when given a blank card and a pen, a second spectator auto-writes the thought of word without it being spoken aloud behind without knowing how!
The effect plays as follows; a spectator is called to stand either side of you, one to the left, one to the right. A stack of blank business cards is brought into play, alongside a pen. A list of 6 or so random words is written on the foremost card – This is shown to the first spectator, who is to memorize one word to transfer to the second spectator.
The second spectator is given the pen and a blank card, they are told about auto writing, a technique used by psychics to seemingly pick up messages from the spirits. They are asked to gently move the pen over the card behind their back, allowing their arm to become a slave to the pen, letting it move it’s self.
When they’re done, the first participant is asked to name aloud the word that they were thinking of. The second spectator’s card is brought to the front and shown to have the thought of word scribbled across it!
REQUIRED MATERIALS: You’ll of course need a stack of blank business or index cards. I pick them up in boxes of 500 from Staples or Rymans here in the UK.
Alongside the cards, you will need to construct a special gimmick to allow the effect to work as described. The gimmick is a pen.
You’ll need to collect two identical pens. Ideally one should be dry, if not, you’ll need to scribble lots until it is!
You’ll also need a little hacksaw, a file and some superglue.
CONSTRUCTION: You’ll need to begin by looking at the pen and
identifying where the cap of the pen covers up to when it’s on. There’s usually a definitive line so that the cap can click into place.
You’ll need to saw through the pen and remove the top part, as in the image.
The bottom part of the pen can now be discarded; we only need the nib section. We do need to make sure that it’s levelly cut however as we’ll be attaching it to the bottom of the other pen and a bent pen can look suspicious!
The easiest way to do this is to take a file and run the bottom of the nib along it to get rid of the excess plastic and to even out the base, as below.
We’re now going to have to pull the bottom of the second pen, I’ve chosen a pen that I can just pull the bottom cap out, with some pens you may have to saw and file this too!
Then simply put some super glue on both of the piece and stick them together! You will want to check they match up first, you may need to do a little more filing to make sure.
After leaving the pen to dry, you now should now have something that looks like the below!
You’ll notice that you can fit a cap on either end to hide the other.
That’s the entire construction of the pen. You should store it as below.
You should be able to write with the actual end of the pen, the gaff end should be out of ink. You may at worst have to scribble for a little while to run the last bit of ink out of the nib!
STEP-BY-STEP: Now that you’ve constructed your gimmicked pen, you need to set up the stack of cards. This is VERY simple. All you need do is scribble the word you’d like to force across one of the cards – for the explanation, we’ll just use “Machine” as our force word.
This should be placed face down, 2nd from top in your stack of blank cards. You’re now ready to go. So lets look again at EXACTLY how the routine plays:
The performer selects two participants. One is to stand either side of the magician and the concept of spirit writing is introduced.
Perhaps in reality spirit writing was just a form of synchronicity between the ‘psychic’ and the participant?
Some blank cards and a pen are brought into play. A list of several words are written by the performer on one of the cards and the first participant is asked to think of one to transmit to the second
participant.
The second participant is then given the pen and another card that’s shown to be blank front and back to hold behind their back. They are asked to clear their mind and begin to count backwards from 300. As they do this they are to move the pen around, on and off the card, letting their arm write by it’s self.
After 10-15 seconds have gone by, the performer calls to stop. The first spectator is asked which word they have thought of, “Machine” is the response, when the card is brought to the front, it too has the word
“Machine” scribbled across it, showing the experiment to be a success.
THE REALITY: Ok, so you know that our gimmicked pen is in use, so I’m pretty sure you’ll have figured out that the spectator isn’t really writing when they think they are, so lets look at how we get to that stage, step-by-step.
I write left-handed, so you may have to reverse these instructions! You should have the cards in your right pocket and the pen with the cap on the writing end (the dead end is exposed) in your left.
First, bring out the pen; covering the exposed end with your hand, I hold it in a fist. Remove the cap off the writing end and replace it on the dead end. To the spectators it just looks as if you’ve taken the cap off a pen and put it on the end, as normal.
Now, you have the extra end covered, so you’re free on angles. Bring out the cards and write out the list of 6 or 7 words, as shown.
Put the word you wish to force around half way down, it’s not essential, but it makes it seem more random to the spectators.
As noted in the effect, the first spectator is asked to think of one of these words. In reality, we’re asking them to transmit a particular word, but the script creates a dual reality, appearing to the audience that there’s a choice involved.
All we need to do to force the word, is to lift the card up to show the words to the first spectator and say:
“I’m going to need you to think of just ONE of these words, you’re going to transmit it to the second participant (or use their name) in a moment!”
Seems fair? Nope. When you say “just one of these words,” you will appear to point to the words with a pen. A normal looking motion, but you will actually underline your force word – See how the script works now?
After underlining the word, we need to do a move with the pen as we drop it to the side. We’re simply going to pull it out of the cap, and switch it around so that the cap now sits on the writing end and the dead end is exposed once more. I’ve done a series of photos as it’s a lot easier to explain that way. It’s a knacky move, but very easy.
After the first spectator has acknowledged what they need to do, you will fold up that card and put it in your pocket. We don’t want anyone else to see the line.
So, up to now, we have the force word forced and the pen disabled.
You’re half way there! Now we just need to get the other spectator to look like they’ve written the word!
We’ll draw attention back to the packet of blank cards. You’re ready written card should now be on the top after writing the list on the first card.
All we need to do is subtly double lift to show a card that is blank both sides.
We then hand them the pen in their writing hand and the card in the other face down and have them place their hands behind their back.
You ask them to position the nib of the pen toward the end of the card and have them count down from 300 as they start moving the pen.
You should also talk to and encourage them as they are counting.
This is a trick that Derren Brown describes in his effect “Reminiscence.”
There’s so much going on that they won’t remember exactly how they’ve moved the pen, so you don’t get someone concentrating on doing lots of straight or curly lines and then see a word has come out of it.
So, we’ve done this for maybe 10 seconds and now we should ask the spectator to stop writing and take the pen off them.
Finally, ask the first spectator what word they thought of, “Machine,”
have the second spectator bring out the card and let them figure it out themselves. Killer.
That’s the effect Machine, very simple in methodology, but creates a devastating effect and it’s all in the hands and minds of the spectators.
THE NEW BLACK :: THOUGHT OF WORD ON THOUGHT OF CARD EFFECT: An envelope is sat on a pedestal in full view. A spectator is asked to name any ESP symbol, the circle, cross, wavy lines, square, or star. Another spectator is then asked to think of a word from a random page in a book. A spectator opens the envelope and inside is the thought of card with the thought of word written across it!
SET-UP: All you need for this is 5 ESP cards, 2 books and 2 envelopes, one envelope should just fit the cards in and the other should be a little bit bigger.
You should flick through one of the books and find the first word on any page that you like. Lets say your word is “Destroy” on page 101.
You should write this word across the face of each of the ESP cards and then set them up in order, top to bottom; circle, cross, wavy lines, square, and star. You should cut the smaller envelope down one of the long sides and slot the cards in; this is going to be a pocket index so that you can easily pull out any of the cards very quickly.
This index should go in your left jacket pocket, or somewhere equally as easy to retrieve a card when required.
If the index is in your left pocket, the prediction envelope should be positioned to the rear left of you, so that you can turn your body to the left to take out a card as you go to pick up the envelope with your right hand.
The two books should just sit on your stage table, these don’t need any set up, but you DO need to remember which book contains the force word, as well as what page the word is on.
STEP-BY-STEP: First, you should draw attention to the envelope at the back of the stage.
“I have sat back here a prediction in an envelope, we’ll come back to this at the end. I need first for someone to name an ESP symbol for me, sir, please name one…”
I at this point pull out a massive tattoo on my arm of the five symbols, but you could have a large print out of the symbols or call each out so that people know what symbols they can choose from.
“The square? Ok, great. Keep that symbol in mind and we’ll come back to it shortly – Now, on with the prediction. I have here a couple of books, Miss, which book would you like me to use for this?”
Whichever book they name, you are going to throw out the book with the force word in it. If they name the force book, you simply throw that out and say; “Ok, grab that for me and we’ll use that one.” If they name the other book, say; “Ok, I’ll use this one, so you can use the other one.”
It’s a simple equivoque, but works a treat. We’ve now set up for the Hoy book test, a classic in mentalism. We are going to use the Hoy test to force the word.
The idea of the Hoy book test is simply a miscall of a page. The performer riffles through the book they hold and as the spectator to call stop, when they do, the performer is to look at the book and say;
“Ok, that’s page 101, please, turn to page 101 in your book and look at the first word on that page.”
It doesn’t matter where the riffle really stops, either way, you will call the number of your force page!
As they look through their book to find the page, you will calmly put your hand in your pocket and take the relevant ESP card out of the index, in this case, it’s the square. You will take it out of the index, but leave it in the pocket. This means that you will be able to retrieve it in a split second when you turn to grab the envelope shortly.
“Have you got the word? Ok, I don’t want to know what word it is just yet, but close the book and leave it on the stage. Great. At the start, I mentioned this prediction envelope. It has a single card inside. Please, hold onto this for me, I don’t want to touch it…”
In that piece of script, I have loaded the card into the envelope.
I turn to grab the envelope and retrieve the card from my pocket, I hold it in a gambler’s cop and as I turn back, I bring my left hand up and pinch the card behind the envelope, so it can’t be seen by the audience. I then dip my fingers into the envelope and show the card and then put it back into the envelope as I pass it on to someone else.
It’s one of the cheekiest loads of all time, but works great and plants the seed for a false memory of you not touching the envelope.
Now you’re clean, so you can just reveal:
“Sir, at the start I asked you to decide on an ESP symbol, what’s the symbol you were thinking of? A square, great, and miss, I asked you to think of a random word out of the book you chose, for the first time, what’s the word? ‘Destroy?’ perfect, madam can you please remove the card from the envelope and tell everyone what it is!”
It is of course a square card with the word ‘destroy’ written across it! A super powerful demonstration of prediction skill!