By Lewis Le Val.No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author. OPIA — Intellectual property of Lewis Le Val Distributed by www.e-mentalism.com Copyright © Lewis Le Val, All Rights Reserved.INTRODUCTION What I have chosen to share here is a routine that I created a while ago, but never performed much as I failed to realise just how strong it could be. It also felt too intimate, and for that reason, it always just got pushed to the back of my mind. You see, this experience is as uncomfortable for the performer as it is for the spectator (beautifully uncomfortable, as I will explain later). I also felt like it wouldn't be worth releasing to the mentalism community as I hadn't created a new method or effect, only a presentation. However, when I actually began to perform Opia properly, I was kicking myself for not using it sooner! I realised just how strong it can be. I also decided to release it, knowing that even though the method is simple and already known by most mentalists, the presentation itself is what creates this incredible effect and experience for your spectators. It is the kind of routine that I know that a lot of mentalists are looking for. If we were painters, you may already have the brushes and paint, but it is the brushstrokes that make the biggest difference. So here is a quick rundown of what I will talk about in this book. Firstly, there is the main routine, Opia. I will talk about the scripting and presentation, along with everything you need to know to make the routine work. It cannot really be explained in the usual format (effect followed by method) so I will explain everything as it comes. Built into the scripting of Opia is a perfect way of explaining mind reading and how it works (for real). So even if everything you do has a secret, deceptive method, this brief explanation “makessense” to spectators, and kind of lets them understand (or believe) how and why you are able to do the things that you can do, whilst still retaining all of the mystery of your performance. This is the golden nugget buried in this book. Until now, we have never really been able to give a reasonable, pseudo explanation of just how we are able to get specific details such as names, dates, PIN numbers, etc, but now we can! Then I will talk about how you can perfectly justify ever having anything written down by your spectator. Whether your approach is psychological, spiritual or other, all of the above can be used by any mentalist of any style.OPIA To perform this, all you need are 5 marked ESP cards. If you do not have ESP cards, you can use 5 business cards. Simply draw an ESP symbol on each card, and secretly mark the backs of them so that you can easily but secretly identify which card is which symbol. Words in italics are spoken by the performer: “When we make eye contact with someone, it’s never really contact. Contact would imply that a line of communication has been opened, and very rarely do we hold eye contact long enough for this to happen. It’s generally not socially acceptable to maintain eye contact with someone for an extended period of time, it can feel uncomfortable. This is due to something called Opia. They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul, and when we hold genuine eye contact with someone, we feel invasive and vulnerable at the same time, as not only are we staring right through to their inner self, but they are also staring right into us. Our eyes can say things that words cannot, and this can only be seen by another person. We can't look into our own eyes with the same intensity. So when you push away all the social boundaries, and allow yourself this vulnerability and trust with another person, something truly magical happens, and it is a beautiful experience. I would like to try that with somebody right now, so please, raise your hand if you would like to take part.” This script explains Opia, which is a real concept that you can read up on, including your spectators if they wish to doso. It suggests that you are about to hold eye contact with someone and acknowledges that it can be uncomfortable, but mentions a reward for allowing yourself this discomfort. Depending on how many people you are performing for, you may not need to say the last part about asking who would like to take part. Try to pick someone who will take it seriously and won’t start giggling. You may find that most men are not willing to volunteer, but if you choose them, they often happily take part. Society has built a sexual connection to eye contact and hand holding, which is another reason some people may find this uncomfortable, but the whole point of this is to get past that. We as a species mustn't be held back by our personal insecurities and societal constructs, as these are the very things stopping us from making true human contact. Once you have selected a volunteer, take out the 5 ESP cards and continue: “These five cards contain five basic shapes. However, they are much more than that. They are the five main symbols, archetypes, representing huge aspects of human life. No matter who you are or where in the world you are from, these symbols connect with you on a deep, subconscious level. For example; The circle represents the cycle of life, the cycle of time, completeness, wholeness, movement, the sun, the moon, the earth, happiness, unity, perfection, eternity. The cross represents struggle, challenge, decisions. For some people, religion, so faith, belief, spirituality. It could also represent health, growth, authority, focus and targets.The wavy lines represent travel, water, nature, depth, the subconscious, nourishment, life, a journey, family, DNA, fluidity. The flow of life, the flow of consciousness, unpredictability. The square represents structure, stability, security, home, strength, foundation. The star represents spirit, achievement, clarity, openness, life, the universe, the sky, the unpredictable, hope, happiness and creativity. So it is the meaning that these symbols have to us that I would like to focus on. I want you to take the cards, have a look through them and pick one that you would like to use. It doesn't have to have any meaning to you, just pick one that you like the look of, and place it face down on the table.” I don’t expect you to remember all of the above. To know what each symbol means, just look at them and think about what else in life has a connection to that symbol. Everything Ihave just written came from simply looking at the shape, and thinking about what they could represent. This is a good skill to have, as it will come in useful later on in the routine. The connections can be abstract, you only need to make them clear enough for there to be a recognisable connection. At this point I will mention that, in performance, try to name as many connections to each shape as you can. It will serve a purpose later on in the routine. Once you have made it clear to your spectator that they do have many connections to all of these symbols, and that they are more than just basic shapes, ask them to pick one thatthey like the look of. Don't ask them to pick one that they feel drawn to, as this will come in later on in the routine. When your spectator has placed their card face down on the table, and the other cards face down and out of the way, secretly peek the marking on the card, remember what symbol it is, then don't look anywhere near that card again. Then continue: “In a moment, we will be making direct eye contact, just long enough for something special to happen. You can blink, just try not to break the contact, and follow my instructions. As I said earlier, I will be staring right into your inner self, and you will be staring into mine. It will be like when you hold two mirrors in front of each other and it creates an endless reflection that goes both ways. You are thinking of one of those symbols, and I am thinking of one too. We will attempt to try and see the symbol that each other is thinking of. But it will happen very strangely. Try not to guess or see the symbol that I am thinking of. Instead, after a few moments, some strange, random images will just appear in your mind. Allow yourself to see them, no matter how weird or abstract they appear to be. Got it? Good.” At this point, I take my spectator’s hands (you don't have to do this if you don’t feel comfortable with it. I find that making physical contact with them helps this process along) and instruct them to take a deep breath as I do the same, then the eye contact begins. Try to keep an absolute poker face. In this moment, most people will genuinely mirror your facial emotion times ten. If you smile, they will laugh. After a few moments of intense eye contact, say:“Ok now I’m beginning to see the images. Just give me a clear yes when you begin to see them too. Just allow this to happen, no matter how big or small, it will have nothing to do with the symbols, just allow yourself to see with your mind’s eye. It will be something, anything, like right before you fall asleep at night and random images flash through your mind. It will feel like it’s coming from your imagination, only, you won't be choosing what you think about.” With some people, this could happen almost right away, with others, it could take a bit longer, but eventually, they will begin to see something. What you are asking them to do here is use their unfiltered imagination, or, imagination without conscious application. Without actively choosing what to think about, they are to simply allow their subconscious to provide them with something. The most difficult part is getting the imagery started. But once it starts, it continues effortlessly. Some people have difficulty letting go, but be persistent. Once they begin to relax, it wont be long before the mind starts to get bored and literally begins to amuse itself. It is almost like the way a screensaver pops up on a computer when it hasn't been used for a few minutes. Don't rush or push them, as any level of pressure will fire up their conscious mind again, pushing any subconscious imagery further back. If you would like to try this for yourself, pick a spot on a wall to focus on. Relax and just allow any imagery to flow into your mind. Allow your imagination to show you something, anything. You can use this technique for scrying too. I carry a small, clear quartz crystal in my pocket which I sometimes ask my spectator to hold in the palm of their hand while I look into it (not during this routine). I allow the imagerythat appears in my mind to take on the form of a reading. Do this once, and everyone will ask you to do it for them too. So back to the routine, If your spectator says yes, thats great. If you still don't get a yes out of them (which is rare at this point), it doesn't matter. When you feel ready, break the eye contact and say: “It’s done! Now... I actually think, we both thought of the same symbol... I thought of the *insert symbol they chose* what did you choose?” The above is said with a tone and expression of slight confusion and amusement. This is your first reveal. I used to do this with 10 ESP cards instead of 5, then I would ask them to put down the shape they thought I was thinking of, then I could read the markings of both cards and put mine down to match both, but that doesn't make sense as I have not yet told them how to get the shape from their thoughts. It was also too much messing around with the cards. It also becomes too much like an ESP match up routine, which this isn't supposed to be. So by just pretending that you thought of the same shape as them, appears as though you both got a hit, without your spectator really having to do anything. You can make this more apparent by saying, “I actually think we are thinking of the same symbol. On the count of three, I will say the symbol I am thinking of, and you say the symbol you are thinking of and we will see if they match. Three... Two... One... *symbol they chose*”Remember to behave as though this took you by surprise and wasn't supposed to happen. The moment you both say the same thing out loud, it creates the illusion of synchronicity between your thoughts and theirs. This first phase does a number of things. It helps you gain rapport with your spectator, and gets them used to having the eye contact with you, they will be more relaxed with it the second time around. It also gets their first attempt at using their unfiltered imagination over and done with. It is much easier to do on the second attempt (which will be the most important part of this routine). It shows that somehow, through this process, you are able to know each other’s thoughts (even though technically they didn't get yours). It also means that you don't have to carry any extra cards, and go through a complicated process of trying to show that they were able to know what symbol you thought of. You begin the second phase: “Great! It looks like we've made a good connection. Now we will try this individually, now it is my turn to put a card down.” You take the cards, choose one (I'd recommend anything but the cross or star, I will explain why later on) and place it face down on the table. “We will do the same thing again, only this time, I will try and project my symbol over to you. Pay attention to anything and everything you see, think and feel, no matter how strange or silly it may seem. Do not try and guess the symbol, don't even try to think about it. We will make theeye contact again and just allow any images to come to your mind. This time, I would like you to tell me what you see. There is no right or wrong answer.” Encourage them to allow random imagery to appear in their mind, and give them the confidence to tell you exactly what they see. Ask them to describe what is in their mind, or how they feel as they make eye contact with you and you try to, genuinely, project the symbol to them. Wait for them to tell you something, then ask them more questions about it. Get as much information about their vision as you can, because here is the clever part, you are going to make what they say, fit your chosen symbol! Remember all the talk of the symbols meaning greater things in our lives on a deep, subconscious level? And all the examples you gave for each symbol? Well now you can use that to your advantage! As Enrique Enriquez would say, if you were actually able to see inside the mind of a person who is, let’s say, angry, you wouldn't see the word ANGRY written in their mind. You would see some images that maybe you wouldn't fully understand, but could, in some way, interpret those images as anger. It is the same here. If someone was thinking of a symbol (defined as a mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object, function or process) and you could actually see into their mind, you might not see the symbol, but you would see some images that could, in some way, be represented by that symbol. So yes, I guess this is a mentalism routine involving a genuine attempt at telepathy, with a few helpful advantages. You have already explained that these symbols represent a huge amount of other things, so you can continue with:“Now with telepathic communication (or mind reading) the subconscious mind’s way of interpreting what it feels, is with the use of imagery. The skill, which you can practice, is being able to take that imagery and find the symbolism within it. You take the unknown, and guide it through the known to reveal truths. Now for a first attempt, which is no easy thing, let’s see how close you got.” You can then use the information you got from your spectator’s vision to try your best to find a way to the symbol you put down. In your opening explanation of the symbols, if you try and cover as many bases as you can, this step will be easier. Sometimes you will be able to make a connection right away, this is the best case scenario. Other times it will take a bit more of a leap. Sometimes, you wont be able to think of anything at all, which is fine, because the last phase of this routine will have you covered. A nice touch here, is your explanation of some of the meanings of the symbols at the beginning. These can, ina way, act as suggestions. In describing their vision, spectators will quite often link back to something you mentioned at the beginning. When I perform this, I usually put down the circle. I find it easier to link most things back to the symbol of a circle. If the circle was used in the first phase, then in this one I usually go with the wavy lines. It is difficult to invent an example to write here, because examples created for that purpose are usually quite different from what is seen or spoken about during a performance, so I will tell you about three separate performances of this routine that I have done recently.Example 1: I put the circle, my spectator says they hada warm feeling, happiness. I said “now a physical warm feeling, we would usually associate with temperature, or the sun. An emotionally warm feeling would be happiness. Of all the symbols here, the one most closely symbolising warmth, the sun and happiness would be the circle.” Example 2: I put the circle, my spectator says they saw a lizard in their mind. I said “now a lizard is quite an exotic animal, usually only ever seen in warm countries. The lizard itself could be a symbol for nature and the wild, and of these symbols, the closest one we have to representing nature or the earth, would be the circle.” Example 3: I put the circle, my spectator says they saw a large truck driving straight towards them. I said “Quite an unpleasant thing to think about, but in some way this could represent a fear of yours being reflected back at you. Your mind revealing it to you after interacting with the presence of the symbol. I don't think you fear is as specific as being hit by a truck, but I do think it is a fear of death, and more importantly, a fear of dying before you have done everything you want to do with your life, a fear of dying before finishing what you started, or achieving your goals. This represents a feeling of being complete before the end, before time runs out. The symbol that most represents completeness, endings, beginnings and time would be the circle.” As you can see, the third example was a bit of a leap, but delivered as a reading, receiving confirmations along the way from my spectator, I was able to pull it back to the circle. As you know the symbol that you chose, it makes it easier to push what your spectator says in that direction. Itry to see this process as though you are trying to read a really shit deck of tarot cards. The card is the symbol that you chose, the image on the card is what the spectator describes, and you have to try and make that fit with the name of the card to find a meaning. Dont worry about having to make huge leaps. There are only 5 symbols, so make it look like all you are doing is finding which of the symbols your spectator’s vision could be connected to, and as this is their first attempt at this, it would make sense that their vision wouldn't be as easy to find the symbolism within. T have found that the quicker you make the connection, the better the spectator’s reaction will be. This is something that you get better at with practice. Try to speak as though you are really trying to help your spectator make sense of their very first telepathic impression, appear helpful, and avoid looking like you are just grasping at straws to to make it fit. Either way, good or bad, you can easily move on to the third phase from here. “With practice, you are able to allow more imagery into your mind, and you can better understand and interpret the imagery to find the possible connections to the symbols. So one last time, I would like you to take the cards and choose the symbol that you feel the most drawn to, in any way, and place it face down on the table.” When the spectator puts a card down, peek the marking so you know what the symbol is, begin the eye contact process again, and use these moments to CREATE some sort of imagery that you could connect to your spectator’s chosen symbol! You've got all the time in the world to think ofsomething good, just don't make it too, immediately obvious. When you have something, break the eye contact and say: “Ok I will tell you about what I just saw...” Now begin to describe the imagery you just created. Usually at this point, your spectator will be able to make the jumps back to the symbol they chose, and if they have done this, they will begin to react. Even if nobody else saw what symbol they chose, their reaction will signal to everyone else that you are on the right path. So if you can, don't reveal the symbol until last, allow your spectator to make the connection, then this third phase will be exactly like a role reversal of the previous phase. Try to word the imagery you describe as though it was a reading. For example, if you spectator has chosen the cross, don't say the old, “I feel like you are at a crossroads in your life with a difficult decision to make..blah blah...” but just word your impressions as though they are impressions you received about your spectator. For the cross, you could say, “I saw an image of you, hiding in some way. Trying not to be seen. There is possibly something in your life, a phase that you have no control over. Something is happening to you or around you that you would rather escape from. Your mind is set on one specific thing and I don't know what, is this making sense to you? Good. You are trying to bring something into your life that will change things. I see you as a hunter, with your eyes on the prize, looking through the scope of your rifle. This is something you need, and are determined to get it. I was torn between two symbols, but then I saw something that I cant ignore. As you aim at your target, there is a cross in your scope.”We have LAYERS of things here. I speak as though it is a reading for them, but they don't know this. When I say, “is this making sense to you?” I’m not asking them if it applies to their life, I am describing my vision and asking them if what I am describing makes sense. Of course it does! The reading can then be used to possibly explain why they felt drawn to the symbol they chose, it resonated with them on an unconscious level. I am also taking meanings from the cross symbol and using them to create a narrative, and finally including the symbol in the vision. So instead of saying “...crossroads...difficult decision... inner conflict...” I’ve managed to paint more of a dreamy vision, a little movie playing in my head. How will you know what to say? It’s simple, just look at the symbol they chose, think of a few keywords for that symbol, and use those keywords to create a VISUAL scene in your mind. Describe what you see and the connection between the spectator, the symbol and your vision will all come together nicely. At the end of the routine, there are three things you could do. The first, leave it at that. The routine is done, no need for any more. The second, after the routine is clearly over (and your spectators know that it is over, so this doesn't look anti- climactic) give yourself a chance to do something real and say, “Oh and one more thing. There is something else that I saw that has nothing to do with this, it might not mean anything but I will tell you anyway, What is your connection with...” During the final eye contact process, before or after you have constructed the imagery around their chosen symbol, allow yourself to have a true, telepathic moment. Just as you askedyour spectator to do, allow any random imagery to appear in your mind as you look into their eyes and remember exactly what you see. Then at the very end of the routine, add what you saw to that last sentence above. If your spectator makes no connection here, that’s fine, it doesn't matter. If they do make a connection to it, then you may have, quite possibly, demonstrated real mind reading or telepathy! We don't know how or why the subconscious mind shows us the images that it does. It is entirely possible that you are using your immediate intuition, for real. Whether you believe in that or not, it doesn't matter. Simply allow yourself the opportunity to say something from nowhere and see what happens. The third thing you could do, is to say something like this, with a serious tone and almost apologetically: “Tve done this quite a lot. I've had a lot of practice, and I've found that sometimes when I establish such a strong connection with someone, I tend to see things that I wasn't looking for, and with you I saw something that I think you should know. It is quite important, and during that connection we are vulnerable and left wide open, so I wont say too much out loud. This involves something that doesn't bother you when you don't think about it, but it is the kind of thing that plays on your mind right before you go to sleep at night. It is probably the heaviest thing weighing on your emotions right now. In fact, I will write this down. I saw this during our connection and I feel that it is something you need to know. It is a secret, so don't show it to anyone. Read it now and keep it for yourself, I think it will help.”You write something on a business card, fold it up and hand it to them. They read it to themselves and suddenly, the mood shifts. This is a very strong moment that seems to take a serious turn. There is a psychological push-pull which gives everyone an emotional slap. There is an extended moment of ambiguous negativity, relieved by a sudden moment of clear positivity. A note of dissonance, suddenly resolved by a consonance. In musical theory, this is known as “Appoggiatura”. It is the reason why Adele’s music is so emotionally moving, particularly the chorus of her song, “Someone Like You”. Psychologist Martin Guhn explains that an appoggiatura generates tension in the listener. A note creates dissonance within the melody, and when the notes return to the anticipated melody, the tension resolves and it feels good. So when you put a few appoggiaturas in a row, it creates a series of ups and downs, pushes and pulls within a short time frame, which gets your brain pumped up enough to bring you to tears. One appoggiatura is enough for this routine. Here’s a secret I didn't plan on sharing. If you put three appoggiaturas in a row, within the same context or routine (it won’t work if you use them in three, separate routines), you will most likely bring your audience to tears. In my new show, Psychic, I have a routine towards the end of the show that contains three appoggiatura moments, or push-pull moments, which is like dropping an emotional bomb on the room. It took me a number of rehearsals to get past the tearing up process myself! It can’t be helped! You might be thinking, well, it’s not good to make people cry, and you would be right, but there is a differencebetween crying caused by sadness and crying caused by beauty. We have all heard pieces of music where a single moment of the piece gives you goosebumps or brings a tear to your eye. This isn't happening because you feel sad and gloomy, it hasn't upset you. In fact, it is the opposite. As humans, we seek out these incredible emotional experiences. So as long as the content of your routine isn’t upsetting, an emotionally moving performance can be beautiful. It makes you feel something so strongly that it forces your emotions to the surface. I once saw a solo cello performance in Milan, and by the end of the final movement there was not a dry eye in the theatre. The performance ended with a thunderous standing ovation from the audience. People love an emotionally powerful, artistic composition, in any form. So what do you write on the card? Anything you want, as long as it is motivational, uplifting and poetic. I usually write either: Your inner strength will see you through. Focus your efforts and you will achieve everything you want from life. The stars are shining for you. Or In time, the darkness fades and your path will become clear. Your goals are within reach, and they're calling your name. Ora less specific variation: In time, the darkness fades and your path will become clear. The stars will light the way.Or a brief sentence; Your troubles will cease and fortune will smile upon you. Just write something that will relieve them from the tension you built with the above script. Depending on how much you plan to write, you could even have the card pre-written. Take it from your pocket without showing the writing to your spectator, and just mime the action of writing. This will ensure you make no mistakes and your writing will be readable (not too readable, it has to look like you've written it quickly, there and then). Having the card pre-written means you don't have to memorise anything, lean on anything, or have to concentrate too much in the moment. It won’t matter that you are hiding the writing as you pretend to write, it is supposed to be a secret anyway so it will just look like you are making sure nobody around you sees what you write. A common goal with readings is to leave people feeling better about their problems than they did before the reading. What I like about this final phase is that you never need to know what your spectator’s problems are to give them a useful piece of guidance. Your words guide them to think about the heaviest thing weighing on their emotions, so they will immediately apply your words to that specific situation, and will leave them feeling that that is exactly what you were talking about. This doesn't give them false hope, it reignites their inner flame, which can be deeply healing. It doesn't make any promises for the future, it motivates them to shape their own future in a positive light. Words can have a huge effect on us, for example, if you go tosee a doctor, you may end up leaving the doctor’s office feeling ten times better or ten times worse, depending on just the words they say to you. In a way, all words are magic words, they have the power to completely change and transform our emotions, health, wellbeing, state of mind and outlook on life, so choose the most helpful, healing ones and you may just find yourself performing REAL MAGIC, and not just entertainment.JUSTIFYING WRITING A big problem with mentalists (including myself), is that we put too much focus on how we reveal a thought, and not enough on how we actually get the thought to begin with. The reveal shouldn't be a problem, once we have the thought, we should just be able to say, “I’ve got it now, it is...”. It could be argued that we reveal the thought as it comes to us, but we always (depending on the routine) resort to the same actions during this process: - Staring at the spectator as if we are, with our physical eyes, slowly seeing the thought in their mind. - Asking them to repeat it in the mind as if we are somehow hearing it. - Maybe we place our hand on their shoulder, as if this does anything. Sometimes throw in a few snaps of the fingers for good measure. We do all of this without any reason or explanation as to what it is we are actually doing. If us asking them to repeat something in their mind actually helps us receive the thought, in theory, they should be able to repeat, “idiot, idiot, idiot...” in their mind and that is what we would get instead. The mind processes everything, not just our thoughts. Our conscious thoughts are always changing, constantly, by the second. They have to in order for us to function as human beings. Your conscious thoughts carry no substance. I like tothink of conscious thoughts as being like smoke. Proof of this, is when somebody tells you their name, but within seconds it’s gone again. Before you cross a road, your conscious thoughts are on your immediate environment, checking for cars, etc, but the moment you get to the other side of the road, all of your conscious thoughts from moments ago are gone, and you would probably have a hard time recalling them exactly as they were. As you read these words, they are your conscious thoughts, but I bet you can’t remember what the words in the opening line of this chapter were without going back to check. Our conscious thoughts are like smoke. So what an extremely weak thing to attempt to pick up on, a conscious thought. The only time we are able to hold on to a conscious thought is with the support of the subconscious. If I asked you to think of your mother’s name, you would have no problem holding onto that thought because it’s stored within your subconscious, and with that are all of the memories, experiences and emotions that you have that are connected to her. So why focus on the crust when the real meat of the pie is in the centre? Why focus on conscious thoughts when the depth lies within the subconscious? J often talk about the mind being like the sea. The conscious mind is like the shore. Shallow, constantly moving, constantly changing, busy, cannot carry much and is the first point of contact with the sea. The subconscious is like the open ocean. Deep, calm, mysterious, endless and full of all kinds, efforts must be made to reach it. If we could actually see into people’s minds, the conscious mind would be absolute chaos, and the subconscious would contain every single thing that makes this person who they are.I've heard it said that a real mind reader wouldn't have to ask someone to write something down, they should just be able to read their mind right away. But I think it is the opposite. A real mind reader would have everything written down to lock those weak, smoky, conscious thoughts in place. If you are going to pick up on a conscious thought, it needs to be rock solid, and unaffected by the hundreds of other conscious thoughts we have at the exact same time. As mentalists, we are too much, “think, think, think..” and not enough, “feel, feel, feel...”. We only tend to work within a frame of thought and logic, while neglecting feeling and emotion. We work within the rational mind but should be targeting the primitive mind. Everyone thinks they are intelligent enough to analyse and understand the things they encounter at the surface level, but if you go far beyond that and work on a deeper, unconscious level, past their limited span of knowledge from which they shape their reality, and beyond any logical explanation they can pull together, they will have no choice but to just enjoy the ride. People will question their thoughts, but they won’t question the very things that make them human. A genuine telepathic connection would be something you feel, not something you think about, and we can genuinely feel the emotions of others. No matter who you are or where you are from, your deepest feelings and emotions will always be much more important than your thoughts. The moment you stop working with the head and start working with the heart, your mentalism completely evolves. People don't mind asking you how you did something if it deals with their thoughts, but as soon as their feelings are involved, it becomes much more real, and more acceptable as a genuine human connection. No animal on the planet can read the thoughts of another, but they can all read emotions, somecan do it better than others. So your path to revealing a thought should take a feeling route rather than a thinking route. The best part is, your methods remain the same. You are still reading a marking or getting a peek or impression, but a subtle shift in your presentation can move mountains in your performance. With any new piece of information we receive in our daily lives, the first thing we do, within seconds, consciously or unconsciously, is compare it to our own previous experiences or encounters to see if it creates conflict or harmony. This is an absolute fact. So in a performance, if that new information happens to be the subtle feelings of another person, that you have (apparently) sensitised yourself enough to be able to pick up on, you would use your own, individual, previous experiences or encounters in life to make sense of, or interpret this new information. So let’s say you are about to do a billet peek, and they are to write the name of someone close to them. Firstly, you could just ask them to think of someone, but right from the word go, you are asking them to use their conscious mind to make a decision. Instead, have their subconscious make the decision for them. This way, you have already began on a subconscious level. This could be through a trigger or a memory. For example, a way to trigger a subconscious thought could be to say, “In a moment I will ask you to place your hand on your heart, and the moment you do that, the face of someone close to you in your life will appear in your mind. Just allow this to happen, do that for me now.” The spectator places their hand on their heart,and of course, they will now have a person in mind. It’s that easy, try it on yourself. To do this via memory, you could say, “I want you to think about that last person in your life who made you laugh.” Of course conscious thought is used here, but conscious thought does not make the decision, this decision has already been made by a memory. You have now not only got them thinking of someone close to them, but also someone who made a recent emotional impression on them, whether by mysterious means generated by the heart, or obvious means (laughter). You could say that recent emotional impressions are the easiest to pick up on. So already, you’ve made a better start than by just having someone randomly thought of. From here, you can explain how our conscious thoughts are like smoke, but our feelings are much longer lasting. “...So THINK about this person’s name, and write it down here. That way, the thought stays in place while we focus on other things.” Here is the only time you ask them to use their conscious mind. You could say, “Our feelings can be connected to many different people, including ourselves, so I will tell you everything I can pick up on. Some of it may be connected to this person, some of it may be connected other people in your life, some of it may even be connected to you. So keep this in your pocket and we will use it to get back on track if we start to drift.” Of course by now, you’ve done your peek and the billet is given to them to put in their pocket (or on the table, or in your wallet depending on what peek you are using). Now you are in a luxury position. You know what the name is, and you've given yourself permission to say anything you want, without everything having to relate to the person they are thinking of.What do you say next? Anything you want, with just 2 rules. Don't say “I think...” say “I feel...” you want to make it clear that these are things you are feeling, not thinking. The second rule is, don't ask them to think about anything either. Usually in routines like this, we start asking spectators to think about the person’s face or name or whatever. However, that isn’t needed here as we are not reading their thoughts, but their feelings. There are a number of things you could do here, but to stay consistent with this book, here’s what I would recommend. First, do something that would establish a connection with them. It could be the eye contact from the Opia routine, it could be that now they should place their hand on your heart, it could be that you both synchronise your breathing, maybe you do it by taking their pulse, or anything else you can think of, as long as it is something more than we already do as mentalists (outlined at the start of this chapter). If you have a crystal in your pocket, you could pass it to them and ask them to hold it whilst internally recalling their favourite memory of this person, or they could visualise the personality of this person flowing from their hands and into the crystal. Then you take it back from them and (psychometry style) receive your impressions from it. They could pick a tarot card, hold a pendulum above your hands, you could step into their aura (or hold your hands up to their aura) you could hold their hand and close your eyes as you do a 60 second astral travel, I could go on and on. Just establish a connection with them that feels like it involves more than thinking and conscious thought. At this point, whatever you've decided to do, allow an ESP symbol to appear in your mind. Don't decide which one tothink of, just go with whatever is triggered by your connection process. For example, if you decide to touch their aura, after explaining what you will do, the moment you raise your hands and visualise their aura, allow an ESP symbol to pop up in your mind’s eye. Now use the keywords or meanings you would associate with that symbol (explained earlier in this book) to create a narrative in the form of a reading. You can say as much as you want, because remember, you have already explained that not all of this will apply to the person they are thinking of. So basically, they will apply anything you say, to themselves or anyone else in their whole life. Not a bad way of making sure you don't miss, eh? So continue to talk as much as you'd like, hopefully your spectator will help you to make sense of your impressions. If they disagree with anything you say, that’s fine, just continue. As long as you be honest with your impressions, it doesn't matter if your spectator can’t make connections to some of them. You explained that you will tell them everything you pick up on, and that is exactly what you are doing. Nothing is wrong here. Now when you feel it is time to reveal the name, you could say something along the lines of, “Through my connection with you, I feel a connection to them too, it’s as if I know them. I feel a sense of familiarity with them. I’m seeing these wonderful memories as though they are mine, but I know they belong to you. Is their name...” Before I continue, I would just like to mention... What is the one thing that sums up this person in one word? What is their symbol? That’s right, it’s their name! If this person was a tarot card, their name would be the name of the card, they would be the image on the card, and the card’s meaning would be absolutely every single thing your spectator knowsand feels about this person. So you began by making a connection with your spectator, you then interpreted what you could feel. This allowed you to better understand your spectator’s feelings and emotions, and from there, you have interpreted your spectator’s feelings to better understand their connection to the person they are thinking of. It becomes a chain of human emotion. A chain that may not exist in your reality, but in your spectator’s reality, it is very real. If you were really able to sense your spectator’s connection to this person, then that person’s name would be tied to that. A symbol, a single word that represents that person in their entirety. So there is no need to slowly reveal the name. Once it appears as though you've established enough of a connection, the name should be there, waiting for you to announce it. Leave no room for your spectator to ask, “How did you do that?” Your presentation should allow that to become clear along the way. With a little thought and practice, you can reframe any of your mind reading material to become more about feelings, emotions and the subconscious, rather than thoughts, logic and reason. Human emotion is undeniable. We understand our thoughts, but our emotions remain a mystery. They make us who we are from the deepest parts of our unconscious to the very surface of our skin (literally) Emotions can make you sweat, give you goosebumps, make you shake, make you cry, make you laugh, turn you red with embarrassment or anger, so forget the irrelevant, smoky thoughts that come and go like the tides of the sea, and venture into the uncharted waters of the subconscious. There’s a whole world in there, just waiting to be explored.There is no scientific evidence that consciousness is produced in the brain. Modern neuroscience cannot rule out the possibility that we are receivers of consciousness from another source. This is a consciousness that we all share (we know this because we are all alive). Consciousness is the biggest mystery of modern science. We are spiritual beings in a human form, and when you take into consideration the size of the planet, the incredibly unfathomable, infinite universe, our solar system, the sun, the moon, the stars, the known and unknown galaxies, the truly magical weirdness of it all, it’s not that much of a stretch to believe that one human can see and feel the mind of another and explore its contents. Our minds form our entire reality, but it is our egos, our identity, our cultural, inherited and personal beliefs, our religions, our opinions, ideas, perspectives and limited span of knowledge that stop us from being able to step outside of what we think we know to be true or false. You and I have the ability to take people beyond those limitations, and even if what we do does contain some trickery, it doesn't make it any less real for those who we create these experiences for, and just maybe that is the real secret of true magic in this world. If you and I never get to meet in this earthly life, let’s shine together as the brightest stars in the next. Until next time, Lewis Le Val. Christmas Eve, 2018.