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". . . I have found most uses of billets that I've seen to be painful exercises in self-deception on the part of the performer, as to what the audience finds convincing or entertaining. But when I saw Bob Cassidy do his billet routine for an audience of more than a thousand, those silly bits of paper were reduced to virtual non-entities. By the time the routine reached its conclusion he was on stage, standing back-to-back with a spectator, engaged in what was apparently a full scale drawing duplication - with no billets or envelopes anywhere in sight or awareness." - Jamie Ian Swiss, Genii, The Conjurors' Magazine, January 2005

The Question Answering Act - or "Audience Reading" as it is more commonly called today - has always been the major effect in mentalism. Q&A, while arguably the most powerful and memorable effect in mentalism, is rarely seen today because it does not fit into the "body language/perceptionist" persona and style - its only explanations would appear to be pure mind reading or, as it was originally presented, communication with the spirits.

Here, in this ebook for the experienced mentalist - is a complete collection of original modern methods and, more importantly - presentations - for this classic...

You will learn how to prepare and gimmick two different kinds of bottles which allow wonderful lie detector and murder mystery effects or which can be used as adjunct in a one on one 'psychic reading.' With typical Cassidy genius one bottle allows you to glimpse colored marbles dropped in and the other bottle allows you to force a certain color of marble dispensed from the bottle. This opens the possibility for many routines. Bob describes two.

1st edition 2002; 4 pages plus video

Warning: Performing a Bullet Catch or Russian Roulette type of effect is extremely dangerous. Several people have died attempting such stunts. If you use any information from this ebook you are voluntarily and free willingly taking on any liability and risks to your, your helper's and your audience's well being.

It is one thing to read about such stunts. It is entirely different to actually do them. If you want our advice: Don't do them!

Bob Cassidy is a professional performer who has practiced and performed these type of effects and stunts for many years. In this ebook he shares his advice...

Bob Cassidy, autentico genio del Mentalismo del XX secolo, offre la sua visione a proposito del Cold Reading, uno degli strumenti più potenti a disposizione degli intrattenitori del mistero. E lo fa a suo modo!

Non solo propone la sua «review» critica circa molti dei testi riconosciuti come autorità, spesso demolendo (in modo assolutamente costruttivo!) alcune autorevoli voci del settore, ma fornisce al lettore decine e decine di suggerimenti, finezze e segreti derivanti dalla sua decennale esperienza nel campo.

Chiunque proponga Mentalismo avanzato (Q&A, one on one, lettura di biglietti,...

A complete performance of mentalism exactly as performed by Bob Cassidy in nightclubs and lounges all over America. This ebook is intended for the advanced performer who is well versed in the basics of the art.

• Part One
  • An Overview of the Act
  • The Logic of the Program
• Part Two
  • Performance Details
  • The Psychological Forces
  • The Book Test
  • The Three Envelope Test
  • Card Memory
• Part Three
  • The Challenge Tarot Card Reading
  • The Card Through the Window

1st edition 1995, revised 2003; PDF 45 pages.

This is a complete presentation for corporate and professional groups - performance rights included.

It's no secret that public and keynote speaking is one of the most lucrative markets for the skilled mentalist. Instead of earning $500 to $1500 for a typical program, the speaker generally makes ten times that. Many mentalists, though, feel a bit awkward with the idea of wrapping a piece of entertainment up as a serious lecture. Probably because of the natural feeling that's it's just a bit dishonest to use mentalism as a means of "selling" pop psychology or spurious science.

It was exactly...

"The Dream" is a routine that is best performed before smaller audiences or in an impromptu setting. The key principles, though, have great utilitarian value and should find use in many of your presentations.

The basic idea evolved from an old card routine by Stewart Judah. [Don't go away yet, the finished routine can hardly be considered a "card trick".] It was the type of effect that has fallen out of fashion lately due to the amount of dealing and counting involved. It struck Bob, though, that the dealing was acceptable if the effect was presented as a type of card game. But while the card game presentation was natural and deceptive, it was hardly earth shaking and...

Joseph Dunninger has often been credited with saying. "Every time you add a prop to your act your price goes down." His reasoning should be obvious - every additional prop takes the illusion one step away from what "real mind reading" would look like. And, as Bob has noted many times in his previous ebooks, every additional type of mentalism you demonstrate (apparent telepathy, precognition, psychokinesis, clairvoyance, etc.) also detracts from the overall illusion.

Recently a "mentalist" challenged Bob on this point: "How entertaining is it to demonstrate the same ability over and over again? It is much...

• Doctor Bob Live and in Persona!
• A Day at the Movies
• Doctor Bob's Opening Routine
• Doctor Bob's Killer Miller Caps
• The Billet Reading Portfolio
• Smear and Hear
• BONUS: Questions and Answers about Dr Bob and his important message to you!

1st edition 2002, 17 pages.

Near the end of the 19th century - a time believed by many to be the birth of a "New Age"- presentations of mediumship and other so-called psychic phenomena had already become standard theatrical attractions. Samri Baldwin ("The Only Real and Original White Mahatma") had long since developed the one-ahead based question answering act, and the secret writing techniques of Henry Slade and other early mediums had become standard items in the repertoires of many conjurors. Some engaged in actual and pseudo exposures of mediums and psychics, while others, recognizing the power of such presentations,...

The Ultimate Key Bending Routine.

In the early 1970’s, at the "dawning of the Age of Aquarius," a young Israeli named Uri Geller attracted worldwide attention with his "psychic" abilities. While he demonstrated several paranormal skills, it was his "psychokinetic" ability to bend silverware, borrowed keys, and nails that set him apart from other "New Age" psychics. In the years that followed many mentalists and magicians added "metal bending" routines to their repertoires, and many sleights and gimmicks have been devised to facilitate the effect.

You may have noticed that most of the...

A complete history of what Bob believes to be the greatest effect in mentalism, including all of the variations and methods developed over the years.

4th Dimensional Telepathy is a complete act in and of itself. Whereas the original methods utilized forces, impression devices, etc., the methods revealed herein do not. All of the spectators' selections are absolutely free.

The Basic Effect

In all of the versions described in this ebook, the effect of Fourth Dimensional Telepathy is the same or very nearly so. Only in Bob's first variant, "Ultimate Fourth Dimensional Telepathy" did he...

A Joseph Dunninger è stato spesso attribuito il merito di aver detto: "Ogni volta che si aggiunge un oggetto di scena al vostro spettacolo, il vostro cachet diminuisce". Il suo ragionamento dovrebbe essere ovvio - ogni orpello aggiuntivo indebolisce l'illusione di ciò che appare come "vera lettura della mente". E, come Bob ha fatto notare molte volte nei suoi precedenti lavori, anche ogni ulteriore forma di mentalismo che viene dimostrato (telepatia, precognizione, psicocinesi, chiaroveggenza, ecc). Recentemente un "mentalista" ha sfidato Bob su tale punto: "Quanto è divertente dimostrare...

There is no argument about the dilemma faced by many newcomers to mentalism. Are mental effects best presented as natural phenomena of the mind, or as examples of rare paranormal or supernatural abilities?

Most of today's mentalists use the "mental skill" as opposed to the "psychic gift" approach, but only rarely are they particularly consistent about it. Even Joseph Dunninger, the pre-eminent mentalist of the twentieth century, sometimes made conflicting claims. While he stated that his thought reading skills were "scientific" and not those of a fortune-teller or psychic, his promotional materials often...

One of the inherent difficulties in presenting effective mentalism is that it generally lacks the element of surprise. The performer states that he will read a thought and proceeds to do so. He says he will predict tomorrow’s headlines and he does. Many would-be mentalists infallibly demonstrate so many different alleged mental powers that the element of believability is lacking as well.

By applying the "Side Effects" principle, the element of surprise is returned to the art and variety is introduced into a performance without sacrificing believability. Bob's good friend Ross Johnson, one...

The companion volume to Staging It, this exclusive ebook for mentalists is devoted to audience handling. Bob has probably worked for the most difficult audiences in the world and this ebook reveals the techniques he has used that have enabled him to be successful in virtually any conceivable venue.

This, Bob believes, is among the ebooks he has written that he considers most important for those looking to succeed in the world of professional psychic entertainment.

1st edition 2004; 25 pages

Twenty years have passed since Bob wrote The Art of Mentalism. He was thirty-four years old at the time. While he is pleased that the book has been well received over the years, much of what he wrote no longer accurately reflects his approach to the art.

In The Art of Mentalism 2 (1995), he focused primarily on the presentation of a complete mental act. In the present volume, Bob gives you effects and essays that focus on the theoretical basis of successful mentalism.

1st edition 2003; 25 pages

A complete divination routine based on a unique combination of Eastern and Western methods of geomancy. An excellent addition to straight cold reading as it provides specific details about the sitter that would apparently be impossible for anyone to know.

Bob describes his impossible envelope switch which he adopted from a deck switch he saw Gene Maze perform. A WMV video of Bob performing and explaining the switch is included with the files you are downloading.

1st edition 2004; 21 pages + prop book PDF 69 pages.

Mind Burners - illustrated with color photographs and videos of each critical move, features two completely routined performance pieces from Bob's own working repertoire. "The Manchurian Gambit" is a demonstration of "psychic brainwashing", based on Richard Condon's novel and John Frankenheimer's 1962 film classic, "The Manchurian Candidate". An audience member, completely unaware of what he or she is doing, follows the mentalist's psychic commands. Not only completely amazing, this is one of the funniest and most memorable routines Bob has ever performed.

In "A Place to Die For" an ancient...

"The Man at the Crossroads" is a close-up routine based on a uniquely American form of folk magic known as "hoodoo". Sometimes used as a synonym for Voodoo (a term related to the Dahomean word for spirit, vodun, and the more generalized West African juju), "hoodoo" technically refers to magical practices sometimes known as "conjure" - a hybrid of African and European beliefs nowadays far removed from their original West African religious roots - and is comprised of complex magical practices as well as simple medicinal procedures. (Practitioners, however, usually refer to the latter as "signs"...

The premise of Hanussen's Proof, and Bob's search for an effective method, were inspired by an event that took place in the spring of 1930. The mentalist/psychic Erik Jan Hanussen was indicted and tried on charges of criminal fraud arising from a public demonstration of alleged "clairvoyance". As the trial neared its conclusion and the evidence against Hanussen grew, he concluded that his only chance of acquittal would be to demonstrate his ability to the court. His offer of proof was accepted, and, under the watchful eyes of the judge and prosecutor, the demonstration proceeded.

Hanussen asked his inquisitors...

The "Swami Gimmick", aka "Nail Writer", "Thumb Writer", "Ghost Writer", "Medium's Secret Device", et al, has often been referred to as one of the most useful secret devices in mentalism. And it is - provided, of course, that no one knows the mentalist is using one.

While the existence of the Swami may be widely known, very few performers actually use one on a regular basis and even fewer have truly mastered the device. Used properly, even those who have heard of a nail writer (or "that little piece of lead under the thumbnail"), will have no idea that the mentalist is using one.

In Swami...

This has always been one of Bob's most popular effects among the mentalists who have seen him perform it. This ebook comes complete with ready-to-print templates that will enable you to assemble the "Remote Viewing Testing Book" from ordinary 3x5 blank index cards.

The testing book contains lists and geographical coordinates of hundreds of locations throughout the world. Without writing anything down a committee of spectators selects any of locations to test the mentalist's remote viewing abilities. The performer is able to describe, in exact detail, the selected location. There are no...