Mentalism & Spiritism in Magic & Conjuring: page 57

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...

A treasure trove for bizarrists and mentalists alike. You will find weird fakir stunts juxtaposed with western style magic effects.

Swami is a fascinating mix of traditional Indian magic and contributions by international masters. Sam Dalal writes in his introduction:

Surrealchemy is a term that was coined by Tony 'Doc' Shiels in his 1989 publication the The Cantrip Codex and it is a word that sums up the routines in this ebook.

Within these 38 pages you will find four of Scott's favourite bizarre/surreal mentalism routines that offer a 'strange profound and unsettling' experience. No blood curdling screams, cloaks and daggers, blood sacrifices or incantations, but instead a number of routines that are easy to make up, easy to carry and easy to perform. With the bizarre and surreal of course presentation is everything so with that in mind Scott has also included his...

This powerful utility will transcend a simple magic effect, or allow you to innocently bring something mental, emotional, strange, during a normal conversation, or an act.

• It seems to bring a plausible explanation to people's choices.
• It will provide misdirection or a logical disconnect, or another layer of deception.
• It will prepare your audience for a bigger "surprise".

[Note: This effect was already part of Mentalism games.

Effect: A spectator names any card, and you immediately produce it from your pocket.

Or: You write two cards on two business cards, put one in each pocket, and the spectator has to guess at least one of them. (It can be repeated right away if you want).

The method is 100% surefire and practical. There is no math, no probabilities, a little bit of memorization, but it is almost "intuitive". It is not difficult but needs a bit of rehearsal at the beginning, like for everything. It looks casual, completely impromptu, or even improvised, but you will have to do a onetime preparation with...

The performer hands a prediction envelope to a member of the audience and then asks people to call out the names of any members of the Beatles, the Bee Gees or ABBA. (*You choose any bands). The performer writes down a selection of the names as they are called out until he's got seven or eight of them. He then reads them all out again to make sure he's got every person's selection, which they confirm. The papers are then folded and thrown into a bowl. A spectator selects any one and takes a secret look at it.

The performer then proceeds to read the spectator's mind correctly - telling them...

This is wonderful story magic of the bizarre kind. Great for Halloween. In total six effects are described, with photos and clear descriptions. James puts a lot of emphasis on presentation.

1st edition, 2005; 29 pages.

1. Bill Possession - Breathe new life into this classic effect with an original presentation that will leave any audience wanting more.
2. No Way Out - This is as strong, scary and visually as it gets. An excellent animation that is freaky and exciting. This is possibly the strongest piece in the entire manuscript. If you want something that'll involve an audience and hook them emotionally,...

This ebook is also part of the collection Strange Secrets 1.

• Introduction: Points On Presentation And Patter
• Feeling The Spots
• Reading The Cards
• The Lip-Reading Test
• Important Features
• Hints About Blindfolding
• The Master's Touch
• Reading Dates On Coins, Numbers On Bills, Etc.
• Miracle Color Vision
• Reading "Ordinary Printed Matter" With The Fingertips
• Here's Your Card
• Snappy Number
• Psychometry
• In Conclusion
• The Si Stebbins Pre-Arranged Pack

1st edition 1948, 42 pages; 1st digital edition 2017, 19 pages.

From the introduction:

This is for mentalists ... The original version of this effect, "The Key on the String," was first published in Gregg Webb's ebook, The Shade. However, this Super Sessions ebook features an all-new and expanded effect using 13 "thought cards" - no key and string used here, making a simpler and more direct presentation. Gregg's friend Jeff McBride's enhanced version is also explained as a bonus at the end of this ebook. This ebook has hand-lettered text.

1st edition 2020, 4 pages.

This effect was originally published in Gregg Webb's ebook Soapbox Derby. This Super Session is an improved and updated version. Bob Cassidy loved the effect and came up with the name for it. This ebook has hand-lettered text.

1st edition 2019, 5 pages.

Gregg Webb and Ed Brown teach a mentalism routine that enables you to perform a demonstration of clairvoyance or psychometry. Required are two easy-to-make packets of faces and a matching set of word cards that describe the emotions depicted by the faces. The spectator mixes the pictures and deals them to the table in any order. You deal the word cards face down on top of each face: all of the cards match!

• The cards are unmarked
• The method is simple and the effect is easy to perform, which allows you to focus on your presentation.

1st edition 2021, 5 pages hand lettered text with illustrations....

You, too, can be a successful predictionist!

Publicity, such as headline news and front page stories are the lifeblood of modern show business. Super Prediction Tricks are proven top notch publicity-getters. Properly executed, they are the easily arranged and assured method of getting sensational publicity and news stories - publicity worth thousands of dollars.

This ebook of predictions and sensational showmanship has been eagerly accepted and highly praised by the members of the profession. You, too, will cherish it and utilize many of the fine effects. Hail to the man or woman who does...

An impromptu effect of mentalism, which, making use of a few playing cards and coins, can be performed remotely and even over the phone.

The title suggests the idea behind this impromptu effect of mentalism in which, by letting a spectator (even from home) simply use four or five playing cards and two or three of his/her coins, the illusionist is allowed to perform an impromptu effect at a distance, even over the phone, or in the presence but with eyes closed (while blindfolded, without any trick, or otherwise remaining turned to one side for the entire duration of the experiment).

The...

A brand new approach to the ACAAN plot and an exciting way to reveal any spectator's birthday.

Sum It Up

A packet of playing cards is mixed and a spectator freely names any card from within. Next, a small whiteboard or notepad is introduced and the performer writes down sixteen consecutive numbers, inviting the spectator to select four. The four chosen numbers are added together, creating a final total. This generated total is counted to in the packet, locating the one card that occupies that position. The card arrived at proves to be the very one named by the spectator at the beginning...

"This is on a whole different level than any of his previous work". - Ori Asher

Sui Generis is a breakthrough system for guessing any word entirely propless. It allows for what is essentially a mental billet peek, without the need for anything to be written down by your spectator. Fraser has searched for this work all of his life and is something he considers his best work to date and a crowning achievement in the mystery arts.

There is very little process, everything is justified presentationally, and the method is practically self-working and will become second nature to perform...

Suggestabilities is a collection of three essays, each followed by an effect illustrating the principles explained.

Ericksonian Extracts is the first piece Dr. Bill Cushman ever published. It describes the impact of Milton Erickson on his own practices as a mentalist.

Alphabody Language puts these Ericksonian principles to work in a new way that allows the audience to reveal a chosen word! A versatile technique, the word can be from a standard booktest or learned by any clandestine method you prefer. No dual reality, no instant stooging, just good old-fashioned mentalism.

A Suggestion...

This isn't your grandpa's magic square!

Dr. Bill originally released Subliminal Square as an alternative to the traditional instant magic square plot. Instead of the mentalist rapidly completing the square with a number provided by an audience member, using a Subliminal Square he rapidly implants a number into the subconscious mind of an audience member!

This innovation in mentalism was first seen in Banachek's Psychological Subtleties 2 and received wide critical acclaim and near instant classic status. It quickly became a staple in the repertoires of many working pros.

Subliminal...

Subliminal Influence is a multiple phase routine. You can decide to perfom all the phases in a row or just some of them as single effects. If you perform the entire routine exactly as Tommaso describes, it will take almost 20 minutes of your show. So, you decide.

The following effects take place:

• Guess a Random Selection: The performer guesses a random card selected by the spectator
• Gemini Effect part 1: The spectator and the performer select a card. The 2 cards are 2 cards with the same value and color: (AH - AD, 3S-3C, etc. )
• Perfect ACAAN: A deck of cards inside its box is on the...

Much of what is published in magic revolves around different handlings to do the same things. Check for yourself how many versions of the same things are published each year. Other stuff do focus on the more deeper aspects of theatrical magic, but many times the results are far from optimal, being long stories plastered on self working card tricks, involving counting and dealing, etc.

Rare is to find pieces created from the inside out (instead of the outside in).

In this small collection you will find 3 interesting pieces involving deep presentations with playing cards.

Lie Detector...

A Close-Up Mental Mystery with Business Cards

Effect:

The performer displays three business cards. One is handed to a spectator, who is instructed to write the name of a loved one on the blank side of the card. They then turn it face down on the other two cards, and mix them up so the location of this card is unknown to anyone. They lay them out in a row.

The performer then uses his mental abilities to correctly isolate the card with the name on it. Finally, without touching that card, he correctly reveals the name itself!

Greg Arce: "I can see this being something to easily carry around...

Larry Becker's magnificent opus, Stunners! was first published in 1992. In 1993 at the Society of American Magicians annual convention in New Orleans, Larry Becker received the Milbourne Christopher Foundation Literary Award for this outstanding contribution to the art of Mentalism and Magic. The first hard bound edition sold out in 90 days at a retail cost of $235. So did the soft cover edition in 1996 at $100. Stunners! has become a collector's item bringing anywhere from $300 to $500 and more on eBay.

After ten years it was expanded so that you were able to delve into the many variations, improvements and...

Structured Imagery is a simple concept with the capacity to take any mindreading effect and elevate it to the next level. How? By adding layers to expand whatever a spectator is focusing on to create multiple levels encompassing visual imagery, smells, tastes, sounds, and emotions. It's a technique that enables the performer to reveal multiple pieces of very specific and detailed information a spectator is only thinking of, thoughts that were never written down or spoken.

"A brilliant piece of psychic theatre. In Structured Imagery, Scott gives you a new toolset that allows you to reveal...