Presentation and Method:
I ask the participant—we shall call him Mark—to close his eyes. When they are I ask the participant—we shall call him Mark—to close his eyes. When they are shut, I reach into my pocket and remove a quarter, showing it cleanly to
shut, I reach into my pocket and remove a quarter, showing it cleanly to everyone.everyone.
“Mark, in this demonstration, I will attempt to unlock your mind and put a
“Mark, in this demonstration, I will attempt to unlock your mind and put a thought into it. I’m going to put a common object into your hand, and I want thought into it. I’m going to put a common object into your hand, and I want you to make a tight fist around it.”
you to make a tight fist around it.”
The coin is given to the spectator to hold in
The coin is given to the spectator to hold in silence.silence.
“Concentrate on the way that it
“Concentrate on the way that it feels to you…focus on the metal.”feels to you…focus on the metal.”
I make a motion with my hand above his fist, suggesting to the audience that image of what you’re feeling in your hand. I am going to try and warp and image of what you’re feeling in your hand. I am going to try and warp and bend that mental image a bit. Yes or no, can you feel the metal elongating in bend that mental image a bit. Yes or no, can you feel the metal elongating in your hand?”
your hand?”
Mark will say,
Mark will say, “Yes“Yes.”.”
As I’m stating the above,
As I’m stating the above, I am making a I am making a quick drawing on a piece oquick drawing on a piece of paper, foldingf paper, folding it up and handing it to someone in the crowd. I now take the quarter out of Mark’s it up and handing it to someone in the crowd. I now take the quarter out of Mark’s hand and put it back into my pocket along with the marker. I have him open his hand and put it back into my pocket along with the marker. I have him open his eyes and re-acclimate to his
eyes and re-acclimate to his surroundings.surroundings.
“Welcome back. You did wonderfully. Are you confident that you know what
“Welcome back. You did wonderfully. Are you confident that you know what you were holding?”
you were holding?” He will say that he’s certain.He will say that he’s certain. “What did you feel?”“What did you feel?”
Mark will confidently say,
Mark will confidently say, “I felt a key.”“I felt a key.”
Most of the crowd will be confused at this revelation, but when the piece of paper Most of the crowd will be confused at this revelation, but when the piece of paper is opened, things get even stranger, as they see
is opened, things get even stranger, as they see an unmistakable drawing of a key.an unmistakable drawing of a key.
I really, truly love this effect. The premise is easy to follow and it showcases a I really, truly love this effect. The premise is easy to follow and it showcases a great twist that no one expects—something rare in mentalism routines. As I said, great twist that no one expects—something rare in mentalism routines. As I said, the workings are similar to “
the workings are similar to “The Imaginary Object”,The Imaginary Object”, but but this this has has some some distinctdistinct advantages. Don’t get me wrong, if I have the
advantages. Don’t get me wrong, if I have the I.O. I.O. gimmick on my person, you can gimmick on my person, you can
rest assured that it will be placed into someone’s fist. But I always have this rest assured that it will be placed into someone’s fist. But I always have this version in my wallet, ready to go at a
version in my wallet, ready to go at a moment’s notice.moment’s notice.
The gimmick is pictured below in figure 1.
The gimmick is pictured below in figure 1.
(Figure 1) (Figure 1)
Many of you will recognize this as an almost exact replica of the gimmick from Many of you will recognize this as an almost exact replica of the gimmick from Jay Sankey’s “
Jay Sankey’s “ Killer Killer Key”Key”,, although a cruder versionalthough a cruder version.. Rather than using it toRather than using it to perform
perform a a magical magical effect, effect, you you are are using using it it to to produce produce an an immensely immensely powerfulpowerful mental demonstration.
mental demonstration.
I used the original “
I used the original “ Killer Killer Key”Key” gimmick to achieve this effect for a time, butgimmick to achieve this effect for a time, but ended up losing it. It seems to be discontinued now, so you will have to make due ended up losing it. It seems to be discontinued now, so you will have to make due with a homemade gimmick.
with a homemade gimmick.
You are simply super gluing a small key to the back of a coin, figure 2. You are simply super gluing a small key to the back of a coin, figure 2. Metal-to-metal bonding super glue is what you will need, and you will
metal bonding super glue is what you will need, and you will want to be generous.want to be generous.
(Figure 2) (Figure 2)
Normal house keys have too large of a head, so
Normal house keys have too large of a head, so if you were to try and use one, youif you were to try and use one, you would have to be very careful on your angles. The key that I use is small, would have to be very careful on your angles. The key that I use is small, belonging to a padlock; the working end of the key is still completely functional. It belonging to a padlock; the working end of the key is still completely functional. It is small enough that I can grip the gimmick and don’t have to worry about people is small enough that I can grip the gimmick and don’t have to worry about people catching a glimpse of any part of the key peeking out.
catching a glimpse of any part of the key peeking out.
With your gimmick dried and set, you can now
With your gimmick dried and set, you can now cleanly grip it as in cleanly grip it as in figure 3, hidingfigure 3, hiding the key with your first finger. Or, if you are completely surrounded, grip it as in the key with your first finger. Or, if you are completely surrounded, grip it as in figure 4, with your thumb on top. Everyone will take this at face value, accepting figure 4, with your thumb on top. Everyone will take this at face value, accepting
(Figure 3) (Figure 3)
(Figure 4) (Figure 4)
Putting it into the spectators hand is
Putting it into the spectators hand is where the real boldness takes place. With theirwhere the real boldness takes place. With their hand outstretched, I push the quarter into their palm, keeping my thumb or first hand outstretched, I push the quarter into their palm, keeping my thumb or first finger covering the working end of the key. I use my left hand to assist them in finger covering the working end of the key. I use my left hand to assist them in closing their fingers around the object, figure 5. Placing the key into the
closing their fingers around the object, figure 5. Placing the key into the palm palm isis important, because if you put it on their fingers, they will flip the key as they make important, because if you put it on their fingers, they will flip the key as they make a fist.
a fist.
(Figure 5) (Figure 5)
Only when the coin/key is out of view of the audience do I remove my hands. It Only when the coin/key is out of view of the audience do I remove my hands. It reads like a complicated moment, but it is over in a s
reads like a complicated moment, but it is over in a second.econd.
You are treating it how you would treat placing a bent coin into someone’s hand, You are treating it how you would treat placing a bent coin into someone’s hand, hiding that it’s bent, and gently forcing their fingers shut around it. It’s a hiding that it’s bent, and gently forcing their fingers shut around it. It’s a
non-You now talk to your spectator about what they are feeling, but the most important You now talk to your spectator about what they are feeling, but the most important line is,
line is, “Can you feel the metal “Can you feel the metal elongating in your hand?”elongating in your hand?”
To your audience, they will take this
To your audience, they will take this line as you making the coin line as you making the coin change shape andchange shape and elongate in their hand.
elongate in their hand.
To the spectator, they will be thinking to themselves,
To the spectator, they will be thinking to themselves, “Yes, the metal elongates,“Yes, the metal elongates, because it’s a key.”
because it’s a key.”
Another significant line is in the beginning, when you say,
Another significant line is in the beginning, when you say, “I’m going to unlock“I’m going to unlock your mind and put a
your mind and put a thought into it.”thought into it.”
You can bring this up after the fact, claiming that you were suggesting a key with You can bring this up after the fact, claiming that you were suggesting a key with the word
the word “unlock”“unlock”..
So once the key is tucked away, guarded by their skinny fingers as you deliver So once the key is tucked away, guarded by their skinny fingers as you deliver your spiel, you can now draw an outline of a key on a piece of paper, giving it to your spiel, you can now draw an outline of a key on a piece of paper, giving it to an audience member for safe
an audience member for safe keeping without letting them see what keeping without letting them see what you’ve drawn.you’ve drawn.
Removal of the gimmick is just as simple a
Removal of the gimmick is just as simple a procedure as putting it in.procedure as putting it in.
They still have their eyes closed and
They still have their eyes closed and you just make sure your hands are right on you just make sure your hands are right on toptop of theirs before they open their fist.
of theirs before they open their fist.
You can easily block the gimmick from view and pick it up, as in figure 6, and You can easily block the gimmick from view and pick it up, as in figure 6, and give it a quick flash to the crowd, figure 7, before pocketing it and ‘waking’ your give it a quick flash to the crowd, figure 7, before pocketing it and ‘waking’ your participant from
participant from their altered state and their altered state and going into the rgoing into the revelation.evelation.
(Figure 6) (Figure 6)
As in “
As in “The Imaginary Object”,The Imaginary Object”, you can either choose to reveal with the drawing,you can either choose to reveal with the drawing, or you could present this
or you could present this as a sas a synchronized, psychokinetic effect—ynchronized, psychokinetic effect—which I prefer.which I prefer.
After placing the gimmick into their hand, you would go into your pocket and After placing the gimmick into their hand, you would go into your pocket and silently remove and display a key. Give this to another spectator to hold, or hold it silently remove and display a key. Give this to another spectator to hold, or hold it yourself, and you suddenly have an effect where a person holding a quarter then yourself, and you suddenly have an effect where a person holding a quarter then impossibly feels and describes something that someone
impossibly feels and describes something that someone else is holding.else is holding.
In this case, you would almost have a mental “
In this case, you would almost have a mental “ Killer Killer KeyKey” occurring, with the” occurring, with the object somehow switching places mentally. The big advantage here is that your object somehow switching places mentally. The big advantage here is that your participant
participant instantlyinstantly knows that they are holding a key, unlikeknows that they are holding a key, unlike in in ““The ImaginaryThe Imaginary Object
Object ”” , , where they might not be able to correctly guess what they’re holding, butwhere they might not be able to correctly guess what they’re holding, but only describe it’s texture, shape, size, weight, etc.
only describe it’s texture, shape, size, weight, etc.
The fact that they are certain of it being a key makes for a great argument between The fact that they are certain of it being a key makes for a great argument between your audience and your participant about what just occurred, forcing themselves your audience and your participant about what just occurred, forcing themselves further down the rabbit hole.
further down the rabbit hole.
I would say that this is one of the most
I would say that this is one of the most uniqueunique psychokinetic metal demonstrations psychokinetic metal demonstrations that you can perform for a person. It has much
that you can perform for a person. It has much more realism than bending a quartermore realism than bending a quarter or a piece of cutlery. You are
or a piece of cutlery. You are literally bending and manipulatinliterally bending and manipulating the way a piece g the way a piece ofof metal feels
metal feels in their mind in their mind . This plot has never been explored like this before. I beg. This plot has never been explored like this before. I beg and plead for you to keep it a
and plead for you to keep it a secret.secret.