Mentalism & Spiritism in Magic & Conjuring

Leo Boudreau's work was said to be the next best thing to real mind reading. This is a must read for any mentalist. His books were out of print for a long time. Only a few hundred copies have been manufactured in the first place.

The nail writer is an extremely powerful tool for the mentalist. It's origin is unclear. One of the earliest references can be found in the book Spirit Slate Writing and Kindred Phenomena, written by William. E. Robinson and published in 1898. Therein it was called "The Thumb Pencil Carrier". This booklet will give you an easy start using this gimmick.

Paul Fleming wrote:

Leo Boudreau's books have been out of print for a long time. Now that they are available again electronically, a new generation of magicians can learn and study the subtle methods Leo developed to produce true miracles. Some have said that his effects are the next best thing to real mind reading. I fully agree with this statement. The way he finds out which item the spectator selected is so subtle that it appears as if he is not doing anything. Here is a quote from Leo which Al Mann included in his introduction to Psimatrika:

"I can give a deck of cards to a person and tell him to secretly...

After reading this ebook you will be able to divine the words selected at random from any borrowed dictionary or book; deal four straight winning hands of Blackjack without sleight of hand; teach anyone how to read minds convincingly in just 30 seconds; sense colors merely thought of; transform a borrowed pack of cards into a bizarre impression device.

Several effects in this ebook require what Leo calls The Nothing Book. It is a hard cover book with empty pages. You can also use an empty notebook.

first edition, 1989, The Rustic Press, Arlington; 128 pages.

5. Introduction
1. STRANGE TALES ...

Max Maven writes in the introduction to Spirited Pasteboards:

This book packs almost 200 mental miracles, many of which are creations of one of the masters of mental magic - Ted Annemann. You will find the best book tests, psychic codes, tricks with slates, blindfold reading, publicity effects, and much more. This book together with Annemann's Card Magic covers a good part of the famous Jinx magazine, of which Annemann was editor.

Paul Fleming wrote:

Another great booklet from Annemann. It describes in detail his one man routine. Annemann wove together some of the greatest mental tricks. He discusses the question Magic vs. Mindreading and shares other invaluable advice with the reader. If you do mental magic you already know that anything from Annemann is a must read. If you just start with mental magic, read as much from Annemann as you can get your hands on.

Paul Fleming wrote:

If you have ever wondered what is the best way to force a card or number or item in a certain situation, then you can stop wondering. This booklet is nothing but forcing methods. It is ideal if you design your own routines and would like to find the most suitable force. It is also great for people who have problems with one or another force, since here they will find other methods to reach the same outcome. Very simply said, get this ebook and stop worrying about your forces.

You could also get the version which includes Victor Farelli's notes: 202 Methods of Forcing - with Victor Farelli Notes.

first edition, 1933, Max Holden, New York;...

This booklet is indeed a bargain, with effects by Hewitt, J. G. Thompson and Annemann. Among the effects you will find the famous Mental Masterpiece from Annemann.

1st edition 1935, PDF 16 pages.

1. Annemann's Diabolo Pellet Reading
2. The Modern Mindreader (Hewitt)
4. Annemann's Psychic Writing
5. Annemann's Mental Masterpiece
7. The New Double Telepathy Routine (Annemann)
8. Greta Annemann's Eyes of the Unknown
10. 30th Century Television (Hewitt and Annemann)
11. Coincidence (Hewitt)
12. Penetrating Vision (J. G. Thompson)
14. The Impromptu Mind Reader
15. GETIT! (Annemann)

Annemann teaches thirteen commercial mentalism pieces with slates, cards, dollar bills, telephone books and cigarettes. The majority of routines involves cards. Annemann's unique direct style is felt in each one of these effects.

Paul Fleming wrote:

A collection of twelve typically ingenious Annemann creations, from the pages of The Sphinx.

first edition, 1952, Sphinx Publishing Corporation; 16 pages.

1. East Indian Needle Feat
2. Cigarette in Bill Again
4. Mentalex?
4. Telephone Mystery
5. Attention Mentalists
6. No Title at All
7. Three Card Monte Outdone
8. The Master Mind
12. My Original Swami Test
14. Improvement 8,000
14. Slate Writing Wrinkle
15. Club or Stage Mental Number
15. A Mediumistic Stunt

This was the first book Annemann wrote. It has a glowing introduction by Al Baker, although later in their lives Al and Ted were not always the best of friends. As Annemann himself writes in the foreword, you will find routines employing simple methods and direct to-the-point presentations. This is mentalism at its best without any clutter confusing the effect. A few rare photos of Annemann performing can be found as well.

first edition, 1931, Max Holden; 62 pages

7. Introduction
8. Foreword
10. The 'Really New' Locator Card
11. An Original Set Up Discovery
13. One in Fourteen
14. A New Thought Card Spelling Effect ...

Annemann describes a wealth of forty pieces in this wonderful booklet. The first, "Call me up sometime" is a beautifully direct telephone miracle. This is a prime example of Annemann's mantra of 'effect before method'.

I found the following line from Annemann's introduction funny:

1st edition 1934; 50 pages.

5. Call Me Up Sometime
6. The Borrowed Deck Tragedy
7. Help Wanted In The Dark
9. A Thought...

This routined and fully explained program of magic runs approximately 25 minutes and can be carried in a brief case.

1st edition 1938, PDF 14 pages.

2. A Cigarette Rolled By Proxy. Orville Meyer.
3. The Henry E. Dixie Cigarette Vanish.
5. The Itinerant Dollar. Jacob Steisel.
7. A Matter Of Policy. Annemann.
8. Seven Keys To Baldpate. Annemann.
9. The Torn Deck Location. Julian J. Proskauer.
11. The Acme Thought Card Pass. Dr. Jacob Daley and Annemann.
14. Ads.

A completely routined and fully described thirty-minute act for one person, the necessary material for which may be carried in a brief case.

1st edition 1938, PDF 17 pages.

1. A Mental Club Act
3. Two Papers and a Spectator
6. Synthetic Sympathy (Annemann)
7. The Lie Detective (Stuart Robson)
8. The Twentieth Century Newspaper Test (Stuart Robson)
10. Triple Coercion (Annemann)
12. Slate Immortality (Robert Parrish)
14. Extra-Sensory Perception (Annemann)
16. Last Minute Notes.
17. Advertisement

A completely routined and explained magical club program running thirty minutes. All may be carried in a suitcase.

1st edition 1939, PDF 22 pages.

2. A Flash Ribbon Restoration. John K. Bays.
5. Twentieth Century Cards. Annemann.
6. Simplex Torn Card And Balloon. Lu-Brent.
8. The Lemon And The Dollar. Conrad Bush.
10. The Supreme East Indian Needle Feat. Annemann.
14. The Super Slates. Annemann.
15. A Ring In Transit. Eddie Clever.
17. Finale Trick. Keith Clark.
20. Last Minute Notes.
22. Ads.

A "No Card" Mystery Act. Completely routined and fully described, this 25 minute presentation has only a total carrying weight of 6 pounds, and does not make use of playing cards.

1st edition 1939, PDF 18 pages.

2. The Classic Cigarette. Lu-Brent
3. A Visible Cigarette Vanisher. Lu-Brent
5. Coins, En Route! Ottokar Fischer
6. Brr!! (Meaning 'Very Cold'). Otis Manning
7. The Spectral Seamstress. Charles T. Jordan
9. Lock and Key. Henry Fetsch
11. The Lucky Number Magic Square. Royal V. Heath
13. The Mystery of the Blackboard.
15. Last Minute Notes.
18. Ads.

"No Code" Telepathy. A complete routine, with explanations, of pseudo-telepathy between two people. It can be learned in one evening, its running time is 30 minutes, and everything necessary can be carried on the person.

1st edition 1940, PDF 13 pages.

2. Duo - Telepathy. Robert H. Parrish.
4. Impromptu Frame Up. Annemann.
5. Telepathy On The Cuff. Robert H. Parrish.
6. The Perfect Book Test.
6. The Secret Order Of The Aces. Annemann.
8. Thoughts In The Air. Annemann.
10. Last Minute Notes.
13. Ads.

Harry Houdini spent a good part of his life exposing mediums and 'unexplainable' phenomena. In this booklet he describes the case of the Boston "Margery" and the prize the Scientific American put up for true paranormal effects. He not only clearly describes and demonstrates the tricks of this very clever medium but also tells the difficulties surrounding the actual exposure. Houdini was world class in the role of the detective. It is fascinating to read how he sensitised his leg to be able to feel the slightest movement the medium made.

Margery or Mina Stinson (1888–1941) was born in Canada...

Houdini writes about the famous mediums in his time. Names like Palladino and Ann O'Delia Diss Debar should ring a bell. He also elaborates on his exchanges with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who was a firm believer in spirits and paranormal phenomena.

1st edition, 1924, Harper & Row, New York; reprint 1972, Arno Press, New York; 296 pages.

11. Introduction
12. Preface
1. I. The Founders of Modern Spiritualism
17. II. The Davenport Brothers
38. III. Daniel Dunglas Home
50. IV. Palladino
66. V. Ann O'Delia Diss Debar
79. VI. Dr. Slade and His Spirit Slates
101. VII. Slate Writing and Other Methods
117. VIII. Spirit Photography ...

In Miracle Mongers and their Methods, Harry Houdini turns a critical eye to wonders such as 'The Incombustible Spaniard' or 'Defiers of Poisonous Reptiles'. The timeless fascination with miracles and astonishing claims makes this classic as timely as when it was originally written.

1st edition, 1920, Dutton; reprinted, 1980, Cole; reprinted, 1981/1993, Prometheus; 240 pages.

1. I.Fire worship. - Fire eating and heat resistance. - The Middle Ages. - Among the Navajo Indians. - Fire-Walkers of Japan. - The Fiery Ordeal of Fiji
17. II.Watton's Ship-swabber from the Indies. - Richardson, 1667. -...

Another masterpiece from Arthur Buckley written together with John Brown Cook. Only 125 copies were printed, but now again available as a digital download. It comes with an introduction by the great John Mulholland.

This is a collection of 33 extremely practical and entertaining mental routines primarily for stage and parlor. They are all clearly described. There are not that many great books on mental magic. This one is definitely one of them.

1st edition, 1947, privately printed, Chicago; 132 pages.

1. Preface
5. Devious Digits
9. It's A Small World
12. Astral Addition
15. Projection
18. Pennies, Nickles and Dimes ...

Bob is a professional mentalist with a unique humorous style. In this limited edition ebook he shares his approach to mentalism in his 'Principia Mentalia' - a work in four parts: fire, earth, air and water. You will also find a recording of a radio talk show where Bob is the celebrity guest, running 13.5 minutes. And the complete recording of his appearance on KOMO-TV's "Northwest Afternoon", 22 minutes long, is included as well. Particularly these two recordings will show you Bob Cassidy's unique style. Also included is his very interesting Art of Mentalism 2 ebook. On top of it you will find...

U. F. Grant presents several clever ideas on billet reading or how to use a svengali deck for mentalism. He also has a completely different version of "Grey Elephants in Denmark".

• Bill Reading
• Name Duplication
• Impromptu Test
• Best Digit Test
• Cards Impossible
• In Their Pocket
• Up & Down Test
• Thot of Person
• Card Projection
• Lites Out
• Dunninger Type Act
• Another Dunninger
• Weekly Prediction
• Committee Test
• Thought Projector
• Private Lives
• Lobby Tip-Off
• Directory Test
• Houdini Bill Reading
• Glass Clipboard
• Mental Table
• Flaming Answer
• Fake Questions
• Flower-Color-Animal
• Mass Mind Reading

10...

An exciting, humorous routine, which combines subtle mentalism with magic! From the fertile mind of Ralf Wichmann-Braco - the German wizard who brought the world of magic some of the most pivotal work on the use of thread, this routine combines the elements of prediction, animation and great humor to stun the audience into believing that a felt tip marker has come to life inside a wooden box.

The magician brings out a wooden box, about the size of a small cigar humidor. He borrows an object from a spectator. The object is placed inside a small cardboard box. Then this box and a felt tip marker...

The Volta System For The Feat Of Reading Sealed Messages ... says it all! Burling Hull’s personal verbosity shows up in this 16 page booklet of "the latest advances for the reading of sealed messages." In 1929, when this was released, it was the final word in sealed message reading. Today, it still ranks at the top of any list of secrets of this kind.

It covers: impromptu work with borrowed stationary; the first practical solution of what was once considered an impossible feat; the ability of this "Power" to always be available to the performer

These words from Burling Hull were used...

"I've been doing magic 40 years, and this may be one of my five favorite tricks. Excellent thinking. Hard to top." - Clyde Hayre, US.

A spectator is asked to throw three fair dice (this is an absolute fair throw or even just a mental throw - no force here). From the number fairly thrown you construct a perfect magic square. For a kicker, the cards are put together and the face of a King of Hearts appears.

There is no palming of cards or exchanging of decks or anything like it. You work with 16 cards and 16 cards only without any sleight-of-hand.

You get 16 specially printed cards...

"I've been doing magic 40 years, and this may be one of my five favorite tricks. Excellent thinking. Hard to top." - Clyde Hayre, US.

LOVE IT! I've been looking for a trick to help promote my business and this is perfect as I trade under the name "That's Magic" - Barry Harvey, UK.

You get 16...

Here we collect all of the 17 ebooks we have by Annemann. Besides the Jinx magazine, this is as far as I know a complete set of all of Annemann's writings. For mentalists, this is mandatory reading. For all other magicians, it is highly recommended because the wisdom imparted to you is applicable in all of magic. Buying these books and booklets individually on the second-hand market will cost you a multiple.

This ebook is for magicians who like to work without a safety net. It is not recommended for the novice. It describes unusual principles and presentations. The reward for such risk can be extremely high.

Here are bold methods for bold magicians. Entertainers with “guts” will appreciate these approaches. No effect in this booklet is 100% guaranteed to work every time, but when things do work you will leave your audience speechless in that moment of astonishment. Those who take risks are often rewarded. When the risks in this booklet pay off, your audience will feel they are in the presence...

This is a fine contained course in mental magic which not just describes a selection of effects, but the underlying principles as well as other aspects, such as 'The importance of showmanship'. You will learn to force cards, to use the key card principle, to mark and to prearrange, to understand the mirror principle, to work with codes and assistants, and a lot more.

Hugard is known for his excellent writing style, which is clear, accurate and engaging.

Paul Fleming wrote:

For almost 10 years this has been Peter's biggest selling trick in Europe & the USA.

You give a spectator a small pocket diary. From a choice of over sixty names written on cards, a second spectator mentally selects a husband and wife. The choice is free; there is no force of any kind.

You (or a spectator) read out a letter that has been in full view from the beginning. The letter reveals the date of the couple's wedding. The first spectator opens the diary to that date. For the first time, the second spectator announces the names he is thinking of. Let's say it's Mr. and Mrs. Ford. Spectator...

Delusions is a practical, zero fluff, all situations mentalism book chock full of mind miracles. Heres what you get:

OVERLY HYP’ED:
Sequel to HYPED, COMPLETELY clean and easy to perform! Test conditions card delusion. The performer borrows a deck of cards from an audience member. The deck of cards is freely shuffled by a random spectator. The deck is cut and shuffled as freely and as many times as the spectator would like. Another cut is made by the spectator, and this time rather then completing the cut it is marked. A sealed envelope is noted on the table. When the envelopes contents...

This tome of magic and mentalism secrets was the first book in a series written by Doctor Zodiac a.k.a. Scott Xavier. It includes everything essential for a mid level entertainer to increase sales and create a legend for himself. Here's a sample of what you'll find inside:

• How to structure your magic/mentalism business using a business plan to increase maximum effectiveness as a showman.
• How to start a theater show.
• A legitimate system for Cold Reading for those slow times.
• Lots of theory.
• And a ton of effects.

Hyped
A miracle w/cards. A borrowed...

Necessity is the mother of all invention. Developed for a series of lectures, the Outlaw deck is the first freely shuffled and visually examinable tossed out deck. The Outlaw is a devious new principle that allows you to show all the cards as being different and then you are able to allow a spectator to shuffle the deck and hand them back to you. You now are ready to perform a tossed out deck or one of many other miracles mentioned in the ebook and know precisely which spectator is thinking of which card. The outlaw deck makes for a perfect close-up visual think a card deck as well! This is...

Timothy Hyde was invited to join the famed Psychic Entertainers Association in 1990 where he quickly became known as "Australia's Magician of the Mind". His "real world" mentalism routines have been honed over years of performance and some of this material has only appeared before in Vibrations the journal of the PEA. It will be of particular interest to Stand Up and Corporate performers. The material requires a certain skill level and knowledge of the basics of mentalism.

Some comments by working professionals:

"I'm extremely jealous, really top notch material. The book is excellent...

Many have discovered Dale Hildebrandt as a thinker like no other. His creations are unique, weird, absurd, surreal and lead to extremely strong effects. He writes in his introduction:

Burning of Candles, Use of Roots and Oils Powders and Incenses. Significance of Cards, Horoscope with Lucky Days and Lucky Numbers. A Guide to Spiritualists, Mediums, and Readers, from the most powerful and famous Voodoo priestess.

72 pages.

This small parody of mentalism is sharp with wit.

1st edition 2004; 13 pages

A small collection of three effects. First one out is an invisible cuing system, that can be used for spectator as mind reader effects of all kinds. They see writing appear on a card and then vanish.

Second one, and definitely a favorite, a memorised book effect. Any person selects a page in a book, you proceed with memorising it, you close the book and put it aside. Ask someone to name a "line number", and someone else to name a "word number". You think. You write. And place your writing out of sight. Take the book again and show that the word at the designated position is, say for example,...

Turn your Himber wallet, or more precisely your mini-Himber wallet, into a versatile weapon!

Daniel has been very uncertain whether or not to release this ebook. Mainly because it is hard to market, because you will know the secret before you even buy it, or so you think. "Alright, just a bunch of effects with a Himber wallet." But trust him when he says, this is not what you think it is. The few people who have actually read this so far, are all intrigued by it. It all started with one realisation, a concept that sprung to mind, a handling of the Himber wallet that has never been seen before....

This is a compilation of The Mixed Mind, The Sharp Mind and The Thinking Mind, plus the unreleased The Cerebral Mind (includes three effects for Cerebro, although the routines can be performed without the gimmick, it's only there as an enhancer. Definitely something for the seance worker).

The Thinking Mind
This is all theory, which means half of you won't be interested. No tricks. It's about believability, logic, structure and so on. Well worth a read for the aspiring mentalist, or anyone who might be interested in Daniel's thoughts on the subject of mentalism.

The Sharp Mind
It's...

A collection of 36 ideas and variations. Some are descriptions of substantial routines, others are merely an initial spark of an idea. Dale started this manuscript with a few variations on some work sent by Liam Montier. It continued to grow including variations of tricks Dale found in other ebooks and books.

In "Bits and Bytes", you'll learn:

D. D. Home PC: Prove the presence of the spirit of D. D. Home on a friend's borrowed laptop.

Mind Over Mint: A three phase bending routine using a tin of mints.

Tossed Out Wallet Ploy: Apparently give away $26 while keeping your trusty, lucky, $100...

This is an exposure of some of the greatest imposters of the 19th century. You gotta love this sentence:

Contents:

• The World of Dupes
• Slade and the Spirits
• Hindoo Juggling and Christian Credulity
• Spiritualism as an Infectious Mental Disease
• Materialization