‘number, and asking her to think of a number between ‘one and five in her head. In the latter case, most spectators will choose the number “three,” but in the former there is a high chance they will select two or four. On the other hand, if they write the numbers ‘one through four in a row, they will probably choose “"Uhece” again. This is due to the psychological visual influence that comes into play when you see items ina ow, as opposed to a pure mental psychological force of something not visualized. 1 touched upon this briefly in Psychological Subtletes (P51), with no real explanation, when I talked about subtle voice forcing. [mentioned that itis better to use numbers that have no natural mental psychological force going on when trying to force a number by voice alone. In other words. you should not ask people to think of a number from one to ten and then say the numbers out loud if you are trying to force the number nine using a “voice force,” as the most ‘common number selected in this case is the number seven. Better to state, "Think of a number out of Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, and Eleven.” Putting the high w Psychological Subtleties 2 note (or whatever tonal change you feel comfortable using) on the nine (see PSI.) A periect example of putting something in context (mentioned in PS1) is Richard Bloch’s psychological force. Itisa fact that if you say to a person, “when Iwas just a child, my mother said to me ane day, ‘Don't worry ‘about the dog: the dog doesn’t get __. Onty people get _.”", and ask her to suggest the missing word, usuaily they say “measles.” What | left out was the context of the sentence. In Richard's routine, a baby rattle was handed out to select spectators and each was asked a question about his or her childhood (see Epic Wallet by Richard Bloch and Davey Marlin Jones in These Are 4 Few of My Favorite Things, page 1). Leaving this piece of information out of PST was a serious mistake on my part. Not all. psychological forces rely upon context, but using context for such forces inereases your suecess rate. ‘As written in this book’s introduction, | am truly amazed by the number of people who simply try to use a psychological force as a full-blown effect in a stage show with no backup, whether it is the hidden agenda or the outright performance of the force. ® Piggy Back-Up T usually use psychological forces with some sort of “out” for myself. For instance, in a restaurant setting I might be set up to “pocket write” on a Post-It Note nBanachek in case of failure. [ hand someone a pen and business card and ask her to draw “tuo different geometric shapes, ‘one inside the other... like a square with something else, only don’t use a square as everyone does... two different, simple shapes. Go ah... don’t let anyone see what you draw. When you're done, fold up the paper and hold it between your two hands.” Now I tell another spectator that he is going to try to read the fist person's mind, and have him cup his, hands over her outstretched, closed hands, He then stares into the first person's eyes and names the first two different shapes that enter his consciousness; I am able to tell from the first persor’s reaction if the second person got it right. If so, Ijust have him open the paper and show it End of effect. f, from the reaction, I realize that he got it wrong, Lask what the shapes are, and have him show the drawing. Then [remove the folded Post-it? Note (pocket-written with the correct drawing) from the same wallet from which I removed the business card earlier. Istillhavea miracle, showing that [ knew ahead of time what they would choose. A win-win situation, buta strongerone if they get it right themselves. Notice the way to get rid of the choice of the sqpiare (Tike a square with something else, only don't use a square as everyone does."). Also, [don’t give them time to think Trush them. It is sometimes possible to see what the shapes are by the movement of the pencil (pencil reading). If so, I skip the pocket-writing, place my hands over the first spectator’s hands, and verbally reveal her shapes, 2 Psychological Subtleties 2 Always think of the items you want to force yourself 8 you ask spectators to think of them. Believe it or not, this will improve your odds, Often it’s a simple ‘matter of conviction that makes all the difference. Another example; have a large marker board on stage, with the white side of the board facing the audience. ‘Try to force the number 37 on someone via the method! found in PSI. If it succeeds, turn the board around to show acompleted magic square (see Subliminal Magic Square, page 194) Ask her if she sees her number. She will reply, “No,” Proceed to show the audience all the ways the numbers add up to 37. If any other number is chosen, don't tum the board around. Simply complete a magic square in front of them that adds up to the named number. Just making a magic square for any named number is very, very impressive to an audience, Routines like this give you lots of confidence to try psychological forces. 1 suspect that, due to some failure with these, some performers telegraph what Rot to choose. Again, conviction is everything, 2 Keep it Moo-ving I would not try too many psychological forces in a row, unless first writing down all the answers in advance and having them try to read your mind. Ask the questions quickly, like: Name a number from one to four ... name a color ... name a vegetable ... name a tool in the toolbox 3Banachek Then reveal the answers. Otherwise the forces, if performed one at a time, start to look like limited selections, and the person you are trying the psychological force on will attempt to come up with something unusual. z Red Hammer Force In PS1 I covered a multitude of psychological forces; Dan Kirsch reminded me of one that slipped through the cracks. If you ask someone to think of a tool, they will usually think of a hammer. He also states that they may think of a saw or a screwdriver. This is a perfect item to use for the HoyKarmilovich Test or Color the Nail effects (from PSI). By the way, the usual version ofthe Red Hammer Force is, “Think of a tool... think ofthe color of tat tol,” the expected answers being “hammer” and “red,” In this case, I think the context of the tool being a hammer helps people go straight to the color red rather than blue. B Harvesting! Here is a ploy used by many seasoned pros. Itis what 1 call harvesting hits. Instead of limiting the amount of hits, make it appear that there are more hits than originally thought. For instance, in the Red Hammer “ Psychological Subtieties 2 force, ifdoing it for an entire audience, ask, “How many fought of a red hammer? Raise your hands and keep them up.” Now a large portion of the audience will have their hands raised; to make it even more impressive, continue with, “How many at least got the hammier? Raise your hends as well... and how many at least got the calor red? Reise your hands, too.” Now you should have a very large portion of the audience with their hands raised and it looks very impressive. The same can be done with a multitude of forces. Let's, say you tried a bit with the entire audience and used three psychological forces. Maybe a color force, the vegetable force, and the number 37 force (see PSI). One could ask, “How many got the color blue, a carrot, sand the number 37?” And then continue with; “Keep your hands up, how many at least got two of the three? And how many got one? “Impressive that so many got all three or at least a couple of the items I was thinking of ... a very intuitive audience!” Or ane ronld go another route, and after asking those who gotall three right to keep their hands raised, ask, “How many got the color blue? Raise your hands as well, “And those who got a carrot, raise your hands ‘as well 5Banachek “And those who got the number 37, raise your hands as well.” Itisalso possible toaskall three questionsindividually, rather than ask who got all three right. Just make sure they keep their hands up. The fact that most people got one or all three is impressive and in most people you can create the false memory that the entire audience got all three correct by stating, “Great. Look at how many got all three or a combination of the three right, avery intuitive audience!” ‘Any of these methods will work for “harvesting hits” to point out the accuracy of the force. & Limiting by Inclusion Youcanoften eliminate unwanted choicesby including, them in your speech. For instance, when doing the 37 force, if you state that “15 would work but 11 would not,” you have eliminated the numbers 11 and 15, and reduced the chance they will choose 35. Another example: when I do the circle and triangle force, 1 always mention that “Most people choose a square, se don't choose that,” thus eliminating the square. ‘My good friend Luke Jermay goes a5 far as stating, "Keep in mind that a trapezoid and a pentagram are complicated shapes for me,” when asking them to think of two different simple shapes, thus ensuring that people will stay with the simplest of shapes. Paychological Subtleties 2 If someone still names a number or shape that I have spoken, [ often point out that | mentioned that, and perhaps they were influenced by my saying it. & ‘The More the Merrier To me, one of the best ways to utilize psychological forces is by using the entire audience rather than one on one. Your results will be much stronger and more impressive than a failure with an individual. See the Subtle Teaching section in this book for a perfect demonstration of how to utilize this with a combination of other methods outlined here. 2 Often a single word can make all the difference in an effect. My friend Christian David is well aware of this Since writing PST, many people have asked for other psychological-type forces. Christian David is one such person, who not only asked the question but also researched it and came up with some original ideas. I believe vou will like hie thinking A Single Word Makes the Difference by Christian David ‘The psychological response of different’ audiences, F. picking acommon item over "7Banachek and over again given the same situation, occurred to meearly in my magiccareer. [would perform theColor ‘Monte by Emerson and West. This isthe version with cards showing a blue diamond, a red diamond, and the phrase, “You owe $14.” printed in green. At the end of the routine, you ask the spectator which color he thinks the final card is, People should and usually do pick either red or blue. However, a small number of people figure they are not going to win either way, and respond with the seemingly offbeat answer of green. This somewhat ruins the ending since the last card is printed in green. In an effort to thwart the problem, [ changed my wording ofthe question to, “Do you know which of the colors this card is?” (my frst attempt at psychological subilety). This helped, and fewer people answered green; however, for the people who chose a third color, it would generally be green. This anomaly started my exploration into what Banachek calls “psychological subtleties.” The Orchestrated Force by Christian David Here isa fun subtlety that explores people’s answers concerning a musical instrument i an orchestra. It ‘you ask people to quickly name an instrument in an ‘orchestra, their most likely answer is “a violin.” This is followed by “trumpet,” “trombone.” and “tuba.” ‘The final most common answer is “flute.” ‘With a dry erase board in hand, ask the audience for a show of hands of those who play a musical instrument, 8 This understated question is for you to identify those that play an instrument so that you can steer away from them. (People who play an instrument will tend to got more creative in their answers because they have more exposure to musical instruments, You want a person who is not overly familiar with the array of instruments in an orchestra.) Point toa sign on your table that says “Imagination” and tell the audience that, “We are about to practice imagination using all of our senses.” Have them imagine that they are going to a musical on Broadway. Using the dry erase board, do the following: Write the word “hear” and show it to them, “Hear the instruments warming up in the orchestra pit." Erase the word, write “feel,” and show it to them, “Feel the plush velvet chairs as you relax and wait for the show. to begin.” Erase the word, write “smell,” and show itto them. “You can smell the coffees and wines that patrons have purchased before the show.” Erase the word and write “trumpet,” but do not show them. this word. “See the instruments warming up in the orchestra,” Walk over and point to someone who did not raise her hand as an instrumentalist and ask, “Quickly, what instrument do you see?” If she says “violin,” turn the “Imagination” sign around and show “violin” written on the back. If she says “trumpet,” turn the dry erase board around, If she says “trombone,” it is written on a piece of paper under her seat. 9Banachek As an alternative opening, I sometimes begin my explanation of imagination with a balloon in my hands. Inside the balloon, written on a piece of papet, is another instrament. Youcan also use piece of paper wadded up into a ball as an object you toss out into the audience as a random way of picking someone. On the paper you have written yet another instrument asa further out. You can give yourself additional outs depending on how creative you want to be on stage. Thatwasthelong version, created tobea fulleffectunto itself. The following is the quick version, sometimes used to bridge two effects together in the show, ‘The Orchestrated Force 1 by Christian David Walking out with a dry erase board, ask, “Who plays. ‘@ musical instrument?” and mentally note someone who does not, Ask the entire audience to imagine that they are ata Broadway musical, and hear the orchestra warming up. Ask them to think about i for a moment. Write “violin” on your dry erase board; do not show it, “I want everyone to think of an instrument you see in the orchestra.” Walk up to someone and ask, “Quickly, what instrument do you see?” If she says “violin,” turn the board around. If she says something else, pause. Shake your head and state, “Strange.” Look up and ask the audience by a show of hands how many were thinking of violin. Mostof the audience willraisetheirhands. Ask the lone spectator to repeat what she was thinking. Whatever her answer, respond with, “A very interesting answer. 20 Psychological Subtleties 2 1 like someone who marches to her own drummer. ‘You will be perfect for this next experiment.” ‘The following isa truestory to emphasize how you can use this principle in a quick and very impressive way. Alter a show, a few audience members approached my wife and me, and asked the usual after-show questions. They were very nice, but very curious. They asked my wife if she could read their minds straight up. We explained that it did not work that way but they were insistent on trying. Usually my wife and {will shy away from such challenges, but this was a fun group and we decided to take the challenge. Here is what happened: Step one: I picked one woman to be the sender. I told her this will be conducted under test conditions. So I wanted her to walk away from us with my dry erase board. “Face us so no one can see what you write.” I then gave her the following instructions: “You will think of an object in a moment, and I want you to write down the word on the board to focus your mind. But, I want you to ensure that no one can see what you have written.” Everyone agreed this was very fair. I have learned that when you have people write down their answer/thought, they are less apt to get creative. Step twor Using a subtlety in PSI, I told her, “You are sitting in the back seat of a car. You are relaxed and you just looked out your side window. You see an ‘object. Quickly, write down the object you see.” Since knew the most common answers to this question, I watched to see the movement of her arm and hand to determine what she was writing. I could tell she wrote aBanachek the word “tree.” Ithen coded this to my wife who was talking to someone else at the moment and she looked. ‘up and responded “tree.” The audience flipped out. Step three: I had her rejoin her group. | did a little bit of the orchestra setup and then asked everyone to think of an instrument they “see in the orchestra,” No one wrote anything down or said anything. My wife walked over, looked at them and said, “Violin.” They flipped out again. Three of the four of them were thinking of the word “violin.” We stopped there because you can’t get any stronger than that Knowing when to stop is many times the most important thing in a strong mentalism moment, Mechanical Breakdown by Christian David This routine is a quick one that has a special kind of use for a mentalist, It will give your audiences a tangible explanation for how you accomplish some of your impossible feats. Itis important that you select a female for this routine, and use the following dialog: “Do you like shopping? Yes? Great... I want you to imagine that you saved a Jot of money for a fantastic shoppit going to (Use an appropriately named shop for the age of the person you are using; always use expensive shops.) You are positive you will find some great deals, You feel electrified as you grab your purse and head out the door. You jump into your car and tip. You will be 2 Psychological Subtleties 2 head to the mall. On the way there, your car breaks down. Suddenly, negative feelings cloud your mind, You jump out of your car and raise the hood. You look. under the hood and besides the engine what do you see?” The number one answer is “battery” What is enjoyable about this routine is that ifother people are watching, you can use this as an example of how you can influence someone by going back over the dialog and pointing out the words “negative,” “positive,” and “electrifying.” Sometimes people listening to your dialog will key in on it. Butif you do it with only a couple of people they almost never hear it. Even if people did pick it up, congratulate them for their acuity, This is a lot of fun, and gives you a certain credibility concerning how you are accomplishing some of your feats through influence. You Say Carrot, I Say Tomato by Christian David | was really disappointed that, thanks to the Internet, the vegetable/carrot routine became common, knowlecge. However, I played around with the idea and now [use this: “How many of you have seen the mental exercise where you add some numbers and then think of a vegetable? (hands go up) “And everyone knows the answer is... (the audience replies carrot). "Great, Ido not want you to think of a carrot, but I want you to think of a vegetable that you or your mother might grow in their garden. Think of it now!”Banachek The number one answer is “tomato.” Author's note: I recognize that a tomato is a fruit, but most people don’t think of it in that category when asked quickly to respond to such a question. z Tome the following effectby Rick Maueisthestrongest impromptu effect in this entire series of books. I read this in Rick’s book, The Book of Haunted Magic, and thought it brilliant atthe time. Then, ata little known one-time mentalism convention with the title 72 hrs, T saw Rick demonstrate and explain this effect. The presentation was devastating to those in attendance, and Rick certainly set the bar very high for any fellow lecturers, including me. If you do not have any of Rick’s materials, I suggest you do a search and find them as quickly as you can; you won't be disappointed. I thought so much of this cffect that I begged Rick to allow me to include it in this series. It is the perfect blend of verbal and non- verbal psychological techniques. This is a true lesson in how to utilize these tools. Rick hae refused many who have made this request of him but, fortunately for us, he has allowed me to include it here. By the way, Rick has a few other variations in print elsewhere that are well worth looking up. Read the following description very carefully, and then read itagain. Note the words Rick uses, Pay attention to his litle psychological helpers. m4 Psychological Subtleties 2 Learn. This is a piece that Rick performs all the time. He knows the ins and outs of this type of thinking, The following effect is reprinted with permission from. ‘The Book of Haunted Magick, written by Rick Maue and published by Deceptions Unlimited, December 2000 ~All Rights Reserved. Terasabos by Rick Maue The performerselectsanaudience re) », member to assist him with an F< experiment. He then addresses the crowd: “At this time, the too of us will attempt to create a bridge of unspoken communication. We will use a technique that was frst experimented with back in the early 1300s, Iti called ‘Terasabos, which actually means ‘bridging the lands’ The earliest known practitioners of this technique have been traced back to several parts of Western Europe, but newly found records show evidence of this process as recent as 1911 in the Northeastern United states “For centuries many cultures have feared Terasabos because they fell i¢ was a direct link to the devil, and 80 it was forced underground for many years. And yet, others throughout history have maintained that it was simply a misunderstood and untested scientific process, Some have believed that if it could be hamessed, strong telepathic links between certain individuals could be developed. Tonight, the two of us shall test the power of Terasabos.”Banachek The performer directs the volunteer to table; upon it are five inverted cups. “Here on the table you see a series‘of inverted cups, ranging from one through five. In addition, we will need a personal object from you. It should be something that you carry with you every single day Perhaps a wallet or a watch?” The volunteer removes her watch and hands it to the performer. Upon taking ithe continues, “I will sk that You concentrate upon these cups and listen closely to ‘my instructions. In ust a moment, I will step away so that I cannot see your actions, but I will still be able fo communicate with you verbally. Atthat time, Iwill have you mentally select a single cup. You will then lift it like this (the performer demonstrates) and place your watch beneath it (once again, the performer demonstrates). Once you have replaced the cup upon the table, I will ask you to step away so that | have no indication as to which cup contains your possession Are you ready to begin?” The performer returns the watch to her so that they may begin. ‘The performer tums his back, steps away from the table and says: “We will now begin. First I ask that you clear your thoughts. Now. concentrate upon the cups and mentally select one of them. Have you decided upon one? Wonderful. Simply reach out and lift that cup, place your object beneath it and replace the cup. When you have completed this simple task, please step back from the table so that I may face you once again.” 26 Psychological Subtleties 2 Upon turning around, the performer continues, “ will now attempt to focus on your thoughts and your selection, That means that I must eliminate the four empty cups, thus revealing the one that contains your watch.” Repositioning himself behind the table, the performer looks down and slowly passes his hand over the inverted cups. Gradually his hand comes to rest above the cup in the fourth position, which he lifts to show that itis indeed empty. He then states: “We have. climinated the first of the empty cups.” After several moments of silent concentration, hi hand stops above the cup in position one and he says, “I get the strong feeling that this cup is also empty. Your watch is not located here. Yes, this cup is also empty.” He then lifts the cup in position one to show that it too is empty. ‘The performer continues to concentrate. Passing his hand above the remaining cups, he comes to rest above the one in position five and states, “Once again, I get the strong feeling that this eup is empty. Your watch is not located here. Yes, this cup is also empty.” Once again, aiter completing his statement, he lifts the next ‘sup, tsi time the one in position five, to show that it is indeed empty. With just two cups remaining, he closes his eyes and continues to concentrate, After a long silent pause, the performer begins to smile, He slowly lifts his head, opens his eyes, and nods as he turns to the volunteer, and then to the audience. With a broad aBanachek smile, he confidently announces, “We have arrived at the moment of truth. It is now time for me to reveal the exact location of your watch.” He reaches for the cup in position three and, as he begins to liftit, states, “Here is the fourth, and final, empty cup.” The only remaining cup is then lifted to successfully reveal the object How: Aswithmany ofmy items, thiseffect maybe presented as either a bizarre performance or asa standard piece ‘of mentalism. That will be determined by the scripting, that you may wish to create for each effect. One thing that you should know about this routine is that itis defintely a performance piece. It should be rehearsed. like a play, but with three separate endings. (Actually four endings, but we will get back to that in a minute) would suggest paying close attention to the scripting throughout this section, because itis very important to the routine, To be honest, Terasabos could have been explained in fewer pages than you see before you. But there are several reasons why I have decided to go into such detail, First, | felt it was important not simply to go the route of: “Tt works, there is no need to go inta why, It just does.” In my opinion, that just isn’t wise here. It is important to know why you are doing what you are doing with this; otherwise, you are destined to fail with this effect. ‘Terasabos is not a technique that can be traced back to the early 1300s, It also does not mean “bridging, 28 Psychological Subtieties 2 the lands.” The truth is that the name Terasabos actually stands for “This Effect Requires Acting Skills And Balls Of Steel”, This effect may not work every time that you attempt it, but due to the psychology involved, the success rate can be well above 90% when presented properly. (The fourth ending mentioned earlier occurs when the effect fails. But I will tell you, since perfecting the method to the form that you see here, my success rate has been 100%.) It should also be noted that Terasabos has been intentonally designed with absolutely no outs (although other variations that I have released are indeed foolproof). I believe that if this piece contained outs, it could very easily become just another “trick” that many magicians would use to “fool” people, and there are already plenty of those in existence. Although there is a slim possibility that the routine may fail, please keep reading. We will discuss how to turn the occasional “failure” into a positive occurrence that can enhance the remaining parts of your performance (see notes at the end of this routine) ‘The main keys to success with Terasabos are: good acting skills, psychology, strong verbal instructions that subeansriously direct the opcctator, strony twit verbal direction, confidence, and letting the odds work in your favor. Technically speaking, for the effect to be successful, the volunteer must put the target item in either the second, third, or fourth position. If it is placed in positions one or five, the effect will fal Although at face value it may appear that you will 29Banachek have a failure rate of 40% (two positions out of five), that is simply not the case. ‘There ate a number of things at play here, (Before going any further, itis important to say that many of, the techniques included here can probably be traced back to Max Maven. His influence is felt throughout ‘Terasabos.) First, you have the odds in your favor; most individuals will not select the end positions, This is just basic psychology. In this routine, the goal is to increase those odds to the point of almost being foolproof, Thisis accomplished with a series of actions and verbal controls. There are three “main” controls. that you should pay close attention to in order to direct the spectator, ‘The first control is when the performer displays the cupsand says that they are “ranging from one through five.” By mentioning “one” and “five” you are helping, to guide the spectator away from selecting them because they seem too obvious. In addition, when elivering this part of the patter, simply reach out and touch “one” and then “five” when you say their corresponding numbers. This reinforces the desire of the spectator to avoid them, ‘The positioning of the performer and the spectator is important for this part of the routine. The two individuals stand with the table between them, facing, the audience. The performer should be standing (while facing the audience) with the table to his right and the spectator should be standing (while facing the audience) with the table to her left. It appears that this is simply to permit the rest of the audience to see 30 Psychological Subtleties 2 whatishappening, Actually, this places the performer near the fifth cup and the spectator near the first (if the audience is counting from its left to its right) This positioning also helps to eliminate the end positions, especialy position five, because itis the one nearest to the periormer, thus making it, in most cases, the least likely to be selected A small collection of spectators may simply choose the cup nearest to them to avoid moving or reaching too far, That is why the performer “demonstrates” how to place the object beneath one of the cups, and he does that with the one nearest to the spectator. This is another way of forcing the selection away from position one. They simply do not wish to place the “object where it has already been. To them, that would seem too obvious. So position one, in almost all cases, will not be selected. (Thanks to my friend Chris Handa for suggesting the idea of placing the object under one of the cups as an additional psychological elimination.) It is now time to have the spectator place the object. If you refer back to the scripting, note that she is instructed to “mentally select” one of the cups. Only then is she told to place the objectbeneath it. This keeps her from changing her mind and moving the cups all, about. Afterall, this isn’t the Three Shell Game. Ihave found that if spectators have too much time to change their minds, you can lose control over the situation and the odds of their selecting one of the end positions increases. Spectator management is the key: make her mentally select her cup, and then instruct her to place her object beneath it. 31Banachek At this point, the object is under one of the cups. It is now time to go into the next phase of the effect. ‘The first thing that you need to know is how to play the odds, The most commonly picked position will be number four, closely followed by number two, and then number three. ‘As you approach the cups, the first statement that you make is very important. It does not commit you one way or the other. You say, “T will now attempt to focus on your thoughts and zero in on your selection. That means that [ must eliminate the four empty cups, thus revealing the one that contains your item.” You have not stated whether o not the item is going to be under the first cup that you lift or not, so your performing ability will really come into play here. At this point, get a very serious look of concentration fon your face as you look down at the cups, From this point on, you will not look up again, and you will not change the look of concentration on your face. In all honesty, I have found these points to be the most important elements in selling the effect. Never look up until the precise moment that you should (which T will describe in a few moments), and certainly do not change the serious expression on your face. After a moment of concentration, lift the cup that is in position four, and say nothing. After it has been lifted, pause with the raised cup in your hand (while still looking down at the table) and simply adjust your next comment to either, “We have eliminated the first of the empty cups,” or “Here is your object.” Itshould 2 Psychological Subtleties 2 bbe obvious that your reaction will be determined by whetherornot the objectis there, (Once again, thisidea is credited to Max Maven. For an excellent example of this technique, refer to Kurotsuke from Volume 1 of Max Maven’s VideoMind, or the booklet, Verbal Control, written by Phil Goldstein.) 1t is worth noting that, in my case, 1 have found that if the object is under the first cup that I lift, 1 say absolutely nothing. I simply pause and let the ‘moment speak for itself simply relax, and exhale, as if to say to the audience that what they just witnessed was inceed very difficult to do. I believe that stating the obvious (that you successfully located the object) greatly detracts from the moment of amazement. To quote Dr, Winston O’Boogie, “A conspiracy of silence speaks louder than words.” So if the object is under the first cup that you lift, you have been successful in finding it. You can then go ‘on to your next routine. But if it is not under position number four, continue along exactly as scripted to carry the routine through to its conclusion. ‘Next, lift the cup in position one. (IFitis there, you fail, 50 make sure that you use the psychological forces explained earlier to avoid this to the extent possible.) Since you are not using any outs, use position one as a “convincer.” In other words, take a chance and commit to your decision. It is very important that, before you lift the cup, you boldly state that you feel that the object is not under it. My words are, “I get the strong feeling that this cup is also empty. Your object isnot located here. Yes, this cup is also empty.”Banachek The reason for making your statement before you lift the cup is that you are conditioning the audience to believe that you are committing to your decision before you lift each of the cups. That why you deliver your scripted lines before making any physical actions (except for pointing to the cup), and then you remain silent while lifting each of the cups. If the object is not beneath the cup in position one, then repeat this exact same approach with number five. Again, boldly state long before you even touch the cup that you feel that the object is not underneath it, If you have sold the psychological forces properly, these two cups can be among the strongest parts of the effect. Once again, you are actually conditioning, the audience to believe that you are stating whether or not the item is under the cups before you even touch them. This is the key to being successful with Terasabos. We have come to the final phase, and it will be very difficult to pull off if you have not sold the audience up to this point. However, if you have successfully sold them to this point, the final step will be seamless, and very impressive. At this point, the object ether appears under number two or number three. Belore you do anything, stop and continue to concentrate on the final two cups. After a long pause, begin to smile and for the very first time, look up at the spectator, and then at the audience, Smile broadly, nod your head, and show complete confidence. The audience should assume from your actions and your expression that you have Psychological Subtleties 2 just “mentally” located the object. Say, “We have arrived at the moment of truth. It is now time for me to reveal the exact location of your abject.” Now reach forward to lift the cup in position three. As you begin to lift it, say “Here is...” (and with no hesitation, lift the cup just high enough to glimpse to sce it the object is there; if it is not, you continue) “... the final empty cup.” This statement must be deliberate and continuous. It must seem as if you intended to show the final empty cup the entire time. (Gee the Notes section for my alternative to glimpsing, to see if the object is there.) Now, if the object does appear in this position, you must change direction in the middie of your statement. It would go like this. Reach forward to lift number three. As you begin to lift it, say “Here is ..." (and with no hesitation you lift the cup just high enough to glimpse to see if the object is there: itis, you continue) *.. your abject.” Once again, this statement, and the lifting of the cup, must be deliberate and continuous. Tt must seem as if you intended to show the object the entire time. ‘Thisis why itis so important to condition the audience to believe that you ave comunitings Wy your decision prior tolifting numbers one and five. Those two cups will help to sell this phase. In addition, the wording is very important because with numbers one and five, your line was consistently, and emphatically, “This ‘cup is empty,” and in both cases you lifted the cups to show that you were indeed correct. The statement this time around starts with “Here is ..,” which can 35Banachek lead to either the final empty cup, or the object. The wording, coupled with a smooth flowing delivery and proper timing, will make this successful. Anything loss than the combination of all of these elements will be suspicious to the audience. The key is to rehearse often, and exude confidence in both your words and your actions. Another key to the final phase is to “non-verbally” convince the audience—with your body language, your attitude, and your facial expressions—that you have mentally located the object before you lift the cup in position three. That is why you do not look up, or smile, until the proper moment. Strong acting skills will make both statements much easier to deliver, and much more effective. From this point on, you simply wrap up the effect. Notes: There are a number of things that can be said about this type of effect Ihave aleeady covered quite a bit of “theory,” so let me mention some important physical aspects of Terasabos, and also some additional random thoughts, First, when horrowing an object, make sure that it is rather large. That is why I ask for a wallet or a watch. If you borrow something small (like a ring) it may be very difficult to glimpse it under cup number three and your flowing statement may get botched up. Worse yet, you will most likely hesitate as you say: “Here is...” and it will seem like you are looking under the cup before you commit to your decision 36 Psychological Subtleties 2 (That is what you are doing, but it should never seem like that to the audience.) Also, make sure that you do not perform this on a really low table (or on the floor) That aiso will make it too difficult to see under cup ‘number three, which will result in the same situation as when using too small an object. But there is a very strong, alternative to glimpsing the object, and over time [have found it to be a much more effective way to discover whether the object is there or not. I have leamed to do it by feel, and not by sight. Allow me to explain. As long as the object is latge enough (such as a watch), you can lift the cup a fraction of an inch and move it in any direction, thus feeling if the cup is empty or not. (have found that moving forward works best for my typical action while lifting the cups. In addition, a very small forward or backward motion is undetectable to even a close-up audience, whereas moving left or right could possibly be noticed.) So, in essence, as you move the cup ever so slightly, you will make contact with the object if it is there. On the other hand, if you feel nothing, you know the cup is empty. This allows you to deliver your scripted lines while not even looking at the cups, bout instead making eye contact with the audience! Feel free to utilize any type of cup or goblet for this ‘effect. in fact, I have had tremendous success with borrowed items when in the homes of others, at formal dinner parties, ete Another point that I feel is very important is that Terasabos cannot be presented as a trick to fool the audience. Now, please do not take that to mean that I 7Banachek. Wish for any of my creations tobe used todemonstrate “real” psychic powers. On the contrary, as a dedicated skeptic, my audience always knows.that Iam nothing more than performer of deception. But what I mean by “a trick to fool the audience” is that this cannot be presented as: “Go ahead, hide your watch and | will find it!” That simply sets up a challenge situation, Which means that the audience member may now try to outsmart—or even trick—you. If that happens, you have lost control, which is sure death ina performance of a mentalism piece such as this. If that happens, the spectator may not even place the object under one of the cups, but instead, in her pocket. Remember, mentalism is performed with the audience ... not at them. Finally, we arrive atthe question that many performers will ask: “What do I do if this fails?” Well, let me address that question with two very different answers First, if t fails because you didn’t sell it properly to the audience, then go back and read this over numerous times until you understand exactly where you are falling short. The nice thing about this routine is that you can rehearse it when yen are all alone. Simply Place the object under each cup and rehearse exactly What you will say and do when itis uncovered in that position. All good performers understand that there is huge difference between practicing and rehearsing, This routine requires serious rehearsal time. But then again, in my opinion, every routine that we ever perform requires serious rehearsal time. Psychological Subtleties 2 Second, if the effect fails because the object is under position one or position five, then you must do two things. To begin, you must go back to make sure that youaretaking advantage of every possible control that was described earlier to direct the audience member away from those cups. If you have done that, and the spectator still places the object under one of the “dead” locations, then you must turn that “failure” into victory. Allow me to explain with a brief story: A circus performer comes out and walks effortlessly across the top of the tent on a thin wire. Asa member of the audience, you are impressed, and politely applaud. But now, picture that very same circus performer, He star's out to cross the exact same wire, and then. sudden'y, he slips. Catching his balance, he seems unsure of his next step. But, he slowly starts again, You are now breathless, Simply put, you are caught up in the drama. His trip from one side of the tent to the other seems endless. With every step that he takes, you are right there with him. Finally, he is victorious! Your elation overwhelms you as he has conquered all, obstacles and achieved his seemingly impossible goal ‘The audience erupts into thunderous applause. Simply stated, if the effect fails, it sets you up for a greater victory with your next experiment. Terasabus ‘was originally designed to be used as a preliminary effect just prior toa strong, sure-fire piece of telepathy (although for a number of years, I have used it as a stand-alone piece). So basically, if you wish to play it safe, use Terasabes as a “preliminary test” to gauge the 39Banachek level of difficulty for your main experiment (which, I suggest, should be foolproof). ‘That way, in the event of “failure,” you simply state how difficult the main experiment will be under the conditions that you have to work with. This means that Terasabos is like slipping off of the tightrope that is stretched across the top of that circus tent. It can create a higher level of excitement and increase the drama. Once again, if your acting is believable, you can utilize the occasional failure to set up the greatest success of your performance. Over the years, Terasahos has been one of my favo routines io perform. In truth, it has been one of my signature pieces. | wish you well with it. 2 Inspired by the effect “Mental Projection” by Gene Nielsen on page 473 of Bascom Jones wonderful Magick Magazine, the Canadian comedy mentalist Patrick Kulfs developed the following interesting routine Mind Opener by Patrick Kutfs Lam quite proud of this particular routine, with which I have conquered many analytical minds. It is fast and direct, and has what 1 feel are highly desirable features in 40 Psychological Subtleties 2 an opener: no set-up, no props, no stooges. It relies on pure chutzpah! After your introduction, tell the audience that you have an uncanny knack for guessing how people will react in particular stressful situations. You propose to demonstrate by way of a quick test with numbers, In your hand isa small dry erase board in virgin state You openly write the numbers 1,2,3, 4 without saying a word and then re-establish eye contact with the audience. You boldly ask; “Who is already thinking of number ‘one’? Please raise your hand.” Some people will raise their hands. Start counting the raised hands, pointing at the individuals. When you have finally counted the raised hands, you write that total under the numeral “I”; for the sake of explanation, say 6. (Imagine this routine performed ina club with an audience of 100, so it won't be that ‘many people who think of the number “one.” This will make people react and laugh in the crowd.) Continue by saying “Only six, which is quite normal; no one knew that I was going to ask you to think of a number. So, most of you passed on this opportunity and kept your hands down. Thats fine by me!” Go right to the second request: “Now you know what to do, who is thinking of number two? Please raise your hands ... Adah .... Much beter.” And you count these raised hands once more, and write the results under the numeral "2” on the board. Say you write 11 “Number three, now ... please raise your hands..." and you count and write the new number under the numeral “3.” Let's say 32, anBanachek ‘And finally ... on to number four ... and the same procedure, Let us say that I4is the number you count and writebelow thenumeral “4.” Lookat theboard and. comment that without any doubt, the number three appears to be the most popular with this group. Circle the most popular number as you mention to the audience that you had a feeling earlier that evening that 3 would be the number for that particular group, and ‘you are quite happy that your hunch was dead on, Sensing a certain degree of disbelief in the audience, mention that you can prove you knew of the results beforehand ... a written proof. Actually, you have arranged for 300,000 predictions distributed throughout the city in order to make sure everyone ‘can check on your claim. At that point you produce the latest edition of the best- known local newspaper and give it to an audience member. This “Keeper of the Truth” is presented to the audience and asked to follow your instructions. Immediately bring theattention tothe white board still in your hands and mention that a key to the prediction is written behind it. Turn the board around to show, written in bold letters, “Page 78, fourth entry in the Classified Sevtivn 310 Of the Houston Chronucte (il i the appropriate name), followed by the date 11/30/05, Pause, and ask the “Keeper” to find the appropriate spotiin the newspaper, and verify the data The “Keeper of the ‘Truth” turns to page 78, looks up #310, and is asked to read the advertisement aloud It reads: “Tonight, at the Four Seasons Hotel, my 2 Psychological Subtleties 2 prediction for the show is that 32 individuals will pick the number 3. Signed, Kutfs.” How: ‘There are a number of desirable things that take place here. A few interesting points are established early in the routine. First, it tells the audience about you and the type of offbeat entertainment they can expect Second, you get the attention of the whole audience without getting anyone on stage. And finally, you get to plug the establishment. The secret is simple but so. deceptive. This is what makes it so interesting, When you perform this effect, the feeling that you want to generate with the audience is one of experimentation; thus, no instructions are given to the audience at the outset as you write the numbers 1 to in abig, bold manner across the board No one in the audience knows what you are about to do. $2, when you ask who is thinking of #1, itis reasonable to anticipate that few people will raise their hands, From my experience, 8 is a lot out of a 100-ish field. You do really count the number of raised hands with emphasis. This establishes the fairness of the counting procedure and appropriately sets sp the audience for the swindle For #2 the audience reaction will be slightly diferent, People will bein an anticipatory mood and, seeing that participation does not cause embarrassment, more will be inclined to raise their hands. (A litle cajoling might be in order) By now you have established that you need the audience participation, that you BBanachek are intriguing, and that you are a nice guy. Count the raised hands again: you may expect a yield in the 16 to 18 range (again, assuming.a 100-ish group.) The physical aspect (pointing with emphasis) of the counting procedure is important, but so is the vocal element At times the counting numbers are counted out loud, eventually fading as you focus upon the count, then resuming loudness ‘gradually. This prepares. the audience for the bluff count. (Oops, did not want to tip the gaff so soon, this being such a bold approach. Yes, bluff it is...) Hold on, please keep reading, and be honest it atleast s mildly entertaining reading, So bear with me. Now we arrive at #3. The gaff is partly that most people will choose #3. Let us probe into the minds of the spectators. Few will choose #1 because they cannot anticipate that you will ask for a number to be chosen in the first place. Individuals will think, “I did not have time to think.” By #2, people will mostly prefer to pass on it, because they may feel that they want to “wait and see.” Others will hold out, feeling somewhat tricked by the approach to #1: “Maybe he wants me to pick #2, so I will pass on this one also.” By the time #3 rolls around, the mindset is different: “I could not really choose #1 because I wasn't ready for anything. 1 did not choose #2 because of the performers strategy. If I don’t select #3, he will coerce ‘me into the last choice. He wants me to take the last “4 Psychological Subtleties 2 choice of #4, and will probably make some joke about that, Sort of loser random pick, s0 I will go for #3." The number “3” is the nice psychological force. Whatever the actual mindset of the audience is, most will go for #3. Because you are addressing a group, the force will literally come out in force. No one feels, the trap since no one knows where you are going, This routine will bear repeat performances—unless the group is identical from one show to another, which isa situation you would know beforehand. Vary your material accordingly. How does one know the number of people who willl raise their hands? You don't... but experience does permit an educated guess/bluff. (Please bear with me ) Estimating the number of hands going, up is easy as you already know the room's eapacity—and can eyeball a reasonable guess. This routine is best suited for 100 people, but the ideal range is from 70 to 100. What if you do not have access to this information before the show? You must have some measure of the room's seating capacity if you want to use the newspaper prediction, last-minute approach could entail sticking the prediction in an envelope behind the board, ur sum other “revelation” spot. Letus suppose that you dohaveanewspaperad ready, and the prediction is 32. First, visually sweep the crowd to obtain an estimate. Say your educated guess is 25. Ask the audience to keep their arms raised as you begin the count, and begin at stage left progressing to the rightat a swift yet unhurried pace.Banachek ‘As you proceed (and mime) the counting, process verbally, you know that you need to finish counting at 31, (yes, one digit less than your final prediction. 1 will return to this in a moment). Figure a counting rate that will fit with your body language and verbal subterfuge counting, This sounds complicated, but the real-world application is quite straightforward. Keep in mind that the audience does not know in which direction you are leading them. For the faint-hearted, who wonder what happens if someone counts along with you, no problem, it’s easy. Remember that you will have to give the impression that the final count is 32. So, this is the time to share the real selling point of, this routine, Herearea couple of psychological points that will help sell and seal the overall impression in the audience's minds. Say you have arrived at a total of31, and convey the impression that everyone was counted. Begin to write 31 on the board ... pause, and then pretend to notice someone at the back of the audience. Ask that particular person to tell you if you have counted him or not, finally asking him if he wants to be added or not This brings the new final count not to 31, but 32. This later bit of business will make a big difference when they try to recap or re-construct the routine for their next kid's show, At this point, the scenario may have taken one of two possible pathways: 46 'sychological Subtleties 2 First Path: One person may actually anticipate you talking to him and raise his hand; you may be handed this superb convincer on a silver platter. Second Path: In some cases you will just have to pretend that someone raises his hand to make the count one more, bringing the count to 32 ... a time- honored bluff that would make Dunninger proud. When addressing this non-existent stooge, take the time to say, “Thanks.” Your exchange with this nonexistent person takes no more than a few seconds at the most—or whatever feels right with your working pace. The point is that the nonexistent stooge is addressed as if being a real person, in your delivery and tore. Some audience members will tum their heads to check cut the back of the room, but (and this is the real secret of the concept) the person addressed by the periormer is not clearly pointed out and seems of trivial importance. Should someone start to count along with you and tries to follow you, at one point you will lose him by rapidly counting small sections of “raised hands” in random sections of the audience, crisscrossing back and forth across the audience sometimes counting out loud while other times under your breath. You can also count some “raised hands” over his head. Because he did not have your stage point of view and your speed of counting, he will not be able to keep up with you. You finally write “32” for the count of hands. After bringing their attention to the fact that the most aBanachek commonly chosen number was #3, you announce #38 “victory” over the other three possibilities by circling it on the board. You conclude your routine at this point by taking out the newspaper and making, the revelation, For this revelation, you must pick someone who will be a good responder, someone you feel can be a good “straight man” for two minutes of on-the-spot, Participation, Other considerations come into play in order to maximize the effect through the volunteer selection Process. Consider selecting someone who wears glasses. This way you know that if she needs them to read, she has them readily available. In a polite ‘manner, ask if she likes to read. This will prevent you from selecting a person with poor eyesight, or who is illiterate, A small hint is to pick women; they read more often. If you're afraid that the person will spoil the ending because she doesn’t read your prediction correctly, ask her to confirm what is written in the ad by silently reading over your shoulder while you read italoud ‘Comments The idea of using a newspaper prediction for marvelous publicity stunts came to us from the brain of that legend, Ted Annemann. You can read the original idea in his Practical Mental Effects. Don’t forget to remind them to check their own newspapers after the show to make sure you have not used a gimmicked paper. That way they will continue 8 Psychological Subtleties 2 to talk about you. They will think of you for years to come whenever their fingers touch a newspaper. Banachek Note: If the idea of miscounting makes you a little uncomfortable, then look up Doce Hilford’s Color tne Nait in PS1. In Doce's effect you actually do count the people and fill in the number with a nail- writer through a window in a prepared envelope. Using this methodology can give you good practice if you incorporate the miscounting ruse on the number three. This will allow you to build confidence in your estimation, bluffing, and counting pace. Using the envelope as Doce suggests gives you a great back-up, yet gives you the flexibility of using your newspaper prediction as irrefutable proof of your prediction. z Ravi Jobannes Pazhur isa 37-year-old magician living in Germany. He started performing magic at the age of 16. He has won numerous prizes with his manipulation, but switched to close-up magie during university time to earn his living. Ravi is best known for publishing a German “All Star” book on magic with some great contributors, like The Flicking Fingers, David Harkey, Gary Darwin, and others. Mr. Pazhur shares some wonderful ideas elsewhere in this PS series. His first offering uses numerous psychological forces to create a one-of-a-kind book test. Ravi fears that sometimes itis too strong on the °Banachek bizarre slant. Thisis definitely not a beginner's routine if you want to perform it effectively Ravionce gaveaperformance oratelephonecompany. “There was a woman at the dinner, who asked me to stop after the first three effects. She was so frightened, she did not want to touch the book again. What l mean is that this plays rather strong. This isa money maker, a signature peace, atleast for me.” Just imagine the incredible impact on the spectator: A spectator touches a book, suddenly knows everything that is written in it, and can even describe the author! The Book of Lies by Ravi Johannes Pazhur The roots for this effect come from PS1, Kenton Knepper’s book Kentonism, and from watching, Derren Brown's Reminiscence Talways wanted to have a multi-phase routine like Derren’s that could be performed anywhere, anytime, with few props and gets stronger effect after effect A book test seemed great, but you usually only get one effect. Also, [never could get a book test to work effectively by itself. It might have been because I atl 80 many questions about the presentation: “Wiy ant L using book? 1s there a reason for the book itseif 7 A ‘good reason?” 1 was always running around looking at book tests but never performed one. That is why I developed The Book of Lies, 50 Psychological Subtleties 2 Part One Show a book to a spectator. It is The Book of Lies by Aleister Crowley. Talk about Crowley and explain that, "Its not clear if he was good or evil, angel or devil, if he wns using witchcraft ... or had deep insight into mysticism. "Was he dark magician with charismatic features, or wos hhe a man who gained insight into the principles of life that twe all roculd like to have? “Despite all that remains unclear, Crowley's Tarat cards ‘are widely used even today. “Even if we do not believe the things that were written in this book, ze cannot help feeling the magic and the influence the book has on every reader. Sometimes the impact is low, sometimes high, but it sometimes happens that one will experience some truly weird phenomena.” Give the book to the spectator, and ask her to hold on to it. After handing it to her, realize that you forgot 4 photograph that is between the pages in the book: take it out and pocket it. The spectator can see that it's a photograph, but should not see the details. “Oh, Lam sorry, let mie take this out." Ask the spectator, “Do you really want to go on? We can stop any tame you want!” Take the book, riffle through the pages from front to back, and ask the spectator if she has ever read this book ors familiar with the author. She says, “No.” otBanachek, Place the book on the table. The spectator sits next to the book. She is asked to place one hand on the book and close her eyes. “Close your eyes. How do you feel? Is everything okay? Now, let the book speak £0 you. Clear your mind. Relax. Take a deep breath. You may find that certain images come {0 mind, You may see or think of numbers, symbols, amd pictures now. Do not be frightened. Open your mind and let the book speak to you.” While talking, take up a writing pad and draw a circle inside of a triangle, Continue with the circle and triangle force. “Okay, 1 ‘want you to name too simple geometric shapes The drawings on the pad can be seen from the audience. She tells you, “a circle inside a triangle.” Be sure to use the excellent suggestions from Banachek’s PS1 book. As he suggests, reword the order of the shapes to fit your written prediction. For instance if the spectator says “a triangle inside of a circle,” state “So you chose a triangle and a circle.” Then show your prediction to be correct. You are slightly wrong but it is still impressive ‘This is the first effect for the audience. The spectator herself does not get the effect yet; as she has her eyes closed and just hears the approval of the audience. And this is just the way we want itto be. 52 Psychological Subtleties 2 Next Effect: Inside the triangle within the circle, write four sevens (7772). Ask her to give you a number between one and ten. Most of the time a spectator will go for seven. The socond most named (at least for me) number is four. IF this happens, you smile to the audience and point to the four sevens and make a “four sign” with your fingers. Next Effect: Write the word “blue” on the pad, show it to the audience, and ask the spectator to name a color. Next Effect: Write the word “Iion” on the writing pad, show it to the audience, and ask the spectator to name a wild animal found in the jungle Do the last two forces more quickly than the ones before them. In other words, start slowly, but speed up as you go along, Write on the pad, show it to the audienes, and then ask your questions. ‘Ask heragain if she has ever read the book. Ask her to ‘open her eyes. Ask her if she fet anything during this experiment. Did she make the decisions on her own or did ste have the feeling of getting impressions? ‘Then show her the writing on the pad and go through it with her one item ata time. Tell her that maybe there hhas been more to this than meets the eye. : 53Banachek ‘Take the book, open it, and show her this picture: Aleister Crowley founded an order dealing with mysticism and this is the official symbol (Sigel) of that order. It is printed in nearly every book that he has written. Itis much bigger in the books and can be seen very clearly by the audience. “Do you see the sevens in there?” or “Do you see the four sevens in there?” Point to the sevens in the three o'clock and nine o'clock Positions. “Do you see the circle? Do you see that ‘triangle shape’ in there?” Point to the stat. You are always right! ‘The star within the circle on the original Crowley symbol never caused a problem for me. Some women even said star and this made it even better. If she gives you the triangle, itis enough. Be sure to draw your own triangle with one of its tips in a six o'clock position (an upside down triangle) Psychological Subtleties 2 “You naned the color ‘blue’. This was Mr. Crowley's favorite eslor. “You named the lion. He always saw himself as a lion. He loved this anima, as he admired its strength and elegance, “Very strange. You never read the book? Are you sure?” Most of these claims are made up, but it always works. Thave no idea if Crowley liked the color blue or called himself a lion, But in this routine, you have written it down before the spectator has said it. This adds to the credibly of your statements, Always start with the words, “You might think that you came up with it by yourself. No, No. It is Mr. Crowley and it is in the book and it is his influence, even from the grave. Are you frightened now?” Accept whatever the spectator saysand blame ton the book; label it in the way you want it to be. Everything the speciator says is in the book. As you go through the items one by one, most of the time you will see a very surprised expression on her face. Since I talk of fear andinfluence the whole time, it actually frightens the spectator. Some laugh, but you always get a strong ‘emotional reaction. Part Two Ask her 1o close her eyes and touch the book again. “Close your eyes again. Shall we go on? How do you feel? Is everything okay? Let us go one step further! Now, let the book speak to you. Clear your mind. Relax. Take a deep breath. You said that you never read the book, you never saw Aleister Crowley, the dark, evil man.” 55Banachek Smile, “Let's see what is on your mind now.” “Tell me, did he have blond or black hair?” “Did he wear a beard or not?” “What color were his eyes?” “What did his nose lok tke?” Each time the spectator answers, smile and nod. Then go to your pocket and remove a picture. It matches the description perfectly. Do not play this part too long, One minute and the whole thing should be over. Remember that you took a picture out of the book before the routine started? You placed it in your pocket where you already had a picture, You thus have two pictures in your pocket (downloaded from the Internet and printed on photo paper). Both show Crowley at different times with different looks. 56 Psychological Subtleties 2 So whatever the spectator says, you are right. If you label a person dark and evil, people will say that he has dark hair (always), dark brown eyes (most of the time), and no beard (most of the time). If you look at the pictures, they can be interpreted however ever you wish. One spectator even once said “green eyes.” ‘The pictures are black and white, so you are still right. Even if you miss one element, it doesn’t matter Take the matching picture (beard or not) out of your pocket and show it "You hae never read the book, you have never seen hin, yet you give usa perfect description of him.” “Are you frightened now?” only do this part when I have a female spectator. I go through it quickly. It is too simple to show alone. But within the routine, it works most of the time, Part Three Again, ask her to place one hand on the book and close her eyes. “Twill ask you to visualize some images now. A vegetable ‘an onion ... it is peeled.” I do not know why, but people always laugh here. “Someone tells a joke: some laugh, but strangely enough, some ery. The universe is there, too. Did you understand those images? Does that make sense? Shall we go on?” ‘Then you use the “37” force from PSI.Banachek “You said 37? Page 37? You said it does not make sense? Oh yes, it does! Open up this book ta page 37 and read aloud what is written there.” She will read on page 37: (Onion peelings) The universe isthe practical joke of the {general at the expense of the particular, Those next to the laughed, seeing the universal joke. Below these, certain disciples wept. Others next laughed. Others next wept Even ifshesays390orso, yousay thatshe wasextremely close. It is not a simple number force anymore. It is, like you quoted something out of a book and she gave you the number of the page where—or near where— itis writtent When I perform this, some things work perfectly, some things work not so perfectly, and some do not work at all. I is for this reason that I always end the routine with a simple riffle force book test. This way you finish the routine with a 100% foolproof effect You always end strong, This is a book test with about five or six effeets, all of which build to a climax with your favorite foolproof book test. Italso creates perfect justification for using a book to select a random word. rather than just having, a spectator think of any word, You can use any book for this routine as long. as you make the connection with your forces. You can perform it in a humorous or serious way. You decide. But please remember, we are responsible for our Psychological Subtleties 2 spectators and should treat them with respect. If see that the spectator feels uncomfortable, I stop. | always use a cheap paperback edition of the book. It looks better, less prepared, and more impromptu. [ am not abizarre performer. Ido not want to take out a leather bound copy, wipe off the dust, and so on. This is not my style. Kenton Knepper gave me the following advice, which he has allowed me to pass on: As I am sure you know, Crowley has a book called 777. That's a7 and a 3, the most commonly named numbers with the number force. You could use this book and still do the Sigel as your proof. The book cover could then be used if a spectator chooses “three” A lion is about the Magical Element and Strength, among other things, and can be seen in many Tarot cards as Key #8. Be sure to label any misses as the spectator’s lack of intuition on those few issues, followed by quickly pointing out how she is primarily correct in her impressions. After reading the Book of Lies, Nimrod Havel, a professional mentalist from Israel, sent me some suggestions for the color force within the routine. I phyed for a long time with the color force in the Book of Lies, and found out two things. After asking, a spectator to pick a color, 1 always add, “and no red please.” So, one of