51 write your initial impressions upon the top card; e.g., Four Numbers, Finance, etc. You will now openly place this card to the bottom of the stack. As you do this you must take care to place your thumb over the word “My” so that this will appear to be a blank card. The invisible scotch tape has a matte finish and so shouldn’t reflect the light. You will now openly write the words “PIN Number” below your thumb (on the normal surface of the card). This is then casually shown to your audience. Turning the card towards you once more, you will now write any four digits ON TOP OF THE INVISIBLE SCOTCH TAPE. This is done as you suggest to the audience that you believe you know exactly what the spectator is thinking of. After writing the numbers you will very briefly flash this card to the spectators. Your spectators should be aware that there are numbers written upon the card, but these shouldn’t be held long enough for anyone to register what each of the numbers is. Note: Some may prefer to only display one or two of the numbers in an effort to keep the spectator’s full PIN a secret. As you turn the card back towards yourself once again, you will use your thumb to wipe the dry-erase numbers from the scotch tape. If the spectator now looks at the card they will simply see the words “My PIN Number”. The remainder of the routine may be performed as per the original. Please check out the link below to view the invisible scotch tape method at work. Note that in this video I’m using cello-tape, so that you can see where it is positioned upon the card. http://youtu.be/6i4uZOd54P0 Below is another “universal” solution to this, and whilst I have yet to try this out, it has been provided with careful consideration. For those of you who may have an issue with the dual reality at play, you may prefer this softer (switch-less) approach to the routine. This allows you to forgo the amnesia part of the routine (should you wish). ATM - Actual Thought Manipulation
52 A Piece Of My Mind To prepare you must write the words “My PIN Number” on the back of a blank business card. This must then be placed writing side down on top of your stack of business cards. To perform this variation you will follow the initial routine up until you begin to receive your impressions. You will now openly write the following upon the visible side of the top business card: Finance, Money, Four Digits You will now state that you know “exactly” what it is that your spectator is thinking. Since the audience has read your notes, thus far (they will be one step ahead) you can now use their assumptions against them. You will state that you do not wish to reveal to them exactly what it is that the spectator is thinking of, but you will instead show your volunteer. You will now take the top card and flip it over as you hold the card towards you (hiding the pre-written words from your audience’s view). You will now pretend to write four large numbers on the back of this card. The movements of your pen should communicate to the audience that you have written four numbers, however in reality you write nothing. You will now cover the words “My PIN” with your thumb, leaving only the word “Number” visible to your volunteer. Your volunteer is then asked to open his eyes and to look at what you have written. He will see the word “Number”, allowing you to say, “This is a number, yes?...” Your spectator will confirm this and you can then say: “...and if I reveal the rest, I’m hoping that this is exactly what you are thinking of, yes?...” Your spectator will once again confirm that you are correct. You can then reaffirm that these weren’t just any four numbers and that this was specifically your PIN number. The spectator will once again agree, allowing you to close the routine as you wish. Note: If you perform this variation and do not want to use the dual reality amnesia ploy, you can simply leave your spectators to talk; since you never specifically stated that you were writing down any numbers, you have nothing to worry about since it was the spectators’ own assumptions which caused the joining of the dots.
Sublime Influence Evolution
54 A Piece Of My Mind Introduction: In February 2010 I happened upon a YouTube clip which revealed a little known curiosity with the Pepsi logo. It wasn’t long before I developed this into a working effect which was released under the title “Sublime Influence”. Countless performances and suggestions by close friends helped shape this further, and what I present for you now is the latest iteration of this effect. I sincerely hope that you enjoy the fruits of this discovery. It really is a thing of beauty. I wish to thank the following gentlemen for their help in streamlining the handling of this effect: Wayne Goodman, Mick Wilson and Joshua Quinn. Effect: After a brief discussion regarding the history of subliminal advertising, a spectator is nominated to take part in a simple experiment. Handing the spectator a set of numbered business cards, they are asked to make several decisions which culminate in the creation of a five-digit number. Content that their choices were free and fair, the mentalist then draws their attention to a rather familiar logo which has been both visible and present throughout the duration of the experiment. It is then revealed that this logo hides a dirty secret, one which proves beyond doubt that the spectator’s choices may not have been as free and fair as they would like to believe. The Clever Secret: If you view a reversed image of the old Pepsi logo, you will find that the text now transforms into a row of numbers. This little-known fact will allow us to perform a simple yet baffling display of subliminal influence. Figure 1 illustrates the traditional Pepsi logo. Figure 2 shows how the Pepsi logo appears when it has been inverted.
55 Due to the nature of this routine, it is preferable to perform it at a venue where the Pepsi logo is naturally placed. Ideally the logo should be highly visible and in close proximity. For those times where this is not possible, you can follow my alternative suggestions, which are detailed at the conclusion of this routine. Set Up: This routine requires the use of ten business cards. Upon these cards you will write the digits one to ten, with each digit being written upon a separate card. As you do this you must make sure that the number six is drawn in such a way that it may be inverted to look like a nine: With the numbers written out you will invert the six so that you now have two nines, and you will then set them in the following order 4, 1, 8, 2, 10, 9, 7, 3, 5 and 9 (see Figure 3): Note: You could also choose to mark up your business cards on the fly, making this routine entirely impromptu. Sublime Influence Evolution Figure 1 Figure 1 Figure 3
56 A Piece Of My Mind Performance and Presentation: Note: The patter used in this effect is entirely fictional and has been created for entertainment purposes only. Drawing attention to the Pepsi glass, bar tap or other branded item, you comment: “Are you aware that the Pepsi company was taken to court in 1974 for the use of subliminal advertising in movie theatres? “Despite the fact that this case was dropped due to lack of evidence, a group of American psychologists have now proven without doubt that subconscious influence can take place against our will. “With your help I’d like to recreate that experiment for you.” With a suitable volunteer selected, you remove the number cards from your pocket, holding them as a stack face-up; i.e., number side up. Note: Should you wish you can write these out in front of your spectator, taking care to write them out in the order required for the setup. You will now continue: “I’m going to deal each of these number cards onto the table, and whilst I do this I would like you to look at each card as it goes by. You do not have to physically attempt to memorise any of these cards because I’m hoping that your subconscious will do this for you.” Once you have dealt the last card (the four) you will flip the cards face down as a group as you suggest: “For the moment we will leave these cards face down. The reason for this is that I would like you to make a choice, and it is very important that this isn’t influenced by anything you may see. “We are going to deal these cards between us as though we were playing a game of cards. The question is, would you like to be dealt to first or last? The cards will be turned face up as I deal them, but only after your decision has been made.” This clever linguistic ploy allows us to control which pile is given to our spectator regardless of their answer. Should the spectator request that they be dealt to first, then you will simply
57 turn the top card face up as you deal it to the spectator; the second card is then flipped face up as you deal it to yourself. This is then repeated with the remaining cards, ensuring that the spectator is given the numbers 9, 3, 9, 2, 1 in that order. Should the spectator ask to be dealt to second, then you will simply flip the entire stack face up, followed by dealing the top card (the four) to yourself, followed by dealing the spectator the second card (the one). You will then continue to deal alternatively in this fashion. In either case you are true to your word: “The cards will be turned face up as I deal them.” With the relevant cards forced upon your spectator, you are now going to allow them to seemingly mix the cards further using a fantastic sequence created by Paul Curry. Addressing the spectator, “I would like you to mix these cards further, however rather than do this without any conscious intervention, I would like you to do this in the following way. Please hold your cards face up as a group in your hand and begin dealing them face up onto the table in a pile. You can stop dealing at any point.” Note: Should you wish you can demonstrate this procedure with your own cards. Once the spectator has decided to stop the deal, you will further instruct them, “Please flip over any remaining cards as a group and drop them onto the tabled group.” In doing this the spectator will in essence mix the cards face up into face down, however this does NOT affect the physical order of the cards themselves other than reversing their order. Having done this once, you can now allow the spectator to repeat this “mixing” procedure as much or as little as they like. Once the spectator is satisfied with the mixing you can then continue: “Is it fair for me to say that if you had chosen to mix these cards once more or once less, then these cards would have ended up in a different order? For example, there wouldn’t be a number ‘X’ on top, would there?” Flip the top card Sublime Influence Evolution
58 A Piece Of My Mind face up, displaying its number (providing it isn’t face up already). The spectator must agree to this statement since its factually correct; i.e., if the spectator had “mixed” the cards once more or once less, then they would be in the opposite order to their present condition. If the top card is a number one, you will spread the cards towards the spectator’s left, forming a small row of five cards (the top card, which is the number one, must end up as the leftmost card in the spread). If there are any face-down cards in the spread, you must now gesture for the spectator to flip them face up so that all of the numbers are visible. If it is discovered that the top card is a number nine, then you will perform the same actions as above, however in this instance you must spread the cards towards the spectator’s right. Both actions will leave the cards face up in 1, 2, 9, 3, 9 order, leaving you to conclude the effect. Concluding the Effect: There are numerous ways to conclude this effect. First, I will detail the one which I use most, and then we will discuss several alternate handlings. “Throughout this demonstration you have made a series of choices, the first of which dictated that you would be using those particular numbers, and the subsequent choices dictated their final order. My question to you is as follows: Were those choices free and fair or could they have been influenced in any way?” As soon as the spectator has given their reply, you will take a napkin and ask the spectator to read out the number that they have generated. As they call out each number, you must write these numbers big and bold upon the napkin. You now conclude, “Before you made each and every choice, I drew your attention to the following company logo.” Point to the Pepsi logo which has remained visible throughout the demonstration. “Could you entertain the idea that this rather innocent looking logo may have somehow influenced each and every one of your actions? If not then perhaps you have some other explanation for this...”
59 You will now flip the napkin over as you hold it to the light. The light will shine through this, revealing the word “Pepsi”. Note: Rather than use a napkin, you may prefer to use a Post-it note or similar. Alternate Revelations: There are several alternative revelations available for this effect. Another favourite of mine is the Pepsi glass. Through The Looking Glass: If you peer into the Pepsi glass and view the logo from the inside, you can clearly read the numbers 1, 2, 9, 3, 9. This is particularly nice if the spectator has been drinking from this glass, as you can include the notion that these numbers were, in fact, hidden in plain sight and that the spectator will have seen them many times before without being consciously aware of this fact. Upon Reflection: If you have any reflective surface such as a mobile phone screen (when the phone is placed into sleep mode), then you can use this to invert the reflection of the physical Pepsi logo. Soaked Through: My good friend Nevin Cody suggests flipping over the napkin with the numbers face down. You can then pour a clear liquid such as water over this, rendering the napkin transparent. In the process of doing this the reversed numbers slowly become visible. High Tech: Most smart phones such as the iPhone will allow you to download “Photoshop” as a free application. This not only allows you to take a photograph of the Pepsi logo in real-time, but also allows you to invert it with a single swipe of the finger. Note: You can also store the Pepsi image on your phone, allowing you to perform this routine any time you wish. Sublime Influence Evolution
60 A Piece Of My Mind Additional Thoughts: Should the spectator comment on the fact that there are two nines present, then simply congratulate them on their keen sense of observation and continue with the effect. Never let this become a negative. In times when I have not had access to my business cards, I have resorted to writing the numbers on beer mats. In this fashion the routine became entirely impromptu. Playing cards can take the place of the business cards. Although I haven’t tried this myself, you could choose to have the Pepsi logo in sight yet not refer to this until the very conclusion of the routine. In this sense the Pepsi logo becomes more of a “hidden” influence, putting a different slant on the presentation. New Friends New Influences: Upon attending the first ever Mind Summit convention, I made a new friend by the name of Terry McEwan. Terry took it upon himself to search for any link between the numbers 12939 and Pepsi. His findings (which are half factual) are nothing short of amazing, and it gives me pleasure to present them for you below to use at your discretion. Biblical reference Mark 1:29-39 refers to Christ’s healing of Simon’s mother-in-law. This is the first reference to Christ healing anyone physically. In 1964 Pepsi adopted the slogan “Come Alive with Pepsi”, which was wrongly translated by the Chinese as “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead”. Perhaps Pepsi is trying to suggest that drinking their product will keep you healthy and make you live longer. The truth is out there... If you have a few moments to spare, why not check out the following Spanish Pepsi advert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdrhTLzlMR4
Daylight Robbery
62 A Piece Of My Mind Credits & Inspiration: Firstly, I would like to give a huge credit to Myke Phillips & Salah for their incredible app “iUnlock Your Mind”. Whilst this will never be a replacement for the above, my method does allow you to achieve a similar effect without the need to have your phone in play. Better still, this works with both numerical and pattern-access mobiles regardless of their operating system. Having shared my idea with several close friends, it appears that quite a few have explored this idea in the past but haven’t pushed it further. This list of names includes Myke Phillips, Ben Cardall and Angelo Carborne. My good friend Colin McLeod recently informed me that he has used the same fingerprint ploy within his stage show to teach his audience an effect (i.e., how to unlock their friend’s mobile). After running my routine by him he was happy enough with the differences in my technique for me to include this as part of this book. This effect does have some limitations, but I hope that you will still enjoy what you are about to read. Set-up: Nothing...well perhaps a couple of lip balms or Vaseline at most. Oh, and a friendly volunteer or two with mobiles (preferably of the same brand/model). The “Dirty” Secret: In short, you are going to go all Sherlock on your volunteers and use a combination of fingerprint analysis, deductive logic and reasoning to identify their unlock codes/patterns under the guise of having them attempt to unlock each other’s mobiles with their own pass-codes (a single spectator variation will be taught later). To assist with the above you are going to take advantage of the natural oils that your body produces on a daily basis.
63 The Framing: Under the guise of asking two spectators to attempt to unlock each other’s mobiles, you will secretly capture their fingerprints, and using simple logic, you will be able to work out the actual PIN codes/patterns for each of their phones. Before we can do this we must first prepare the spectators or their mobiles to receive the imprints. Fortunately, there are several easy methods for achieving this. The Set-Up: Cleaning the Screen: The first step is to discretely wipe the phone screen on your clothing. Your sleeve or trouser leg will be sufficient. This will remove any fingerprints, grease and dirt from the phone screen, leaving the phone in its most receptive state to picking up new impressions. We will cover the motivation/misdirection for this a little later. For those that are concerned about the cover required for this, you may prefer the following: Oil Painting: The second option is to casually swipe your thumb across the bridge of your nose. This will add a small amount of natural oils onto the pad of the thumb. As you take the phone(s) from your spectator, you will swipe back and forth down the screen in a zig-zag fashion. This will deposit the oils from your nose across the screen. This will cover any previous prints, leaving the phone primed to record some new impressions. Note: Should you have particularly dry skin, you can prepare in advance by applying a small amount of Vaseline or moisturiser onto your forehead. This can then be loaded onto your thumb as required. Secret Assistant: Another method that I have used to good effect is to chop the end off a lip balm and then to wind it in so that the balm is slightly recessed into the opening. In doing so you can apply a small amount of this onto your thumb prior to swiping the screen as per the “Oil Painting” method. Note: This is now my preferred method. Please remember that only a tiny Daylight Robbery
64 A Piece Of My Mind amount of this is required. If you are using the “Cleaning the Screen” method, then you can also swipe a small amount of lip balm onto the home button of the mobile. In this fashion the spectator themselves will transfer this onto their own finger or thumb as they open up the mobile in preparation to enter the pass-code. Essentially they will be greasing up their own digits so that a “healthy” impression is left. The nice thing about this is that people will always use the same digit to open the phone as they will when they type. Note: Although I haven’t tried this personally, you casually deposit a little lip balm directly onto the spectators’ fingertips as you gesture for them to hold out their finger in preparation to attempt an unlocking of each other’s mobiles. Using Your Head: In the context of the demonstration it is also possible to have the spectator(s) touch your forehead or the forehead of their friends in an apparent attempt at receiving their thoughts (see setting up the context a little later). In doing so they will be both collecting and using your natural oils as per the previous method. For added security, you may wish to combine several of the above methods to increase the quality of the prints. Post Printing: So having prepared our phones or spectators’ fingers, you are now all set to capture some fingerprints. With any of the methods detailed above, the mobile screens will be beyond suspicion. What’s more is that when each of the spectators activate the mobiles, the back-light on the screen will render any future prints invisible (we will cover why the spectator will be asked to enter a pass-code on their mobiles in a moment). Getting the Glimpse: Once the fingerprints have been recorded, you can now take back the mobiles, placing them into sleep mode. Any natural light will now reflect from the mobile screen, highlighting any fingerprints that have been made by your
65 spectators. Once you are content with your glimpse, you can swipe your thumb over the screen, destroying any evidence as you do so. Please be sure to take a mental note of the “Tell Tale Factors” (see later) before you do so. Mobile Phone Selection: For reasons which will become apparent, you must ensure that the two mobiles used operate with a similar unlocking technique; i.e., either both numerical unlock codes or both pattern codes. I hasten to add that screen protectors are your worst enemy. Luckily we have the option to check these things before going into the routine itself. Cracking the Code: If you are using pattern unlock mobiles, it should be relatively straight forward enough for you to identify not only the pattern but also the start and end points, too. Since these are generally generated from one continuous line, this should be relatively easy. When you use a mobile which has a numerical lock code, there are five possible combination types: • All four digits are different. • Two digits are the same and two are different. • Two digits have been used twice each. • Three digits are the same and one is different. • All four digits are the same. In viewing the screen we can easily identify how many digits were used in the pass-code. The appearance of each of the above examples has been illustrated for you in Figures 1-4. Now that we know which digits have been used, let us now consider how we decipher the order. Fortunately for us the spectator will most often leave a series of clues from which to work. Let us consider each example in turn... Daylight Robbery
66 A Piece Of My Mind All four digits are different: If all four digits are different, then you can look for the presence of visual clues to determine the order in which the numbers were entered. Most often you will notice that there is a difference in the quality of the prints. Since the natural oils will be deposited from the spectator’s finger/thumb onto the keypad, then the amount of oil deposited will diminish with each press. Figure 1 highlights an example of what this may look like. In this instance it is quite easy to determine both the first and last numbers. I often find that the second and third are often close in quality, but this poses no issue as the combination (in this case) could only be either 3 or 5. You can also look for the size of the print, too. In the second example you will notice that the top left print is much larger compared with the lower right. This will generally indicate that 1 is the first digit and 9 is the last, but be warned that this could also be the other way around. I often like to take my first stab based entirely on the visual clues, giving me a strong moment without the need to ask any questions. This is done under the guise of trying my own code. If this fails I openly state, “My code doesn’t work on your phone either...” and then continue to qualify the numbers as follows: To qualify the numbers I will generally ask the spectator to concentrate on their first digit and to call out loud the numbers 0 to 9. Once they have done this I will use my visual clues to take a stab at the first digit. If I’m right I will then continue with the second. Should I get a “No” response at any point, I will openly state that there is an “X” in there. Once they have confirmed this I openly ask for its position. Note: The questioning will only need to be done a maximum of twice. At worst you have guessed two of their numbers but have only missed on their positions. Once you have located the positions of two of the digits, this only leaves you with two combinations to try. Let’s use an example to illustrate this. Let’s say that we are working with the phone in Figure 2 and we have suggested that the first digit is a 1. If the spectator says No, then we can at least get them to agree that this number is at least present in their PIN. As a result we will be turning a No into a Yes.
67 We can then openly ask for its position. If they suggest that this is the last digit, then you can be confident that the 9 is the first, and I would openly suggest this to them, claiming perhaps that you were reading their number backwards. An agreement on this would only leave you with two options for the PIN code. These would be either 9351 or 9531. Please remember that the visual clues will always allow you a first stab without asking a question anyway. Two of the digits are the same and two are different: This is perhaps the most difficult of the group to crack. If I spot this situation I will generally try to work with the other phone instead. Where this isn’t possible you can openly suggest that you feel that two of the digits are the same. This will be confirmed. You can then take an educated guess at the positioning of these based on the print size. If you are wrong, you can openly ask the spectator where your mistake was (chances are that you will only be wrong on one of these). The spectator’s reply will let you know the positions of the two differing numbers, leaving you with only two combinations to work from. Two digits have been used twice each (see Figure 3): In this instance the unlocking is very easy. We can still look at the size and quality of the prints to determine a rough idea of what order they were typed in. At worst we will ask the spectator to think of the first number; you will then suggest that this number is repeated and either guess (you have a 33% Daylight Robbery Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4
68 A Piece Of My Mind chance of being right) or ask which position it is repeated in. Their answer to this should provide you with only two combinations to try. Let us use an example to illustrate this. In Figure 3 we notice that one of the prints against the 9 is slightly smaller. In this instance I would ask them to think of the first number and would guess that this was repeated in the second position. If they say No you can still get confirmation from them that it is repeated and ask them in which position this is. Their answer (let us suggest they say the last position) will leave you with the following two combinations: 5995 or 9559. Three digits are the same and one is different (see Figure 4): The singular number should be evident from the prints, and knowing this alone will give you only four possibilities to try. Alternatively you will only need to locate the position of this lone number to get the spectator’s exact code. In Figure 4 the code could only be one of the following: 9555, 5955, 5595 or 5559. All four digits are the same: This is the easiest of them all and should need no explanation. Additional Thoughts: There is a high percentage of people who select a memorable year as their unlock code. As a result, if you notice the digits 19 or 20 have been used, then you can use this information to your advantage. Using a qualifying question such as “You didn’t happen to use an important year, did you?” can often deliver you favourable results. As a cheat you could simply suggest that you don’t wish for anyone else to know what the spectator’s pass-code is, and instead of typing it in you can simply whisper in their ear that it is made up of the digits X, Y and Z as applicable. The spectator’s reaction will signify to the onlookers that you nailed it bang on. This is based upon a Peter Turner idea.
69 Putting it all Together: Piecing this together, you will begin by stating just how much we share in common with our closest friends, our tastes in food and music to name but a few. You then propose a simple experiment and ask both spectators to bring out their mobiles. If they are the same make (e.g., iPhone), then you can comment on this, too. This is also your moment to check for screen protectors (this can be done by feel). Providing they are either the same model or at least use the same unlocking technique, then you are good to go. Note: If they don’t, you can simply proceed with any other coincidence effect of your choosing. Providing they do match, you will take the phones from the spectators, preparing them for the “dirty work” as you do so. You will then openly swap the mobiles before handing them back. You state how amazing it would be if their pass-codes were the same, and as you turn away, you instruct them to try and open each other’s phones with their own pass-codes. Chances are very low that either phone will open, and upon hearing this you will take the phones back from the spectators, placing them into “sleep mode”. You state that this experiment highlights the slim odds of being able to access a mobile by chance alone, and based upon this information you wish to show them something remarkable. As you speak you will glance at the phone screens and pick out the one that has the clearest impressions, or if they are both clear, you will pick the one that has the easiest code to decipher. Holding up the opposite phone, you ask who it belongs to (even though you will know already). Once the owner of the phone has identified themselves, you will hold this phone up as you turn your head away. You will claim that you will attempt to read their mind so that you can get access to this phone. Since you are looking away, it is clear that you can’t see the screen of this phone, yet you can clearly see the numbers required to Daylight Robbery
70 A Piece Of My Mind unlock this of this phone, yet you can clearly see the numbers required to unlock this phone by looking at the screen of the opposite phone. Note: Since attention is being brought to the phone held high in the air, no heat will be on you as you read the marks from the other phone. You can then use the systems detailed earlier to work out the exact pass-code for this phone. If you are able to remember the numbers from the screen of the second handset, then you can hand this back to the relevant spectator, swiping the screen with your fingers as you do so (to destroy the evidence). Providing the impressions are clear enough, you may also choose to unlock the second phone, too, however I would recommend waiting to see if they challenge you to do this first. Note: Should you wish to do this with a single spectator, you can prepare your phone in advance and swap your handset with the spectator’s to do the dirty work. This way the marks are left on your mobile, leaving the spectator’s phone clean.
Between the Lines
72 A Piece Of My Mind Introduction: It was always my ultimate ambition to create an effect that could take place within my spectator’s mind. I am pleased to present you with the result of this ambition. Inspiration for this piece came from many sources, most notably Banachek’s Psychological Subtleties and Kenton Knepper’s Wonder Words. Special thanks must go out to my good friend Jonathan Pickard, who not only helped with the routining of this effect from the very beginning, but he also wrote the page to accompany it which is available for you to download and print from the following URL: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2yg4qfz1946r50c/BtLpage.pdf The Effect: A spectator is handed a page torn from a novel. After the performer briefly sets the scene, the spectator is asked to describe details of what the story involves. The page is then cleanly opened and read aloud. To the spectator’s amazement, the text accurately reflects the scene they constructed in their mind only moments before. The Secret: A number of psychological principles and techniques lie at the heart of this seemingly simple, yet astonishingly powerful effect. The downloadable page (see link above) for this effect has been specially written and includes the most frequently occurring responses from an extensive test audience, together with a number of outs and additional material. Careful wording and susceptibility of the described scene to stereotypes work to create bias in the apparently freely imagined image. In order to see these principles in action, let us first consider the accompanying script. The Script: As you read this script, it may be a good idea for you to visualise the events and to answer the questions as you go…
73 We will then look at the subtleties used and the outs that are provided in the text. “Have you ever heard of psychometry? This is the supposed belief that psychics and fortune-tellers, when given a personal object such as a piece of jewellery, can tell a lot about its owner and the object’s history. Whether you believe in this or not, I’d like to try a little test with you. “I have here a page torn from a paperback novel. Chances are you haven’t read it — I got it recently from a local second hand bookshop. “What I’d like to see is if you’re able to gain any impressions of details of the story. I imagine you’ve never tried anything like this before, and I don’t expect you to get it all right, so I will just help you a little now by setting the scene. “What I want you to do is to imagine that you are standing outside an old-fashioned cinema, about to rush inside, and you’re looking up at the skies... “Just tell me what the weather is doing. “I would like you now to imagine going inside… What is the first colour that comes to mind? “I would like you now to picture someone sitting in the front row of the cinema. “Are you looking at this person from behind or the front? “If you are looking at them from behind, then you can see the rows of seats… “What colour are they? “This person is a male or female? “Roughly how old would you say this person is? “Move now so that you can face this person… Are they wearing glasses? “Turn towards the cinema screen and imagine a two-second clip of something speeding past the screen. It’s not a film you’ve seen before. I’m just looking for an impression of what you see there. “What happened in the clip? “Was the film in black and white or colour? “Was this person alone in the cinema?” Between the Lines
74 A Piece Of My Mind The Hidden Influences: Let us now take a closer look at the script and see how we could have biased the thoughts and answers given: 1) The Weather – Chances are it would have been raining. There are a few reasons for this. Note the wording: “What is the weather doing?” is suggestive that something is happening rather than there just being clear skies. The words “rush inside” strongly suggest a desire to get in off the street, strengthening the impression of bad weather. Notice that the mention of skies (plural) also implies clouds. As an accompanying gesture, in performance you could hold your hands out as if you’re checking to see if it’s raining. This should be used subtly and shouldn’t look unnatural; just perform a simple open-hands gesture. 2) The Colour – Blue and red are statistically the most frequently chosen, and both responses are provided for in the text (see “Use Your Outs” later). 3) The Perspective – Standing at the back! Considering most cinemas have their entrances at the rear and you have only just arrived, this is almost a given. Your view of the cinema is almost certainly going to include the screen, and the fact that you can also see a person in the front row logically limits your viewing perspectives. 4) The Seats – The seats you looked at would hopefully have been red. This is a stereotype of old-fashioned cinemas, yet is still surprisingly impacting. There is also another subtlety which is at play here; remember you read “rows of seats”, which sounds like rose, which (luckily for us) are typically red. 5) The Person – This almost certainly has to be a male! How many times have you seen a woman alone in a cinema? You also state this person is a male whilst seemingly asking the question: “This person is a male or female?” 6) The Age – This is likely to be an older person roughly in their fifties. The period suggested by “old-fashioned cinema” bears associations with an older generation. Referring to the person as a “gentleman” also suggests venerability and maturity over youth and inexperience. 7) The Glasses – The odds are stacked in favour of glasses, however deliberately ambiguous wording actually allows you to work either response into a hit (see “Use Your Outs” later). Chances are that the person would have
75 been wearing glasses, based on the fact that older people tend to have poorer eyesight than younger people. 8) The Film Clip – Chances are very high that you would have thought of one of the following: an old fashioned car, a train or a horse. This is due to your mention of something (not someone) travelling at high speed across the screen. This has a tendency to sway people towards a form of transport. Steam trains are also commonly associated with films of the era. 9) Colour or Black and White – This would have been a black and white film because, once again, an old-fashioned mindset comes into play. 10) The Others – The cinema was probably empty, other than the gentleman in the front row. Remember, you had asked the spectator only to imagine one person sitting in the front row by saying someone. You also reference the person (singular) at a later point, which will strengthen this suggestion. By not mentioning others in the cinema, you indirectly suggest their absence. With all of these questions and careful presentation, the odds are heavily stacked in your favour, but even the most attentive spectator is unlikely to score a 100% hit-rate. What then? Don’t Worry: What if your spectator doesn’t answer all of the questions correctly? No problem, we are about to explore how we can re-frame our spectator’s answers to fit what is written on the page. The re-framing is made possible in three ways. A) There are several outs, which are cleverly concealed within the text, which will allow you to adapt the information they give to fit the page (see “Use Your Outs” later). B) There are lots of details in the text. Only the matching details make an impact. You will find people have a tendency to pick up on the hits and skip over the misses. This predisposition to forget minor inconsistencies is an observation played on by cold-readers posing as psychics. You can aid the process by drawing attention to the correct answers they give and playing down bad responses as throwaway points. Don’t forget, a few misses will not impact Between the Lines
76 A Piece Of My Mind the overall effect. C) Chances are that your spectator won’t remember every detail they are asked. Before you show the spectator the page, you will offer to recap the information given to you and, in doing so, you will summarise all of the hits. This way, all the correct information they give is freshest in their mind and any incorrect information is more likely to be forgotten. Reflecting On The Answers: The more you get to know this effect, the more you’ll come to appreciate the involvement on the performer’s part to interact with and guide your spectator in order to elicit the best responses. Note that the form of questioning is very closed. You’re effectively guiding your spectator with your question structures and statements. (For example, if you were to ask, “Do you see horses?” you’re far more likely to find there are horses than if you were to ask an open question such as, “Tell me more about what you see on screen.”) 1) “Just tell me what the weather’s doing.” Should they say it is raining, comment on it: “You’re getting bad, wet weather.” Should they say sunny, then don’t comment. 2) “What is the first colour that comes to mind?” Should they have said raining and the colour blue, comment on it: “You’re getting wet rainy weather and the colour blue?” Should they have said sunny and blue, comment: “You’re getting blue skies and the colour blue associated with the cinema?” Should they say red, then don’t comment at this moment but remember the colour. Should they say any other colour then don’t comment. 3) “Are you looking at this person from behind or in front?” Should they say behind, reply: “So that means you’re standing at the back of the cinema?” This is a leading question that gives an answer linking nicely with the
77 text. Should they say front (unlikely), then don’t comment. 4) “If you are looking at them from behind then you can see the rows of seats… What colour are they?” Note that if red was the first colour that came to mind, you shouldn’t ask this question, as you’ve already got the hit (see “Use Your Outs” later). 5) “This person is a male or female?” Should they say male, then comment on it; “A gentleman.” Should they say a female (very rare), then immediately move on to the next question. 6) “Roughly how old would you say this person is?” Should they say fifties or sixties and have said male to the previous question, then comment, “The gentleman is roughly fifty or sixty-ish.” Should they say fifties or sixties and female, then comment as above without mentioning the sex. Should they mention a younger age, then state, “You’re getting the impression of a younger person…” Should they mention a much older person, then simply state, “You’re getting impressions of an older person?” 7) “Move now so that you can face this person… Are they wearing glasses?” Should they mention that they wear glasses, then mention, “They wear glasses.” Should they say they aren’t wearing glasses, say, “They aren’t wearing glasses.” (See “Use Your Outs” later.) 8) “What happened in the clip?” There are a number of answers here however should they mention: A Train - Then state: “You see a train on the screen?” A Car - Then state: “You see a car shooting across the screen?” Horses - Then state: “You’re picking up a strong link with horses from this page?” Gunfire - Then state: “You see bullet shapes speeding past the screen?” Between the Lines
78 A Piece Of My Mind Wild West - Then state: “Do you see horses? Any guns? Are they firing them?” For any other comment not related to transport or something similar, then don’t comment. 9) “Was the film in black and white or colour?” Should they state that the film is in black and white, comment, “An older black and white film?” Should they state that the film is in colour then don’t comment. 10) “Was this person alone in the cinema or were there many others in there?” Should they state that this person was alone, then comment, “Pretty strange for a cinema?” Should they state that there are others there, then don’t comment. Thinking On Your Feet: The more you perform this effect, the more you will begin to think on your feet. You will get to the point that you are so familiar with the story on the page that a comment or wrong answer given by your spectator may be utilised at another point or adapted to fit. A recent example of such went as follows: Performer – “What happened in the clip?” Spectator – “It was a hold up at a bank with shooting and people were running scared.” Performer – “Move the film forward a little. What happens when the robbers get outside?” Spectator – “They jump into a getaway car and speed off!” Performer – “So you get a car speeding off and bullets?” This example hopefully illustrates how we can almost squeeze the information we need from the spectator!
79 Use Your Outs: There are several outs subtly hidden within the text. Let’s take a closer look at those. You ask the spectator to name the colour after they have entered the cinema; this allows you to use their answer in two ways. If they named blue, then as you re-frame the answers you will state you associated the colour blue with the cinema and will later show them the line: “The cold blue paint…” Should they have named the colour red, then as you recap you will state that as they entered the cinema standing at the back, they pictured the colour red as they looked down towards the front. You will later show them the line: “... looked down across the red velvet seats.” There is a lot of leeway with the age of the person in the front row. Typically people will say the person is in their fifties, however should they say mid-forties or early sixties, then you will be covered with “fifty something”. The fact that you have “he looked much younger” included in the text also covers younger ages, too. This wording gives you ample room to play, depending on the answer given. Notice also how the reference to the glasses is non-specific: “Perhaps it was because his glasses now lay folded on top of his coat.” If they pick up on glasses, they are clearly present in the text. If they say the person is not wearing glasses, you confirm with “they aren’t wearing glasses.” Again, this is true in the text. Note how we can play upon the subtle difference between whether someone wears glasses and whether they are wearing glasses to make either answer into a hit. There are a lot of outs covered in the film clip text. A car and a train are both covered. The train is in the main body of page 103 and the car can be found in the final paragraph of page 104, subtly linked with the idea of shooting and bullets should they have mentioned this. Should they mention another form of transport, then you have the general transport theme. If they mention horses and or cart then you can comment, “You got a transport theme but also horses linked with the book,” and in doing so you can later point out the title of the Between the Lines
80 A Piece Of My Mind book: Seven Steel Horses. Extras: Should horses be mentioned as you ask about the film clip, then ask quickly and forcefully, “Between one and ten, how many horses are there?” Should they say seven (statistically the most likely choice), then as you recap you are able to boldly state, “You picked up a strong connection between seven horses and this page!” This will later give the spectator the impression that they have somehow managed to pick up on the title of the book! Recapping: The spectator has now answered all of the questions, and in your mind you have evaluated their answers and where necessary have adapted them to fit. You are now going to recap the information given to you and at the same time twist it a little further in a rather subtle way. This re-framing process will change the way your spectators remember the effect. “Now let’s recap all of the information you have given me. If I include any extra information or make up any of your answers, then please stop me! “All I asked you to do was to imagine a cinema, and you created a scene in your mind, including the following...” Notice you mention that you will recap all of the information given, however you are only recapping the information that hit. This will fly by your spectator every time! A point you neglect to mention is that you asked your spectator to imagine an old-fashioned cinema but only mention the word cinema in the recap. This helps to change the way a spectator will remember the effect and also works to your advantage should someone join the group at the end of the effect. Should the spectator have said that it was a male sitting in the front row, as you mention the person state that: “You saw a gentleman sitting in the front row.” The more you do this, the more you will find that you can subtly alter the things people say to match the exact text on the page.
81 Should the spectator have mentioned that the movie was in black and white, state that: “You imagined a black and white film without sound?” In all of the times I have performed the effect, I have never once been questioned on this! You will now talk through the scene that you had asked the spectator to imagine, including only the hits and information that you can work into the outs in the story. An example might read something like this: “Right, so we went into the cinema and the colour red came to mind. You found yourself standing at the back of the room and you could see a gentleman in the front row and he was, in fact, the only one there. When you took a closer look at the gentleman, you said he wasn’t wearing glasses and was in his late forties, but definitely younger than fifty. On the screen you saw a car chase with vintage cars flying by.” A spectator listening to this will be amazed by its accuracy. In fact, the above spectator scored only about 70% of the available hits, emphasising the importance of selectively recapping the information they give in making the effect stand out. The Revelation: After the re-framing and recapping processes, you are now ready to ask the spectator to quietly read the page with you. You are going to get them to skim through the text, stopping only at the correct details. To do this you will point at each line in turn, reading the correct information aloud. This will not only help the other spectators realise how successful this was, it will also help change the way the spectator will remember the events. What if: I have only ever experienced one spectator (a fellow magician/mentalist) who I would have got less than a 75% hit rate with this text. After asking the first three or four questions, I was getting some poor responses. At first I thought that the effect was about to fall flat on its face, but then it struck me: another gentleman was by his side and so I asked him, “What impressions are Between the Lines
82 A Piece Of My Mind you getting?” His answers were the opposite of his friend and were indeed the exact hits I was looking for. I quickly changed tack and mentioned that some people are better at this than others and had the page handed over, following through the effect with him instead. Upon further reflection, the fact that both people answered differently made more of an impact to the effect. This happened in the early days of testing, and should anyone experience this very same situation, I would suggest that you still get the second spectator involved in the effect by using either the Triangle/ Circle force (see “Optional Extensions”, “A Simple Shape”) or the watch idea (see “Watch Force”). Optional Extensions: Whilst the effect as described above is how I choose to perform it, I have nevertheless included a number of optional extras you may choose to use at your discretion as an extension to the routine. By all means, add to and adapt these ideas to fit your unique style, and if you come across any presentations you wish to share, don’t forget to let me know! Word Force: Just a few months before writing these instructions I was in a bar with my good friend Jonathan Pickard (who has helped me immensely with this piece!), and together we stumbled on a rather unique way of forcing a word from a page that I shall now share with you. Please note that the following force must be done nonchalantly and no emphasis must be placed on it! This is only to be used as an added extra or spooky coincidence! Ask that a spectator hold out his hand (see Figure 1). Gesture with your hand in the same way to ensure that your spectator copies! With your thumb over the word or words to be forced (see Figure 2), hand him the page, making sure that your thumb tip touches theirs. Figure 1 - The spectator holds out their hand, copying your demonstration.
83 Figure 2 - The page is transferred to the spectator (top right). Your thumb tips briefly touch before you release the page. They are then holding the page at the position you forced. At this point the spectator will close the gap between their thumb and index finger, taking hold of the page. At this point all attention must be cast away from them. I personally use this opportunity to perform the Triangle/Circle force (see “A Simple Shape”) on a second spectator and, only after a suitable (time misdirection) delay, will reveal that the original spectator has somehow managed to place their thumb between the very same symbols! As mentioned above, this will only work providing you only gesture with your hand for the positioning of the spectator’s hand. Don’t say, “Hold your hand like this.” You must also apply the correct time misdirection so that the spectator forgets how they were handed the page. The Triangle/Circle force on a second spectator will be sufficient! You must also take care that the spectator holding the page does not change its position. If you are concerned, then you can always occupy his other hand with the watch (see “Watch force”). A Playing Card: The reverse page (104) also contains two references to a playing card — an added extra you may wish to incorporate. If you ask your spectator for a simple shape and they say triangle (a likely choice), you can have them draw a triangle on the back of a small brown envelope. Force the Queen of Hearts and Between the Lines Figure 1 Figure 2
84 A Piece Of My Mind have it placed into the envelope without revealing it. “We’ll come back to that later.” As a finale, you may have them read aloud paragraph four on the reverse. The combination of the triangle on the envelope and the forced playing card is astonishingly strong, far more so than either revelation alone. Should you wish to use the Queen of Hearts without the shape or envelope, it has been included on its own further up the page. Such a sure-fire addition can give performers still gaining experience with the effect something on which to fall back on. A Simple Shape: Many of you will be familiar with the Triangle/Circle force. If not, I recommend you pick up a copy of Psychological Subtleties 1 or 2 (see “Further Reading”). As an added feature we have included these two shapes within the text of page 104. This will allow you to force the two shapes. However, instead of one being inside the other as in Banachek’s version, one is above the other. Both are positioned close to the centre of page 104. A Number Between One And Ten: When asked to think of a number between 1 and 10, the most frequently occurring numbers statistically are 7 and 3. The title of the book is Seven Steel Horses and the chapter is Chapter Three. These can be found on the top of pages 104 and 103, respectively. The number 6 is also present in the first paragraph of page 103 as a time: 6 o’clock. Were you to ask for a number between one and ten, there is therefore more than a 1 in 3 chance of scoring a significant hit. Watch Force: Bev Bergeron has a fantastic effect titled “Predicting Time” (found in Mind Mysteries Vol. 1 – see “Recommended Viewing”), which allows you to secretly force a time on a spectator whilst they (seemingly randomly) set the hands of a borrowed watch. This allows you to reveal that a random time set by another spectator somehow manages to match the page number (1:03 PM converts to
85 page 103). This also gives you a leeway of one minute, as there are two sides to the page! In Conclusion: I can appreciate that at first glance this seems like a lot to take in; however in performance you are only asking the spectator ten questions. These questions follow the natural path of the story, so by knowing the questions you will know the story and vice versa. You will quickly learn to think on your feet and, in doing so, will find that this will help you with other effects, too. Don’t be put off by the emphasis these instructions place on all the psychological subtleties. The bulk of the work has already been done for you in the preparation of the page, and many of the points made here are just ways of turning a good effect into a great effect. I recommend you familiarise yourself with the page to learn where your outs and information lie. Despite not needing any sleight of hand to perform, the effect is still far from self-working and the onus is very much on the performer to make this effect work at its best for the audience. That said, what may at first appear as a very bold and daring effect has been the subject of unanimous praise from audiences and mentalists alike. BTL Paper: For those who are looking for the ideal paper to print a copy of the BTL page upon, then look no further than a cheap book store. Most paperback books have additional blank pages at the back which can be carefully torn out and printed upon. To do this, print a test page on an A4 sheet and then carefully align your torn-out page with the printed text. If you place both sheets onto a window and allow the natural light to shine through, you will be able to see the printed text through the torn-out page. You can now use some clear Scotch tape to lightly stick the torn page to the printed page, allowing you to re-run it through the printer a second time. If you now repeat this with the opposite side, you will be left with a highly Between the Lines
86 A Piece Of My Mind authentic-looking book page. DIY BTL: For those who have taken a shine to this routine, I would strongly suggest that you head over to YouTube and do a search for Family Fortunes (Family Feud in the US). Family Fortunes was a UK game show whereby contestants had to guess the top answers to a series of questions which were posed to the general public. The beauty of this show is that it provides us, the mentalists, with a whole host of ready-made “psychological forces”. The hard work has very much been done for us; all that remains to do is to put these into a context that makes sense to our audiences. So, what are you waiting for? Head over to YouTube now! Visual BTL: Quite some time ago I had the idea to make a self-working visual version of the “Between the Lines” effect. I will warn you that DVD authoring skills will be needed to produce this. If you aren’t technically minded you may skip over this section. To do this you will need to create a series of videos that all start with the same first frame in shot, and each of these will become a visual out which can be used depending on the spectator’s choices. If you now create a menu screen that has a visual backdrop, matching the same initial frame, it should appear that you have a paused video. If you now add some menu buttons to this, but have them situated below the visible screen, each of these can now be linked with a different out. With this you can then ask a spectator what they believe happens next in the video (a choice which is dictated by the outs you have filmed). Upon hearing their reply, you can use the DVD remote to secretly access the relevant “hidden” menu button and you can press play to reveal that the spectator’s choice was correct. By creating additional menu pages which match the last frame of each of the videos, you can give yourself an endless
87 stream of video outs from which to choose. This should appear that you are pausing and playing the same video between the spectator’s choices. I sincerely hope that this makes some sort of sense to someone. Between the Lines
88 A Piece Of My Mind
89 Pause for Thought...
90 A Piece Of My Mind
The Inversion Technique
92 A Piece Of My Mind Introduction: Many years ago I witnessed a good friend of mine, Graeme Shaw, demonstrate the John Cornelius “Thought Transmitter”. Although the product itself was very good, I was far more impressed by the “Spectator as Mind Reader” slant that Graeme had just performed. This approach (which is direct from the instructions) is rather simple. You state that you will attempt to send the spectator a thought in the form of a single word. You then request that the spectator write the first word that pops into their mind upon the peek device. After secretly gaining knowledge of the spectator’s word, you conclude by verbally announcing this word as the one of which you were thinking. The beauty of this approach lies within its versatility. Take a few moments to consider any of your routines which require a peek and I’m sure you will see how this technique may be applied. This simple shift in focus makes a huge difference to how the audience perceives the effect, and since the spectator is the star of the show, it never fails to elevate the reaction. I’m positive that after trying the “Inversion Technique” just once you will grow to love it just as much as I do! Real World Example: I was once at a friend’s party when the subject of Derren’s abilities cropped up. Naturally this caught my attention, and it wasn’t long before I was asked to give a little demonstration. After performing “Jazz Mentalism” (a five-for-five ESP matching effect), one of the young ladies from the group approached me. This lady suggested to me that she was very intuitive and asked if she could try the same thing with me (in reversed roles). Obliging her request, I handed her five ESP cards, keeping the other five for myself. I informed her that I had a symbol in mind and asked her to commit to one of hers by placing it face down upon the table. After reading the mark from the back of her card, I placed the matching card from my set onto the table behind hers. This process was then repeated with the four remaining
93 cards. As far as method goes this couldn’t get any easier, yet as “she” revealed each matching pair in succession, the crowd stood there in complete awe. There was no doubt that this had left a deep impression upon all concerned. Despite getting a great reaction, I was even more enamoured with the closing words that my spectator chose to give to her boyfriend; she rather excitedly exclaimed, “See, I told you I had a gift.” These words confirmed to me that the intended shift had been accepted, and I knew then that I had only just scratched the surface with this technique. Before we leave this topic, I wish to add that this technique is very much a two-way stream, and so for those that do not favour the spectator-as-mindreader approach, you can simply reverse the roles just as easily. The Inversion Technique
94 A Piece Of My Mind
Making Mentalism Memorable
96 A Piece Of My Mind Overview: As performers we would like to believe that every effect we perform will leave a lasting impression upon our audience. In reality, despite our best efforts, people will return to their everyday lives, whereupon the memories will fade as the stresses and strains of everyday life take hold once more. Fortunately, there is a rather simple technique that we can employ to help safeguard the experience for our spectators. Simply put, you will ask them to take a photograph. Think about it. People take photographs on an almost daily basis and they do this for two reasons. Either the image they capture will be shown to their friends so that they can better share their thoughts and experiences with them, or they will store them away for future viewing, during which they will be instantly reminded of someone or something. Now, I’m not suggesting that you pose for photographs with your spectators, however if you ask them to remove their camera phone prior to making a revelation, this will allow them to capture the moment once the revelation has been made. With very little imagination your predictions could even be recorded upon the spectator’s phone as a photographic image, allowing the image itself to become part of the revelation. Better still if they are written upon your business card with your contact details clearly visible. Real World Example: I recall frequenting my local drinking establishment when a rather intoxicated young lady threw her arms around me. She quickly removed her phone, and just when I thought she was attempting to give me her number, she produced an old photograph on her mobile. The image was of her and her boyfriend standing behind a table. Spread across the table were two matching sets of ESP cards. It was immediately apparent that I had performed “Tattle Tailed” for her at some point. Pleased that she had kept the photograph on her mobile, I enquired as to whether they were still together (secretly hoping that my performance had
97 cemented their relationship enough for them to marry). Instead she yelled out, “Hell no, he was an arsehole.” What can I say? You can’t win them all! A Prime Example: For a great commercial example of this principle in use, please check out the “Infallible” effect by my good friend Mark Elsdon. Making Mentalism Memorable
98 A Piece Of My Mind
On the Level
100 A Piece Of My Mind On the Level: When working for an intimate group, it is almost impossible to predict the belief structure of those present. Openly claiming psychic ability could lead to the firing up of psychological barriers between the performer and the spectators. Conversely, belittling the work of psychics to someone who has perhaps invested heavily in readings may also cause some issues for the performer, too. Whilst groups of friends will often have a tendency to sit “on the same side of the fence”, I always find it wise to ask questions regarding their beliefs before making any claims. What follows is my simple approach to this, which not only serves to address this issue, but also helps to build rapport from the beginning. The basis for the thinking behind this is equivoque; however as you will soon see, I use this in a rather unconventional fashion. For the sake of explanation, let us assume that I am going to present an ESP demonstration for your spectators. To check their belief system, I will open with the following: “I’m going to ask you a rather personal question. If you do not wish to answer this for any reason then that is fine by me. I would also like you to be aware that I won’t be offended by your answer either way. “The question I would like to ask is as follows: Do you believe in telepathy, or do you consider this to be a load of rubbish?” Should the spectator confirm that they do believe, then I will continue with the following: “Perfect, then you will be open-minded as to what we are about to do. I often find that those that don’t believe tend to fire up psychological barriers, making it almost impossible to succeed in tests like these.” Should the spectator reply that they don’t believe, then I will continue: “Perfect, if the truth be known I don’t believe either. What I do find interesting, however, is the outcome of these experiments. When working for those that believe, I often find that they have in their minds some sort of preconceived idea