A Piece Of My Mind by Michael Murray
Copyright 2014 by Michael Murray Printed by Haresign Press: [email protected] All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author and publisher. For further information please contact me via email at: [email protected]
Dedication: “I dedicate this work to my wife, who has given me two of the greatest gifts I could ever ask for. I am, and will always remain, eternally grateful to you. To my two beautiful children, Lucas and Jasmine, you give my life meaning and inspire me in so many ways. I want you both to know that daddy loves you so much more than you will ever know!” Michael Murray, July 1st 2014
Contents: The Introductions: Foreword by Mark Elsdon - 7 Foreword by Peter Turner - 9 Foreword by Stephen Shaw - 11 About the Author - 12 The Routines: Tattle Tailed - 17 Brave New World - 27 ATM - 37 Sublime Influence -53 Daylight Robbery - 61 Between the Lines - 71 Pause for Thought: Inversion Technique - 91 Making it Memorable - 95 On the Level - 99 Spectator as Mind Reader - 103 Going Propless: What Does a Mentalist Do? - 109 Dave’s PIN - 111 Picasso - 117 Some Thoughts on Billet Work: Why Write Down a Thought? - 125 The Circle of Truth - 129 Crossword - 135 Principles Within Mentalism: What are Principles? - 145 Small But Deadly - 147
Universal Force Technique - 151 Cal-Ender - 157 Springboard - 163 Thought Unlinking - 183 CUP’s - 191 Un-Real - 207 The Boomerang Force - 213 Detritus: The Pandora System - 221 Animal Instincts - 225 Personal Identification Number -229 Consulting the News - 233 Bonus: Once Removed - 241 Closing Words: Credits & Thanks - 263 An Anonymous Quote - 265
7 Foreword by Mark Elsdon (A True Genius): Mike Murray is a devious man! When you first meet him, you think you’ve got him sussed within about 5 minutes; you couldn’t be more wrong. I’m now of the opinion that 50 years won’t be long enough… I’ve genuinely got no idea when or where we first met, but I’m guessing it must have been about 15 years ago either up in his native Newcastle or at some magic convention or other. Either way, my guess is we both had a pint in our hands at the time. He is genuinely friendly, always great fun and always thinking of either how he can help someone, or royally screw them over with an outrageous practical joke. The key phrase in the previous sentence is ‘always thinking’. What you get almost no chance to glimpse when you first meet him is the breathtaking depth of his knowledge and creativity. Make no mistake, he is one of the most creative people currently involved in our field. Actually, scratch that. He is one of the most creative people in any field. Let me give you an example: a few years ago he learnt Paul Gertner’s classic ‘Unshuffled’ trick. The few previous attempts to ‘improve’ on Gertner’s trick had involved either changing the words written on the deck or substituting a stripper deck to cut out the faro shuffles. What did Michael do? After thinking about it for just a couple of hours, he had a method that not only streamlined and improved the handling completely, but allowed for a third change of the words on the side of the deck! When he called me up to tell me, I told him that it was obviously impossible (I have since stopped using that word when I speak to him; experience has taught me better) since the deck only has two sides! I’ll send you a video he said. I just laughed. I wasn’t laughing much 10 minutes later when the video arrived on my phone and I’d watched it. I called him immediately. OK, you’ve edited the footage somehow I told him. Nah, the method is quite simple actually, he said. Bastard. The next morning a package arrived in the post with his ‘Something For Nothing’ in it. I tore it open and now I was laughing again. Pure genius. I could give you a dozen other examples, but almost all the stories go the same way. I cannot count the number of times I’ve been sitting on the phone late at night, ESP cards, pieces of paper or something else in hand whilst on the other end of the phone Mike is describing to me his latest brainchild. I honestly hope those Foreword - Mark Elsdon
8 A Piece Of My Mind conversations never stop. From the looks of the amount of incredible material in this book (his first!) it looks like we’re going to be talking on the phone for many years to come. It started with magic and now it’s mentalism, mentalism, mentalism. The breadth of his interest in mentalism is incredible. There is no plot, effect, method or presentation in which he is not interested. As well as daring new ideas, he also constantly creates major advances in areas that previously seemed mined to death. He is the person in the world about whom I most say; “I wish I had created that.” I always carry three tricks in my wallet: two of them are mine and one of them is Mike’s. It’s been that way for a decade. When I first saw his 1-2-3-7 Pin Number revelation, I literally giggled like a girl with admiration at his ingenuity. You will do the same. Then there is his fantastic… OK, I think we’ve established that I’m a bit of a gushing fan. But you know what, that’s fine, because I can 100% guarantee that by the time you’ve read this book, you will be too. Join the ranks, enjoy the brilliance and be thankful Mike has decided to share the wealth by publishing this major new contribution to the art. - Mark Elsdon, 2014
9 Foreword by Pete Turner (A True Inspiration): Normally when people write a foreword they write about the performer’s material, or how wonderful that performer is. That is not something I am going to do initially; not because the material is not wonderful (which it is), not because Michael isn’t a great performer (which he is), but because there is so much more to Michael Murray than you will ever understand by reading his material. During my experience of knowing Michael I can, from the bottom of my heart, say he is the nicest human being I have ever met. With Michael there is no alter ego or hidden agenda. What you see is what you get, which is rare by today’s standards. I don’t have many close friends; I find it hard to trust people and I rarely open up to anyone. Michael is someone I am proud to say is a genuine and close friend whom I find it impossible to not open up to. He always offers invaluable advice, is always honest and is wise beyond his years. I first met Michael a few years ago via the Magic Café. We arranged a Skype session and a couple of days later we were conversing via Skype. We were like a couple of school kids! We shared ideas and bounced around our views, and before we knew it, it was the early hours of the morning. Shortly after Skyping I met Michael in person (he lives a couple of cities over) and I found we had common interests outside of mentalism…*cough* curry and beer *cough, cough.* You can always tell when you are in good company, because even though you are grown men you go back to being like children, and all the things that everyone else in the world deems important are just pushed out of your mind completely. He is humble natured, relaxed and always makes good on his word. He reminds me of “Tootles” from the Lost Boys, because he always tries to make everyone happy (which I tell him is a recipe for disaster as he will overwork himself). Now that you have an insight into the man behind this work of art, you will better understand his literature (not that it can be called literature as it is much Foreword - Peter Turner
10 A Piece Of My Mind more). Michael understands and utilizes the importance of making his work about his participants. He is about showing the participants how wonderful they are and what gifts they have, that they might have just overlooked. His work is not about how great he is, it’s not about how wonderful his abilities are and he certainly doesn’t care for ego. He is one of the few performers that I genuinely believe understands empathy. When you read his material, it is unlike anything else, from anyone else, because it has so much character. Another thing I really adore about Michael’s work is that he understands it is the principles or “seeds” (as I call them) that are important. As a joiner/carpenter, if you have a toolbox full of tools you are prepared for any job. This is the same in mentalism; if you have an array of principles, it doesn’t matter what situation you find yourself in, you will always be prepared. That is what Michael is offering here. He shares several principles in this book, principles I hope you will add to your arsenal. You would be silly not to! I know you will love them and use them as much as I do. This material is genuine real-world material that I have seen in action. To dismiss any of this work would be foolish. Try it and I promise you won’t regret it. I cannot recommend Michael or his work enough; my words just won’t do it justice. Read on carefully with love and be attentive. To never growing old. - Peter “Pan” Turner, 2014
11 Foreword by Stephen Shaw (A True Friend): Michael Murray has an incredible way of reaching out to the magic community. I would argue that the vast majority of those who have purchased this book will have had some dealing with Michael and will, as such, be able to relate in some way with what I’m about to say about him. I have yet to meet someone who, after having been allowed a glimpse inside Michael’s mind, has not been left in awe, thirsty for another few drops of the creativity that flows therein. I consider myself extremely lucky to have had the fantastic opportunity of working with Michael for a number of years, incredibly grateful to be able to consider him a true friend, and phenomenally humbled to be able to write a foreword for what is sure to be considered a staple piece of work, studied by those with an interest in mentalism for years to come. Michael has an incredible ability, to which people far greater than I can attest. The ability to see, not with the same eyes as you and I, but with eyes that see the world as a series of puzzles, riddles, and enigmas, just waiting to be solved - these unique eyes feed a brain that has the uncanny ability to crack the puzzles, solve the riddles, and unravel the enigmas with what seems like the greatest of ease. Having worked with Michael, I’ve also been able to see his demon, a demon named obsession that prevents the poor soul from seeking release until the most elegant solution has been found. Luckily, much like Doyle’s Sherlock, Michael has his own seven percent solution of cocaine, in which he can find the means to combat this demon. Luckily for our author, this “solution” is readily available “over the counter”, in a variety of forms, most often labelled “12 Year Old, Single Malt”. To see Michael take a quick dinner break, and return fifteen minutes later with a fully formed routine, is incredible. To see him pore over a single subtlety for weeks on end to achieve perfection is inspiring. To see him, having invested so much time in producing this labour of love, finally be able to release it into the wild makes me very happy. I truly hope the ideas you find herein fill you with the same level of inspiration that sharing time with Michael has created in me. Take care with the words you are about to read, as they come from another world. - Stephen Shaw, 2014 Foreword - Stephen Shaw
12 A Piece Of My Mind About the Author: I consider myself to be more of a creator than a performer. In this respect you are more likely to find me performing within a social gathering than at a black tie dinner. I’m not ashamed to admit that I only perform a handful of paid gigs a year. This, however, is down to nothing more than personal choice. Sure, in the past I have worked the tables at weddings, restaurants and bars, but none of these things are able to satisfy my thirst. I much prefer the freedom to experiment without constraints, to test ideas without fear of failure in an environment where I’m assured an honest response from my peers. Despite the fact that I’m not a professional in the traditional sense, I’m fortunate enough to have performed for some of the greatest performers in the world. This list includes the one and only Mr. Brown (I’m sure you have heard of him). As with many others it was Derren who kick-started my interest in this field. With a background in traditional magic and sleight-of-hand technique I had very little interest in mentalism. To be honest it just did not appeal to me. I had reasoned that the revelation of a word, number or otherwise was simply one and the same effect. This belief was compounded by watching several performers massacre the art both close-up and onstage. Without logic or meaning behind these effects they were little more than short-lived novelties. My opinion never wavered until Derren hit the scene. I was completely taken by his approach and, along with the scores of laymen, I hit the bookshops looking to learn the secrets of N.L.P. Naturally the books I read were of little help to me. Putting my thinking cap on, I re-examined Derren’s performances and it soon became clear why he had struck such a chord, not just with me but with the audience at large. Derren’s approach was not only believable, but it also afforded him the ability to empower his audience (at will) via a simple shift in performance context. The reaction from having an “effect” happen within the spectators’ hands was one thing, but to have something happen within the spectators’ minds was on a
13 whole new level. Having previously only expressed my creative side within the world of magic, I suddenly began my journey on a different path. It has been an enjoyable adventure so far, and I hope that you like the fruits of this endeavour... - Michael Murray, 2014 About the Author
14 A Piece Of My Mind
15 The Routines...
16 A Piece Of My Mind
Tattle Tailed
18 A Piece Of My Mind Introduction: My first commercially released effect was a marked ESP deck titled “Beyond ESP”. From the moment they landed I have always carried two sets of the five cards in my wallet. My all-time favourite effect to perform with them was one titled “Jazz Mentalism”, which was created by my very good friend Dave Humphrey. If you are not aware of this routine then I strongly urge you to pick up a copy of my Submodalities DVD from www.magicbox.uk.com, which contains a detailed explanation of this. Having performed the above effect for many years, I firmly believed that I would never find anything to surpass it. Fast-forward around ten years and I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a copy of Peter Turner’s limited edition book titled Bigger Fish. The very first effect in the book, “Tattle Tail”, made a very strong and lasting impression upon me. “Tattle Tail” is a five-forfive ESP match-up routine which is performed between two spectators. I was so taken with this routine that I dedicated a huge amount of time in developing my own handling for it. I’m proud to present you with the fruits of this endeavour, but before we go into the handling itself, I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Pete, who has allowed me to emulate the patter and presentation (which I found so compelling) from his original effect. The Effect: The mentalist requests the help of a married couple to participate in a simple experiment. The volunteers are each handed a set of five ESP cards, which they proceed to mix sight unseen. With the mixing complete, the female of the couple is asked to deal her cards face down onto the table, creating a small row of five cards. As each card is dealt her partner is asked to place one of his cards face up behind it. With all of the cards dealt to the table, the male is then asked which single adjacent pair of cards he believes will match. He is cautioned to take his time over this so that a conscious decision can be made.
19 After making his choice the face-down card is then revealed (logic dictates that the chances of the pair matching will be one in five). It is reasoned that any successful outcome in this demonstration would be attributed to chance alone. It is then proposed that the couple repeat this exercise for a second time with a slight difference. Each partner is asked to gather their respective cards and to mix them for a second time, however this time rather than looking at the cards, they are asked to hold each other’s gaze. Whilst holding their partner’s gaze they are asked to very slowly and deliberately mix the cards. As they do this the remaining audience is witness to something quite remarkable. The two spectators appear to be working in harmony and their sets of cards slowly begin to pair up. Once the spectators have mixed their cards as much or as little as they desire, they are reminded that any other mixing (more or less) would have resulted in each packet being in a different order. The spectators both agree. The mentalist then recounts an amazing story, during which it is revealed that the spectators have unknowingly taken part in a subconscious connectivity test. The spectators themselves turn each of their cards face up, revealing that they have somehow mixed each of their respective packets into the exact same order and beat the extreme odds of one hundred and twenty to one. For this effect you will require two sets of five ESP cards. The “Beyond ESP3” deck will work perfectly for our requirements. For those of you who wish to perform this routine in an impromptu setting, you can just as easily draw a set of ESP cards upon some business card stock. Note: To gain a much clearer understanding of how this effect works, please follow the instructions with some cards at hand. Performance: “I have here two small packets of cards and each comprises of five cards with varying geometric shapes and symbols printed upon them. For those of you who aren’t familiar with these cards, I will detail their exact purpose in a few moments Tattle Tailed
20 A Piece Of My Mind time. For now though, I’d like each of you to give your packet a thorough mix.” Once they have done this, have the female spread her cards so that she can see each of the symbols. Request that their partner stand opposite so that they may follow the same actions. Positioning yourself so that you can see the faces of the female’s cards, you request that she place any one of them face down onto the table. “Could you please place one of your cards face down onto the table?” You must watch as she does this so that you can identify which card she removed. You now ask the male to place any of his cards face up behind the tabled card. “Could you please place one of your cards face up onto the table behind the tabled card?” This is then repeated with the four remaining cards, creating two rows of five cards (in a similar fashion to Figure 1). Performed this way it is very easy to remember the order of the female’s cards as they are dealt to the table. Note: If you are using marked cards you can simply read the order from the backs of the cards as they are dealt onto the table. The cards in the photographs have been marked for clarification purposes only. It may help to think of the ESP Symbols in their number form: Circle = 1, Cross = 2, Waves = 3, Square = 4, Star = 5 “I’d now like you, sir, to make a conscious choice as to which one of the single face-up/face-down adjacent pairs may match. I caution you to take your time over this; really make a conscious effort to make this work. I will give you around ten seconds to do this, and once I snap my fingers, I’d like you to simply point to the pair which you believe will match.” Once the spectator has pointed to the adjacent pair which they believe to be a match, you will casually gather up the four remaining face-up cards, discreetly placing them into the same order as the face-down group (with the obvious exception of the remaining tabled card). You will then casually drop this face-up group onto the table. The tabled cards should now resemble Figure 2:
21 You will now request that the female turn over the face-down card to check on her partner’s success Figure 3. More often than not the pair will not match. You will then continue, “Please do not feel disheartened, as the odds were stacked against you. The chances of a successful outcome were simply one in five.” Note: In the rare instances where the pair is found to match, you will simply congratulate the pair on their good fortune and continue with the rest of the routine. “I would now like you to repeat this exercise again. However this time we won’t be relying on blind luck, but instead we will add a little chemistry.” As you say the above, you will casually place the male’s remaining card into its respective place within his (face-up) packet Figure 4. The order of the male’s cards (from top to bottom) will now match the (right to left) order of the female’s cards. Tattle Tailed Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4
22 A Piece Of My Mind Flipping the female’s card face-down, you will now gather up her cards (one on top of the other) in a face-down condition (working from right to left) Figure 5. This completed packet is then also placed face up onto the table. The two face-up packets should be in mirror opposite order; i.e., the face card of the female’s packet should match the bottom card of the male’s packet (in our example the face card of the female’s packet would be the circle). Note: The fact that the two face cards of each packet differ will reinforce the fact that the packets are still in a “shuffled” condition. “Please take each of your packets and hold them face up in your hands. I would now like you to hold each other’s gaze for the duration of this experiment. I do not wish for you to look at the cards, as I do not want you to feel influenced by anything you may see. I would like you both to begin dealing your cards singly into a pile on the table. You may both stop dealing at any point you may desire.” Note: These are being dealt into two separate piles. The spectators are then allowed to follow this instruction. Note: You will often find that both of the spectators will stop dealing at the exact same point. Should they do this after dealing either two or three cards, then the remaining onlookers will notice that either the face cards of their un-dealt packets or the face cards of the tabled piles will match. This happens because the centre card of each packet already matches. Should this happen, then I will point this out to the spectators, mentioning that the couple is beginning to work in unison. As an added subtlety for when this Figure 5
23 does happen, the spectators will also note that the other visible cards do not match, which reinforces that their packets are truly mixed. You will then continue, “Should either of you have any remaining cards, please flip them as a group face down onto your tabled piles so that when you gather up your cards, you will not be influenced by anything you see.” Despite the fairness of the above procedure, it will only serve to reverse the order of each of the spectators’ packets. This mixing procedure was popularised by Bruce Bernstein, but is actually credited to Paul Curry under the title “Swindle Switch”. “I would like you both to repeat that mixing process for a second time. However, as you do this I would like you to remember two things: firstly it is very important that you hold each other’s gaze, and secondly I must advise you that you do not have to stop the dealing at the same time. The choice must be yours alone.” The spectators will then repeat the dealing procedure once more, affording you a second chance to reveal a match with the middle cards (should they fail to do this upon their first deal). When both spectators have decided to stop dealing for the second time, you will continue, “Just as before, I would like you to flip any remaining cards face down and to drop them onto your respective packets. You may now repeat this procedure as many times as you wish. I hasten to add that you need not do this the same number of times as your partner so long as you feel in your mind that you are happy with the order of your cards. Now which of you would like to deal again?” Note: The last question (“Now which of you would like to deal again?”) subtly implies that only one of the spectators should deal again. Although this isn’t required, it will facilitate a stronger ending. If you want to guarantee this happens you can turn to the lady and tag on the following: “We will let the lady decide.” This implies that a choice has to be made and will give us the outcome we desire. The spectators are then allowed to continue until they are both content. With the mixing complete you will be in one of two positions. If both spectators completed the mixing procedure the same number of times, Tattle Tailed
24 A Piece Of My Mind then their packets (irrelevant of their face-up/face-down condition) will remain in the mirror opposite order. If one of the spectators performed an additional mix (regardless of their face-up/face-down condition), then the two packets will now be in the exact same order. If this is the case, then no further instruction is needed at this moment and you may simply close the routine with the story over the page. If they are in the mirror opposite order, then you will have both spectators face each other, and whilst retaining their eye contact, they are asked to gather up their packets and to deal them into a row from left to right. Because they are facing each other their lefts and rights are transposed, and so when they deal out their cards, one of them will be reversing the order of their cards for you. This means that each and every adjacent pair will match! Note: If in any doubt you can simply read the top cards of each packet to see if they match. You will now close the routine with the following story... The Tale: “You have both mixed your cards several times in varying ways (here I mime the shuffling actions that they performed at the beginning of the routine). Be honest, if either of you had decided to mix your cards once more or perhaps once less, then your cards will have ended up in a different order. (This is perfectly true and so the spectators will be forced to agree.) Before we reveal how you have done, I’d like to tell you a short story about a young couple by the names of David and Joanna. “David and Joanna lived in South Carolina in the United States and they were considered by many to be love’s young dream. However after spending four happy months together, they slowly began to drift apart. David was so desperate to make their relationship last that he made a very conscious effort in everything he did, but sadly, despite his best intentions, things were just not working out between them.” If during the initial “conscious” test the male failed to locate a match, then you can reference how this ties into the story.
25 “Joanna had decided in her mind that their relationship was over and called David to break the news. To say that David was devastated was an understatement, and despite his heartfelt pleas to Joanna she hung up, refusing to speak further. “Overcome with emotion, David wrote a simple note declaring his love for her. Perhaps he thought, if she refused to speak, then this note would show just how much he cared for her. He jumped into his car and set off over to her house. Sadly he never made it. “The very next morning Joanna was woken by a loud banging on her door. It was a policeman. He had been sent to inform her that late the previous night her boyfriend had been involved in a road traffic accident which killed him instantly. “In a bid to comfort her he handed her the letter which was found at the scene. With trembling fingers Joanna opened up the letter, which simply read ‘Without your love I lose my life.’ “News of this remarkable story landed upon the ears of a Dr. Joseph Rhine, who was very unlucky in love himself. As a result, Dr. Rhine developed a series of simple tests in order to discover what it was that made a relationship last. “The results of these tests were conclusive. It was not the conscious efforts made by a couple that would determine their compatibility with each other, but rather the unconscious connection that existed between them. “I have had you both unknowingly partake in one of Dr. Rhine’s tests, and in doing so we are about to find out just how successful YOU have both been.” Each of the cards can then be revealed, showing an amazing five-for-five match as dictated by the cards. You will then conclude by congratulating the couple on their compatibility and how amazing it is that they have beaten the odds of one hundred and twenty to one. Tattle Tailed
26 A Piece Of My Mind
A Brave New World
28 A Piece Of My Mind Credits and Inspiration: About twelve months ago I decided to pop to the bar for a quick pint after work. Upon arriving at the bar I was greeted by the one and only Ken Dyne, along with another friend of mine, David Cushing. Ken began telling me about the amazing “Out of this World” that Dave had created, and so naturally I was keen to see it for myself. Dave’s routine was indeed remarkable and allowed for a totally hands-off performance. From the initial shuffling right down to the end revelation the magician/mentalist never needs to touch the cards. This was almost perfect; the only down side (from my point of view) was the use of gimmicks. Upon finishing my drink I had devised a rough variation which could be performed with a regular deck of cards. Initial testing of this idea garnered such favourable feedback that my mind became hooked upon this plot. The fruits of this adventure are detailed below. For those that are interested in David’s inspirational effect, please take a moment to visit www.magicbox.uk.com and search for “Mad World”. Performance and Presentation: Whilst shuffling a deck of cards (a riffle shuffle is preferable) you ask: “Is there anyone here that is particularly good at shuffling cards?” With a suitable spectator located, you hand them the deck so that they can continue the shuffling as you suggest: “I would like you to mix these cards a little more, however I would like you to do this in a rather unusual fashion. Could you please turn roughly one half of the deck face up so that you can mix them amongst those cards which remain face down?” Note: Although it isn’t essential to the performance, it is preferable to select a spectator who is good at shuffling; this will ensure an even mix of face-up and face-down cards for you to work with. By giving the deck a riffle shuffle yourself first, you are subconsciously implying that this is the manner in which you would like the spectator to shuffle.
29 Should you wish, you could further prompt your spectator to flip over several blocks of cards during the shuffle. This will serve to help the fairness of the procedure. Once you are content that the face-up/face-down cards are evenly mixed you may continue: “Could you please spread through the deck and hand me the first four black, and the first four red cards that you come to?” It may help the spectator if you personally remove each card as it appears. Taking the eight cards from the spectator, you state: “To prevent anyone from tampering with the remaining cards, could you please place your free hand on top of them?” Note: Providing the initial shuffle was done evenly (with approximately half the cards face up and half the cards face down), if you were now to spread the deck in its present condition, there will be a noticeable bias of face-down cards (see Figure 1). This is the result of removing the eight face up cards. You will now place one red and one black card face up onto the table, leaving a gap of approximately twelve inches between them. “We are going to use these two cards as indicator cards, but we will come back to those in a moment.” After openly mixing the remaining (six) cards face down, you suggest: “I would like you to try and guess the colours of each of these cards.” Offering each card in turn, you will place it face down upon the relevant indicator card as dictated by your spectator’s guesswork. After all six cards have been dealt, you slowly turn each of them face up, commenting on how accurate the spectator was. A Brave New World Figure 1
30 A Piece Of My Mind After revealing the spectator’s success or lack thereof, you will openly correct the two piles so that they contain four of each colour. Picking up one of the red cards and one of the black cards, you proceed to mix them face down (see Figure 2). You now comment: “OK, so far we have relied on nothing more than blind luck to sort the colours of the cards. What if I were to suggest that there is also a way of getting this right 100% of the time?” No matter how the spectator responds you will continue: “Let me show you how easy this is.” You now openly mix the two face-down cards. Once you have given them a quick mix, you hold one of them up so that the spectator can see the face of this card as you ask: “What colour is this card?” The spectator will obviously guess correctly (since they can see the face of this card). This card is then casually dropped face down on top of the relevant indicator pile (make sure that the colours of the cards underneath remain visible). You then ask: “Given that the colour of the last card was (X), I would like to know if you could tell me the colour of the remaining card sight unseen.” By a simple process of logic the spectator should be able to correctly identify the colour of this card, too. Upon hearing the spectator’s answer, you will flash Figure 2 Figure 3
31 the face of this card (to show that the spectator was correct) before dropping it face down on top of the relevant indicator pile (see Figure 3). “If you were to take that demonstration at face value, it mightn’t seem that impressive. However, when you examine the two processes that allowed you to accomplish this, it soon becomes more impressive than you could ever imagine. “Your sense of sight allowed you to determine the colour of the face-up card, however it was your subconscious memory that allowed you to instinctively identify the face-down card. I’m sure that you will agree that without these two processes working together, that ‘simple task’ would have been rendered almost impossible. Let’s now repeat this exercise, however we will do this on a much grander scale. “Could you please lift your hand and slowly begin spreading your way through the deck? As you do so I would like you to make sure that you see each and every card as it passes by. This will allow your subconscious to memorise the colour and orientation of each and every card you see.” Note: Since the spectator has had their hand on top of the deck, they will begin spreading through the side of the pack that has the bias of face-down cards on top. Once the spectator has reached the end of the spread, you ask: “Please flip over the deck so that you can repeat this with the opposite side. As you do this I would like you to be aware that the subconscious memory is often referred to as a photographic memory; this is something of an instinctive process requiring very little effort on our part.” Allow the spectator to spread through the opposite side. Note: If you have followed the instructions correctly, there will be a group of face-up cards resting on the bottom of the deck. “Now, providing all has been done correctly, you should now be able to correctly identify the colours of each of the cards no matter what their orientation. “Could you please begin dealing the cards onto the two indicator piles? For the face-up cards you can rely on your sense of sight. However, for the face-down ones you will be relying on your subconscious memory.” Allow the spectator to begin the dealing process. A Brave New World
32 A Piece Of My Mind “As you begin working your way through the cards I’d like to point out two things. Please trust your instincts; you are already aware that fifty percent of these are red and the other half are black, and so if your piles were uneven you would be making a deliberate mistake. “Secondly, this process is more tricky than it seems. Since you are working two processes at the same time, the visual recall and the subconscious recall, the two can often conflict, causing you to make what seem like rather obvious errors.” Note: Trust me when I say that spectators make more open mistakes than you would ever believe (namely face-up cards being dealt into the wrong piles). When this happens you can simply point this out whilst referring back to your previous statement. With the dealing complete you request: “Please place your hand onto any of the piles so that there can be no transferring of any cards.” Note: Due to the original bias you should be left with a couple of face-up cards on the top of each pile. If you were to spread the packets, they should resemble Figure 4. You now pick up the pile of cards which remain uncovered. As you casually spread through these cards, you must discreetly place any face-up cards that rest on top of the deck above the bottom four cards of this group (i.e., above the four cards that were used in the initial testing). This can be achieved by openly culling this group into position, or alternatively you could openly place this group into position as you casually spread through Figure 4 Figure 5
33 these cards. Note: So long as you position a small number of face up cards above the original test group (the bottom four cards), these don’t strictly have to come from the top of the deck. Either of the above can be done openly and casually as you comment: “Via a combination of both visual and subconscious recall you have deemed that all of the cards in this pile are red/black (delete as required).” With the slight displacement done you are ready to show all of the cards as the same colour. For those who have an interest in card magic, you may find the following display very reminiscent of an “All Backs” routine. Note: This further serves to note that a method for one routine can easily be adapted to fit another seemingly unrelated routine. You are now going to display all of the cards within this group as the same colour. To do this you will begin by spreading the cards into your right hand. Your right hand will then take roughly nine cards from the top of this packet as the left hand squares its remaining cards (see Figure 5). The right fingers will then assist in flipping over the left-hand cards as a group. As you do this be careful not to flash any of the other cards. You will now use the right-hand cards to flip over the top two cards of the left-hand portion. Since these are two of the original test cards, these must match in colour. As each of the two cards are flipped face up, they are taken underneath the right-hand packet (see Figure 6). Note: Remember to keep the left-hand portion square as you do this. A Brave New World Figure 6
34 A Piece Of My Mind The above actions are performed as you suggest: “Do all these cards look ‘X’ to you (where X represents the colour being revealed)?” The spectator will agree. You will now memorise the last card that was flipped face up (the bottom card of the right-hand portion in this example will be the Ten of Hearts). Upon doing so you will square the right-hand cards on top of the left-hand portion (see Figure 7). Your left hand now squares the deck, allowing the right hand to flip it over. You now slowly begin spreading the cards back into your right hand. Your right hand takes another group of roughly nine cards (Figure 8) and drops them to the table as your left hand squares the remainder. This is done as you comment: “How about these ? Do they all look ‘X’ to you?...” The spectator will confirm. You then use your right hand to flip over the remaining cards, allowing you to spread the cards back into the right hand again. This time your right hand will take away all of the cards above your memorised card (Figure 9) and drop those cards onto the table as you suggest: “...and these?” Your left hand now squares the cards again, allowing your right hand to flip them over (for the last time). You will now spread all of the remaining cards. Due to the nature of the setup, the bottom four groups of cards (two face-up Figure 7 Figure 8
35 groups and two face-down groups) must all be of the same colour (see Figure 10). If there are any additional cards above these, you must take them with your right hand and drop them onto the tabled cards. The remainder of the cards in your hand can be dramatically revealed as you suggest: “It doesn’t matter how you look at these cards as they are all the same colour.” The spectator is now asked to lift up their hand, allowing you to repeat this revelation process with the second group of cards. To conclude the effect I generally mush the two tabled piles together, which openly re-mixes the cards as I suggest: “Would anyone else like to try?” Note: Upon first read this may appear as quite a bit to take in, however if you try this with some cards in hand I am sure that you will find it far easier than you imagined. Please remember that despite turning the deck over, you are only ever showing the visibly sorted cards as you do so. Bonus Thoughts: If you use a stripper deck for this effect, you can pre-set the deck by turning the reds and the blacks in the opposite direction. At the conclusion of the effect this will allow you to place one group on top of the other, which will then (providing that no cards have been turned end for end) allow you to strip face-up red cards from face-down red cards and vice versa. Obviously this effect could just as easily be performed with other objects, such A Brave New World Figure 9 Figure 10
36 A Piece Of My Mind as two differing designs of business cards or perhaps photographs of males and females — the list of possibilities is endless. I sincerely hope that you have fun with this. It really is a lot easier to do than it first appears!
ATM (Actual Thought Manipulation)
38 A Piece Of My Mind Credits and Inspiration: Way back in 1999 I purchased a copy of Banachek’s Psychological Subtleties. Amongst the many great ideas within this book is one titled “Subtle Telephone” (Chapter 16, page 84). Banachek states that this is his re-working of an idea which he originally saw in Magick, credited to a gentleman by the name of Tony Raven. Fast forward about eight years and I plucked up the courage to e-mail Banachek with my take on “Subtle Telephone”, in which the telephone number was replaced with a PIN number. Thankfully Banachek seemed to like my take enough to publish it in Psychological Subtleties 3 under the title “Your (Redundant) PIN Number” (page 183). As a side note, I strongly suggest that if you don’t yet own the three volumes of Psychological Subtleties, then you should head over to your favourite magic dealer to pick them up! Over the years I have enjoyed working my version in casual close-up performances and have even used it on stage as part of my act for my local Magic Circle. I’m happy to report that this method flew by everyone, including those who were familiar with the original effect. Whilst I loved the premise and rationale of my idea, I always wished that I could have the audience verify that I had written some numbers before the final revelation (I’m being purposefully vague to protect the original secret). I then discovered the work of Haim Goldenberg. Haim has created an amazing revelation system titled “Cryptext”. This opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me and ultimately brought me one step closer to my goal. I had all but forgotten about this idea until I spoke to Peter Turner about a PIN effect in his book Bigger Fish. This discussion reminded me of my previous efforts, which I proceeded to share with him. Within ten to fifteen minutes of brainstorming I had an epiphany. The result of this allowed me to complete the puzzle. I could now openly write four numbers, re-arrange them and then have a single spectator announce that it generated their PIN number!
39 This was a huge breakthrough for me, and even Pete Turner himself seemed impressed enough to want to include the idea within his working repertoire! In its infantile state I began road-testing the idea within a close-up environment. Whilst it did seem to generate a good response of sorts, it quickly became evident that this was best suited as part of a larger stage or parlour routine rather than a solo, close-up, performance piece. It was evident that more work would be needed to transform this idea from an add-on to an existing routine into a fully-fledged routine that could stand on its own in both close-up and stage environments. Over the next twelve months this idea was given a huge amount of thought, and with a lot of trial and error on my part, this gem was polished into something of which I’m dearly proud. What the Audience Sees: The mentalist opens with a brief discussion regarding perception and requests the assistance of a willing volunteer. This volunteer is then asked to think of one of the following five categories: Love, Health, Travel, Finance and Careers. Having settled on one in their mind, they are further asked to think of something personal to them from within their chosen category. The mentalist then requests that his helper close their eyes and proceeds to place them into a relaxed state. Whilst taking the spectator’s pulse the mentalist calls aloud each of the five categories. Indicating that he has discovered something, the mentalist picks up a pad of paper and writes upon it the word “Finance”, allowing the whole audience to see what has been written. The mentalist then takes hold of the spectator’s wrist once more and proceeds to count from zero to nine. Picking up the pad for a second time, the mentalist writes the words “Four numbers?” followed by “PIN number?” allowing the audience to see what has been written. ATM - Actual Thought Manipulation
40 A Piece Of My Mind Tearing the notes from the note pad, the mentalist then claims that he knows exactly what the spectator is thinking of and proceeds to openly write down four numbers. Claiming that what he has written will only make sense to his helper, he removes the page with the numbers on it and divides it into quarters, each with a separate number written upon it. The mentalist turns the numbers so that the writing side is hidden from view and then openly rearranges the numbers (thus keeping the exact identity of the spectator’s PIN number secret). The four numbers in their newly arranged order are then held in front of the spectator’s face. The spectator is then asked to open his eyes so that they may see what has been written. The spectator reacts and confirms that you have successfully read their mind. They were thinking of their PIN number and you were 100% correct in your divination. You then state that the spectator may worry that you have knowledge of their PIN number, and so before they leave the room/stage you successfully erase their mind, wiping any recollection of them seeing any numbers. Perception is Everything: For this effect to work we are going to use a little dual reality. If you normally shy away from this technique, then I hope that what I have to offer will change your view of it. During this routine you can leave your spectators to discuss every aspect of the routine without any worry that they will discover the method. Please read on and I’m sure that you will enjoy what you read. I would like you, the reader, to imagine that I’m standing right next to you in front of an audience. Imagine that I handed you this book and asked you to call aloud what you saw printed in bold above the line: MY PIN NUMBER Disregarding the lack of emotion in your voice, it is still very easy to see how this could appear to be a verbal confirmation that your “physical” PIN number was printed upon this page.
41 Without framing this correctly, it is unlikely that this would garner much of a reaction from you when you read it aloud. The only thing preventing this from becoming anything more than a highly effective gag is the context in which this is delivered. Now, you may be forgiven for thinking this is just a cute gag, however imagine that you were asked to think of something personal that you could associate with one of the following five categories: Love, Health, Travel, Finance and Education. Suppose for a moment that you had randomly chosen the topic of finance and, as a result, decided to think about your PIN number. If I was then to state that I knew what you were thinking and further proceeded to display those words to you, chances are high that you would react! I could then follow this by asking you to confirm what was printed on the page. Given your reaction to the revelation, it would appear to the audience that your actual PIN number was indeed printed upon the page. This idea could be capitalized upon by asking you to confirm that this was indeed what you were merely thinking of. In this fashion both the helper and the remaining audience get to experience an amazing effect. Couple this idea with some clever thinking and you can not only transform this gag into an amazing revelation, but you can also use the subtle wording to create something even more amazing. Don’t be disheartened just yet, as the best is yet to come... The Germination of a Seed: As you may have concluded from the above, we must cleverly force our spectator to think of the words “MY PIN NUMBER” or, to be more specific, “MY PIN”. There are countless ways in which this can be achieved, so let’s take a look at a few examples. One of the most simple and direct methods I’ve used is to take five business cards and to write one of the following statements upon each (including the number): ATM - Actual Thought Manipulation
42 A Piece Of My Mind 1. Love - My First Kiss 2. Finance - My PIN Number 3. Health - My Doctor’s Name 4. Travel - My Favourite Holiday Destination (this card must be subtly marked on its back) 5. Career - My First Job You can now introduce the stack of cards as follows: “I have here five cards, and you will notice that each of these has a different category written upon it. These consist of love, finance, health, travel and career, and each of these categories will suggest to us different things that we could think of, things which would be personal to each and every one of us here tonight.” Handing the cards to a spectator: “In a moment I will have you randomly select one of these cards, and once you have done this, I will first ask that you concentrate your thoughts upon the specific category which you have in mind. Then to further test the limits of your imagination, I’d also like you to create a specific thought in your mind. For example, if you were thinking of the category Love, then you would perhaps be thinking of your first kiss. If perhaps you chose Travel as your category, you would be thinking of something to do with a holiday. Obviously your chosen category will dictate of what it is that you are thinking. If you were to think of something unrelated to the cards, then this experiment will not work! Do you understand?” The spectator will agree. Note: Now it doesn’t matter too much if anyone else sees these cards, however for those that don’t, there is a nice dual reality happening early on. The audience at large believes that the cards simply have five different category words written upon them: Love, Finance, Health, Travel and Career. However the spectator who holds the cards will understand that they are to think of the specific thing suggested on the card within the selected category. Credit and inspiration behind the category selection process belong to the one and only Kenton Knepper. His Wonder Words should be required listening for the modern mentalist. Hand the packet of cards to the spectator and run through the above patter. You will then ask that they shuffle the cards and then hand them back to you
43 with their faces hidden. Once they have done this you will casually spread the cards and cut the marked card to the bottom of the stack. Raise the cards so that the spectator can see the bottom card of the pack as you ask them to remember its value (this will be the number four). You will now hand back the cards, requesting that the spectator re-shuffle the packet. Now that we have forced the number four upon the spectator, we are going to ask them to change their mind a few times, and in that process we will force them to think of the number two. This will be achieved using my “Boomerang Forcing Technique”. To get an idea of how this force works, think of the number four and then follow the instructions below (remember, for this force to be effective, the spectator should have no idea that you know which number they are originally thinking of). You will now say the following: “You will notice that I have asked you to think of a number rather than a category. The reason for this is that one category may be psychologically more appealing than another. Numbers, on the other hand, carry no emotional relevance. “To keep things fair I’ll also have you change your mind a few times, and so if you are presently thinking of an even number, I’d like you to change your mind and to think of an odd number and vice versa; please remember that we only have five cards when you make this choice.” The spectator acknowledges that they have done this. “Be honest, is there any way anyone could know with 100% certainty which number you’re thinking of right now?” The spectator will reply that this is impossible (which is true). “Let’s repeat that once more. So if you’re now thinking of an odd number, then I’d like you to change your mind and to think of an even number, but a different one and vice versa.” If you have followed this yourself you will now be thinking of the number two! The beauty of my “Boomerang Forcing Technique” is that the spectator verbalizes that there is no way you could know of what they are thinking. This commitment sets them up for the trap when they make their second change. ATM - Actual Thought Manipulation
44 A Piece Of My Mind Since there are only two even numbers and you know that they started on the number four, you are controlling them to think of the only other option: namely the number two! You can now conclude the force by stating, “You have shuffled the stack a couple of times, thought of a number and even changed your mind. Please locate the card with the number that you are presently thinking of. Once you have done that I’d like you to remember the category upon it, and then subsequently to use this to help you create a specific personal thought within your mind. Once you have done that, please give the cards a further mix before handing them back to me.” Here are some other ideas for forcing this information upon your spectator. You could perhaps use a blank Svengali-style pack with the force information written upon the short cards. These are available from Paul Brook. If you’re using this method, then you can have various different thoughts suggested for each of the five categories to make up a random looking stack of cards. You could perhaps have a complete blank deck/stack of business cards which comprises of many different thought suggestions and use any of the traditional card-forcing techniques to have the spectator select the “My PIN Number” card. If you are lucky enough to own Paul Brooks’ fantastic book titled This Way Up, then you have a beautiful way to implant a thought in the spectator’s mind. Setting the Stage: Now that the spectator is thinking of their PIN number, we will need to set the stage for the mind-reading process to begin. With the spectator sitting comfortably upon a chair, request that they take a nice deep breath in, hold it for a few moments and then close their eyes as they breathe out. Request permission to take hold of their wrist. With permission granted you will simulate taking their pulse as you call out the five categories whilst stating the following, “As I take your pulse, I’d like you to concentrate your thoughts upon the category that you have in mind: love, health, travel, finance or careers.”
45 As you mention the word Finance, point the index finger of your free hand towards the spectator’s face as an indication that you detected something whilst taking their pulse. Letting go of their wrist, you pick up your pad and on the top sheet write “FINANCE” for the audience to see. Take hold of their pulse once more and state that although you have an idea of the category, you wish to check further and so will need the spectator to relax a little more. Begin by counting aloud from 10 to 1, and as you call out the numbers 7, 3, 2 and 1 you will make that same pointing gesture as before. Let go of the spectator’s wrist and pick up the writing pad once again. Below the word FINANCE you will write the words FOUR NUMBERS, and then below that you will write the words PIN NUMBER? Note: The taking of the pulse provides a plausible explanation for how you are reading this information. You will then state aloud, “I believe that I now know exactly what it is that you’re thinking. I’m going to write my impressions upon this pad, but to protect your privacy, I’ll not be showing the audience exactly what this is. When I show you my thoughts in a moment, I’d like you to confirm for everyone whether or not my impressions are correct.” The above comments serve a vital purpose and will justify your next actions to both the audience and the seated spectator. Now comes the very clever epiphany: you will openly write down FOUR NUMBERS for the audience to see. You will then re-arrange them with their values hidden before showing them to your spectator, whereupon they will confirm that they generate their PIN number! This is achieved as follows... The Metamorphosis: Now that we have successfully forced the spectator to think of the words “My PIN”, let’s take a look at what the audience sees you write down and how my epiphany allows me to change the way that this is perceived by the spectator. ATM - Actual Thought Manipulation
46 A Piece Of My Mind In short, the audience will witness you openly write down the following four numbers 3, 7, 1 and 2. As you apparently tear and re-order these numbers (to respect the spectator’s privacy), they will be subtly transformed into letters. These letters can then be read aloud as the words “MY PIN”. Forgetting about the letter “P” for a moment, let’s examine how we can transform the numbers 3, 7, 1 and 2 into the letters M, Y, I and N. This is simply achieved by the way we write these numbers onto the pad. Figures 1 and 2 should help to clarify things: Take a look at the formation of the numbers 3 and 2, above and notice how these can be easily rotated to read as the letters M and N, respectively. The number 1 requires no manipulation and is very easy to pass off as the letter I. To create the letter Y from the number 7 we must simply add concavity to the line at the top as in the image across the page. You can now appreciate how easily we can transform the four numbers into the four letters by simply tearing the sheet from the pad and rotating the numbers as required. We will now explore the secret addition of the letter P. There are numerous ways that this is possible. For close-up purposes I tend to prefer my original method, which is to secretly have the additional letter pre-written upon the bottom left-hand corner of the third sheet of the note pad. During the routine you will dispose of the top sheet and will then write the four numbers Figure 1 Figure 2
47 on the second sheet. Once this second sheet is torn out and quartered, you will be set to expose this additional letter as and when you need it. For a few further suggestions on how to do this in a close-up setting with business cards, please check out the following YouTube video clips: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D32cT5gW558 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-Upnb_i2Ks You may also prefer to have the additional letter pre-written on the second sheet. In using this method you must take care not to prematurely expose the existence of this letter to the audience when writing the four digits upon this page (see Figure 3 for an exposed view). As in the YouTube video link, this can easily be hidden behind the thumb as you hold the pad. Another great idea is to begin by openly writing a small 0 for the audience to see. You then shake your head as though you are having second thoughts and draw a line straight through it. To the audience it will appear as though you simply had a change of heart and crossed it out, however if you take a look at Figure 4, this could also easily pass for a P. A few close friends have also developed a range of other techniques which work perfectly for this requirement. The use of Post-it notes are also recommended. I’m sure you, the reader, will also have fun exploring your own methods for achieving this, too. ATM - Actual Thought Manipulation Figure 3 Figure 4
48 A Piece Of My Mind The Commitment: You are now set to show this information to the spectator and to have them confirm that they are looking at their PIN number. To do this you hold the torn pieces in front of the spectator’s closed eyes as you comment, “In a moment I’m going to ask you to open your eyes. When you open them you will remain relaxed, yet I’m sure that you will still be amazed at what you see.” Note: This line is placed there so that the lack of an “over the top” reaction by the spectator can be attributed to them being in a relaxed state. You will then continue, “Before you do this, can you please confirm the category that you have in mind?” The spectator will reply, “Finance.” You can then comment, “Please give our helper a round of applause...” You then continue, “...and for the benefit of everyone else watching, can you also confirm what it was that you were specifically thinking of within this category?...” The spectator will reply with something along the lines of “I was thinking of my PIN number.” At this point the audience may give a second round of applause. You can now ask the spectator to open their eyes so that they can take a look at what you have written. The spectator will then open their eyes and should react somewhat as you really have identified their thought (albeit on a smaller scale than the audience believes). You can now get the confirmation that you have revealed the spectator’s PIN number from the spectator in any one of the following ways. You will now continue by saying, “...and can you please read out what has been written before you?” The spectator will simply respond, “My PIN.” Some may prefer this option, which primes the spectator to read the simple words only, “Just to confirm once again, the category you were thinking of was...” Hold up the piece of paper or business card which has the word “Finance” written upon it for the spectator to see and they will simply respond with the word Finance. You will then follow up by saying, “But to be more specific you were thinking of this, which is...” Hold up the divided paper in front of the
49 spectator once more and they will respond with, “My PIN.” For those who are concerned about using the above options, I also offer the following approach, where you simply state, “So out of all of the possible things you could have thought of, you were specifically thinking about your PIN number, and for the benefit of everyone here today, can you please confirm that these impressions are 100% correct?” The spectator will reply in the positive, to which you ask that the remaining audience members give your helper a huge round of applause. Cleaning Up: For those who are worried about the spectator talking with the other audience members, we will now tie this up in a nice neat parcel, allowing them to do so. This is achieved as follows (please try not to smile too widely as you read this): “Ladies and gentlemen, I think this demonstration has been a success, however our helper here may leave a little concerned that I can actually read his thoughts and know their exact PIN number, and so we have one final thing to do. “I’d like you to close your eyes once again and we will count you back up from 1-10, and with each and every number between one and ten you will find yourself becoming more alert and more awake. At the count of eight you will open your eyes, and at the count of ten you will be fully wide awake. Each and every part of you is back in this room EXCEPT FOR ANY PART OF YOU THAT HAS ANY RECOLLECTION OF SEEING ANY NUMBERS.” Upon hearing this and opening their eyes the spectator may look a little confused, and that is a good thing. You can now ask them openly, “When you opened up your eyes a few moments ago, yes or no, do you recollect seeing any NUMBERS?”. The spectator will obviously reply with a No since they saw letters. As soon as they acknowledge a No then you continue, “Then our mission has been successful.” You may now request a final round of applause as you send them back to their seat! As a side note, I used to ask that the spectator swear upon the life of someone ATM - Actual Thought Manipulation
50 A Piece Of My Mind close to them that they didn’t see any numbers. I decided that this was not wise, as one performance caused an argument where the partner of the person I was working with started calling my spectator a liar and saying they did see numbers. Whilst this was entertaining, it was not the desired effect. Additional Thoughts: After sharing this with my good friend Atlas Brookings, he suggested the addition of a wonderful line to the script. At the point in which the spectator has read the words “MY PIN” he continues with the following: “And you wouldn’t want this information falling into the wrong hands, would you?” As soon as the spectator agrees to this, Atlas suggests tearing up the letters/ numbers as you continue with: “Then your secret is safe with me.” International Variation: Having looked at several international translations for the words “My PIN”, I have found that in most cases you can slightly adapt the original routine by adding more pre-written letters to the pad to make this work. If you wish for me to help you create a suitable alternative, then please send an email to: [email protected] For those of you not wishing to do this, I have included the following variation for ATM in which any language may be used. Whilst this isn’t designed as a replacement for the original, it is my hope that those of you who don’t perform for an English-speaking audience may still get some benefit from this. To do this you will first prepare a business card by covering the lower third of a business card with invisible scotch tape. You will now take a dry-erase pen and write the word “My” on the top centre of the card (the portion that is not covered with the scotch tape). To complete the setup, simply place this prepared card underneath the top card of your stack of business cards (i.e., in the second position). You can now follow the original routine up until the point where you would