/*

It___Sn 4 4
Burton Sperber
presents

MIRACLES
OF MY FRIENDS

Malibu, California
Copyright 1982 by Burton S. Sperber.

Printed in the United States of America. This book is fondly dedicated to the late

MAURY LEAF
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or
by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and and my aunt, Kay, the wife of Maury Leaf,
retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except who was the uncle who started me in magic,
by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.
and
Edited by Leo Behnke three gentlemen we started to have in this book
but lost along the way --
Published by Burton S. Sperber, KUDA BUX - 5 February, 1981
Malibu, California
RAY HAFLER - 21 September, 1981

FRED SHIELDS - 19 January, 1982

First edition.

Copy . 0 9 6 of 750 copies.

 FOREWORD

As you may have read in the dedication, this book is partly writ-
ten in the memory of my uncle, Maury Leaf, the man who got me
interested in magic and helped instill some of its finer points in
my magic. He was a good man to learn from as he made each
subject very interesting. I say each subject because besides
being a magician and having a magic shop for a while, he was
also an important inventor and a fine artist. He was not only a
regular performer at the Magic Castle, but the Castle has two of
his paintings hanging in prominent areas. Part of my edcuation
from him was to make sure that the smallest details were
accounted for, because that was the only way the entire project
would run smoothly.

I have also had great support (for 33 years, but who's count-
ing?) from my wife Charlene, and our four children. If you're
married, then you're familiar with the type of craziness that a
wife endures in a marriage with magic and mentalism. Thank
you, family, I love you.

My preferences in the field of mystery are for the mental

mysteries using psychological choices and the subtle prin-
ciples from Corinda's 13 Steps to Mentalism. When they hit
they are most satisfying to me as well as being very strong.
The personal challenge to me of having to be right without
recourse to any "outs" is every bit as exciting as it is for
another man to make a hang-glider flight. My interest in
mentalism also enters into my business life and has been a
genuine help to me. It has benefited me greatly in dealing
with people in the times of decision-making, it's helped in
the use of numbers and calculations, understanding CONTENTS
people's choices in advance, and predicting the circumstan-
ces. You might say that I've been a successful mentalist
Heathin'
Max Abrams
doing business as a contractor.
Leo Behnke Psychic Pieces

I belong to the Delta Group, an informal club of mentalists in Kuda Bux A Blindfold Method

Hollywood, and most of those members have contributed to Robert Dorian The Professional Mentalist:
The State of the Art 1982
this book. Some of my friends have given tricks, others have
submitted their opinions about our craft. I think there is some- Henry Fields Mentalism: The Plausible Impossibility

thing here for everyone and I hope you'll be pleased with the Ed Fowler Professionalism
results—I am. Also, special thanks to Leo Behnke who worked
Phil Goldstein Dateline
very hard bringing all the material together for me. I wanted to Ray Grismer

Lucky Lock
make a worthwhile contribution to mentalism in return for all Handy
the good it has given me through the years. I have also included
Ray W. Haller Image Perception
three very strong effects. They have served me well, and I hope Bascom Jones

Magic vs. Mentalism
you like them, as well as the rest of the work of my friends.
Impromptu Ultra Slate Message
Gerald Kosky
A very special Thank You to the contributors, each and every Surprise Prediction
one of you, for what I believe to be some of the very best of men- Thanks to John Hamilton
talism to date: some very profound statements, some great Travel Agent

tricks, and sound philosophies. I hope all of you are as happy Jules Lenier Thanks for the Memory
with the book as I am. Cutting Thought
1248
I am proud to call you my Friends—thanks for the Miracles. Unflappable Switch
Instant Bill-Reading
Burton S. Sperber Ten Penny Impromptu Quickie

Dennis Marks Here's Looking At You, Sweetheart;
or, Miracles in Mylar

Stephen Minch Notes Against Orthodoxy

Carroll Priest Tau Mind Power

Burton S. Sperber Believable
Chips
Mind Master

Sandy Spillman Your Basic Birthday

Jack Kent Tillar Mirror Madness

Tom Tucker Concerning the Pass

T. A. Waters The Crimson Count
Cartomanic
MIRACLES OF MY FRIENDS
 HEATHIN'
MAX

AB RAMS
Here is a telepathy effect in which two spectators think of a
number reached at random, and your prediction (or direct
divination) matches that number. The effect can be repeated
very effectively immediately.
Obtain a set of Heath Dice, now known as the Phenomenon
BORN: 1935 in New York or Phenomen Dice, made of wood in Germany. Each of the six
PROFESSION: Lawyer faces of the five dice has a different three-digit number.
HOME: Los Angeles, California Although there are numerous possible results, you need mem-
orize only four numbers related to the color of the dice. Each
number is equal to the horizontal value of the digits on each
face of that div. So, Black= 12, Green= 15, Yellow= 17, and
Blue= 18. The Red also equals 15, but this one you will use as a
sample, otherwise the special repeat feature would be
Max first became interested in magic at about eliminated.
age eight, but then became serious about it when To begin the routine, point out the different numbers on the
he was twelve, always leaning toward mental sample Red die. "Here is 285, here's 483, here's 780--all dif-
ferent." Hold onto the Red die as you ask two spectators to each
and psychic effects. He has a busy law practice in choose a die. Remember which color each one picks, using a
Los Angeles but has found time to publish a num- peek if the action is being done behind your back. Let's sup-
ber of books and manuscripts. These have pose Mr. A takes the Black die and Mr. B gets the Yellow
included "Fifth Dimensional Telepathy," one.
For the first part of the routine let's work the secret formula
"Annemann's $50.00 Manuscript," and a yet to be by starting with Mr. A's Black die and its value of 12. Since the
released book, based on Max's very successful Yellow has a value of 17, you figure the following equation in
lecture, titled "Annemann the Enigma." matrix addition:
Add '0' to the first number and place the second below
12+0=120
17
16 Miracles of My Friends J Abrams 17

Add the two together and get your result NOTES

I prefer to use the telepathic approach in doing the effect. Give
120 your helpers the pad and stand away from them. Direct each
17 one and let that person write down his own digit, then giving the
137 pad to the other assistant. After they add the column of two-
digit numbers you concentrate and give them the total.
Write 137 as your prediction. Remember, use only two spectators, and don't let them use
Now, to get your assistants to arrive at the same total ask the Green and Red together. Those two can only add up to 165,
each of them to think of one of the sides of his die, then to con- no matter which spectator goes first.
centrate on just one of the three digits on that side. Ask Mr. A For earlier information on the Heath dice, see Heath's
first, "Which digit are you thinking about?" Let's say he an- original trick and a Verne Chesbro follow-up in the pages of J.G.
swers with "Four," then write down a 4. When you ask Mr. B for Thompson's My Best
his digit, suppose he replies "One." Then you put 1 after the 4 to
make 41. Have each of them now give you each of the other two
digits, alternating one at a time, making a two-digit number
each time. At the end your pad may look like this:
41
77
19

These, or whatever combination they give you, will add up to

137 no matter which sequence they choose to give you their
digits.
At this point you can disclose your prediction, or exert your
ESP and divine the final total, or even "mentally" direct them
when they add the numbers, like "That's 17; put down the 7 and
carry the 1 ..."
Now point out that if they had "thought of the very same
numbers in a different order." the result would, of course, be
different. Invite them to try it again and casually ask Mr. B to
"begin again and give me the first digit." This means that this
time the formula will work as:
170
12
182
and that your final answer will be 182.
 LEO PSYCHIC PIECES

BEHNKE
You show a complete section of the local newspaper consist-
ing of 20 to 24 pages. Handing a large pair of scissors to some-
one in the audience you ask him to cut out part of the
newspaper; he can select any area of the sheet, make it about
1933 in Hollywood, California four by five inches in size, and he is to cut through ALL the
BORN:
Magician and writer pages of the paper. When he has cut out his section of the news
PROFESSION:
you take the pieces and divide them in half. Either packet is
HOME: North Hollywood, California
eliminated, and then one piece is selected from the remaining
packet. Returning to your table you pick up a pad and scribble
on it. When the spectator describes what is printed on her
piece, it matches your description.
Ever since he learned his first magic tricks he
METHOD
has been involved in magic, but not always as a
Buy two duplicate newspapers and take out the second section
performer. After leaving the navy he opened of one. Open it out flat on the table, keep the three outside
Merlin's Magic Shop in Disneyland and worked double-page sheets and discard the rest. Take the same sec-
there for six years. He went to Europe with John tion of the second newspaper, remove the same three outside
Daniel (doing their three-trick stage routine), and double-pages, and place them on the top of the opened first set.
Close all the pages and you now have a twenty-four page sec-
worked Mark Wilson's "Magic Land of AllaKazam" tion of newspaper consisting of 12 pages duplicated.
for four years. He did years of trade shows (before To complete your prop list get a large pair of scissors, a pad,
they used so many magicians), hand inserts for and a pencil or marker.
movies and TV commercials, and the first of many
ROUTINE
books on and about magic. He created two TV
Pick up the newspaper and open it in a couple of places to
series with magic as a theme, and was technical show that this section has a great variety of printed material—
advisor and teacher for magic episodes in other articles, photographs, ads, cartoons, graphs, and all kinds of
series. words.
20 Miracles of My Friends Behnke 21

Hand the scissors to someone and ask him to cut out a sec- NOTE
tion of the paper, but through all the pages. For example, he can This is not original; it's just my handling of a great principle that
cut off all the upper right hand corners, the center of one edge, (as far as I know) has been forgotten for about 50 years, and
or a hunk right out of the center of the page if he wishes. Hold there are a number of different ways to handle the divination.
the newspaper for the spectator so he can cut out an area about One is to pick up the newspaper and, by skimming all the
four by five inches through all the pages. Take back the pages, try to deduct which hole fits the spectator's piece. You
scissors, and put them and the newspaper on your table. then read the lead-in to the part the spectator is holding.
Spread the pieces between your hands, quickly count down Another way is to have an assistant do all the handling while
six pieces from the top, and separate the packet into two parts. you're blindfolding yourself, and then peek at the duplicate
Holding up the two groups you ask another spectator which piece when it's dropped in front of you. Or you can have the
bundle of pieces are to be eliminated, and which ever is named spectator read a keyword out loud from her piece and you verb-
is dropped on the newspaper. alize the gist of the remainder. If there aren't any words printed
The pieces you now hold are two groups of duplicates. From on her piece, it works just as well because you can give your
the top, pieces 1, 2, and 3 are duplicated in turn by pieces 4, 5, impressions of lines and pictures, light and dark shapes. It will
and 6. In other words, piece 2 is duplicated by piece 5, and be just as strong.
piece 3 is duplicated by piece 6.
Spread the pieces a little, lift off the top piece, show it on both
sides as you remark about how each side of each piece is dif-
ferent, and replace it—but turned over from the way it was
originally. Now step forward and ask someone to choose one of
the pieces. Have her simply slide it out onto the palm of her left
hand and cover it with her right hand until you're ready for the
next step. (Because you've turned over piece 1, if she pulls out
piece 4, the duplicate of 1, she won't see the same graphics on
top of the pile.) As you return to your table cut the stack of
pieces so the duplicate of the chosen piece goes to the bottom
of the stack. Naturally, if she takes piece 4, then you don't do
anything because the chosen selection is looking up at you! If,
however, she doesn't take piece 4, casually turn the stack over
as you drop it on the newspaper and memorize the general
contents of the duplicate piece that is facing you as you pick up
the pad and pencil.
Step forward and direct your helper to lift her right hand, lift
up the piece of paper, and read what is on the side that you
couldn't possibly have seen. When she has done that, gather in
her thought waves and generally describe the impression you
got from your duplicate piece.
 A BLINDFOLD METHOD
KU DA
BUX
(Kuda had become close to Burton Sperber and
his wife, Charlene, during the years he lived near
the Magic Castle. There were trips, dinners, and
long conversations about all kinds of subjects,
especially mentalism. Unfortunately, Kuda died
BORN: 1905 in Pakistan before his contribution to this book could be put

PROFESSION: Performer together, so we offer the following under his
name. For 50 years he was the leader in the pre-
sentation of the act of "seeing without the use of
eyes," and the following text is a very good way
to do that act. It is NOT an expose' of his act, but a
tribute to the skill and showmanship he was
Kuda has played in all kinds of locales around famous for.)
the world but he first made international news in
England in the early 30's. That was when he first First is a description of the materials needed to apparently
walked over a ten-foot bank of hot coals. He obscure your vision, and the proper way to have them applied.
repeated the feat years later in New York but it The dimensions may vary slightly depending on the size of your
was his exploits while blindfolded that have face and head, and only practice will determine just what is
required. The application of the blindfold is done by two or
gained him the most publicity. Even knowledge- three spectators, preferably doctors or nurses.
able magicians have admitted bafflement after The first items required are two wads of malleable substance
watching Kuda Bux do one of his amazing blind- to cover the eyes, like bread dough or soft modeling clay. Each
fold routines. Like Houdini, there will probably pad should be about 1/4 inch thick and three inches square.
Next there are the wrappings used to hold the bread dough
never be another performer like him. pads in place and to cover the head. These strips are made of
cheese cloth which must be dyed light tan or light blue to pre-
vent reflected glare from the lights. The cheapest grade of
24 Miracles of My Friends Bux 25

cheese cloth, being very coarse, is the best for this purpose. ROUTINE
Open the cloth out until it is of single thickness. Cut out six Although it looks as though a committee of spectators applies
pieces twenty-eight inches long bythirty-six inches wide (Figure the blindfold, the placing of the pads and the cloths is con-
1). Each piece is folded in half three times (Figures 2, 3, and 4) until trolled entirely by you, the spectators only doing the tying. Seat
you have six strips that are thirty-six inches long by three and yourself at center stage, facing the audience. Place the folded
one-half inches wide. From the rest of the cloth cut a piece cloths in your lap, a thick one on the bottom, the thin one above
thirty-six inches long by seven inches wide (Figure 5), and fold it that, and the other five thick strips on top. The two pads are
in half lengthwise only once (Figure 6). placed on the stack of cloths. The committee is directed to
You now have two pads of bread dough, six lengths of cloth stand one on each side and one behind you, so the audience
eight layers thick, and one strip two layers thick. can see everything.
Place the two pads over your eyes (Figure 7). Tilt your head
backwards to keep them in place, or have one of the spectators
r r- hold them. HERE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT DETAIL OF THE
SECRET. YOUR EYES MUST BE HELD VERY TIGHTLY SHUT
DURING THE PLACEMENT OF THE DOUGH AND THE WRAP-
PING OF THE CLOTHS. KEEP THE EYES AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE
ALL DURING THE BLINDFOLDING PROCEDURE.

2 8"-vd I-, 14H

Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3

Fig. 7 Fig. 8 Fig. 9

36"
Place the first cloth (a thick one) directly over the eye pads
and have it tied behind your head (Figure 8). The tighter the strips
are tied, the better vision you will have as the end result, and all
of the strips are tied behind your head except for the one put
under your chin. The second band (thick) is placed diagonally
31/2 H
over the left eye and tied (Figure 9). The third one (thick) is

placed diagonally over the right eye and tied (Figure 10). The

Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 6 fourth cloth (thick) is placed over the mouth and upper lip, just
26 Miracles of My Friends Bux 27

slightly below the nose, and tied in place (Figure 11). The fifth An interesting variation of putting on the blindfold is to fold
one (thick) is placed around the chin and tied on top of the the strips just before they are tied in place. This means the thick
head (Figure 12). cloths are only prefolded to the seven by thirty-six inch size
The sixth strip is very important. It is placed so the lower edge (Figure 3). Then during the performance, just before putting
folds under the end and to each side of the nose. It should be them in place for tying, they are folded in half to the three and
stretched slightly and tied tightly behind the head (Figure 13). one-half inch by thirty-six inch size(Figure 4). This shows the
The seventh strip is placed over the forehead and tied (Figurel4). audience that the strips are folded and must therefore be
This cloth covers the wrinkling of the forehead when your eyes opaque.
are opened. Also, as this last strip is held and tied your thumbs Proper lighting is essential in order to see clearly with this
press against cloth number six, stretching the fibers just below blindfolding method. Never attempt to perform this version
and to each side of the nose. This will take very little pressure, without first testing the lighting. Direct lighting such as un-
as cheese cloth is a very loosely woven material. covered lightbulbs must be avoided, and if you perform on a
You must now open your eyes as wide as possible, wrinkling stage the flood lights must be turned off. Any direct light will
your forehead as you do so. You can see down along the sides cause a glare and you will not see through the layers of the
of your nose, hindered only slightly by the two layers of the thin cloth. Indirect light is ideal, and it is best not to use spot-
strip of cloth, especially where you have stretched the fibers of lights. -
the material with your thumbs.
THE BLACKBOARD TEST
The blackboard is set on an easel so the top edge is at chin
level. A spectator is asked to write or print any word in any
language on the blackboard, and it is to be written clearly and
large enough for the audience to see. Before the spectator
begins to write, take three or four steps backwards away from
and to one side of the blackboard, with your back towards the
audience. When the spectator begins to write, tilt your head
slowly back until you get a glimpse of the word. The attention of
the audience is to what is being written, and if the blackboard is
at proper height, it will not take much tilting of the head. As the
back of your head is toward the audience the tilting will not be
noticed. Now step forward and write the same word on the
blackboard. Keep your head tilted downward or turned to one
side and it looks as though you are writing without sight.
Another spectator is asked to erase the words from the black-
board, and then draw a crooked continuous line covering the
entire blackboard, like a winding road on a map. While the
crooked line is being drawn, face away from the blackboard.
Fig. 13 Fig. 14 When the line is finished, turn towards the board and trace over
28 Miracles of My Friends

the crooked line with a piece of chalk. While standing close to

the blackboard the crooked line is easily traced with a down-
ward glimpse, since the top edge of the board is at chin
level.

NOTE
Very few mentalists have learned to perform certain skills
without using their sense of sight legitimately, but by doing so
they have completely bewildered their fellow performers. After
witnessing such a performance the average mentalist tells him-
self, "There has to be a trick to it." If you doubt that complicated
skills can be learned without sight, pay a visit to a school for the
blind. In fact, if you really want to learn many things that will
completely baffle an audience, make friends with a person who
is totally blind. You will be amazed at the things you will
learn.
 THE PROFESSIONAL MENTALIST:

The State of the Art 1982

Although the term ` Mentalism' has been broadly used by

BORN: 1951 in St. Louis, Missouri
those in the field, and peripheral areas as well, the focus of this
PROFESSION: Mentalist
work will be on the mentalist in particular; more specifically,
HOME: Los Angeles, California
the mentalist as a SHOWMAN and PERFORMER in the 1980's. In
many ways this may even be differentiated from one who is
ermed a 'nightclub psychic', or one who presents what
mount to cold readings in a semi-theatrical environment.
hile technically this may be labeled as a performance of
Bob first became interested in the performance entalism, it still falls outside the parameters of the working
of ESP as a theatrical art while a psychology stu- efinition used here—perhaps best clarified in the end by
etermining the intent of the performer. Clearly the purpose of
dent at the University of Notre Dame. After grad- e psychic is almost singularly in the area of answering ques-
uation in 1973 he moved to Los Angeles and soon ons, and the quality of entertainment is not the main focus but
after made his debut in "Abracadabra", a musical relegated to a secondary role. This must ultimately serve as
magic show. He keeps adapting his routines to e dividing line separating the two types of performers, al-
ough the best explanation, perhaps, is simply that the psychic
his audiences as he plays a great variety of eals with the unknown (i.e., the future) where as the mentalist
shows. These have included working for two concerned with known facts (immediately verifiable con-
years aboard cruise ships on the different oceans epts). While perhaps an oversimplification, this is the defini-
of the world, and finding a hidden key in the on best suited to the purpose of this article.
18,000 seat auditorium in St. Louis. In strict terms the mentalist, again by even the use of the term,
a show business title and it is absolutely apalling that when
ewed in this light mentalism has scarcely advanced beyond
le level of the 1920's, not necessarily in terms of technique but
32 Miracles of My Friends Dorian 33

surely in performance quality. That is why most practitioners and change.

today resemble turn-of-the-century mind readers rather than An examination of the conclusion of mental acts reveals a
true mentalists of the 1980's and why the art has stagnated over similar problem. In theatre, after the climax of a play has
the last three decades. The same was said by the fatalists about occurred, that which remains is called "falling action", or a per-
formal stage magic for the preceding ten-to twenty-year period functory period during which all the foregoing is carefully
in that time B.H. (Before Henning). But observe that in the last packaged into a neat epilogue. Singers, for example, hit their
seven years the field has progressed and is now approaching climax and make their exit to a round of applause that con-
"state of the art" with thanks due to the performers who have tinues to swell since this is their last song. The same conven-
helped this advancement. Unfortunately, it has not sufficiently tion generally applies to other entertainers who perform
been extended to related or peripheral fields such as ours. live—but again mentalists seem to be the exception.
Mentalists, for some unknown reason, seem to think that the Consider this scene: after completing the final presentation
laws of theatre simply do not apply to them and that conven- the last participant is returned to his seat, a summary statement
tions utilized in other performing arts may be completely ne- follows, and more than three to five minutes of falling action
glected or ignored in their ESP programs. Perhaps the most elapses—long after the final climax has been reached, thereby
blatant example of these violations is in their establishing lessening the resultant applause and possibly reducing the
time; more precisely, the time needed from stage entrance overall impact the entire program might have had. Here again
(after introduction) to initial climax—when something is the ideal presentation is to complete the final item alone on
finally brought to completion and the performer has proven stage and when it is finished...WALK OFF. Thus the climax will
who he is and what he can do. A singer, for example, will make naturally occur at the very end with a minimum of falling action
an entrance on the first bars of the first song, sometimes even (or even better, none). The sexual analogy here is obvious and
singing the first few pieces of lyric...becoming immediately es- may be of some consideration in planning any program.
tablished. A comic is introduced and into his first joke before One of the other faults of most ESP programs is the lack of
the applause even subsides...immediately established. Even VISUALITY (not to be confused with VISIBILITY, although
stage magicians have generally accomplished their first act somewhat related to it). This is again a somewhat dangerous
within a 20- to 30-second time frame and are established. In the area since the problem is of introducing props that are not
same length of time, most mentalists are just beginning to necessarily extraneous but do fill a need while providing
embark on a lengthy diatribe concerning psychology, Dr. something additional to hold the interest of an audience. For
Rhine, Duke University, or any one of a number of similar anti- example, predictions or "test targets" (the end result) should
quated topics. Then follows a comparatively simple test, gen- be written large enough for everyone to see whenever possible.
erally involving some form of audience participation, and Consider the difference in audience reaction when all see the
usually onstage. With skill, this may, fortunately, reach its con- result as opposed to just one person viewing it. Which is
clusion in a five-minute period. As a result of such typical dis- better—one person seeing a tigerdisappear onstage in a puff of
plays, is it any wonder that mentalists are generally considered smoke and describing it, or everyone seeing it simultaneously?
to be a very slow act by people in the business—agents, room While the application of visuality may not extend to every thing
bookers, and even those in television? They are thought to slow in every program, it is a factor that should be applied to achieve
shows down (if not bring them to a complete halt), and it is this maximum audience impact. When all see, and all share as a
thinking that is just one of the major hurdles to overcome group, they will REACT as a group...and so much the better for
34 Miracles of My Friends Dorian 35

the performer. magician who practices formal stage magic, the mentalist is
Of course there appears to be a feeling among many in the capable of capturing the imagination of an audience on a
field that "proppy" presentations do not reflect the manner of higher level than other acts. Yet there has been little overall
true psychic, and consequently, any attempt to enhance the progress—more attention should be given to theatrical tradi-
theatricality of a presentation is detrimental. This somewhat tion in terms of what works and what other professional acts
antiquated theory is a reason for the lack of growth in the field employ in terms of convention, because despite what we may
and is a throwback to Annemann and the days of the Attache believe we are not exempt from these laws.
Case Syndrome, something which may have played well in the Unfortunately, for the professional mentalist, past exper-
mid-Thirties but is somewhat out of step with the visuality of iences have soured too many influential people in television
the media today. It must also be taken into consideration that and other entertainment areas about employing artists who use
most of this type of material was created in the age of radio, a that title. (A term incidentally, that few people really under-
period when audiences were used to exercising their imag- stand. The same is true of the term "mentalism" itself—a con-
inations to a much greater extent than today. Today, however, fusing concept that shouldn't be used outside of the field.)
thanks to television and the advanced computer technology Nearly all the current talk/variety shows disdain the appear-
used in special-effects-oriented films, we have become lazier ance of anyone bearing the title; why should that be the case?
and not so ready to exert the extra bit of imagination required. With hardly any exceptions, mentalists do not appear as fea-
Images in other forms of entertainment have progressed— tured acts in review shows, are not used as opening acts in
compare the 1937 Buster Crabbe Flash Gordon with the 1980 major resort areas, do not guest on variety shows on television,
Sam Jones rendering. The quarrel is not in presenting forty- and basically display nothing of a "show-biz" attitude that
year-old material today, but rather in remembering or deter- might open thee and other areas to the field. While some of
mining those elements which made it play in that period, and this might be inherent in the nature of the art form itself, most of
updating the presentation without necessarily detracting from the difficulty lies in a 1930's approach to the craft...an attitude
the inherent elements. In terms of images and the visuality this that should be laid to rest at long last.
can also be seen in the area of television, where mentalism has Such a contemporary approach is not contrary to the operat-
as yet to be presented with an awareness of what is possible ing philosophies of what the performing psychic entertainer is
with current technology to enhance the presentation. The in- construed to be, not only by himself but by his audiences. Quite
herent possibilities in such devices as insert shots, tight close- the opposite, these changes are necessary if this small but dur-
ups, split screens, and the like, have yet to be explored. Even in able field is to survive, let alone reach a fraction of its full poten-
short, local television appearances a bit of additional thought tial. This is not a fantasy product of wild-eyed imagination, but
creatively applied can add immeasurably to the effect, and rather an accurate view of the state of the art as well as its
show that our art is at least striving to be contemporary. This is possibilities in the 1980's and beyond. While the tendency may
not specifically a de facto advocacy of the use of large or almost be to view this with a fatalistic approach, it should be
extraneous devices, but rather a postulation of a middle remembered that stage magic languished in a similar quag-
ground dictated by presentation, thought, common sense, and n ire only ten years ago and today is in the throes of a marvelous
good judgment that could, conceivably, in the long run help renaissance. Like stage magic there should always be a place
elevate our art. For too long we have continued riding a covered n the sphere of show business for the professional mentalist,
wagon in the parade of show business. Even more than the but to do so demands our keeping pace with the other forms of
36 Miracles of My Friends

entertainment. Not just maintaining the mind-reading of the

Twenties, but simultaneously advancing and presenting the
ESP of the Eighties.
 MENTALISM:
HENRY
fp The Plausible Impossibility
FIELDS

BORN: 1927 in Philidelphia The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mys-
terious—it is the source of all true art and science." This is how
PROFESSION: Real Estate Investor
Einstein spoke of mystery and the unknown, and this is what I
HOME: Los Angeles, California
want my audience to feel when I perform my Intuitive Dimen-
sion shows. Perhaps it's what I felt myself when I first saw Kuda
Bux perform "The Man With the X-Ray Eyes," my introduction
to mentalism. I Was fascinated by what he did, and this interest
eemed to come at a favorable time for me, as I was just phasing
Starting as a layout artist for a Philadelphia ut my graphic design and photography career and was open
newspaper Henry then spent 25 years as a lead- a new direction. Learning mentalism became my fantasy
ing graphics designer and photographic consul- oal and I set about turning it into a reality.
But where to begin? After 30 years in one profession I was
tant to companies that wanted something special barking on a fresh journey into mostly unknown, but intrigu-
in corporate identity. During these years he also g, territory. Thoreau said, "If one advances confidently in the
taught classes in self-awareness and he has be- rection of his dreams, he will meet with a success unexpect-
come, as a result of combining communication in common hours." I was fortunate in this respect, for
erything seemed to fall into place as if it was meant to be.
skills with psychology, an expert in effecting I located a working performer and introduced myself, gain-
people's choices. He is a performer well worth g entrance to the Magic Castle and sharing in his literature on
watching. entalism. Thus, began my learning process. I bartered my
hotographic skills, shooting a portrait in return for personal
toring and direction. I read intensively for a week, studying
orinda's 13 Steps to Mentalism, focusing on an interview with
Maurice Fogel. The next morning, my tutor called and said he
40 Miracles of My Friends Fields 41

was bringing a friend from out of town to visit. It was Maurice and thoughts.
Fogel himself. It seemed a propitious coincidence. I helped I knew that a mentalist, as one who creates the illusion of
him with a design project, and he, in turn, passed on some of psychic phenomena, is a psychologist as well as an actor. I
his knowledge and skill to me, propelling me further into men- needed an image that was appropriate for me, and I had to
talism. This trading of talents eased me from one level of come to terms with how to handle my humanistic ethics in rela-
development onto another. Actually, the premise of mentalism tion to mentalism while retaining the mystery and not disclos-
was not totally foreign to me. In previous years, to control ing the methodology. I needed an approach that was comfort-
health problems, I had delved into auto-suggestion and guided able for me, personally, to work with. I gradually formulated in
imagery. In the course of my graphics and photography prob- my mind what impression I wanted to make in order to fulfill
lem solving I had used a method of pre-conceiving creative the image I had selected. I resolved the type of character I want-
ideas in my mind, with the ensuing final product becoming the ed to project and tried to fulfill that image consistently with
visual reality of what had begun in my mind as fantasy. When I each performance. My approach is to tell my audience that I do
compare the dictionary definition of mentalism—the doctrine of attempt to tell the future, nor am I clairvoyant or psychic. My
that objects of knowledge have no existence except in the mind ttitude encompasses the use of intuition and instinct, and I
of the perceiver—to the ways I had been using my mind in other mploy psychological principles as well to give me an expand-
areas of my life, I find a parallel. consciousness and highly developed senses.
Next, I was fortunate in meeting Bascom Jones, editor and I noted that some mentalists seem to be tempted by an end-
publisher of Magick, and was accepted into a closed group of ss supply of gadgets, techniques, and effects. I tried, instead,
five well-known long-time professional mentalists, and I at- zero in on my professional philosophy and manner. I wanted
tended their meetings for a year and a half. These monthly create a theme and then build an image that was consistent
sessions essentially launched my career, and it was during one ith that theme. I realized early on that to create a high sense of
of these meetings that I introduced the group to my "Field's ystery combined with the plausibility of the impossible was a
Device." It was something I evolved while trying to put together oal I wanted to maintain. As a result of that thinking I wanted to
a drawing duplication effect. Bascom was very enthusiastic mate a greater sense of mystery and decided that working with
about this innovation and asked my permission to review it in blindfold mask was something I favored, for it seemed to pro-
his publication. It was well accepted and even gained some de an innovative approach to my Q-and-A fantasy theme.
international recognition after this, and I was proud that I, still a My background is not in magic, so I did not make the usual
beginner, could make a contribution to mentalism that was so ansition from magic to mentalism. Further, I wanted to elimi-
well received. ate the use of such paraphernalia as playing cards that give
I want to give special thanks to Bascom Jones who shared e impression of magician's tricks and belie a mentalist's
his enormous insight with me, for his influence on my career wers. I resolved to use only a pencil and pad, all that a men-
has been great. I also owe debt of gratitude to the many other list should reasonably need. Customizing my experiments in
mentalists who unselfishly gave of their time and talent to entalism with things that pertained to the audience in a per-
assist me in my learning process. I meet now with a fellowship nal nature was also important to me. My years of teaching an
known as the Delta Group, a most interesting and diverse group counter group session entitled "The Mirror Game" enabled
of men who are well developed in their own fields as well as in c to apply many of the same psychological techniques in
mentalism and gather together monthly to exchange ideas ealing with my audience and helped me formulate my ap-
42 Miracles of My Friends

proach. The theme that evolved is the fantasy/reality relation-

ship. The audience has a feeling that I am not laying out a
pseudo-psychic line, but rather a highly developed con-
sciousness that taps how they think and behave, melding our
thoughts; and they readily accept this premise.
The success of the actual presentation is heightened by
proper use of the elements at hand. My knowledge of graphics
and photography enables me to entice my audience with
dramatic visual and design effects, and the use of creative light-
ing adds to the evening's entertainment by completing the
mood I want. By giving my audience a good mental presenta-
tion that is backed with a rationale that supports and con-
vinces, I leave them with a memorable image.
Early in my study of mentalism I had the feeling that the
reward of performing would be the applause. After my months
of intensive study I suddenly had three professional perfor-
mances, all within a week's time span. Soon, I discovered that
the high peak experience I received was when, behind the
darkness of the mask, I was able to hear the gasps of astonish-
ment following my revelations. The audience is amazed at
each performance and each time I share in their wonderment
and awe, completing the bond between myself and the audi-
ence. I share my skill with them, they are spellbound, and the
performance has come full circle. It is a complete experience
for us all—mind to mind entertainment, mysterious and inspir-
ing, as it should be.

(
 PROFESSIONALISM

Professionalism is giving your audiences your absolute best

regardless of your emotions, your fears, or how few people are
watching your show. Some good examples are showing up to
do a one-hour show and finding that there are only six people
in the audience; going through with a hanging straitjacket
BORN: 1931 in Detroit escape thirteen floors above the street, even though you're an

PROFESSION: Film technician acrophobiac and can't stand being in high places; or conduct-

HOME: Van Nuys, California ing a seance every night for a week when your daughter has just
died in a tragic accident.
Your audiences have consented to watch your presentation
(if they have paid for it, that is even more important) and you
now owe them a good performance; the best you can do. It was
probably easier to gain this attitude in the earlier days when
Ed's adopted father had been a creative ma- there was a vaudeville theatre in every neighborhood and each
chinist for Houdini and because of this back- act worked with and helped other acts on the bill. Today, with
ground he was able to introduce Ed to many fewer places to perform and considerably fewer performers to
work those stages that are available, it seems harder to find that
performers like Blackstone and Dante. Ed grew quality of professionalism. Never forget, your audiences have
up inside the world of magic and was working "laid the gelt on the felt" and you OWE them a good show,
ghost shows before entering the Air Force and regardless of what you do or how you feel. Always give $1.50
doing escape routines afterwards. A few years worth of entertainment for every $1.00 they spent; that is, do
after settling in Southern California he became more than is expected of you.
Please remember, most of my remarks have been said before
the medium for the Houdini Seance at the by other performers for a good many years, but I'm repeating
Magic Castle. them because I have found them to be workable and true.
In approaching your niche in the world of mentalism, keep
your presentations simple and straightforward. Even though
they worked in different ways, Blackstone, Dunninger, and
Cummings always stressed, "It's only entertainment!" Men-
46 Miracles of My Friends Fowler 47

talism is merely the tool, like a guitar, an Indian club, or a fright think they need one as soon as they have their own business
wig. The real key to success is how you use your particular tool. card that says "mentalist" on it. Not so. You don't have to look
All successful performers have worked to make their audi- like a prophet in order to prophesy. I happened to wear one; a
ences like them as a person. full Santa Claus that flows out from the sides of my face.
First of all, look at your own appearance. It's vital to es- However, there's a good reason for it. It helps detract from the
tablishing your character because your spectators have al- obvious fact that I also have a full body to match the beard. It's
ready judged you within the first five seconds you're on stage, camouflage, pure and simple, not to hide behind but to distract.
before you even open your mouth. They judge the way you You may use the same answer for a different problem and that's
walk, the way you move your hands and body, and they def- great. But don't grow a beard just because 90% of the other men-
initely are watching to see how you react to them. If you're talists have them.
friendly, they'll be friendly. If you try to be domineering, they're The point is, develop your own character and spend a lot of
just liable to walk out and let you dominate an empty time working on exactly what that character is. This will bring
theatre. you into contact with another problem. When we step off the
And clothes are important. I don't mean that you have to have stage, we can't drop our characters like most other performers;
a tuxedo with sequins on it, or a ribbon in your beard. You really people would feel cheated if we became normal. Even more so
don't even have to have a beard, for that matter. However, step than magicians we must maintain that aura of supernormal
out of your body for a moment and really look at yourself. Study character—you can't shed that with the makeup and wardrobe.
what you look like; what 'sight problems' you have, like round- One way to prevent this is to consider your personal appear-
ed shoulders, a long neck, or ears that stick out straight. Then ances as lectures rather than shows. This way you're still an
judge whether you should tailor over those problems so they're expert when yo gi step down and mingle with your audience.
not so noticeable, or whether it's better to draw attention to I was very lucky to have a family friend who dropped one or
them. After all, Goodliffe made his ears work for him, while two very cogent hints in my ear when I was younger. His name
Clark Gable subtly made you look elsewhere so you didn't was Dunninger, and he was undoubtedly the most popular
notice his. Make a list and mark down the items that can make member of our craft in the last 50 years. Now he was a thou ght-
you look good and win you friends while you're on stage. reader, not a prognosticator. There is a definite line between
The best secret I can give you to help judge what to do for the two job titles, not only because of the style of presentation
yourself is this: work with the idea that's in the mind of some- and type of effects presented, but also of psychological self-
one looking at you. A good analogy for this situation is the esteem. Remember, when you cross that line and become a
photographer who shoots wedding pictures. He has a standard seer of future events, you have people listening who will act on
routine of about a dozen staged shots, and if his camera is a lit- your answer because they really believe you can do what you
tle out of focus or if the subject isn't quite centered in the frame, say you can do. You have a moral responsibility not to lead
it doesn't matter. People are sold on the meaning of what the those believers down any false paths. They have confidence in
photo is conveying, not the actual picture. He's selling love and what you say so don't plant a thought wrongly so it either gives
togetherness, restaurants sell sizzle, and you should sell your- bad advice or can be interpreted to reach a bad conclusion. To
self. If you sell them on yourself and your abilities, you don't enforce the moral fact of these possiblities, just remember that
have to do nearly as much actual work! that is one reason there are so many laws on the books against
A little earlier I mentioned beards. Most mentalists seem to fortune tellers and seers. Is it really worth the possible trouble
48 Miracles of My Friends Fowler 49

and heartbreak just to build a reputation? Use the psychology of 20% who completely believe everything
self-respect to govern your professional actions so you can 60% who are undecided mental agnostics
sleep more easily at night. 20% who absolutely won't believe anything you do
Speaking of psychology, start reading some of the better Now you can't convince the disbelievers, and the believers will
books on self-help and confidence-building. Also, most of the accept anything, so direct your efforts toward making more
community colleges around the country have introductory psy- believers out of that middle 60%. You do this by suspending
chology classes that are taught in laymen's language. You can their disbelief with the effect you present.
learn quite a bit, not only about society in general but also Where do you get this material? Every performer is not an
about yourself. inventor, we can't all come up with the new effects or methods
Why should you know yourself? Not only so you can be a bet- or great routines. I, personally, can't invent a new trick or effect.
ter person, but so you can use that knowledge to build a better But I can take other inventors' tricks and put them into a strong
act. To know what people like and dislike, to know how to affect routine for myself. If you can invent a piece here and there and
their choices, and to be able to know reasonably well what their put them into a good new effect, then more power to you. Do so.
reactions are going to be are, naturally, strong tools when put- Otherwise, spend a portion of your time examining the books
ting together a routine. Plus—if you do a question-and-answer and magazines for effects that feel right for your routine.
type of presentation you have some additional strong tools. For The main thing to remember In building a routine is that
one, during cold readings, if you describe some general events each effect should be able to stand by itself. A strong show
from your own life you'll find your subject will readily accept overall is one that can be broken down into modules that work
them because of also having experienced them. Finally, you just as strong when presented by themselves. Plan your show
must have the utmost confidence in yourself when you step out so you can separate it into three, four, or five parts (depending
and present yourself to an audience of strangers, some of on its overall length) that will be able to work alone or with one
whom would like to trip you up or at least embarrass you. In other. You now have five or six different shows that can be pre-
order to do this successfully, you have to be aware of your sented under different kinds of conditions. You no longer do
weaknesses and your stress points, and to control your emo- just one show, you are versatile. But you have to plan for it by
tions when either one is touched upon by an antagonistic keeping it in mind when you're putting the pieces together.
stranger. Very few finished shows are able to withstand this test of
When you're framing this routine to be presented to these separatism because very few shows have been planned with
disbelievers, be careful of the effects you include. Some tricks that test in mind. But do so. Be a professional.
are just too perfect and people will be underwhelmed, the Let your show have a flow to it that carries the audience along
climax is so unbelievable that your audience can't accept the with it. The effects should have a relationship to each other,
premise. Ask yourself, about each and every presentation, "Is it even if only in the overall theme of your character—psychic
plausible? If I happened to read this in a magazine, would I sensitive, Q-and-A seer, an event prophet, or a thought-reader.
believe it?" There is currently a phrase that is very much over- Change the pace through the show and within each effect. Not
used, and not completely understood by most of the people only mystify them but make them laugh, help them get a lump
who use it, and that phrase is, 'suspended disbelief . It's a very in their throat, and let them feel compassion for someone (use
important phrase for in every audience you work for, you wilt a little schmaltz, is the way the oldtimers phrase it). Don't use
have — just their five physical senses but make them feel something
50 Miracles of My Friends

inside as well. And one of the things that will greatly help this
flow is to avoid any kind of stage wait. Figure out, search out, or
ask other performers for little bits of business you can use
while you're having people come up on stage, write something
down, count their change, or other time consuming periods.
You should even have a remark for the time it takes someone to
just open an envelope. Watch Kreskin. As do so many other
mental workers he has to take time to pass out a lot of envel-
opes to the audience, and, because of the methods he uses, he
has to help with the passing out. But there isn't a single drag-
ging moment as this is done. Although he goes down into the
audience and is lost from view by about 85% of the people, you
still hear him and feel his presence. He uses funny lines, gives
directions, asks questions—all at the top of his voice. He still
holds that audience. He has professionalism.
After rambling through all these hints and thoughts on how
to be a professional, I have to say that I not only believe in each
and every one of them, but I follow them. I'm fully aware of how
hard it is to be objective enough to do a show when you don't
feel like it for I was the one forced to do the show for only six
people, wriggle my terrified body out of the straitjacket, and talk
blithely about death at the absolute wrong time. So I know you
can do it...
 DATELINE

You address your audience: "In my line of work, I deal with the
transmission of ideas; the flow of information. For obvious
reasons, I am always interested in how others in the area of
information transmission operate. Consider, for example,
newspaper reporters. The first thing one learns in journalism
BORN: Ithaca, New York school is that the basic items of information must be conveyed
PROFESSION: Author quickly and efficiently. For instance, almost every newspaper
HOME: Hollywood, California story carries at the start a dateline, which informs the reader as
to the location and date of that story.
"I would like to try an experiment in information, in which
members of this\ audience will help to put together a dateline.
These participants will make free and random choices, beyond
anyone's influence—and yet, I shall attempt to predict those
With more than 20 years of involvement with decisions.
magic and mentalism, Phil has managed to pub- "I will write my first prediction on this large card. As you can
lish some five hundred different items. He is prob- see, I am labeling this card with a large letter L, for 'location'. I
will write something else on this card—but I won't show it to
ably most renowned for his series called the you just yet. Okay, I'll place this aside for now.
Color Books of Mentalism, involving such titles "Sir, here is a map of the United States. You will choose one
as the "Purple Book of Mentalism," "The Yellow of these fifty states to serve as our location, and you will do this
as a chance selection. I will hold the map in front of you. Please
Book...," and others to complete a rainbow of
close your eyes. Now hold out your hand and allow your
mental information. Besides his excellent work in forefinger to touch the map anywhere. Good. Open your eyes
mentalism he is also a first-rate card handler and and take a look. You have selected the state of Ohio.
thinker, being able to construct good plots with "The next item will be a date. I'll mark this card with the letter
direct methods. D, and write my second secret prediction. I will place this aside,
with my previous forecast.
"Madam, your choice is a bit wider than the previous par-
ticipant's. Here is a diary for the coming year. There are 365 dif-
54 Miracles of My Friends
Goldstein 55

ferent dates. Please close your eyes. I will flip through the pages
and at any point please call out 'stop'. Ah, fine. Open your eyes,
and take a look. You have selected April 15th.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have put together a dateline:
Ohio, April 15th. I will show you my predictions..." Sure
enough, you have correctly predicted both pieces of informa-
tion. The predictions are given out as souvenirs.

METHOD
The method utilizes several principles. Basically, this is a one-
Fig. I
ahead routine. The first selection is fair, the second is a force. Fig. 2
As the choice of a state is legitimate, it could be offered without
the use of the map. However, the map serves two functions.
First, it offers a visual reminder to the audience as to the range of the other, draw a large letter D.
of choices involved. Also, it sets up a procedural context for the
second choice, which, because it is a force, requires a Assemble a stack of ten or more blank cards. On top of this
stack is placed the hinged card. Insert the two lettered cards
physical prop.
That prop is a diary of the type which has one page for each into the 'pocket' of the hinged card. The D card goes outside the
L card (Fig. 2 shows a side view of this set up).
day of the year. These are available at any stationery store. It is A thick rubber band is
fixed around the center of the entire packet, c
prepared simply by selecting a force day, and then trimming oncealing the
that page short. Thus the selection is coerced by the standard edge of the half-6rd. From the front the appearance is given of
Riffle Force technique; timing your riffling so as to arrive at the a single unmarked card of the stack. The surface in view below
the band is, however, the half-card (Fig. 3).
short page when the spectator calls out 'stop'.
Having covered the selection procedures, let us turn to the
means for doing the one-ahead prediction messages. The
method here is a version of Nathan Stark's "Past, Present &
Future" (Magick, # 117, 1974), which in turn is based on a prin-
ciple believed to have been first introduced by Edward
Bagshawe. This has become known as the "Out to Lunch"
principle.
To prepare, you will need some large cards. Index cards
measuring 5"x7" are easily found. You may prefer to work with
larger cards. One of the cards is cut in half. This is taped to the
bottom of a full sized card, the tape acting as a hinge (refer to
Fig. 1).
Take two more cards. On the bottom half of one, draw a large
letter L with a thick nibbed marking pen. On the bottom half Fig. 3
56 Miracles of My Friends

At the start of the routine, take the stack of cards and openly
draw a letter L on the lower half of the top card (i.e., onto the
surface of the half-card). Turn the packet towards yourself. On
the top half of the face card (i.e., the upper half of the pre-
marked D card), write down your prediction of the force date.
This card is extracted from beneath the rubber band, and
placed aside, back towards the audience. Do not turn the pac-
ket towards the audience, as the L is still in view on the surface
of the half-card. Instead place the packet off to one side,
face down.
After the state has been selected from the map, pick up the
packet again. State that you will label the second prediction
with the letter D—and this you do, by converting the L into a D
(refer to Fig. 4). Turn the packet to face the audience, display the
D. Turn the packet again towards yourself, and on the upper
half of the face card (the upper half of the premarked L card)
write the name of the chosen state. This card is extracted from
beneath the band and placed aside with the first prediction
card. The packet is discarded entirely.
It remains now only to force the proper date from the diary.
Pick up the predictions, holding them together. The hands
separate, each taking one of the cards so the audience is able to
keep track of which is which. Turn the cards around to reveal
the accuracy of your predictions.
Don't forget to bow.

Fig. 4
 LUCKY LOCK
RAY
GRISMER
4.1) You call an assistant from the audience and hand him a
padlock. You show that this lock is a special type where the
owner can alter a four-number combination, and you explain
that you have set it to a number that only you know. Your volun-
teer may try moving the four rotors to various numbers to see
BORN: 1927 in Idaho that the lock won't open.
PROFESSION: Teacher Now you point to someone towards the front of the audience
HOME: Downey, California and ask for a three-digit number`. This is written with a broad
marking pen at the top of a piece of poster board. A second per-
son towards the center of your audience, calls out a three-digit
number which is written under the first one. A third person,
from the back,is to give a final number. When the numbers are
added they arrive at the required four-digit combination to
Sometime in the early 1970's Dai Vernon want- open the lock.
ed to improve his piano-playing . The man he The method you use, naturally, is a stooge, but with a little
subtlety added to it. Your stooge is in the back row (preferably
picked as his teacher was Magic Castle member on the end of the row), and is using a small pocket calculator.
Ray Grismer, a talented player and arranger. The First the combination is tapped in and when the first two three-
swap of music lessons for magic lessons paid off digit numbers are called they are subtracted from the combina-
for both but the results are much more noticeable tion. Now the stooge merely calls out the remainder which
makes your total correct to open the lock.
in Ray. Using his new-found magic philosophies
and principles he began to create magic rather NOTES
than just doing tricks. Some of his ideas have These locks are common at some of the larger hardware stores
wound up for sale while others became the basis and cost anywhere from $10 to $20, and will be worth it for this
trick. Also some of the very small calculators have a constant
of a well-rounded lecture. memory feature so the minute they are turned on they can flash
60 Miracles of My Friends

the opening combination that has been placed in the

memory. HANDY
As you're explaining that you want the members of the
audience to call out numbers, ask everyone to think of three
digits and then call them out if you point to them. This should A Torn Newspaper Prediction
make this part of the routine move much faster. © Ray Grismer
It's also not a good idea for you not to point to your con-
federate until he gives you some sort of signal that he's ready
with the correct number. This could save an embarassing
silence if he's still pushing buttons. Aspectator is handed a sealed prediction, and someone else
chooses a number less than 33. You tear a double newspaper
into 32 pieces and hand them to the person who chose the
number.This person counts down to the piece at that number.
When the envelope is opened the prediction matches the con-
tent of newsprint on the torn piece.

METHOD
Edmund Rowland invented "An Impromptu Torn Newspaper
Test" that was modernized and popularized by Al Koran. This
method is very easy and direct.
The choice of the number is free. The way the paper is torn
ontrols the shaded portion so it will fall at the chosen number
Fig. 1). Notice that it is just to the left of the vertical center of the
ight hand-page, and just above the horizontal center.

Fig 1
 Grismer 63
2 Miracles of My Friends

Hold the opened newspaper so the selected copy is fac- Example: For the number 22-
-ig you. The paper will be torn five times (into 32 pieces), and ®
Liter each tear the pieces will be stacked together and given a
luarter turn clockwise (1/4 -)• ). In order to make the selected
area become the correct piece you follow these steps:

1. Subtract 1 from the chosen number to get the

key.
2. Construct the key with your right hand.
3. Memorize which fingers are pressing down (work- Here are some more examples:
ing from your little finger toward your thumb).
and after each tear the right
4. Tear the newspape r
hand will place its pieces either on top of the left
ones (if that finger is not used in making the key
number) or under the left pieces (if that finger is
used).
5. After the fifth tear the forced piece will be at the
selected number.
14 5 27
MAKING THE KEY
Associate these numbers with the fingers of your right hand:
With practice you can spot the section you're going to force
and write your prediction on the spot. Some workers take more
care and look for a section with bold print or with a picture on
the opposite side so there won't be any confusion about which
side to look at. This shouldn't be a problem—just look at the
section that's facing you and that's what they'll see.
Practice until you can do this with ease and you'll agree that
it can't be done much easier.

Practice coding numbers by pressing your fingers against

something. Work from your thumb towards your little finger to
do the addition.
 RAY IMAGE PERCEPTION
(Ray Hafler died on August 4, 1982. He corres-
HAFLER ponded with many friends in the United States
and the United Kingdom on the subject of men-
talism. His expertise was recognized by Corinda
in his 13 Steps to Mentalism.)

Anumber of black cards, each one with a different yellow

design on it, are shown. You then place the stack of image cards
face down on a table and ask the spectator to cut a group from
1910 in Ohio the top of the deck. He mixes them face down in any order that
BORN:
Court Recorder he desires and drops this group on the table. He picks up the
PROFESSION:
image card now on top of the deck, looks at it to remember it,
and drops it on top of the stack he just shuffled. The remaining
cards are picked up, shuffled, and dropped on the stack on the
table. All these .ctions are carried out while your back is
turned.
You now turn around, pick up the stack of cards, and ask the
After retiring from the U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant spectator to concentrate on his card. Running through the pack
you remove one card and drop it face down on the table. When
Commander, Ray worked as a Court Recorder for the spectator names the image he's thinking about, you turn
the city of Long Beach. During his navy days he over the card on the table and it matches his choice.
did a flash magic act for his service shows and
when he changed to mentalism during his civ- METHOD
To make the props for this effect, take twenty-six pieces of
ilian years he still maintained a quick-paced rou- black cardboard, about 7" by 7", and paint a design on each
tine. He considered Al Koran the greatest men- card in yellow paint, as shown in Figure 1. For example, for
talist he had ever seen and tried to use the same Arrow, only the design of the arrow would be painted on the
card, not "A" or "Arrow".
type of straight-forw ard effects. The stack of image cards are stacked from A to Z with the
images face down and in sequence. As an example, the top
card face down is the Arrow, the second card face down is the
Boat, and so on, with the last card face down on the bottom of
the deck being the Zero.
 Haller 67
Miracles of My Friends

Net You pick up the cards, turn the deck face toward you, and
Arrow start going through the deck from the bottom, mentally naming
Boat O Oh an image for each card. That is, call off, "Arrow, Boat, Chair,
Pipe Dollar..." and so on. As you do this none of your mental images
OTI
Chair will match a card until some place near the center of the pack.
Dollar
Question At that point one image will be in its correct place in the
Equilateral Rectangle
sequence, and that image will be the one the spectator is think-
A triangle ing about.
Square
Flag SOME NOTES
Table
Grapes From experience I have found that it is very important that the
Umbrella spectator is told and given time to really mix the cards. The
House

Eye
••• Victory
pack is larger than jumbo cards and cannot be shuffled like a
regular deck. It helps if you have the spectator hold the deck in
Watch the left hand and then pull off the top and bottom cards together
Jug with the right finger and thumb. Those two cards are dropped
Key X X on the table and then two more taken from the left hand. by con-
Yardstick tinuing these moves they can mix the cards fairly easily.
Ladder Sometimes, but not often, you will run across two cards that
Zero match. If you do, 'drop both of them onto the table and by judi-
Moon
cious pumping you can safely pick the right one.
Credit must be given to Scotty Lang of Canada for the designs
Fig. 1
which I have used for many years, and to Karl Fulves for the idea
As indicated in Figure 1, all the images can be listed alpha- to use a stacked deck location in a similar effect.
betically from A to Z, and each image must be memorized and
associated mentally with each capital letter.
When doing the routine the image deck is shown to a spec-
tator and then laid face down in front of him. He takes the top
part of the deck, shuffles it, and lays it on the table. Since the
cards are so large the easiest way to have them shuffled is to
have the packet held in the left hand and have the right hand
take off the top and bottom cards at the same time and drop
them on the table. This is repeated until all the cards of the
packet are on the table. The spectator now takes the top card of
ers it, and lays it on the
the remainin g part of the deck, rememb
shuffled group of cards on_the table. The rest of the deck is now
shuffled and dropped on top of the group on the table.
 MAGIC VERSUS MENTALISM
BASCOM
JONES
The question of whether magic or mentalism came first is as
provocative and as difficult to answer as that ancient question
concerning the chicken and the egg. Actually, the answer is not
that important. Both magic and mentalism probably trace their
bloodlines back to that unrecorded moment in pre-history
1924 in San Diego when an early ancestor stepped from his cave and stared in
BORN: awe at the lightning, listened with wonderment to the noise of
PROFESSION:
Public Relations
Laguna Beach, California the thunder, and marveled at the changing mysteries of his
HOME: universe.
In the magic of the moment, he sought answers to his future.
He dreamed an \impossible dream. Down through the ages,
such dreams became the forerunners of reality, and the new
realities became stepping-stones to dreams even more im-
Bascom is the nephew of the renowned T Page possible. The impossible dream was at once man's birthright,
Wright, and at the age of 11 he inherited his and his benchmark in life. It was his legacy to the future. And to
Future Man.
uncle's extensive magic library. His first school Alchemy helped develop chemistry. Astrology played a part
show at the age of 12 used many of the Larsen- in the development of astronomy. Conjuring provided the
the
Wright effects. For many years he co-authore d genesis for medicine. And, today, as man probes deep into the
with Frederick reaches of space and plunges to new depths in the earth and
"Double Daring" column in Genii beneath the sea, there is a renaissance, a renewed interest, in
M. Shields, then in 1970 he started his own mag- magic. Much of this new interest centers around man's last,
has become the biweekly source great frontier—the human mind.
azine. Magick
for mentalists around the world. All too often, however, magicians and mentalists choose up
sides, as though they were members of opposing armies. Yet,
nothing could be further from the truth. The techniques of the
performers are not that different. Their goal is a common one—
to mystify and entertain their audiences. But that's the yardstick
against which all performers are measured.
 Jones 71
Miracles of My Friends

than 50% of the spectators in any audience believe in ESP. And

What, then, is the difference between magic and mentalism? these percentages increase for audiences composed of
ripped of all else, it is merely a difference in approach. Both
le mentalist and the magician create illusions. The magician women, or college graduates, or business executives, or indivi-
'eates his illusions before the eyes of his spectators. The men- duals in the upper earnings bracket. Momentarily, therefore,
minds of his mentalists can suspend the disbelief of their spectators.
► ist, on the other hand, creates his illusions in the On the other hand, when a magician sits in front of a spec-
pectators. Both, if they are good, do so in an entertaining
tator or stands in front of an audience, most spectators realize
Tay .
The successful magician, for example, may create the illu- he is doing tricks. Knowing this, they may visualize the occa-
will change color, that a sion like a puzzle, and need only wonder what method he may
ion that a card or a silk handkerch ief be using to trick them. With the mentalist, however, the spec-
:ane will suddenly vanish, or that a young lady will be divided
nto parts. These illusions take place before the eyes of his tators first must decide whether or not he is using tricks.
;pectators. But they, also, take place whether or not the Armed with this powerful advantage, most mentalists can
does, indeed,
iudience is there. The card or silk handkerchi ef work simply and boldly. Since there is little likelihood that they
:hange color, the cane vanishes, or the young lady, apparently, will be challenged, they do not have the magician's need for
The audience is not necessarily a part of the complex methods. Their methods may be childishly simple.
is sub-divide d. And they often are, for any hint of a suspicious move on their
illusion. Many, if not most, of the magician's tricks are done
The role of the spectator is as an part or any unnatural complexity in the presentation may be
apart from the spectators . disastrous.
observer. The mentalist, since he creates his illusions in the
minds of his spectators, not only must have an audience but he The mentalist, unlike the magician, cannot be satisfied with
must work with that audience, or he cannot succeed. The men- having fooled the spectator. The premise of his performance is
talist without an audience has no tricks. The magician, without successful only if he can suspend the disbelief of his audience.
an audience, can still be a very fine magician...technically. His efforts, otherwise, will be transparently simple.
This is one of the reasons why most mentalists don't perform
Magical commentat or and author T. A. Waters, whose obser- for magical audiences. Their methods are not designed to fool
vations are oftentime s biting, once noted that many close-up magicians. And, since their illusions must take place in the
magicians, like flamenco guitarists, become so intent on the
magic of their hands that their spectators could silently stand, minds of their spectators rather than before their eyes, their
tiptoe out, and be gone for some time before being missed by illusions become almost meaningless to magicians. Mentalists
the performers. No mentalist has that luxury. Indeed, the not only need an audience, but it must be a lay audience.
r forces him at all times Audiences of magicians, looking for new or different methods,
audience-n eed of the mental performe. In order to work in their are usually bored by the simplicity of a mental performance.
to be more conscious of his spectators
minds, he must be totally aware of them. He needs to know While it is true that mental performers benefit, on the one
their probable attitudes, their reactions, and their interests. hand, from the willingness on the part of audiences to suspend
Spectators make the magic of the mentalist possible. disbelief, that advantage is a two-edged sword. The same
To work his magic, the mentalist must—at least tempor- audience acceptance that benefits mentalists is, perhaps,
arily—suspend the disbelief of his spectators. The same holds mentalism's greatest weakness. Magicians who do a poor job
today
true, of course, for the magician, but circumstan ces of entertaining are judged harshly by their spectators. As a
make it easier for the mentalist to do this. Polls reveal that more result, most magicians give thought to the need to entertain.
 Miracles of My Friends
Jones 73

hey are more conscious of timing, pacing, routining, and successful magician fools the public, too. That's the name of
Ines. Not all are successful, but those who fail are given little the game both play.
ecognition by their audiences. Yet, those same audiences are
Lot nearly so harsh in their judgment of poor entertainment When the public is no longer capable of being fooled, it will
be time to become interested in something other than magic
Lmong mentalists. They will just as readily suspend disbelief or mentalism.
or the poor mental performer as for the most accomplished Yet, the lure remains little changed from that which drew
)ne. Agrippa, Faust, Nostradamus, and Albertus Magus. To push
The very act of suspending disbelief means the audience
;ees the mental performer other than as an entertainer, and this aside the curtain of the future is the dream of Everyman. Kings
and c ommoners alike have had their magicians, diviners and
;act is one of the most difficult for the accomplished magician
prophets. Hitler and Churchill were guided by astrologers.
to swallow. Lincoln attended seances, and Queen Elizabeth I regularly
Over the years, a number of attitudes have been cast in con- consulted with two of the most p owerful magicians of her
crete about magic and mentalism. Some are true; others, false. time.
For example, there is the belief that mentalists are better paid Perhaps it is that continuing fascination that explains the
than magicians. This is false. The top entertainers in both fields p henomena of Dunninger, Kreskin, Geller...and the magic of
probably command about the same amount of money. But Copperfield and Henning.
there also is a supply-and-demand factor at work. At the lower
end of the scale, there are probably more magicians available
for work. In competing for entry-level dates, the numbers alone
tend to hold prices down. There is the belief that mentalism
offers a more rapid road to success than magic. This is false,
also. There is no short-cut on the road to success. It demands
study and hard work. And all of that work is not just in standing
in front of a mirror and practicing sleights. There is the need to
know and understand audience psychology, to know booking
and promotion techniques, and to learn showmanship and
theater. There is the belief that mentalists are loners. This pro-
bably is true, but it is dictated by circumstance. Magic clubs
offer the working mentalist little. Mentalists can't place much
emphasis on sleight-of-hand. They can't successfully even
work for magical audiences. They become a sixth finger at a
magic club and are only in their element when working for
laymen. The belief that mentalists take themselves too seri-
ously is not really an indictment. Any good actor does the same.
And the successful mentalist must successfully play the role of
a mentalist, to the conviction of his audience. Finally, there is
the belief that mentalists are fooling the public. True! But the
 1),p2feld R0 ,7 1 (
GERALD IMPROMPTU ULTRA

SPIRIT MESSAGE
KOSKY

BORN: 1907 in Pennsylvania Dr. Jacob Daley, in the 1935-36 Winter Annual of thelinx, des-
PROFESSION: Retired cribed an excellent miniature slate routine. In recent years I
HOME: Hollywood, California have played around with this method and I have found that it
can be used readily for impromptu use.
You take four of your own business cards from your pocket
and place them 9 ne at a time on the palm of your left hand,
stacked together, with the printed sides uppermost. They are
turned over, one at a time, to show that the backs are blank.
Gerald's father was an amateur magician and They are then placed in a row on a table, printed sides
uppermost.
not only began teaching his son at an early age,
A spectator places his hand on one of the cards and the
but also took him to see Nate Leipzig when they remaining three are again turned over, showing that the backs
lived in San Francisco. Throughout his life he has are blank. Later, when the spectator turns over the card he
continued to meet the leaders of the magic world chose, he finds written on it a message pertinent to the effect
and become not only their equal, but their confi- you are doing. The revelation may be the name of a playing
card, the number of a bill, or what you will.
dant as well. Always willing to share his know- On the blank side of one of your business cards write the
ledge, he has authored a half-dozen books as message you wish to produce. Have this on top of three other
well as numerous manuscripts and commercial cards in your pocket, all with blank sides downwards.
Take the four business cards from your pocket and lay them
routines. in a stack, printed sides uppermost, on the palm of your left
hand. Make a double lift and turn the top two cards as one
showing the blank back of the second card. Turn them down
again, take off the top card (the message card) and place it on
the table, printed side upwards.
76 Miracles of My Friends

three cards one by one, showing

Turn over the remainin g
their blank backs, and place them in a row with the first card,
SURPRISE PREDICTION
also with their printed sides uppermost.
Invite a spectator to place his hand on one of the cards. If he
chooses the message card, have him keep his hand on it. Turn
over the other three cards showing their blank backs and you
are then set to produce the spirit writing whenever you please.
If, however, he puts his hand on one of the blank backed
You ask a spectator seated across from you to shuffle a deck of
cards, have him place his other hand on one of the other cards. cards, after which the cards are to be dealt, one at a time, face
If this time he covers the message card, turn over the two
cards showing their blank backs. Take the first card up onto the table. When they have a desire to do so they are to
remainin g the deal one card face down to you.
he selected, turn its blank side upwards and insert it underthem Suiting the words to action, you show the spectator how the
second card he chose (message card). Square them, turn cards are to be dealt face up and one card face down. This is
both over and have the spectator place his right hand on them.
done so the assistant will know exactly how the cards are to be
When the time comes to reveal the message, have the spectator dealt after he/she has shuffled them.
lift his hand, remove the top card and the spirit writing will be
When you hand the deck to be shuffled, you also place a
staring him in the face. are blank back- folded slip of paper on the table that has a written prediction
Finally, if both cards chosen by the spectato r on it.
ed, take the third blank backed card, insert it under the n
message card, turn both over as one and place them under an When the deck has been shuffled and the cards dealt out,
ashtray, a cup, or the like. Take the two cards chosen by the you reach for the face down card and turn it face up to show
spectator, turn them over to show their blank backs and finish what card has been dealt to you. The folded slip of paper that
of the 'spirit' writing at your had been placed on the table before the spectator had started
your effect with the revelatio n to deal the cards, is opened. On it, to the surprise of all, is writ-
pleasure. ten the name of the card that has been dealt to you.
Before the effect is performed you have a known card, face
down, on your lap. The name of that card is written on the slip of
paper as a prediction of the card that will be dealt to you
later.
When performing the effect, keep showing your open hands
in a casual way so that it will register to all that you are not con-
cealing a card in your hands. Now, when the deck is handed to
be shuffled, sort of display your hands again to show that they
are empty. When your helper starts to shuffle the deck, lean
back slightly in your chair, ala Slydini, and palm the card that
has been on your lap, with the back of the card toward your
palm. When the card is palmed, place both of your hands on the
 Miracles of My Friends

in a natural way, palms down, and lean slightly forward so

to show interest in the cards that are being dealt. THANKS TO JOHN HAMILTON
When the face down card is dealt to you, you must corn-
tely cover it with the hand that has the palmed card and, with
;weeping motion, draw the card to you slowly towards the
Lge of the table. As the card on the table drops off into your lap,
rn your hand with the palmed card in it over so that it appears
at you picked up the card from the table in order to turn it
ce up. In the Annemann "Hocus Pocus Parade", October, 1965, John
If the above pick-up is done in a natural, timed way, the illu- Hamilton described his "A Mini Miracle," that is exceptionally
on is perfect. good. When I read it and tried it out, a thought occurred to me,
"Why not use Hamilton's principle for an En Rapport effect?"
The result is as follows.
Someone is handed a stack of about 30 blank cards (blank
on both sides) and is instructed to shuffle them, after which
they are handed back to you. Inform your audience that you are
going to deal two piles of cards and whenever they have a
desire to stop your dealing (say this after you have dealt about
four cards onto each pile) to call out "stop". When you've
stopped dealing, request two spectators to help you in an
experiment by selecting one of the piles.
"We learn early in life," you say, "that such things as Ham
and Eggs go together, Knife and Fork go together, Romeo and
Juliet go together, Sampson and Delilah go together, and even
Hansel and Gretel go together. To prove this, please select any
combination of names, people, places, or things that are fairly
well-known as a couple usually found together."
Let's say that the spectators have selected "Bread and But-
ter". Spectator A is to cut off some cards from the stack in his
hands, and Spectator B is to do likewise. Next, Spectator A is
instructed to write on the top card of the group he still holds,
"Bread," while Spectator B is to write the word "Butter" on the
top card of the group he holds. Spectator A places his pile of
cut-off cards onto Spectator B's pile so the written-on card is
buried. Then Spectator B puts his cut-off cards onto the remain-
der of Spectator A's pile so that card is also buried. Each spec-
tator has a pile of cards in front of him, and one pile may have
80 Miracles of My Friends
Kosky 81

more cards in it than the other because of the way the cards are
replaced, but the exact number in each pile is unknown. The John Hamilton's principle can be used for many varied
two piles are now placed together by a third spectator and the effects such as a Living and Dead Test, or a reversed card find-
cards cut (straight cuts and completed each time) as often as ing a selected card. Give it a little thought and you'll find his
principle well worth knowing.
desired so that no one could possibly know where the written-
on cards are in the combined heap.
You now take the pile of cards, place them behind your back
for a few seconds and then bring them forward, holding some
in your left hand and some in your right. The two piles are
placed on the table and then the top cards of the piles are
turned over together (one from the left pile and one from the
right). The simultaneous turning over of cards is continued
until the written-on cards are turned over at the same time (one
from the left pile and one from the right pile), proving that even
through they were separated by an unknown number of cards,
"Bread" and "Butter" still go together.

METHOD
When you are dealing the blank cards into two piles at the start
of the effect, waiting to be told when to stop, count the cards
mentally as you deal. Remember the number of cards that are
in one pile when stopped, making sure both piles have the
same number of cards. For example, if you are stopped when
you have dealt ten cards into each pile, you remember the num-
ber 10. Now follow through the instructions as given to the
spectators. When the two combined piles of cards are given to
you and you place them behind your back, count ten cards off
the top of that pile, without reversing their order. Bring that
group of cards forward and place it on the table, then do
likewise with the remainder of the cards. You have two piles of
cards on the table, each having ten cards, and the written-on
cards will now be at the same number from the top of each pile.
This is automatic as a few trials will show you. Had there been
twelve cards in each pile to start with you would have to remove
the top twelve cards without changing the order. Had there
been nine in each pile, you'd remove nine cards.
 Kosky 83

Hong Kong has a p in-prick in the upper left hand corner

TRAVEL AGENT of its card
Honolulu has a p in-prick in the center of the top edge
of its card
Acapulco has a p in-prick in the upper right hand corner
London is in the lower left corner
Paris is in the middle of the bottom edge
it Rome is the lower right corner
iVi
Many any travel agents have developed sort of an intuition of Tokyo is in the center of the card
ESP to such an extent that they are able to look at a person's
signature when they write in for travel brochures and imme-
diately know the city or cities that person would like to visit.
"With your permission, I'd like to give you an example of
what I've just told you. Here are several filing cards. Each card HONG KONG HONOLULU ACAPULCO
has a name of a city written on it that seems to be favored by the
majority of people who do a lot of travelling, those cities being
Acapulco, London, Paris, Rome, Honolulu, Tokyo, and Hong
Kong. On the bottom of each card is a section that has been
bent back and forth so it may be easily torn off. I want you to
write or print your name on that space and when this has been
done, tear off that portion of the card with your name on it and
leave it on the table. The other portion of the card, that has the
name of the city written on it, is to be placed in your pocket or LONDON PARIS ROME
hidden so I will not be able to see it.
"Now, I will turn away so that I'll not be able to see what cards
will be selected by the several persons who are willing to help
in this experiment or test.
"When all the cards have been selected, hidden, and the por-
tions with your names on them are left on the table let me know
and I'll turn to face you. By picking up each portion with a name
on it, and looking at that signature, I'll attempt to tell you what
city you've selected." TOKYO

This you will be able to do with ease because of the way each
3x5 card has been prepared. Each card has a pin-prick through
a portion of the card that the person will sign. The pin-pricks
through the cards are arranged as follows:
84 Miracles of My Friends

When you pick up the name portion of the card, run your fingers
casually across it to find where the pin-prick is on the card so it
will give you the clue as to which city that person has selected.
My presentation for naming the cities goes somewhat as fol-
lows:

"Mr. Brown, I have a feeling that you've always wanted to visit

one of the most beautiful cities of the world. May I suggest that
you do so in the autumn when the weather is at its best? I'm sure
that ROME will more than live up to your expectations. It is a
city that you will always remember with pleasure."

"Mrs. Fairchild, may I suggest that you do not take many

travelling clothes with you? You more than likely will want to do
a lot of shopping at the famous and delightful Ala Moana shop-
ping center when you visit HONOLULU. Honolulu and the sur-
rounding Hawaiian Islands are a most charming place to
visit."
 BLANKS FOR THE MEMORY
JULES
LENIER
Here's a two-person routine that is based on an idea from
Sphinx Magazine of October, 1929 (I'm sure you all remember
that issue!). I call it "Blanks for the Memory" with apologies to
Bob Hope.
It starts with the medium in another room. She can be guard-
1929 in New York City ed by a member of the group to make sure she isn't listening at
BORN:
Magician the keyhole. (If she's really good looking, you'd better send in a
PROFESSION:
Hollywood, California female from the group to guard her...why take chances?) While
HOME: she is occupied, you remove the four Aces from the deck and
put a blank index card on the table along with the Aces. A spec-
tator points to one of the Aces. You have him take the blank
card and ask him to impress the memory of the selected Ace on
it. When he thinks he has done that he signs his name on the
The two talents of writing and magic have index card, which is then tossed casually face down onto
the table.
always kept Jules very busy. His magic was ex- One of the spectators brings the medium back into the room.
panded to include hypnosis and mentalism so he She stares at the back of the index card, but gets no impression,
has more than his share of shows to perform, so she turns the card over to read the signature. She hands the
while his writing includes books, music, and index card back to that person and asks that he try to impress it
comedy for other people's shows. His credits in- with the image again. She then names the proper Ace. Natural-
ly, you are out of the room during this time so you can't give her
clude books of magic so teachers can help stu- any signals. (As though we would ever stoop to such
dents overcome certain learning disabilities, and measures!)
doing a series of shows for the circulation depart-
METHOD
ment of a newspaper chain. You have probably figured out by now that the index card has
more to do with the situation than just having an image im-
pressed onto it. Of course! It's the way you get the information
to the medium.
88 Miracles of My Friends

When the volunteer signs the card he can sign either a long CUTTING THOUGHTS
side or a short side. That's only two possibilities, but he can put
his name either at the top or at the bottom. That makes four, and
since we're working with Aces, four is all you need.
Remembe r the CHaSeDblack sequence ? The long sides of the
cards and the short sides red
index card will represen t that, just think that
cards. If you have trouble rememberin g
BLACK is a longer word than RED. If the card is the Ace of Clubs,
the index card is signed at the top; if it's Spades the card's Here is an idea that has been kicking around since 1926, a way
with a spade). Hearts is to of locating the four Aces in a shuffled deck by doing a series of
signed at the bottom (you dig down di g
be signed at the top, and Diamond s are at the bottom (you li ke one-handed cuts. Since cutting the deck is all important in this
to get diamonds). In other words, your card will look method, let's call it "Cutting Thoughts".
down Three spectators each select a card that they will remember.
one of these: The cards are returned to the deck, and the deck is shuffled and
placed back into the card box. This is brought to the medium in
the other room who asks to be left alone for a few moments in
order to concentrate. In a few minutes, she comes into the
room with the three selected cards in her hand.

METHOD
The method is very simple. When the cards have been selected,
and before they're returned to the deck, you give the deck a con-
cave bend (you remember concave, that's the one that looks
like the letter C). Of course, you do this unobtrusively. (That's a
two-dollar word meaning--don't let 'em see ya do it!) Now, the
cards are returned. You have three straight cards in a slightly
Spades Diamonds concave deck. And I mean slightly--the deck doesn't have to be
Clubs Hearts
folded in half! An overhand shuffle will not disturb this condi-
tion, but a riffle shuffle will, so don't riffle shuffle. Don't take
All youhave to do is point to the area of the index card where chances. Shuffle the cards yourself, unless you know that one
you want the spectator to sign it. The rest is acting on the part of of the spectators always gives the deck an overhand shuffle.
the medium. Placing the deck back into the card box is a safeguard
against the attending spectator from doing anything to the deck
accidentally while he takes it into your medium. She then asks
to be left alone to be able to concentrate better. She really wants
to be alone so the spectator won't see her cutting the deck to
the selected cards.
 Miracles of My Friends

That's really all there is to it. If she puts the deck on a table,
',having taken it out of the box first, of course) she'll find that
giving the deck a light cut will cut to a straight card. After she
1248
has found three, she straightens out the deck to hide the dirty
work in case anyone wants to look things over.
One of the things that has always fascinated me was the use
of the numbers 1, 2, 4, and 8. With these four numbers you can
code any number from 1 to 15. This, of course, is done by using
the numbers singly or in combination with others. For exam-
ple, 4 + 1 = 5, 8 + 2 1 = 11. Since you can code up to the
number fifteen and there are only thirteen values in a deck of
cards, then any card value can be coded by this method. That's
why we call it "1248".
This will take a little thinking on your part, but it's not really
as bad as it seems. First, the four numbers must be represented
by four objects.
1 = the deck of cards
2 = the card box
4 = a pen or pencil
8 = a pad or a piece of paper
With these four objects you will be able to code the value of any
card to the medium by leaving the appropriate item on the
table. The pen and pad are to be in your pocket to start, and the
deck and card box to be on the table.
Have the deck shuffled and a card selected. As soon as you
know the card, figure out which items must be on the table to
give the information to your medium.
Here are a few cards and their codes. The rest should then
become obvious. If the selected card is:

an Ace - leave the cards on the table and put the box
in your pocket
a Two - leave the box on the table and have the
spectator put the deck in his pocket
92 Miracles of My Friends

a Three - leave the cards and the box on the table

a Four - put the cards in the box, place them both in
your pocket, and put a pen on the table UNFLAPPABLE SWITCH
a Five - leave the cards on the table, put the box in
your pocket, and...well, you get the idea

Obviously, if the pen or paper are involved the medium will

write the name of the card or, if artistically inclined, draw a pic-
ture of it. Naturally, if just the pen or paper is on the table she The flapless envelope is one of those simple props that have a
will ask you for the other. number of uses. The bill switch is only one of them, although I
So much for the value. How about the suit? (Thought I forgot don't remember anyone using this idea before.
about that, didn't you?) Imagine the table divided into four The flapless envelope, for those of you who don't know, is an
quarters from the medium's point of view. envelope without a flap. (Notice how cleverly that was written!)
I refer, of course, to coin envelopes that open at the end. Cut the
Upper left - Clubs Upper right - Hearts flap from one envelope and place.it on top of a stack of similar
envelopes, slipping it under the flap of the second envelope.
Lower left - Spades Lower right - Diamonds The fact that the top envelope is flapless is not noticeable even
at close quarters.
Whichever objects are left on the table, move or place them into The preparation for a bill switch is very simple. The stack of
the proper quarter to indicate the suit. envelopes is back to back at the center so that the stack will
As I said, it takes a little thinking, but it's worth the effort. look the same no matter which side you look at. The flapless
envelope is at the front of the stack on one side, and just under-
neath it is an envelope with a pencil dot on it somewhere that
will enable you to recognize that envelope. Inside is a dollar bill
with a serial number you have memorized.
The rest should now be obvious. A group of spectators
remove dollar bills from their pockets. They fold them with the
serial numbers to the inside. Take one of the bills and place it in
the flapless envelope. Then take the top flap; this is really the
second envelope, but it looks like the one you just put the bill
into. Hand this envelope to a spectator and have him seal it.
While he is doing this casually turn the stack over. Repeat the
process with the rest of the spectators. They, or course, get
plain unmarked envelopes.
Once the envelopes have been mixed use any simple
method of forcing to get the marked envelope into the hands of
the assisting spectator. The other envelopes are returned to the
94 Miracles of My Friends Lenier 95

other spectators. The remaining envelope you hold to your velope and look at the bill as though to verify what you just said.
forehead and, with some degree of apparent difficulty, you call Actually, you are looking at a new bill and memorizing the
out the numbers on the bill which the spectator can now number on it. Repeat this a few times, each time calling out the
check. number you have just memorized. When you have done two or
Just as an added thought; since the bills thatyou return to the three pick up the marked envelope and call out the last number
spectators are in envelopes, why not print these envelopes with you memorized.
your name, address, and phone number? Advertise any chance Now have one or two committee members check the bills
you get. and their numbers will tally with the numbers your assistant
wrote on the blackboard.
ANOTHER METHOD The nice thing about mentalism is that even if you make a
One of the greatest aids to the mentalist is the one-ahead sys- slight mistake in memorizing the bills you're still great as far as
tem. Usually this was used in a question answering act, but it the audience is concerned. In fact, sometimes it's even better
works just as well for serial numbers on bills—providing you and I purposely make a mistake. With three bills, I'll get two per-
can remember numbers easily. fectly. On the third bill I'll have all numbers correct, but two of
Let's start with the way to remember numbers. Most people them will be transposed. Or I might mistake a 6 for a 9, or a 3 for
can remember (for a short time, anyway) names, phone num- an 8. The audience loves it beciuse it proves that you're not
bers, and dates, but a long sequence of numbers and letters infallible and must be human after all.
seems to be an impossible task. That's what you do, however.
You break the long sequence into smaller units. For example, if
you had a bill with the number 14921776, it would certainly be
easier to remember the dates 1492 and 1776. This is because
you naturally tend to remember them as pairs; 14 and 92, 17 and
76.
Okay, back to the stack of envelopes with the flapless one on
one side. Proceed exactly as before to set up a group of en-
velopes, one of which is marked and contains a bill with a serial
number that you have memorized.
All the envelopes are sealed, mixed, and placed into a con-
tainer. A glass bowl is good because the audience can see the
envelopes at all times. An assistant (either your own or one that
you just took from the audience) stands at a large blackboard.
Reach into the bowl and mix the envelopes a little more.
Actually, what you are doing is looking for the one that you have
marked. Once you find it, don't take it—move it off to the side
slightly and take any other envelope. Hold this to your forehead
and call out the number that you have memorized. This is writ-
ten on the blackboard by your assistant. Tear open the en-
 INSTANT BILL-READING TEN PENNY IMPROMPTU QUICKIE

Now that you can memorize a bill quickly here is a little Place ten pennies on the table and turn your back to the spec-
impormptu quickie that I learned some years ago, although I tator. (Depending on how well he likes you this could be
dangerous!) Tell him to pick up all the pennies—some in his
don't know where it came from. right hand and some in his left. Now he does a little math. He
remove a bill from his pocket and fold it into
Have a spectato r multiplies the coins in his right hand by 2, and the coins in his
quarters (in other words, once each way) with the serial num-
ber on the inside. Hold the bill in your left hand with the short left by 3. These two numbers he adds together and gives you the
final total.
fold on the left and the long folded part along the bottom. If
you'll take a bill out of your pocket and fold it right now, you'll
METHOD
see what I mean. Transfer the bill to your right hand, and as you
do, insert your right thumb into the first fold. That is, the single All you do is subtract 20 from the total. This will tell you how
many coins he has in his left hand, from which you can deter-
layer closest to you. mine how many he has in his right hand.
From the spectator's point of view, everything looks fair.
Take a look at it in a mirror to convince yourself. You'll notice, Let me give you a quick example of this:
however, that you can see the serial number. Depending on He has picked up 7 in his right and 3 in his left
how it was folded, the number will be either rightside up or 7 X 2 = 14
upside down. You'll never know until you get the bill which way 3X3=9
the number will be facing, so practice reading numbers 14 + 9 = 23
He tells you the answer is 23. From this you subtract
upside down. 20. The remainder (3) tells you there are three coins
It's very easy to glimpse the number as you raise the bill to
your forehead. However, if you have any trouble, just glimpse in his left hand and, obviously, there must be seven in
the first four numbers on the way up to your forehead, and try to his right.
get the last four on the way down as you hand the bill back to
Isn't science wonderful?
the spectator.
 DENNIS HERE'S LOOKING AT YOU,
SWEETHEART!
or: Miracles in Mylar
MARKS

New York City My mother and father were a vaudeville team, and I was born
BORN:
during the Depression just as vaudeville and their marriage
PROFESSION: Writer-Producer

Los Angeles, California were both ending. My father was granted visiting rights, and this
HOME:
usually meant that he'd take me visiting—places like the Friar's
Club (where Milton Berle insists to this day that I peed on his
lap) and the Penny Arcade on 52nd Street and Broadway (hous-
ing the Circle Magic Store run by Mike and Irving
Tannen). The store was more of a novelty and gag shop, like
After a stint in the U.S. Navy Dennis went back most ground floor "magic" shops, but Mike and Ir y were true
magic aficionados and they easily recognized a youngster who
to New York to become a writer. He wrote parts of could be hooked on the hard stuff. Ir y sold me my first stripper
the nightclub revue "Upstairs at the Downstairs," deck, and whenever I had spare time I'd hang around there.
was co-creator of the musical "Baker Street," and This meant that the next time my father came to take me visiting
did songs and special material for people like I would be all prepared with a list of the tricks I wanted from
Jane Froman and Elsa Maxwell. His first major TV Irv.
Then my mother, never the one to be upstaged by her "ex"
show was the Jackie Gleason show, then did "AM (the period's jargon for former mates), took up the cause and
New York," and was "Wonderama" producer for whenever presents were to come my way some new magic
a few years. He moved to Los Angeles in 1980 tricks would always head her list.
where he quite often works magicians' names I also got books from the library, the most memorable being
John Mulholland's Book of Magic, and I actually spent my own
into scripts of his Saturday morning cartoon money for Jean Hugard's Modern Magic Manual, a first-rate
shows. investment. The upshot was that I became the most dreaded of
species, a Kid Magician.
 Miracles of My Friends Marks 101
100

From Circle Magic I moved my spare time to Holden's where Card Technique, and I have not stopped buying the good books
Frank Garcia was a teenager working behind the counter. I since.
actually met Jean Hugard, and saw John Scarne and Dai I then jumped into the New York City magic world with both
Vernon work. I bought silks (possibly the worst prop ever feet, a leap my then wife often reminded me she had not been
invented for Kid Magicians) and Rice Bowls. I played school prepared for. (It's one thing to love a hobby, but another to
shows, churches, and small house parties. Once, when I was expect your wife to love it enough to fulfill the demands that full
bill with my mother and participation often requires. But that's another story.) That
about 13, I performed on a professiona l world of magic included Tannen's on Saturday, followed by
the other performers of Bill's Gay 90's (the nightclub where she
sang for more than 30 years) as part of a USO benefit for about those famous sessions in the cafeteria; learning and working
2,000 WAVES being discharged from the service. I still have the with people like Ken Krenzel, Sol Stone, Harvey Rosenthal,
photograph of my big finish, pulling a wrinkled American flag Derek Dingle, David Roth, Karl Fulves, Frank Garcia, Ben
from Grant's Temple Screen. I am both ashamed and pleased to Braude, Sam Schwartz, Oscar Weigel, Russ Barnhart, Harry
Lorayne, and the incredible, approachable, beautiful Tony
report that the WAVES loved it. Slydini. Then there were the Willie Schneider lectures, the local
Suddenly, I was in prep school and magic had absolutely no
part in my life. Nor did it in college, the years in the navy, or early IBM and SAM meetings, the round table at Rosoff's, and most
importantly, the making of ne 'W friends with whom to ex-
on in my professiona l writing career. the time I change wonders.
Just as suddenly, after I found myself bemoanin g
was wasting watching television (I had to, I thought, in order to But it wasn't a friend who turned out to be the motivation
work in the medium), I picked up a deck of cards again. Won- behind my first original trick. He was and still is, a highly skilled
derful! I could fool around with cards and coins while monitor- amateur, used to getting his own way, dominating conver-
ing the tube. But an amazing thing had happened. My hands sations, and withholding his attention from newcomers. In
had grown since those early days with the Wizard Deck. Grips many ways he might be a nice man. I still think of him as a
and holds I had accepted from those early books to accom- schmuck. He's the kind of guy who, when you ask to see a move
le and again, will do a variation on it, so you'll never see the same
modate my pubescen t hands were now uncomfortab thing twice--even when he's pretending to teach it to you. He's
impossibly incorrect. If I wanted to get back into magic as a
hobby, I would have to start all over again from scratch, and this also the kind of guy who watches a wonderful new effect, but
during the applause for it he's already showing you "the
time get it right! original version" or his variation on it. Let's call him
Holden's was gone but, in one of the more wonderful time
"Sweetheart".
trips which magic always seems to provide, I found myself
with Irving Tannen, now working with One day I was in an art supply store and I discovered
once again face-to-fac e magic mirrored mylar. I knew about shiners, or course, and it seemed
his older brother, Lou, in New York's number one real
shop. Needless to say, it was not on the ground floor. I was well to me that here was the most perfect material ever invented for
into my thirties but Irv, amazingly, recognized me, even though that magical use. It was also an unsuspected gimmick that
he still called me "kid"! To learn the basics over again I bought could help me fool the wise guys—especially Sweetheart!
by Hugard, and, of course, Erdnase. I worked out a handling that was easy for me and there I was
Royal Road to Card Magic with something that nobody else knew about. I couldn't blow it,
To become current Irving recommend ed Harry Lorayne'sExpert clas-
A year or so later I was into I had to make the effect everything—or I was doomed to be dis-
sic Close-Up Card Magic.
102 Miracles of My Friends
Marks 103

covered. As you know, I am sure, trying to fool a magician is not first published trick, appearing in the April 1972 issue, exactly
the same as trying to perform magic for a layman. In most cases as it appears here. There is one additional hint on the handling.
the knowledgeable magician will be tipped off by your hand- When I do this now, and I still do it, I hand the deck out to be
ling. Such rudimentary moves as, for example, the double-lift, if examined and shuffled first, then I ring in the mylar-ed Joker
recognized, will immediately set off any card man's alarm when they hand the deck back. I recommend this effect
while the trick is in progress. I am convinced that many of the highly.
great moves in close-up magic were originally devised by So does Sweetheart.. .
workers to throw off other workers. Each new double-lift—and
there are probably a hundred of them—was developed to dis-
prove one of the others. Also, each new move was probably
closer to the inventor's way of handling cards and, thus, was
easier and more natural for him (Vernon, again). Thus, to those
who say fooling magicians is a waste of time, I say nonsense.
Anyway, back to my miracle. I worked out three different han-
dlings of the shiner card. It wasn't my intent to do this, but in
playing around with it I came up with the moves and dis-
covered that if I used them one after the other, each handling
disproved one of the others. A little something I had learned
from Sweetheart!
I nervously performed it for the first time in front of critical
but friendly faces at the cafeteria—and I blew them away. "I
didn't see the peek!" "Do it again." "Hey, since when did you
start handling cards?" And finally, "Hey, Dennis, you gotta do
this for Sweetheart!"
Now I wasn't about to walk over to his table, where he was
demonstrating how to Smoke a Cigar and Be Loud and Gross,
and just say, "Uh, pardon me, Mr. Sweetheart, would you like to
see a trick?" Oh, no. He had to want to see it. Happily, that is just
what happened. The other guys, not knowing he was the raison
d'etre of the trick itself, told him I had something good and he
summoned me to his table...where I promptly destroyed him.
He had explanations, of course; all wrong. The exhilaration
was more than satisfying. As I type these notes I find I am still
smiling over it these many years later.
So this trick that follows is a milestone in my magical career. I
sent it off to Genii Magazine a year or so later and it became my
104 Miracles of My Friends
Marks 105

Miracles In My/ar
cards face up, showing them to the rear. This "bellies" the card
the spectator. Remove the Jok- facts, find those tricks that required
out just enough to open the
er. (Or whatever Mylar-ed card mirrors, and substitute Mylar glued
deck at the top so you can
you've g immicked.) Toss it to to a smooth surface, like a playing
glimpse the reflection of the
one side. Hand the deck to be card, and cut it to the required size.
By Dennis Marks shuffled. Take it back and hold
upper right index of the card (If you make a Mylar-ed card as in
facing the Mylar-ed side of the
it in the left hand in position the previous card effects, you will al-
Joker. Continue inserting the
for the spectator peek. RH ways have a mirror with you.) —If
first method because the other Joker up to half its length.
An introduction to a new substance picks up the Joker, Mylar-ed you do gambling effects or gambling
is not as natural and could look Leave it protruding and let the
with which the magician can instan- end toward the pack, "We'll exposes get hold of Audley Walsh's
likea "move". spectator see its back sticking
taneously know the identity of a free- use the Joker as an "indicator" treatise on shiners and you can make
#2 Getting the Glimpse As the out. Ask the spectator to hold
ly selected card — without a single card. Place your index finger on up the whole bunch in less than an
Selected Card Is Chosen out his palm. Turn the deck
Sleight — plus suggestions for use by the top edge of the Joker and hour. And you can create new ones.
Deck held in LH, RH above. over and place it face up on his
mentalists, those doing gambling rou- as I move it along the side of —And if you've got some old beat-
Locate the Mylar-ed card by palm. Remember, he doesn't up looking a pparatus, use the Mylar
tines and exposes, and for those with the deck, you tell me to stop even know the card yet, but
riffling the inner end with the
apparatus that could use a bright new and I'll insert the Joker to like Contac and you'll have gleaming
right thumb. Again, be sure it you do. Name the card, take
look. Sound good? — It's great! mark the place." Do just that. chrome props that look fantastic. Oh
is in the bottom third of the hold of the protruding Joker
There is a new plastic called MY- As you insert the Joker you yes, one more thing. There is also a
deck. Move all cards above it and lift it and all the cards
LAR which comes in many forms. get your glimpse as follows: Mylar tape on the market. This is
a half an inch forward, then, above it—and the card you
The one I'm talking about is Chrome - your right thumb is at the rear not chromed, but transparent, like
with the tip of the right thumb named is now staring you and
Mylar. It can be bought by the yard of the Joker, first, second, and Scotch Magic Tape. But there's one
in contact with the Mylar-ed your amazed audience right in
for $2.50 at art supply stores and third fingers on its face. As you difference. You can't tear it. It makes
card, move the upper portion the face.
plastic suppliers. It is thinner than insert it, press the thumb for- the greatest utility mending tape in
back square with the deck. The Okay, now for some other possibili-
tissue paper yet it cannot tear. Its ward and your third finger to the world. — Now if only I had a few
Mylar-ed card thus moves back ties. Go to your library of mental ef- shares of Mylar stock!
reflecting surface is better than a
and now extends from the rear
mirror, and it is as a mirror that the
of the deck for about half an
card and mental effects are accomp-
inch. Holding the deck in the
lished. left hand, tilted slightly up.
If you have ever wanted a special-
#1. Getting the Glimpse As the ward so the spectator cannot see
ly-sized shiner and your friendly cor-
Selected Card Is Returned. the extended card, riffle with
ner glazier happened to be in Fair-
Locate the short card and get it your left thumb for the selec-
banks for the winter, now you can
into the bottom third of the tion, as before. Stop when told
make your own ... any size ... any
deck and get a little • finger and make sure he sees that you
shape — A space-age shiner!
break above it. Be sure the My- do stop exactly on his com-
I used it on the back of a playing
lar end is toward you. With mand. Lift the upper portion
card and fooled some of the smartest
the left thumb riffle down the about an inch and move it a
card men in I.B.M.'s Ring 26 in New
outer left corner of the deck bit to the rear. You can now
York. Later, Sam Schwartz informed
for the spectator to tell you read the reflection of the bot-
me that many years ago Burling Hull
when to stop. When he does— tom card of that portion in the
marketed a playing card with a re-
and he must always stop you extended Mylar-ed card. Now
flecting surface on the back, and I
above the break—lift off the tilt the RH packet upward so
have recently found that Alton
upper portion at that spot and the spectator can see the face
Sharpe's new book includes an effect
show him the bottom card of of his selected card. This tilt-
requiring silver foil on the back of a
that packet, his selected card. ing action brings the right
card. Therefore, I'm not taking credit
Just as you are replacing the thumb into contact with the
for the concept even though I ar-
upper portion, your left little rear edge of the protruding
rived at it independently. What I are
finger moves outward and the card. Continue the action so
offering, however, is brand new hand-
portion of the deck resting that your right thumb pushes
ling, plus some
ome hew ideas, all made
above it pivots slightly to the the card in flush. You may now
possible by thi s incredible new ma. separate your hands as widely
right. You can now see the in-
terial. as you like, being as open as'
ner left corner of the Mylar-ed
CARD IDENTIFICATION:
card. Your right hand should be you wish. You know his card
Cut a piece of chrome mylar to fit and there is nothing to hide, or
right above the deck at this
the back of a playing card as shown
moment. As you replace the for him to see.
(s ee photo) and glue it in place with cut-off portion you can see the #3. Using the Mylar-ed card as An
one of the new spray adhesives. Let's
reflection of the inner left in- "Indicator" Card
say you use the Joker as your Mylar-
dex of the selected card, the This is the killer. If you've done
ed card. In the deck it cannot be de-
face card of this portion. In- the first two for magicians and
tected, even with the deck placed flat
stantly square up and proceed you now go into this, you'
on the table. The card can be handled
as you wish. —If you wish you need some kind of ruse to thro
absolutely normally. You can even
may prefer to place the cut-off them off, because, as presented,
riffile shuffle and Faro shuffle. All
portion right into the break and the following is real magic . .
right. Make the Joker into your fav-
right above the Mylar-ed card. and magicians just won't accept
orite kind of short card and you're
This is easier, but I prefer the that, will they? Run through the
ready to go.
 NOTES AGAINST ORTHODOXY
STEPHEN
A series of Little Essays
on the
MI NCH Search for Normalcy in Mentalism

1948 in Tacoma, Washington It has been rightly said that rules are made to be broken. Nor is
BORN:
Magician/Mentalist this simply a rationalization for hooligans and grinning icon-
PROFESSION:
oclasts. I have a personal credo that forms a corollary to the
HOME: Seattle, Washington
above truisms: Rules are made for those who can't think for
themselves.
The trouble with rules is that they seldom apply all of the time
to all of the people. It could be convincingly argued that no
man-made rule is omnisensical. Rules are products of time,
First exposure was to magic books in the local situation, culture, intelligence and the opionion of those in
power. All these factors change; and when they do, so usually
library and then, on his fourteenth birthday, he do the rules, though at a slower rate due to man's resistance to
was ushered into Syd Brockman's magic shop change and love of unquestioned dogma
where he soon became a regular. Through high All creations of man propagate their rules, and produce
school and college he concentrated on close-up those special individuals who can live outside them or modify
and mentalism, still his primary interests in the • them to fit new needs and conditions. Mentalism is no excep-
tion. What follows is a series of personal observations on some
field of magic. He has a Bachelor of Science in of the seldom questioned dogmas in the field. They are not
psychology which has brought him much closer meant to supplant these existing dogmas, but only to make one
to parapsychology than most mentalists, but he think more about their applications before accepting them,
has found little evidence for its possibility. which too many do unquestionly on the grounds of mindless
printed and verbal repetition or authoritarian dicta.

THE BRIEFCASE SYNDROME

"I do an hour-and-a-half out of my briefcase," is a sneering
108 Miracles of My Friends Minch 109

cliche' repeated ad nauseam by the current mental worker as THE TEMPTATION OF BEAUTIFUL BOXES
he watches the poor magician cart in, set up, tear down, and Here we look at the other side of the coin to the previous obser-
pack his props and illusions for the same period of entertain- vation. I have yet to meet the mentalist who did not start out as a
ment. The philosophy that apparently engendered this elitist magician. I imagine such a creature exists out there some-
bromide to hard work is that a mentalist is one who deals with where, but if so he is an extremely rare fowl. When entering the
the minds of his audience rather that with large properties and realm of mentalism, or eschewing magic completely for love of
stage settings. Ergo, the least amount of physical paraphernalia the mental, we all leave behind us the beautiful gimmicks,
should be visible during a mental act. boxes and ostentatious paraphernalia of the magician's craft.
This, of itself, is logical. However, one must not lose sight of There are few mental props indeed that can vie with the fas-
the fact that a mental act is still part of show business. One cination and clever craftsmanship embodied in the magician's
should not so readily abandon theater when working onstage accoutrements. (Some of the mechanical prediction chests
for an audience who paid for a show. There is really nothing are acceptable examples of mental props that carry this fas-
wrong with large stage props and displays in a mental act if cination for wonderfully crafted gimmicks. The billet knife and
selected and designed with good sense. The bias away from Quantimental stand are also in this category.)
large props in mentalism is partly in reaction to tricky-looking Whether we like to admit it or not, we all are somewhat loath
apparatus such as that a magician might use. But large props to part with such wonderful examples of magical ingenuity and
and displays can be made to either be or appear completely artisanship. Yet it is better we should if these crafty toys cause
innocent of guile. Holders, stands and displays of such a size as any suspicion as to their normalcy or use in the minds of
to be visible and interesting to view for a large audience can be our audiences.
fine assets to the mentalist. Visuals with size, color and flash Even some of our most respected thinkers and innovators
can dress and help dramatize a mental show. Their use and have fallen for this lure of the beautiful box. Without searching
reason for being must be obvious, if not unquestionable, to an too far we may easily come up with clever routines generated
audience, just as are display stands and properties in store win- to enshrine some dearly loved magical appliance. Change
dows. The average mental act lacks color, visual variety and bags, Okito boxes, bill tubes, Jap boxes; references to these
flash. These are strong dramatic tools that should not be and many other magical props can be found in mentalism's
thrown aside without serious consideration. Interesting, color- literature. At times the creator who so admired these clever
ful, innocent-appearing props should not be blacklisted by gimmicks has worked hard to suggest some explanation or
mentalists. Unless experience has proven you one of those excuse designed to shroud the questionable item in a thin veil
charismatic giants from whom an audience cannot tear its of q uasi-respectability. With hard work a good showman can
eyes, careful consideration of visuals for your mental act is not make such weaknesses unobvious, or even invisible, to the
out of line. majority of his audience. Understand that he is the excep-
Yes, the ease of carrying all you need in a briefcase or even tion.
your pockets is a wonderful thing. But a mentalist is still an The question must be asked, is it worth it? Is the effort expen-
entertainer, an entertainer is a showman, and show business is ded to use a pretty flim-flam really warranted? Is the risk of los-
not supposed to be effortless. Large props cannot only be ing credibility worthwhile? It is another bromide of magic that a
viable to the mental worker, they can be strong allies. Con- superior performer can take the worst trick and make it good.
sider them. Then why is it that one so rarely sees performing proof of this
 Minch itr
110 Miracles of My Friends
little test for your own satisfaction if you doubt this evaluation.
contention? I will not argue its validity as a lesson in show- Approach several individuals who do not know you as a magi-
manship. But any really superior performer will not debilitate cian, bring out a pack of cards and set it before them. Then ask
himself with inherently weak effects just to prove he can sur- them what they think when they see the deck. I wager they will
mount them. Why should he when he can use his gifts to build immediately name some form of card game or gambling, but
them into miracles? Why should any craftsman choose faulty certainly not card tricks.
material upon which to raise the framework of his craft? Only if the performer through word or deed broadcasts the
I have yet to see one of these proposed effects that use an suspicion of card tricks will the layman make such a connec-
obviously magical or suspicious prop that is worth the risk or tion in the context of a convincing mental act. Of course this
cannot be done more effectively with some more natural stand- means the effects one chooses to use must be selected with
in for the offending appliances. Love of crafty or beautiful care and common sense. There are very many more bad mental
boxes and gimmicks can lead the mortal mentalist back to the card effects around the good ones. But, ignoring this ratio, there
are still a good many fine mental feats with cards from which to
conjuror's corner.
select. Avoid dealing or spelling maneuvers (rare exceptions
FEAR OF THE DEVIL like Curry's "Out of This World" excluded). Look for direct, no-
If a poll were taken amongst modern mentalists it could easily nonsense effects and methods.
be predicted that those who believe the use of playing cards in The way one handles the deck may be the one thing that tips
mentalism is wrong would be far in the majority of those who the scales unfavorably even when the material is right. All fancy
do not subscribe to this taboo. Like most dogmas it is usually handlings, flourishes or any moves that require unnatural
accepted by the mere fact of its repetition rather than through actions must be strictly skirted. However, this does not mean
individual assessment. you must renounce all sleights or handle the pack as if you
The rule against playing cards in mentalism is one of those were a product of a thalidomide birth. Non-flourishy sleights
exemplars of over-reaction to a valid criticism. The justification that can be executed skillfully can be great assets to the men-
for this exorcism of the devil's picturebook is that playing cards talist. Palms, double lifts, false shuffles, glides, etc.; all these
ring of magic tricks in the layman's mind. And god knows there can be made innocuously innocent if done properly. Also, act-
are enough bad mental magic tricks with cards in the literature ing as if you had never had a deck in your hands in your long life
to support such a theory in plentiful example. is a silly pretense for an entertainer. The average spectator will
However, I would like to postulate a counter theory of what not believe what you are doing for him in a professional setting
goes on in laymen's crania when a deck of cards is introduced. I . has not been rehearsed and performed before. One may handle
would like to suggest that the only people who immediately cards competently without suggesting sleight-of-hand. As in
associate playing cards with magic tricks are magicians—and most things the best road is the one between extremes. You
these magicians have been projecting their own associations need be neither a card sharp nor a clumsy oaf with a deck. Sim-
upon the lay public just to frighten themselves. I would further ply use common sense combined with your skill and/or
suggest that to the average layman, if he makes any connotative cunning.
connections with a deck of cards at all, the first association will One final observation on the taboo of playing cards in men-
be with card games and gambling. Magic and card tricks are talism cannot be resisted; it never stopped Annemann,
very far from the usual person's thoughts unless such things are Dunninger, Koran, Kreskin or Maven.
suggested to him by the performer. I would ask you to perform a
112 Miracles of My Friends
Minch 113

SIMPLE IS NOT ALWAYS EASY

This leads us to a bit broader examination of the taboo of tivity will determine which is best in each instance. While pass-
sleight-of-ha nd in mentalism. The general feeling amongst ing this way it might also be noticed that one lovely benefit to a
modern mental workers is that sleight should be avoided at all more skillful solution is that the teenager down the street isn't
costs. The kernel of truth from which this myth grew is of the going to walk in from the local magic shop and duplicate your
same tree as that from which the ban on playing cards fell; best effort.
obvious manipulative skill destroys the illusion of psychical The Annemannism demoting method to effect has a strong
powers. But, again as with cards, what this dogma fails to con- message to impart, but like all homilies must be applied with
sider is the well-done, well-conceale d sleight which can intelligence or else nonsense ensues. This brings to mind one
accomplish miracles. of the most inane rationalizations in all of magic and men-
This pogrom of sleight-of-ha nd oddly has its glaring offend- talism: "I keep away from the fancy stuff so I can concentrate on
ers which no mentalist has ever contemned as being ineffec- my presentation." What this credo of the lazy performer fails to
tive: billet switches, center-tear and billet-reading techniques, consider is that if the "fancy" method is practiced sufficiently to
nail writing and pocket writing, etc. All of these things are more the point of its mastery, then it becomes as automatic as push-
or less manipulative tasks done in secret, and all of them are ing a button and there is no distraction from presentation for
classic techniques; in fact, they are all basic foundation-blocks the capable performer. But this means work, and most hob-
in mentalism's substructure . If these, why not others, so long byists don't want that. Yet we call our field an art. No art can be
as they are chosen and exercised with common sense and bought. It demands work.
expertise? Before leaving the arena of effect vs. method, one more
But here we find more underpinnin g the bromide than the observation seems in order. Of course, in the end Annemann
unthinking acceptance which dogma promotes. Also active is must be right; the effect is more important than the method—
the basic sloth of the hobbyist. And need I remind you that sloth unless, through unthinking acceptance such good advice be
is one of the deadly sins? In magic and mentalism it is even driven to extremes that turn into folly. If one should adopt a
more lethal than in hell. The slothful mentalist now has catch- method so "bold" or "simple" as to be transparent the effect
phrases to rally lazily around: "The best method is the sim- will die an ignominious death. Yes, effect is more important
plest," and "Method is unimportan t , the effect is everything." than method, but method is still important in its own right.
These unwitting buttresses of indolence came down to us from Without attention to method, effect can be undermined. Once
no lesser demi-gods than Annemann and Al Baker. more, clear objective thinking will show the way where un-
However, the modern mouthers of these dogmas have cor- questioned dogma can lead to doom.
rupted their authors' original intents. The simplest method
does not mean the "easiest". If one well-handled sleight will CLEVER SOMETIMES ISN'T
eliminate two gimmicks, a suspicious prop or indirect han- Annemann's warning against the sirens of method over effect
dling, the sleight is the simplest method--eve n if it takes a year does, like most dogma, have its roots embedded in good sense.
of practice to perfect. Those who confuse easy for simple often From it spring other dangers, the dogmas of which we have
do a disservice to the art. Understand that if one subtlety or already examined. Cleverness of method can occasionally
unobvious gimmick will do the job of two sleights then that lead away from strength or directness of effect. From such arise
becomes the simplest method. Only common sense and objec- the trap of the ingenious gimmick and beautiful box (pre-
viously discussed) whose beguilements lead one away from
114 Miracles of My Friends Minch 115

consideration of the effect they may endanger. ON HOODWINKING ONE'S BRETHREN

I think any of us who have been in magic and mentalism for There is now a branch of our art that suffers under the condem-
any time have come to recognize those bewitching Janus- natory epitaph of Magicians' Magic. Mentalism, of course, has
faced effect whose methods are far better than the results they its counterpart as exemplified by the magic square premise
produce. In example, of which there are many, let me examine previously discussed. The dogma that rides magic-for-magi-
one of more recent vintage. A short time ago a good mentalist cians' back is that such a Byzantine concoction cannot be good
placed upon the market-block an effect wherein a sealed pre- for public consumption. In many cases the objective observer
diction of a magic square was shown to add in all directions (as can but agree. But I have often seen perfectly fine pieces of
magic squares are prone to do) to a number freely selected by a ingenuity thrown out with the bath water merely because they
spectator. The underlying methods were delightful, the effect had features built into them to bamboozle one's craft-mem-
one that fascinates mentalists. However, it is far less impres- bers. Again, dogmas make good rules of thumb, but there are
sive to a layman than a direct prediction of the number itself. four other fingers on the hand.
Here is a case where the embellishment of an effect, made to Let me give you one instance where adding a little touch of
build it into a more difficult-seeming and novel premise, worry to the occasional brother in the crowd does not push the
instead complicated it to its detriment. Anyone who has ever whole routine over the cliff. This is something I mentioned in
worked the magic square for the layman learns that even the Mind Novas. It concerns the cyclic stack common to so many
straightforward explanation of the square's properties as it is Rhine-card effects these days. The cyclic stack is always des-
being constructed before them will go well over the heads of cribed as running Cir cle-Cross-Waves-Square-Star as per the
the average audience. It will also sail right by the usual crowd of popular 1-2-3-4-5 mnemonic. Admittedly the layman will not
entertainment seekers. If one must take five minutes or more to recognise the existence of this now classic arrangement of the
explain the premise of a magic square before the result of a symbols, nor its function in the effects it makes possible. But
simple number prediction can be appreciated, one has lost not the cyclic stack is now widely known within the fraternity. What
only one's impact but one's audience in the bargain. For, if a is to stop the ambitious mental worker from changing the order
spectator does not comprehend the nature and difficulty of of the repeating symbols to something different and more
magic squares, the whole contrivance can but sacrifice effec- individual, say Sq uare-Cross-Star-Waves-Circle? Now if any
tiveness through suspicion of the unfamiliar. The direct predic- sharp-minded magician should be present in the audience he
tion of a number with a nail writer will pack a far more powerful will be unable to detect the ordinary stack he is familiar with,
punch. Thus has the creator lost sight of the effect in his striving which might well put him off your scent. And what does such a
for cleverness and novelty. little thing cost? It in no way complicates or even changes the
This is not to say that the marketed trick discussed above effect as far as the layman is concerned. You are doing exactly
does not have its merits. The two main principles it borrows the same thing, only you have built in a subtlety to throw off the
from Harry Lorayne and Al Mann are of quality. They need only wise ones that has cost you nothing. Such thinking for magi-
transplanting into firmer physiques. This does not mean that all cians and mentalists can actually create a better quality effect,
clever thought is to be discounted. There are many instances of rather than a lesser one. If subtleties of presentation or meth-
cleverness that are entirely praiseworthy. But cleverness has a odology can be added to a routine without detracting from its
strong lure that must always be examined in an objective light overall effectiveness for the layman, why be so damningly Spar-
before being hugged to the bosom. tan about doing so? Such fine points may only be appreciated
116 Miracles of My Friends Minch 117

by the rare mental compatriot or uncommonly shrewd layman, could concoct no ironclad rebuttal.
but it is fine points such as these that lead from craft to art. This same mechanical frailty encroaches upon other be-
loved mental favorites. The tape recorder prediction is one. As
MIND VS. MACHINE fascinating as the concept of a mechanically produced vocal
Prayerfully without confusing the reader with seeming con- forecast is, the immediate answer available to the average lay-
tradictions, I will now discuss what I see as an example of ill- man is, "The machine did it. It's electronic trickery." All too
advised ingenuity. This is meant to illustrate where the proper often that is the actual case! Whether they can solve the spe-
sentiment of the dogma against too clever mental contrivances cifics of the gimmicking or not, whether the effect revolves
may unsuspectedly lurk: in the realm of our new friends, the around some principle completely unrelated to the machine, if
machines. I was first alerted to this hidden threat by Micky the machine is there this answer will be posited and accepted.
Hades. It arose with the appearance of the first Add-A-Number And the sad truth is that to a layman even a wrong explanation
type effect using a pocket calculator in Bascom Jones'Magick. I is sufficient to discount your proposed miracle. Again, an old-
thought the conceit cunning and up-to-date. Micky thought it fashioned written prediction or visual testament to your seer-
inferior to the old Add-A-Number methods using written ship is far less explainable than any tape recorder.
figures and human brains. He had a tough time convincing me Another example of mechanical sabotage has appeared
of this, but he is a stubborn man. His reasoning ran thus: The recently in the writings of one of our better creators, in the form
electronic calculator is a fairly complex little machine—at of the automatic deck-shuffler. This mechanical card-shuffler
least to the average man. This theoretical and omnipresent has been around for some few years now, but is still unfamiliar
individual does not at all understand how his calculator to most people. Even if it were in every home it would still bear
operates. He knows how to make it perform but he has no idea the stigma of the inscrutable machine. In its proposed mental
of how it does what it does, just as he is in the dark on the inside use a simple and effective method for retaining a known stock
workings of his television, radio, typewriter, microwave oven, of cards on top of the pack is managed while still putting the
and any number of everyday machines. So, if anything happens cards through the untampered-with shuffler. The problem:
with such an appliance which he does not fathom, his first "That is sure some fancy machine you have there. How does it
attempt at a rational explanation is, "That sure is some clever do that?" Solution: back to good, convincing false shuffle,
machine. How did you gimmick it to do that?" And all mystery palm, or cold-decking technique.
vanishes from his mind. He still does not have an inkling of an The same author has also devised a shrewd method of per-
idea as to how you predicted the total arrived at on the cal- forming a one-shot prediction with the Edmund's ESP random
culator, but he has an explanation that will serve to satisfy him generator now available. Here the ugly head of mechanical
and those around him: the machine did it. suspicion is reared in even more hideous aspect; for though
Since most of us have no idea of the workings of even our the machine is genuine and ungimmicked, it is more alien to
most common machines we can credit almost any possibility the common man than those discussed above. No believable
to them when no more ready answer comes to mind. Yet effect can be obtained with such an unusual, if fascinating,
everyone perfectly understands a pen, a piece of paper, and the contrivance amongst the laity. That is, unless one would wish
function of mental addition. Thus, argued Micky, the use of a to hire an employee of Edmund's Scientific Supply to appear at
calculator can never be as strong as brute addition with each performance, bringing the machine with him and testify-
medieval implements. It was an argument against which I ing to its innocence. Or, if you should happen to walk into
118 Miracles of My Friends Minch 119

Edmund's showroom, like this mystery's creator, where those his audience by the time his performance, if a good one, is
present were fully aware of the machine's capabilities, you through. The disclaimer is either discounted or forgotten in the
might have a bit more impact. mirage of the act. Disclaimer or no, the result is the same: they
Machines share many of the allurements and all of the walk out the door believing what they wish to believe—that psi
failings of the beautiful box syndrome. These failings can exists and they have just seen proof. In witness I cite the late
sometimes be covered with strong presentation, but the same David Hoy, who began by billing himself as a fraud. You can't
doubts as to the wisdom of such an effort still apply. The open get any plainer than that. Yet he became one of the more suc-
use of machines in mentalism seems, for some time to come, a cessful psychics in the business. Anyone believing himself to
field the astute mental worker must admire from a distance. be straightening the record by disclaiming supernatural
powers in his mental act is deluding himself as much as his
audience.
TO BE OR NOT TO BE
With this heading we come to the touchiest of topics in the So if the disclaimer does not eliminate gullibility in the lay-
field: the disclaimer. Although much more original thinking man, what possible service can it provide? It soothes the un-
has been expended upon this subject than any of the others quiet conscience of the performer, And that is all (with the
covered here, I think it fairly safe to say that the governing possible rare exception of those districts still enforcing anti-
dogma is that a disclaimer of some sort is the ethical thing to fortune-telling statutes—and these only apply, as I understand
do. I used one once. I no longer bother. I neither recommend or it, to acts of apparent prediction).
dissuade anyone's following my course. This is a problem that Mentalism requires a suspension of disbelief to be effective.
touches the official bedrock of mentalism, and in the end must People, in the main, are more than ready to surrender their
be left to each man's private philosophy and conscience. What doubts, at least ior the while you are onstage. A mentalist who
I shall discuss here is the innate paradox of the disclaimer pro- must constantly temper his performance with cautions against
blem, which may help those who have yet to make a firm com- taking its created illusions seriously is as doomed to failure as
mitment to one course or the other delve their own feelings; any stage actor who interrupts his role every five minutes to
and, perhaps, those who have made up their minds may wish to remind his audience of his real name and profession. Men-
re-evaluate their decisions within the atmosphere of this little talism, like all show business, is the art of deceit, of fooling the
introspection. I must gratefully thank Dr. Ray Hyman for some senses in the theatrical setting. If one cannot live with this
of what I am about to put before you. During some long and elemental fact, one should give it up and go into social
delightful discussions Ray was instrumental in lighting the work.
dilemma of the mentalist for me which eventually led to my If using a disclaimer makes you feel better, by all means do
understanding more fully the decisions I had made on intuitive so. But do not fool yourself into feeling ethically superior to
levels. Note that my personal answer to the question is certainly those who don't experience this need. For in the end the effect
not Ray's. The good doctor, though always the gentlest of lis- on the audience is the same. . .if you are doing a competent
teners to my views, probably feels that his role in this is more job.
that of Frankenstein than Christian Bernard. This leads to one more consideration: just how far should
The nut of the problem is that any mentalist's disclaimer is one carry the act? Where is the line drawn? Again I would say
paradoxical in its effect. Any mentalist who uses a disclaimer this is fully a matter of personal conscience subject to no
knows very well that it is not heard or believed by the majority of catholic dogma. Many would agree that when psychic enter-
120 Miracles of My Friends Minch 121

tainers get entangled with scientists they have crossed a VAMPIRE'S ADVOCATE
definite taboo threshold. While I personally would draw up One of the long accepted dogmas of mentalism is that which
before crossing this point myself I do not condemn those who asserts that, without a general public belief in paranormal or
don't. I look on them as useful emetics for parapsychology's occult powers, the mental performer would no longer have a
system (forgive me, Ray and Marcello; I know I am sinning). In viable form of entertainment. In other words, a successful
no other field of science would a scientist enter a research relationship between mentalist and audience requires a sort of
laboratory without first having prepared himself with all the philosophical symbiosis—some would claim it a parasitism—
necessary tools and knowledge to do his job properly: no for the performance to be an appreciated one. Without such
chemist, no physicist, no biologist, no mathematician. One sad intrinsic beliefs in the supranormal, it is said, the mental perfor-
truth of parapsychological research is that fraud, either con- mance would be a failure. •
scious or unconscious, is a factor that must be taken into If this theory is adopted as fact it places the role of the men-
account and guarded against. Any parapsychologist, without talist in very precarious ethical straits. In fact he finds no friends
having done his homework in the area of fraudulent methods, on either side of the parapsychological fence. Hardline skep-
is bound to be incompetent in the laboratory designing and tics would have him outlawed, along with all types of psychic
actualizing his experiments, just as any physicist who never workers, as charlatans who prey upon the credulity and ig-
figured what Brownian motion was about would be destined to norance of the public and bolster their superstitious inclin-
fiasco. Fraudulent psychics serve as effective traps for incom- ations. Over the border, parapsychologists and various psi
petence in parapsychology. Some might consider it more a supporters view the mentalist as a frivolous imposter who
form of entrapment with all its complex moral coils, but I am throws an undignified spotlight of hoax and suspicion upon
aware of no case of psychic fraud in the laboratory that has long the outlands of their special concerns.
withstood the scrutiny of competent scientists who examined Damned by both believers and skeptics, the mentalist's only
the data. Even extremely clever fraud perpetrated by the scien- defense against accusations of being a psychic leech has been
tist himself, often far more difficult to detect than the smoke- the disclaimer. But, as just shown, disclaimers are no more
screen any pseudopsychic can raise, sooner or later seems to than hallucinatory ego-props for the mental worker in the
fall to sharp scientific minds ( I am thinking particularly of the majority of cases. They have been proven to have little or no
sad S. G. Soal case here). effect upon audiences, who calmly go right on believing exact-
My contention is that fraudulent psychics serve a useful ly what they wish, the performer's brief cautions evaporating on
function in science by pragmatically exposing incompetence a much larger sea of presupposition.
while teaching scientists the facts of elementary psi exper- It would seem, if all these things are true, that the mentalist
imental-design. Those who don't do their homework before who concerns himself with the ethical ramifications of his per-
entering the lab thus soon learn that which they lack and cor- formances has no safe ground upon which he might escape the
rect their omissions or lose credence with the scientific com- irksome suspicion that his chosen profession might at its cen-
munity. Either outcome is wholly beneficial to science as a ter be an ethical swamp.
body. All this generates from the assumption that mentalism
So, in the end it all comes down to personal values; yours depends upon the genuine belief, not just temporarily suspen-
and no one else's. Only these can determine which routes are ded disbelief, of its audiences. But by what facts do we know
safe for you. this dogma to be true? Once again it seems that if something is
122 Miracles of My Friends Minch 123

repeated often enough, people stop questioning it. Let us turn not the mentalist's performances retain their wonder and fan-
to an examination of the history of conjuring, a field of which tasy without a substructure of superstition? Certainly the ideas
mentalism is but a small province, for a parallel situation. of telepathy and prediction are no less fascinating to the
Even into the beginnings of the twentieth century much of imagination than that of silk scarves and birds being seemingly
the general public still considered conjuring not merely an produced from nowhere. Just as the conjurer of the past was
entertainment but an interconnected black art quite clearly cast in a questionable ethical light because of a dogmatic
related to the supernatural. It was at its base sorcery. The Zeitgeist, so more than likely might the modern mentalist be
further back in man's history one treads the stronger the more a casualty to, than a cause of, modern beliefs beyond his
relationship between true magic and conjuring grows. Un- desires or control. I do not say it is so. But I strongly suggest it
doubtedly the poor conjurer was cast as villain by both skeptics might well be. At least it is time we began questioning this
and petitioners of past ages. The stage and parlor conjurer was dogma that has remained unquestioned for far too long. Until it
seen as a promoter of false hope and superstition in the realm can be put to the test it is wise not to tar the mentalist with the
of the occult. He was disdained equally by unbeliever and same brush as the psychic charlatan. And wisdom is as needed
staunch mystic alike. It is only recently that much of the public a commodity in these times as in all others.
has been educated to the fact that conjuring and the super-
natural are unrelated. The one is a theatrical fantasy, the other a * *-*
desire, clung to as reality by some and cast off by others. Did With this I shall close this series of short essays upon dogma
this end the conjurer's profession? Obviously not, as conjuring in mentalism. If nothing else, it should be clear that I do not dis-
in its various forms is more popular than ever. No one today count the truths entombed in the Dogmas we have examined.
(barring the uneducated and neurotic) witnesses a conjuring All of them have their useful messages to impart. Nor would I
display and takes it as anything more than it is meant to be: a expect anyone to unthinkingly snuff their advise for some of the
form of entertaining artistry that creates a special sense of fan- alternatives I have tried to light. I suppose the one real moral to
tasy, wonder and pleasure—but certainly not belief in the this collection of observations is that rules can serve a good
illusions as anything but illusions. function if used as guidelines but not as unquestionable truth.
So what happened here? The conjurer's craft and presenta- For any rule that purports to be correct without exception, there
tion haven't changed in any important particulars in their per- are those who will intelligently explore those exceptions and
forming psychology. What has changed is the outlook and prosper from them. They are the minority who think rather than
education of audiences. They no more believe the conjuring follow. Hopefully this exercise will simply promote that func-
performance a demonstration of preternatural forces, but tion.
accept it nonetheless as entertainment and, in some cases,
artistry. It becomes clear that the conjurer had been a mistaken
martyr to special interest groups' missiles rather than a vam-
pire, as he had been portrayed.
Might not the mentalist's role indeed be similar? Just as the
conjurer can still entertain and delight without real belief being
required of his audiences, as long as his methods remain mys-
teries and his performances contain craft if not artistry, might
 TAU MIND POWER
CARROLL
PRIEST
Aspectator is given a list and asked to think of one of the
items and to remember its price. Your helper is now given a
card and pencil and told to write the digits from 0 through 9 in
any order he likes, so you will not know their order. As you say
this, you illustrate by putting an 8 in the upper lefthand corner
of the card (see Fig.2) and ask the-spectator to write the remain-
BORN: 1939 in Indiana
ing digits anywhere he likes, one in each block. When this has
PROFESSION: Mechanical Designer
Hollywood, California been done, say that you do not have any idea which item has
HOME:
been selected from the list, its price, or the order of the digits on
the card. You instruct the spectator to concentrate on the price
of the item only and as he does so, to draw a circle around each
of the digits that represent the price.
Instantly, after the spectator has done this, you are able to tell
Carroll had an excellent start in mentalism by the spectator the item and the price he thought of.
being introduced to Robert Nelson in the 1950's Note that neither the item or the price is written by the spec-
tator. Yet you know them instantly!
and then working for him. He put that formative
time to good use by being a professional for many METHOD
years in Europe and Canada as well as the U.S. The key to the system is the title of the trick, TAU MIND POWER.
Then his creative urges got the better of him, so he Each of the letters that make up TAU MIND POWER are the
beginning letters of the items in the list (Fig. 1). Just by remem-
settled in Hollywood. Here he works fora theatri- bering the title makes it easy to remember the items in the list; T
cal equipment company as well as developing for Teapot, A for Apron, etc. The three items represented by TAU
strong mental effects which he divulges to a few (three-letter word) have a three-digit price, the four items rep-
close associates. resented by MIND (four-letter word) have a four-digit price, and
the five items represented by POWER (five-letter word) have a
five-digit price.
Now, notice that an 8 is the first digit in the prices of the items
represented by the first letters of the words, TAU, MIND, and
126 Miracles of My Friends Priest 127

the digit you drew in the first position. The number of digits cir-
cled gives you the key word: TAU, MIND or POWER. The posi-
THREE DIGITS IN PRICE -- THREE LETTERS IN TAU
tion of the 8 gives you the first letter of the item. Just watch
the pencil!
T Teapot $8.14 -- 8 is first digit for first letter T
A Apron $2.85 -- 8 is second digit for second letter A By putting the 8 on the card for the spectator as you illustrate
U Umbrella $3.68 -- 8 is third digit for third letter U what you want him to do, it is very easy to notice when he cir-
cles the 8 while circling the digits of the price.
FOUR DIGITS IN PRIC E -- FOUR LETTERS IN MIND
Number of digits circled equal the number of
M Music box $81.47 -- 8 is first digit for first letter M letters in the key word
I Iron $28.51 -- 8 is second digit for second letter I Position of the 8 equals the first letter of
N Necklace $36.89 -- 8 is third digit for third letter N the item in the key word
D Dryer $47.08 -- 8 is fourth digit for fourth letter D
If, for example, the spectator circles four digits and the 8 is
FIVE DIGITS IN PRICE -- FIVE LETTERS IN POWER
the third digit circled, that tells you it is the four-letter word
$814.70 -- 8 is first digit for first letter P (MIND), and the third letter in MIND stands for Necklace. If the
P Piano
0 Oven $285.14 -- 8 is second digit for second letter 0 spectator circles five digits and the 8 is the fourth digit circled,
W Washer $368.92 -- 8 is third digit for third letter W that tells you it is the five-letter word (POWER), and the fourth
E Ear rings $470.83 -- 8 is fourth digit for fourth letter E letter in POWER stands for Earrings.
R Radio $514.78 -- 8 is fifth digit for fifth letter R Now for the price. The position in which the 8 is circled also
tells you the first digit of the price, or the second digit if 8 is the
first digit of the price. If the position of the 8 is third (the third
Fig. 1 digit circled), the first digit of the price is a 3. 1f the position of
the 8 is fourth (the fourth digit circled), the first digit of the price
is a 4. To get the remaining digits, just add 3 (as in the Si Steb-
bins count), always skipping over the 8 because you already
know its position.
Fig. 2 EXAMPLE: Five digits circled, and the 8 is in the second posi-
tion. First digit is a 2; skip the 8; add 3 to the 2 to get the third
digit of 5; add 3 and you get 8, but because you can't use
another 8 you make it a 1 to start over again; add 3 to it to make
the last digit a 4. The price is $285.14.
POWER. An 8 is the second digit of the second items represen-
ted, and is the third digit in the prices of the third items, and so EXAMPLE: Four digits circled, and the 8 is in the third position.
on. So, when the spectator circles the digits, you just count the First digit is a 3; add 3 to get 6 as the second digit; skip the 8; add
number of circles he makes and notice when he circles the 8, 3 to the 6 to make the last digit a 9. The price is $36.89.
128 Miracles of My Friends

Now we'll work the entire system to get the price and the
name of the item. Watching the spectator's pencil you have
counted four circled digits and the 8 was the second digit. Four
circled digits denote the four-letter word MIND. The 8 being in
the second position represents the second letter in the key
word MIND, the I, and I equals Iron. The 8 in the second position
also tells you that the first digit in the price is a 2. By adding 3 to
the 2 and skipping over the 8 you get the third digit of 5; adding 3
gives you an 8 which you can't use again, so use a 1 for the last
digit. The price of the Iron is $28.51. When "reading the spec-
tator's mind" always tell him the item first and then the
price.

SOME NOTES
My original concept of this effect was to have the spectator
write down the price only and pencil read the number of digits
written to position the 8, the 8 being the least difficult to pencil
read. However, having the spectator randomly write the digits 0
through 9 and then to circle the ones representing the price is a
much better concept.
Just imagine this effect before a large audience. A member of
the audience is approached before the show and asked to think
of one of the listed items and its price. To help him concentrate
you line off the back of a business card, putting an 8 in the
upper lefthand corner to illustrate what you want him to do.
After he has put in the other digits and circled the ones in the
price, have him burn the card. You now have all the info you
need to do a miracle.
During the show you bring the same person onstage and ask
him three questions. "You have the name of an item and a price
in your mind, is that correct? You were given a free choice from
many items and their prices, is that correct? No one tried to
influence your choice in any way, and I did not ask you to write
the name of the item or price down. You also haven't whispered
this information to anyone. Only you know what you have
chosen, is that correct?"
You now proceed to read the spectator's thoughts.
 FREDERICK
M.
SHIELDS
(Fred Shields died on 19 January, 1982,
before he could finish his contribution
to our book. We regret we are missing a
bit of his excellent magic creativity, and
1919 in San Diego can only urge the reader to inspect the
BORN:
PROFESSION: Retired "Double Daring" column in Genii, start-
ing with the December, 1947 issue and
continuing for the next 14 years, with the
last column in December, 1961.)

Fred was deeply immersed not only in magic,

but in Theatre. Through the years he had been an
announcer, an actor, writer, and television execu-
tive. But his real love was magic. He knew it
intimately and was always ready to explain how
the performance of magic could only be improv-
ed when combined with a little theatre. Entertain-
ing the audience was most important to him, and
he had little patience for performers who bored
theirs. His combination of these two crafts gave
us many excellent examples of Fred's creative
magic, most of which can be found in the
"Double Daring" column of Genii Magazine.
 BELIEVABLE
BURTON S.
SPERBER
I
I n Las Vegas, in Reno, in Atlantic City, wherever big money is
risked on the turn of a card, there is a small handful of men who
are barred from the tables. They are known as card counters,
and they have trained themselves to count and memorize the
cards that have been played in a game. Their skill is not easily
BORN: 1929 in Los Angeles learned as it takes many years of constant work and a special
PROFESSION: Business executive talent for figures.
HOME: Malibu, California "Yet, the human brain is far more powerful than most of us
realize. By entering the alpha state and probing the subcons-
cious, I can duplicate the talent of the professional card
counter."
Removing a deck of playing cards from its case you have a
Burt started magic at the age of 10, having been spectator shuffle the deck several times and then cut the cards
inspired by an uncle. He was involved with all the and complete the cut. At this point, you spread the deck to show
typical shows performed by teenagers, such as that it is completely mixed. After which you shuffle the deck
escapes, kid shows, and civic clubs, then con- again, and cut it into three approximately equal packets.
Pointing to three spectators, you have each pick a packet and
tinued doing shows while in the army. Reading, at your instructions, each further mixes the cards he holds. You
studying, and collecting tricks, books, and mag- tell one of the spectators to deal his cards one at a time and face
azines has gone on through the years, but his up into a pile.
main endeavor has been in building a large land- "Deal them rapidly, as though you were playing cards," you
tell the spectator. "Don't skip any, and try not to break the
scape and contracting business. In 1977 he was rhythm of your dealing."
the major force in starting the Delta Group at the As the spectator deals the cards face up you watch intently,
Magic Castle for members with a strong interest lip-counting and naming a card softly now and then.
in mentalism. He's also a Charter Member of the As soon as the first spectator has finished dealing his cards,
you point to one of the two remaining spectators and instruct
Psychic Entertainers Association, and has col- him to deal his cards, in the same manner, on top of the first
lected a fine West Coast magic library. pile. Again, you watch intently as the individual cards flash
134 Miracles of My Friends

before your eyes.

Then you turn to the third spectator. "You have 17 cards in CHIPS
your packet," you tell him, and ask him to verify the number by
counting them FACE DOWN onto the table, while you turn your
head aside.
"Six of the cards," you continue, "are Spades."
The spectator verifies that you are correct, and you identify
the six Spades, which he removes, one by one, from his packet
as you call them out. You begin by removing four poker chips from your right coat
In the same manner you tell the spectator how many pocket, each one a different color, and showing them to the
Diamonds, Clubs, and Hearts he holds, and identify the in spectators.
dividual cards in each suit. As you correctly name each card in "Color," you explain, "has played a significant role in ESP
a suit the spectator removes it from his hand and places it on research for many years. People can think in terms of color as it
the table. is very easy to visualize."
Having established, in a casual fashion, that the poker chips
METHOD are nothing more or less than what they appear to be, you drop
The impact on spectators is extremely strong, and you DO call them back into your coat pocket. Gesturing with your empty
upon your memory. right hand, you ask a spectator to assist you in an ESP test.
The 17 cards are ones that you have previously memorized. "I am going to \close my eyes and turn my head away," you tell
This sounds much more difficult than it is. I use the 3, 4, 9, 10, the spectator, as you use both hands to hold open your right
Jack, and King of Spades. Also the 2, 5, 6, 7, and Queen of coat pocket. Keeping your head turned you ask the spectator to
Diamonds. To finish I also use the Ace, 7, King of Clubs, and the reach into your pocket with one hand and to stir the chips, until
8 and Queen of Hearts. Five minutes of work will enable you to satisfied they are well mixed. Then you ask the spectator to
memorize whichever sequence of cards you use, or part of a close her fist around just one of the chips, picking it at random.
mnemonic sequence, if you wish. She removes the chip from your pocket, still tightly clenched in
To control the 17 cards so they form one of the three packets, her fist.
simply use a stripper deck, turning the memorized cards end- You turn back, appear to concentrate for a moment, and then
for-end so they can be quickly culled! write a color on a large card or pad. The spectator opens her fist
and reveals, for the first time, the color of the chip.
It matches the color you have written.

METHOD
The chips are unprepared. Suitable plastic chips may be found
at the game counters of many department stores. By using
enamel paints you can paint four of the chips in whatever
colors you wish.
Let's assume the four chips are red, yellow, white, and blue.
136 Miracles of My Friends

The right-hand pocket of most jackets contains a small, inner

pocket that is designed for ticket stubs, and it is into this inner
pocket that the four chips are placed. MIND MASTER
In addition to the four differently colored chips, you'll need
four chips that are all of the same color, say yellow. This, of
course, is the color that you force. To do so, simply place the
four yellow chips in the BOTTOM of the right-hand pocket of
your coat.
In performing the effect, you use your right hand to remove You can use a borrowed deck of playing cards, or a new deck
the four chips of different colors. This can be done without purchased especially for the test by the spectator. You really
fumbling since they are actually in the inner pocket which don't need to touch or even see them. In fact, the effect can be
keeps them apart from the four force chips. done just as easily by telephone.
Later, when they apparently are dropped back into the right- Turning your back so you can't see the deck, you ask the
hand pocket, they are actually returned to the inner pocket. spectator to remove, and place to one side, anyJokers or adver-
At the point where you turn your head and allow the volun- tising cards in the pack. Then, you have him shuffle the pack of
teer to reach into your pocket and select one chip, you casually cards as many times as he wants.
hold your pocket open for the spectator to do so. You do this by "The important thing is to mix them so that neither of us
placing the palm of your left hand flat against your right hip and could possibly know the location of any card," you say.
side, with your fingers extended just enough into your coat poc- When the cards are thoroughly mixed, you have the spec-
ket to cover and conceal the little pocket. At the same time, your tator cut the deck into two, approximately equal, face down
RIGHT thumb pulls the pocket open, allowing the spectator to packs.
insert her hand. "Now touch one of the packets," you instruct him, "and
The volunteer can only select one of the yellow chips. whichever packet you touch will be the one you will use. By
eliminating some of the cards, sight unseen we rule out any
chance of my making a lucky guess."
As soon as the spectator indicates he has selected one of the
packets, you have him silently count the number of cards in the
packet, then add together the two digits that represent the num-
ber of cards he is holding.
"If you have 19 cards, for example," you explain, "you would
add the one and the nine, which gives you a total of ten."
Allow the spectator time to complete the addition, then
instruct him to start with the bottom card in the packet, count-
ing that card as "one," and to look at and remember the card in
the packet that corresponds to his two-digit total.
"If the total was 10, you would count to and look at the tenth
card from the bottom," you tell him.
138 Miracles of My Friends

When the spectator acknowledges that he has looked at and

remembered a card, have him close up the packet and put it on
top of the other packet.
At this point, you turn back to face the spectator and stare
intently at him as you pick up the deck and give it a slop
shuffle.
"You're thinking of ONE card in the deck. Only one card. You
can see it clearly now, but in a few weeks it will be gone from
your memory. Forgotten. Yet, if I pass you on the street two years
from now and say to you, 'Ten of Spades,' and that was your
selected card, you will remember it again.
"But I won't wait two years. I'll trigger your mental im-
agery NOW."
Quickly, you lift off a packet of five or six cards from the top of
the deck, and read them off. You pause, drop them to the table,
and continue with a second packet. And then a third. But as you
read off the fourth packet, you suddenly stop.
"I picked up a strong mental image just then," you say,
removing one card and holding its back toward the spectator.
It proves to be the card he is mentally concentrating on.

METHOD
The secret is simple. His card will always be the nineteenth
card in the packet. But, if he cuts less than 20 or more than 30, it
won't work. That is why you ask that the packets be relatively
even at the start.
If you're doing this on the telephone, have him read the cards
aloud as he turns them face up, and you stop him when he
reaches the card that corresponds to the one in his mind, the
nineteenth from the top.
 YOUR BASIC BIRTHDAY

Take out your business card as you point to someone in

your audience.
"Please think of your zodiac sign, or the month and day of
your birth, please." You stare at them momentarily, then make a
notation on the back of your card.
BORN: 1916 in Kansas City, Missouri "Very good," you say, smiling as you put away your pencil.

PROFESSION: Performer "Tell everyone what you are thinking."

HOME: Los Angeles, California "March seventh," is the answer.
"Who else thought of March seventh?" you ask. "I see. I must
say your Alpha waves came out very well. Will you pass this
card to the person with the excellent mind, please." You hand
the card to someone to be passed to your subject who reads
your date out loud. It matches the birthdate named.
For over seven years Sandy has performed as They'll save your card and remember you!
the medium for the Houdini Seance at the Magic
Castle. His occultic effects are done slightly METHOD
tongue-in-cheek to fit in with the fun atmosphere Your preparation for this impromptu or show effect is very sim-
ple. All you need is a nailwriter and one of your business cards,
of the Castle. His off-time hours are used in the and although it is a very simple and basic effect, the little
more serious pursuit of presenting hypnosis touches here and there during the routine make it both clean
demonstrations and lectures for clubs, medical and strong.
groups, and sales meetings. His background as a As soon as your subject names a birthdate you address the
writer and actor has developed his presentation rest of the audience, asking who else thought of that date. Not
until you finish asking the question do you write the proper
skills to a high degree and he is in great demand. numbers (3-7, 10-4, or whatever) for that date on the card.
Everyone is looking to see who will answer you and this
moment of misdirection is all you need.
When you give the card out to be passed to your helper, use
the same hand that's been holding the card. There's no reason
142 Miracles of My Friends

to change hands with the card if you merely curl your thumb
enough to hide the nailwriter under your hand as you extend
the card with your first two fingers. It neatly eliminates a move
that can only catch the collective eye of your audience.
 JACK MIRROR MADNESS
KENT
TILLAR
This is the finale of my two-person act and has always received
the most compliments. It is currently "my best."
A number of small personal articles are secretly collected
and mixed inside a borrowed grocery bag or box. The items are
then removed, one at a time, and without any verbal, visual, or
BORN: 1930 in Los Angeles radio coding, your blindfolded partner describes them. For an
PROFESSION: Composer and arranger encore each article is psychometrized and returned to its pro-
HOME: Malibu, California per owner amid appropriate cold reading commentary.
METHOD
It's all done with mirrrors. As the members of the audience sec-
retly place each article into the bag held at your eye level, you
catch a glimpse in a small palmed mirror. You merely cop a
Jack credits two books for not only helping him glance as you shake the bag while moving from spectator to
in his magic endeavors but have given him incen- spectator, stopping after seven or eight items have been col-
lected.
tive and guidelines for everyday business life.
Return to the podium and put the bag on a small table next to
While The Trick Brain taught him how to think your seated assistant. Explain that she'll not only be blind-
and create by using analytical techniques for folded, but, from this moment on, you'll not utter another sound
innovation, the first few chapters of The Tarbell in order to focus your full attention on the "telepathic transmis-
sion of each borrowed article—one at a time."
Course pointed the way for dramatic and artistic Now it's your partner's turn as she, too, has a palmed mirror!
decisions during both magic and music shows. As each item is removed from the bag and held up for the
He has a great respect for magic and says it has audience to see, she peeks down the blindfold and sees its
helped him develop a deeper sense of personal reflection in her strategically folded hands (be sure to watch
the angles here!)
feeling. Of course, she does all the talking now and keeps the show
rolling with quips and salesmanship. She is reading your
mind.
146 Miracles of My Friends Tillar 147

After the last item the blindfold is removed and you take over The first article your partner picks up belongs to a woman.
again. Thank the audience (giving appropriate applause cues) "This compact obviously belongs to a woman. One of good
and ask if they'd like one last offering. You place the various taste. Someone with a strong psychic bent." When your partner
items on the table, then your partner picks up one object, and finishes she gives the object back to its rightful owner. "That is
rubs and fondles it to "pick up the vibrations of the owner." yours, isn't it?"
What the audience doesn't know is that you have simply laid You then pick up a man's object, divine the owner, and return
the articles on the table according to a prearranged grid. Before it. She return's another woman's possession, and you a
the show the two of you have decided on which six people in man's.
the audience you will use in this routine. We usually settle on The act has its grand finale with you and your partner taking
the people in the front row that, from left to right, are a woman, a the last two items into the audience together for a tantalizing
man, another woman, a second man, woman, and man. Each of touch of psychometry. At this point, be quick but be dra-
these people is assigned a particular spot on the table, a certain matic.
square of an invisible grid. NOTE
Your partner's mirror may be hidden in her purse, her eyeglass
case, or wherever. Be inventive, be natural, BE CAREFUL! I
Odd positions

WOMEN

Ink
,
•;

Even positions

MEN
 CONCERNING THE PASS
TOM
TUCKER
Every card worker has a favorite version of the pass. This writer
has tried all versions which have come to his attention, and
now agrees that—"All generalities are false, including this
one."
Failing to make any one pass fit all occasions, I have tried to
BORN: Haverhill, Massachusetts adapt suitable methods for particular needs, such as stage,
PROFESSION: Performer close-up, audience on all sides and so on.
HOME: Merrimac, Massachusetts
CLOSE-UP: FAKE OR BLUFF PASS
This is effective for the deception of one or two persons directly
in front. If possible, have it follow a genuine pass using a similar
procedure of withdrawal and replacement. The pack is riffled
at the end nearest the spectator with the usual triple-worded
Tommy and his lovely wife Liza are the most invitation, "Take a card." As he inserts his fingers to take the
successful and hardest working mental team for card, your hands separate the pack as though to assist him. As
the last 20 years. Their dates have included trade- soon as the card is removed, the hands are brought together
again, each holding a packet of cards, the bottom portion in
shows, sales meetings, international theatres your left and the top in your right. Ask, "Will you remember that
and hotels, television, fairs, and anywhere else card?" as you quietly replace all but the top card of the right-
you can find a crowd of more than three people. hand packet. Upon receiving an affirmative answer from the
They are very creative and talented people who spectator whose attention has been distracted from the
maneuver by your query, extend the pack in your left hand and
do an unforgettable show by not only playing invite replacement of the card on top.
with your mind but tickling your funny-bone at the Sometimes the spectator holds his card so your left fingers
same time. can gently take it from his fingers, thus speeding this intricate
part of the business. As a rule, the spectator will automatically
replace the card,but should he hesitate, simply remark, "May I
have it now, please?" If allowed too much time he may notice
the added thickness of the pack in the left hand.
150 Miracles of My Friends Tucker 151

Following this, the single card is added to the top as though it DOUBLE LIFT USED IN PASSING
were the upper portion of the pack and motions of squaring the Sometimes it is a very handy thing to exchange one card for
pack are used. To this I like to add the following move. As your another which is then hopelessly buried in the pack, and
right hand adds the single card, which must always be guarded apparently arrives back on top, although, of course, it never
against exposure yet held naturally, the right fingers really leaves there.
seize a little less than half of the entire pack and both hands are I include this effect at this time as it resembles the above one-
raised to shoulder height. During this upwards motion, which handed change in some respects.
is made without haste, the hands are separated again an inch The pack is held in the same manner and the cards are
or two and, as they pause, the upper packet is allowed to trickle pushed to the edge of the pack as above, two of them passing
down onto the packet below. This brings home the point that the left middle fingertips. The middle fingers of the right hand
the card is really buried without actually saying so. approach the pack at this point and the two cards on top are
There is just one point that I would mention and that is the flipped over face upwards and at the same time, the pack is
position of the right hand as it holds the single card. Some per- lowered so that the cards arrange themselves flush with the rest
formers have a habit of bringing the hand over the left elbow as of the deck and appear as one card. It is wholly a question of
they invite replacement of the card, yet they never use this timing and practice, and very deceptive. Upon being turned
wholly unnatural position again until they perform this par- face down again, the top card, apparently the selected card,
ticular effect once more. It strikes me that the most natural may be disposed of by being inserted into the pack.
position is to drop the hand to your side or merely hold it
before the body to the rear of the lefthand packet. MISDIRECTION FOR THE TWO-HANDED PASS
Upon completion of the above effect, the selected card will There are two kinds of misdirection.
rest next to the top card and the following is the method I pre- One which retains the interest of the spectators, and de-
fer to overcome this obstacle without shuffling or further ceives through their very eagerness to follow every move. The
dalliance with the cards. other is that in which the audience is forced almost to sleep and
becomes so bored that the performer can with safety execute
THE ONE-HAND CHANGE his secret moves as the spectators mentally respond to the
Hold the pack in the left hand in ordinary position for dealing. eventual result with "Who cares?"
Push the top cards over to the right, over the edge of the pack, When using the regular pass in close-up work, try this. As the
and allow just two of these to go beyond the second and third card is taken from the spectator and packets are being re-
fingertips which are at that side. Turn the pack and hand over placed, simply ask,"Will you remember that card?" As the
and draw the top card back with the thumb as the second and spectator glances upward, make the move.
third fingertips push out the second card so it rests face Should he answer and continue to keep his eyes glued to
upwards on the table. It will look as though the top card has your hands, hold the break with your left finger and reach out
been dealt. If used in the Bluff Pass, it will eliminate removing with your right hand and touch the spectator on the shoulder as
the top card or other unnecessary moves. This may also be you remark positively, "You selected a black card." If your
used to change the bottom card, and in this case, the card is guess is right his eyes will glance upwards in surprise, or if the
dealt face down on the table. guess is wrong, he wants to tell you so. Either way, his eyes will
meet yours. The right hand, after making its gesture, drops
152 Miracles of My Friends Tucker 153

naturally back to the pack and is waiting there for just such The card to be passed, in this case the Six of Diamonds (Fig.
an opportunity.
1), is shown at the center of the pack face up and then turned
If both these ruses fail, as sometimes they will in a rare case, face down. A break is held above it with the lower packet of
then it is best to delay the pass; that is, wait for a more oppor- cards elevated to the left fingertips rather than being held down
tune time. You cannot delay safely in stage work unless you are in the palm as in the standard two-handed pass grip. The right
a born orator, but this pass is really unsuitable for such work hand lifts a packet from the top portion and both hands are
anyway, and in a close-up demonstration where seconds are pivoted to the right in a twisting motion as you patter about all
not as valuable, you have ample opportunity. the cards being different. This packet is replaced by a reversal
of the pivoting motion, and the right hand lifts another packet,
AN INVISIBLE PASS but this time the whole top portion is taken down to the break.
I am including this pass which I like for stage work and you can The pivoting, twisting, and pointing is exactly as before (Fig. 2).
use this rather than delay in the event of the misdirection given You have now arrived at the point where you are pointing to the
above failing. Many will think I am over-cautious concerning Ace of Clubs which is the bottom card of the top portion, and
this. If so, watch the passes at your next magic meeting and was just above the break at the chosen Six of Diamonds.
be convinced.

(Fig. 1) (Fig. 2)
Pointing to The Ace of Clubs, the original bottom card of
The Six is shown and then fumed face down. n the top portion.
154 Miracles of My Friends Tucker 155

This entire top portion in the right hand is now replaced by a This pass was the original Invisible Pass and it can be done
reversal of the pivoting motion and now the right fingertips grip while surrounded. With proper practice it truly is invisible. I
the lower portion in preparation for the pass. Apparently rewrote and copyrighted this some years ago as my original
another packet is pivoted outward to the right, but this time the version had gone into public domain through expiration of
bottom half of the pack is taken and the pass is executed as the copyright. This is true of all the Eastman publications, which
hands turn in a motion which seems to imitate the first two were manuscripts for the most part. This deception is a pass
twisting motions described above. The Ace of Clubs, which with built-in misdirection which makes it truly invisible. It
was on the bottom of the pack, is coming into view (Fig. 3). triggered thoughts from other magicians just as the original
The pass is now actually completed with the index finger of false count of The Six Card Repeat became the grandfather of
the left hand pointing to the Jack of Spades. This half, formerly all the present false counts.
the bottom half, is placed on top and one more twisting cut is
done for added cover-up misdirection. It can be made any-
where in the pack as your chosen card is now safely on top of
the pack.

(Fig. 3)
The Jack of Spades coming into view, the original bottom
card of the deck.
 T. A. THE CRIMSON COUNT

WATERS
Holding up a packet of jumbo cards, you explain that some
choices people make are easier to predict than others. "For
example," you say, "if you ask someone to name a color, more
often than not the answer will be 'red'. But if you ask for a num-
ber between 1 and 10. .." You gesture with the packet of cards.
BORN: 1938 in Chillicothe, Ohio "No telling what response you will get. Somewhere among
PROFESSION: Writer these ten cards I have placed a red one. Since I have named the
HOME: Berkeley, California color I will ask you (indicating a spectator) to call out a number
between one and ten."
The spectator does so, you count very fairly to that number,
and there, sure enough, is the red card.
METHOD
His life has been a continuous quest for There are actually eleven cards; nine of these have blue backs
answers about the occult, consequently he has and black faces. The third card from the top of face down pac-
ket, has a blue back and a red face (heart or diamond); the fifth
had a variety of very interesting occupations. card from the top has a red back and black face (club or
These range from lecturing and writing about the spade).
mysteries of the mind to the jobs of psychological It will be seen that by counting from the top or face of the pac-
research assistant and consultant on psychic ket and taking either the card at the number or the next card
frauds. He is also a member of the Science Fiction following, any number from two through nine, inclusive, will
get you to either the red-backed or red faced card.
Writers ofAmerican and has a number of books to When the count will take you to the first of the two cards you
his credit. should take reasonable care not to expose the card further
along in the packet.
Example: the spectator has named the number six, which
means you will be counting from the face of the packet. This
you do and arrive at the card with the red back. Take this card
from the packet, turn the packet over and fan it so the audience
158 Miracles of My Friends Waters 159

can see the blue backs (they won't notice that there is one more or face down for the count.
card than there should be in the fan), and then show the red One final point—you could, if you wish, eliminate the red-
back of the card you hold in your other hand. Essentially the card angle and do the effect by drawing an X on the face of the
same procedure is used when the packet is face down; count to third card down and on the back of the fifth card. You would
the third card (being careful not to expose the red back further alter your patter accordingly, saying you marked one of the
on), show the black faces of the packet, and then show the red cards with a large X, but you won't say where. This version
face of the card you hold. could also be done with your signature by confining it to one
In the cases where the count will get you to the further of the vertical half of the card. You would then have considerable
two cards, obviously you keep the packet facing the same way leeway in spreading the packet.
at all times and do not expose the other sides of the cards. The effect is not a profound mystery, and more than ninety
To make the count a bit more convincing when the number seconds spent on it is probably unwise.
called will end right on one of your two cards, you count by tak- Both the eleven-card count and the 'red-card' subtlety go
ing off a card, holding it, and saying,"One," then placing it back a long way. I first learned of the count in Nelson's instruc-
under the packet. This procedure is repeated until you arrive at tions for his TP Cards, and I am sure it goes back a lot further.
the card, so you will be holding it as you call off the named Dai Vernon has used the red-card angle in his Die Prediction,
number. If, on the other hand, the number called will bring you and there were a number of items using this principle in print in
to one position prior to one of the two option cards, you count the early 50's and 60's, including one ("Long Wave Reception";
by placing a card from top to bottom of the packet, saying, The Mentalist) from my own pen. I suspect they may all stem
"One," as this action is completed. In this way, when you arrive from the two X'd cards that are among the 'outs in Ralph Hull's
at the end of your count the card at the number will be out of Name-O-Card, Which appeared in the late 1930's.
view under the packet and the only card in view will be one of
your two possibilities. Performed this way the count seems
quite fair.
You might want to make your two option cards an Ace and a
Ten in the event you run into someone who ignores your 'bet-
ween one and ten' request and names one or ten. If this hap-
pens you simply snap the cards into a fan (faces or backs
showing, as appropriate) and show that the value named is the
only red card. If you do this you should make the other black
faces a run of the values Two through Nine, and one of the
values will have to be duplicated to give you the proper number
of cards (I suggest an Eight or Nine). The cards must not be
arranged in numerical order, as this would render the count
somewhat illogical.
When you ask for the number the packet should be held fac-
ing the audience, perpendicular to the ground; this is so that
you don't make an obvious move of turning the packet face up
 Waters

actually perform the BDV move originated by Dai Vernon (des-

cribed in Phoenix # 248 and elsewhere, including my own New
Thoughts For Old) to exchange the upjogged cards for those at
CARTOMANIC the back of the face up packet. The effect is concluded as
described.
The reason for the upjogging and switchout is that this han-
dling clearly establishes that the selections are coming from
five different groups, something the performer must sell in
From a borrowed, shuffled deck a spectator thumbs off five whatever subtle way he can.
packets of five cards each; stacking them in any order and Obviously this is not an effect for the hesitant or nervous per-
handing them to you. Approaching another spectator you ask former; the spectators must be controlled to make their selec-
him to quickly think of any card in the group of five you have tions quickly, else they may have a chance to remember more
taken from the top of the packet. The spectator does so and you than one card. Likewise, at the end the performer must make
place this group of five cards on the bottom of the others. the procedure play strongly and logically.
Another group of five is taken from the top and shown to a As to situations—this should not be performed at a party or
second spectator, who likewise thinks of a card. This is re- social situation where the spectators might have an oppor-
peated three more times. tunity to compare notes later. Also, there are similarversions of
You ask the five people thinking of cards to stand and con- the same general effect in routines by Judah, Fox, and others
centrate on their selections. Rapidly you run through the pac- that may have advantages over this methodology in the context
ket and upjog five cards. These you remove and set the rest of of a formal show. My main purpose here has been to describe a
the cards aside. technique whereby you can achieve this kind of effect without
"These are the thoughts I get," you say, and call off the names need for any preparation or recourse to arcane dealing
of the five cards. "If I named your card, please sit down." All five procedures.
spectators take their seats! NOTES
It is possible to develop variant routines. For example, one
METHOD where after the spectator has had his selection you apparently
This is simply an extension of the principle behind the Tossed- drop his packet on the table, repeating with the other four spec-
Out Deck. When you replace the first packet of five cards on the tators. This can be done by a series of packet switches, but I
bottom of the packet, you immediately pass it back to the top. really don't think it's worth the trouble. If you can work strongly
Show the same five cards to the second spectator and repeat and with assurance, the procedure given above will work
the procedure with the other three spectators so all five people fine—and if not, it is better to avoid this kind of effect
see the same group of five cards. entirely.
After the fifth spectator has made his mental selection the As indicated, the basic concept comes from what is now
packet is again passed to the top of the pack as the spectators known as the Tossed-Out Deck principle, and a routine com-
are asked to stand and concentrate. Turning the pack toward bining this principle with a prepared multiple-bank deck
yourself, run the cards from hand to hand, upjogging any five appeared in Peter Warlock's New Pentagram.
cards at intervals. You apparently remove these cards, but
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my appreciation to the following

people:
Leo Behnke, for the editing and production of this book.
Harry Harrington, for his ink drawings of the contributors.
Bascom Jones, for his help and encouragement.
Carroll Priest, for letting us use his monograph, "The
Blindfold Enigma," as the basis for our Kuda Bux
chapter.
All of the famous and unknown inventors of effects and
methods for the magic and mental presentations we
all draw upon for the entertainment of our audiences
(and our own pleasure).
 COLOPHON

The type used for the text in this book is Cheltenham Book, the
title is Novarese, and the headings are in Optima and
Avant Garde.
The copy was set by Berdoo/West of Hollywood, California.
The printing is offset lithography done by The Printing
Emporium of Northridge, California.
The binding was performed by Stauffer Edition Binding
Company of Monterey Park, California.
The playing cards on the front cover are by Piatnik of
Vienna, Austria
The design and supervision of production was by Leo Behnke.
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my appreciation to the following

people:
Leo Behnke, for the editing and production of this book.
Harry Harrington, for his ink drawings of the contributors.
Bascom Jones, for his help and encouragement.
Carroll Priest, for letting us use his monograph, "The
Blindfold Enigma," as the basis for our Kuda Bux
chapter.
All of the famous and unknown inventors of effects and
methods for the magic and mental presentations we
all draw upon for the entertainment of our audiences
(and our own pleasure).