Mentalism & Spiritism

The opening chapter by Basil Horwitz details a method of linking a show with charity and using it to make a big income for the charity and a big income for the performer. During Basil's lifetime he was also involved in investment and finance. He used to perform for charity and demonstrated mental miracles that stunned his audience. When each member of the audience left the show Basil ended up with the name, address...

When Martin Breese met Basil many, many years ago he saw him demonstrating his brilliant Poker Deal. He dealt cards to himself and to a spectator and then put a £50 note on the table and if Basil could beat the spectator he kept the money and if he lost he would lose £50. This is repeated over and over again with new hands being dealt and the spectator having more and more choice yet the magician never loses any of the money at all. The final part of the routine allows the...

All too often those in the world of magic who develop great reputations fall somewhere between two stools; gifted thinkers who tend to disappoint in performance, or charismatic performers who are a triumph of form over substance: impressive, but not always original. Rarely do you come across someone who embodies the elements of true creative artistry, combining together the application of sound thinking with an understated style of presentation which can totally convince...

Here are just a few of my thoughts and opinions on the use of mentalism and mental magic. Many magical friends have commented that they are concerned that I use playing cards in mentalism effects and a number of readers were disappointed that my last book contained mentalism material relying on the use of playing cards. I feel that it is important for me to explain that I have never ever had any problem with the use of playing cards in my performance of mentalism and it is clear to me that my audiences regard them as ordinary objects and are familiar with...

When I came across Basil's first book I couldn't believe it. Here was mentalism that fitted everything I had been searching for. It was clean, simple in plot and direct. In fact the more I read the more I was astonished and frustrated by the simplicity of Basil's thinking; 'Of course! Why didn't I think of that?' was a response I had about every five pages. I feel particularly indebted to Basil as I have partly built my reputation on one of his routines (if you think I'm telling you which one, think again).

I recently had the pleasure of meeting Basil....

An amazing utility prop which enables the performer to force any number. Perfect for forcing a phone number or special date.

"The Horwitz Add a Number Pad is, as far as I am concerned, the ultimate of its type." - Graham Jolley

It is based on the principle of the Basil Horwitz Wallet with the hip-pocket sized leather writing pad locking firmly using embedded magnets. This tool allows a range of mentalist effects for large and small audiences. The instruction booklet includes full performance descriptions...

• The Miracle of Two Watches
• The Miracle of A Watch and Paper
• The Miracle of ‘Mental Epic’ Prediction
• The Miracle of The Time Machine
• The Miracle of The Mailed Letter
• The Miracle of Synchronous Watches

1st edition 1989, 1st digital edition 2013, 14 pages.

"This is great. I am thrilled. BRILLIANT." - Ben Harris

"A great self-working audience-participation routine. I like this ebook very much." - Peter Duffie

"Interesting and clever" – Gianfranco Preverino

"I appreciated your work (particularly the first part about the Prediction effect which looks excellent) … not only and simply for the work itself but for the passion I found in it. Only with research can...

Part 1: Hacking the Mind
• Thought Dueling: Duel a spectator with your thoughts, and get...

• MindJack – Mentally glance at thought of numbers or words. Without writing or fishing of any sort.
• Notes – Ideas on MindJacking, and theory galore.
• Book Test – More impromptu MindJacking with words.
• Other Languages – German, French, Spanish, and Italian modifications of MindJack.
• The Fairer – A one or two choice number force. Designed for use with the Fair.
• Cold Reading Justification – My personal terms with Cold Reading.
• Under Thin Ice – On Thin Ice expanded.
• Personality Profiling – A dash of cold reading, mind reading, and Q&A? I think yes.
• Through the Looking Glass...

Mene, Mene, Dekel (MMD)
MMD allows you to gain access to a number, some words, or names that a spectator writes down, all thought of by a spectator. The effect is completely impromptu, and you need nothing to perform it other then yourself. Without peeking, you turn your head or look away as your spectator writes a number from 1 to 100 in the air. You then know what number they are thinking of. You can apply this to book tests, drawing duplications, PIN number revelations... The possibilities are limitless, and with some...

"When used as a tool within another effect (a reading or the Sympathy idea) most folks would consider this to be real mind reading." - Donald Rackley

"Dirt easy and simple which is what we all yearn for in an effect." - Giani the Mentalist

• 100% Impromptu
• Limitless Possibilities
• Rock Paper Scissors
• ESP Symbols
• Sympathy
• Numbers
• Words
• Cards
• Colors

"This is an ingenious principle that is entirely reliable and realistic. Everyone needs...

"I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see this employed as standard practice with psychological forces in the years to follow – It would be ridiculous not to use it. If there is a PS4, this deserves a chapter in it." - MagicAtlas from the Magic Cafe

"Bill was kind enough to send me a copy of Direct, and I must say I like it very much. I tried it few times and it worked each time." - northerwarrior from the Magic Cafe

"Well thought out. I think it's one of those things that many can put into their arsenals and use at the appropriate moments." - Greg Arce

"I enjoyed reading through...

“For those interested in furthering their skills and knowledge in mentalism Air Writer is a must read and I feel is destined to become a classic in this aspect of our art.” - Neil Somerville

“It can be put to so many uses the mind boggles.” - Stephen Young

“The beauty of the technique is that’s its impromptu and propless – these are very valuable attributes.” - Dr. Steve Murray

Make any small object appear inside a sealed and locked envelope. Print template is included.

Your spectator signs the sealed envelope before the routine starts. Perform an effect with any small object and then... as your big finish... ask them to tear open the signed envelope and they will find their object inside. They get to keep everything.

Blake will take you through how to make this incredible utility device, plus a load of really cool routines and ideas. When you purchase Envelock, you will receive a PDF file (download from your lybrary digital shelf) which will allow you to print...

The foundations of mentalism. Acclaimed as "a definitive resource for all who are interested in mentalism and probably for most in magic generally." Bob's list of 39 most important books to read, which is included in this ebook, is by itself hugely valuable, because you not only get a list of books but the reasons why each one of them is so important. This allows you to judge for yourself if you should read a particular book or not. Fundamentals can be seen as Bob's extraction of the most important concepts from...

A good deal of what has been written about cold reading is theoretically and practically wrong and/or misinformed.

Learn the 'real work' in this exclusive ebook.

1st edition 2004; 58 pages

1st edition 2005; 27 pages

Most modern mentalists were first introduced to billet technique in the pages of Theodore Annemann's Practical Mental Effects, which describes a single-handed switch, a two-handed version, and variations with a thumb tip. The techniques are very effective, but require a good deal of practice and careful handling to perform undetectably.

The Moldavian Switch is a technique that effectively removes the "difficulty factor" from billet work. With its several variations it can be used to present any of the many billet routines and effects published during the last hundred years. You...

• The Circle of Synchronicity
• The Vision
• The Third Method
• Doctor Crow’s Deck Switch
• Doctor Crow’s Complete Reading System

The late Ed Mishell gave the effect a very favorable review in Genii magazine - but, then again, Ed gave favorable reviews to just about everything. That, together with the fact that nobody in the magic world...

• The Principle of Ideomotor Movement
• Dowsing with Pendulums
• Using the Pendulum in Mentalism
• The Horizontal Pendulum
• Mikame Blue
• Flipchips
• A Rat in the Desert

[For beautiful pendulums and other resources for the mentalist visit Magic Pendulums.]

Hanussen asked his inquisitors...

• The Zener Effect
• The Black Book of Light & Dr. Crow’s Post Box Prediction
• The Medium’s “Office Switch”
• The Juice
• Dr. Crow’s Billet Routine

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...

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...

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 Photon Phenomenon - A low cost way to achieve an impressive visual effect. This is typical Cassidy brilliance. Imagine. You are on stage and have just asked the audience to concentrate on their thoughts. The houselights dim and, suddenly, your face is illuminated in an eerie glow. No doubt it is effective showmanship, but you would normally assume that a special lighting effect like this requires, well, special lighting. It doesn’t.

Dark Impressions - Those of you who are familiar with Bob's previous writings are well acquainted...

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

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

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

1st edition 2003; 17 pages.

On the count of three, the spectator fires the pistol at the performer's open (and clearly empty) hand. The performer's hand clenches shut and is slowly opened to reveal the dart. At no time does his hand move from its position in front of his body, nor is it approached by the other hand.

(If desired, the mentalist...

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...

1st edition 2003; 25 pages.

Partial Contents include:

• Vision Quest - A spectator thinks of the name of a dead celebrity and gazes into a glass of water flanked by two candles. Suddenly, a ghostly image of the celebrity appears below the surface of the liquid and peers upward at the volunteer.
• The Jam Readings - A Jazz Q and A routine based on a unique and virtually self-working mass billet switch. The Schattenjaeger observes, "If they could see...

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...

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.

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...

1st edition 2003; 26 pages.

Since Lybrary purchased the copyrights to this ebook we will honor the limited edition to protect past and future customers.

Effect:

A spectator writes a word, a question, or draws a picture on a card-stock billet. (No impression device is used and the mentalist's back may be turned while the spectator writes her thought.) She drops the billet into an ordinary sugar...

If you have ever performed the super memory effect or "The Knight's Tour", you already know that they are classic effects that are effective before any intelligent audience. In Mind Explosions you will learn a method of performing...

He mixes and matches methods where he finds them most appropriately. A move here, a clever use of ordinary props there and a gimmicked item when the effect calls for it.

1st edition 2003; 20 pages.

Four completely scripted original and entertaining routines designed to demonstrate your mental abilities under conditions that apparently preclude the use of trickery or fraud. In addition to the routines is a complete analysis of the psychology underlying "Brain Buster" and "test conditions" effects.

Featuring:

Time Stop - This miracle is performed with any unprepared borrowed watch that has a second hand. There are no magnets or gimmicks of any kind required. The effect is totally impromptu.

After...

• The Elementulum is a pendulum routine that is visually stunning.

• Bottled is among the rarest of mental effects - it is performed on a billiard or pool table! A spectator shuffles a pack of cards and scatters them face down all over a pool table. Pool cues are stood upright in each of the six pockets on the table to prevent any balls from being sunk during the effect.

  The performer writes a prediction which is placed in full view. The balls are...

• Doctor Crow's Party Piece
• Pure Mentalism
• Technique #1 - Hand to Hand with a Pen
• Technique #2 The Switch, Umbrella Move and Read covered by business card packet.
• Technique #3 Basic Switch with Wallet as Display Container
• Technique #4 The Impromptu Index
• The Invisible Device
• PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL