Jose Prager - Goats Grimore

Goat's

Grimoire

I dedicate this book to my father, and to my soul mate, Mónica. Father, you taught me the game, and you taught me how to play it right.

Illustrations by Gonzalo Carrera Graniel Proofread by Mike Vance & Mauricio Jaramillo

© Copyright 2013 by José P rager

The Author asserts the moral right to be identified as the creator of this work.All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduce d, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, the internet, or otherwise, without the prior permission

Contents

What you are holding between your hands is a collection of nine, fully scripted, mentalism routines and five utility devices that have been carefully developed and successfully tested by me with the help of Luke Jermay and Peter Turner.

After each effect, you will also find what I like to call Peter Turner's "Golden Touches," which take each effect to a level you never thought possible. Read carefully. There are many hidden gems between the lines.

José Prager April 2013

3386

338 6 Effect:

The performer begins, addressing a woman in the group:

“I can already sense that you are the type of person who is open to new

and unusual experiences. I get the feeling that you have a great deal of untapped creative energy; you are the type of person who has 10 proj ects going all at once; you find it a little difficult to finish those proj ects, but you have a really active imagination. This is good news, as for successful demonstrations of telepathy, a strong imagination is one of the vital elements. Would you like to try an experiment?”

The spectator smiles and agrees. The performer continues:

“OK, I am going to try to tell you one of your most deeply protected

secrets. Already many things are coming into your mind—those things that you would really rather I not know, the things that you really would rather I not tell everyone here.”

The performer allows the weight of his claim to set in, and then after a beat smiles to break the tension, and continues:

The performer pauses, and after a moment or two continues:

“OK, not that. Change your mind and go for something else. J ust allow

your mind to cycle through different pieces of information that a stranger would not, could not, know about you. I will work with whatever my imagination brings to me.”

The performer pauses and then smiles:

“Perfect. We will go for something personal but safe, something you

will be able to change: your Pin number. J ust focus your mind even stronger on your Pin number.”

The performer pauses and writes something on a piece of paper. After a moment or two, he looks at the paper and then scribbles it out, without anyone seeing what he has written. Seemingly, he has made a mistake, but continues addressing the participant:

“Please really focus your mind on your Pin number. I know this is

something that perhaps you would prefer I not know, and that makes sense, however the brain is an amazing thing. The moment we even begin to think about something, the full thought forms. So right now, even if you try to resist, the moment I plant the idea of walking to the ATM

and pressing the numbers, your numbers, your Pin number, into the machine, it appears fully in your mind. It is odd, isn’t it?”

The spectator agrees that even as they were trying to not think about their Pin number, they did. The performer continues:

“Perfect. I knew you were the perfect person for this.”

After a moment, the performer writes something new on the paper, which he folds and hands to the participant, who holds it in their hand in a closed fist. He mentions:

“I am committed. I cannot change my mind. However, I do not think I

will regret my final decision.”

Addressing the participant, the performer continues: “Please be 100% honest. What is your Pin number?” The participant replies: 2678

The performer smiles and continues:

“Good. I do not regret my decision. I will show you my decision in a

difficult. I knew that you were the type of person with great untapped creative potential, the type of person with great imagination, the vital skill when it comes to successful telepathy. So I want to see if you can read my mind. It is only fair. I know your Pin number; now it is time for you to try to find out mine.”

The performer takes a second blank page of paper and opens it and writes something on it, and refolds it, handing it back to the spectator to hold. He continues:

“I have again committed myself. I have written my Pin number on the

paper. I want you to follow my guidance, and I am confident you will be able to read my mind. I am 99% sure of that. Do not try to work this out logically, there is no way you can. Do not try to rely on reasoning, there is no reasoning. J ust follow the first thought, the first idea that comes into your head. Listen to my instructions and do not second-guess your first thought, your first intuition.”

The performer leads the participant through a series of instructions, at the end of which she forms a set of numbers in her mind, which she says aloud. The performer takes the paper from the participant and opens it, so only he can see what is written on the paper. The performer once again asks that the participant say aloud the number she had in mind,

the number she formed when trying to guess the performer's Pin number. She replies: 3386.

The mentalist turns the paper around dramatically, revealing that the participant guessed the performer's Pin number accurately.

The performer again asks the participant to say her own Pin number aloud. Amazingly, written on the other piece of paper for all to see is the very same number.

338 6 Setup:

On a blank billet, in the centre, write "0000." Now scribble over these numbers until they cannot be read. Ensure you have rendered these numbers totally illegible by scribbling them out. This will be used later to subtly prove that you wrote their Pin number before they told you theirs.

338 6 Method:

As with much mentalism, the real secret to this routine is in the scripting and the delivery of that scripting in performance. The

mechanical method is simple, allowing you to really focus on delivering the performance your audience deserves. We will detail the mechanical method for this routine in this part of the manuscript. I suggest you

follow along with some billets in hand to really understand how simple, easy and smooth this routine will be in performance. When you have fully understood the mechanical method for this routine, please go back and read the performance script again a few times. It has been designed to make the performance of this routine as smooth and easy for you as possible. While it is possible to change the script to suit your own personal style, I suggest you retain the general structure and form of the script, as it includes many hidden linguistic deceptions that will increase the impact of your performance.

Begin by asking your participant to think of their Pin number. After a dramatic pause, pretend to write 4 digits on the blank billet, and after a few seconds to scribble them out; use your nail against the paper to simulate the sound of the pen on the paper. Ask your participant to concentrate harder, and after a few seconds write 3386, fold it into quarters, place it into your spectator's hand and ask her to make a fist around it. Claim that you have committed yourself and that you can't change your mind. Ask them to be honest and to say their Pin out loud. At this point, commit their Pin to memory! It is only 4 digits, so this should not be too difficult; however, I tend to turn the numbers into images in my mind using some simple memory techniques, just to be sure I will not forget them. Say that, before showing if you are right or

wrong, you want them to try to read your mind. They will attempt to guess your Pin number.

Take the prepared billet (the billet on which you earlier wrote 0000 and then scribbled out), and write their Pin just below the scribbles, fold it the same way as the first one and place it inside their fist. They now hold their Pin and your Pin in their fist.

Tell your participant that you will concentrate on your Pin and they are going to receive it; you will guide them since they have never done something like this. Ask her to let go of reasoning and to allow the numbers to come to her mind. You will make use of an adjusted

psychological force. At first glance this may appear to be the same as the classic 37 force. However, please pay close attention to it as you read it and you will soon see the differences. Frame the use of this

psychological force as ‘a guided process, to help them succeed as they are new to this’ and instruct the spectator to bring the numbers to mind at each stage of the force.

For example:

“I am going to guide you. Since this is your first time, please do not

second-guess yourself; go with your very first instinct, your true intuitive reaction. We will work 2 digits at a time. Let's begin with the first 2 numbers in my Pin. The first two digits, together, make a

number lower than 50. Both digits are odd in fact; they are the same number repeated—11 would work, but 15 would not. Already I know there are two numbers that have come into your mind. Lock those numbers in your mind and do not change your mind. It is vital we work with the very first reaction you have.”

You have now successfully executed a modified psychological force. This is my method to force the number 33, and it will hit 99.99% of the time. In the years I have been using it, I have found it to be highly reliable and highly effective. You will now continue with the forcing process, having the spectator focus their mind on the final 2 digits in the number:

“You are already doing remarkably well. Let's now turn our attention to

the final 2 digits.

“Together they form a number bigger than 50, and this time both are

even and different one from the other. Again I can sense you already have numbers in mind. Please lock those into your mind for me. Do not change your mind. Trust your first reactions.”

You now explain that they have to mentally place the first two digits followed by the other two digits to form a complete Pin:

“Great. Please take the first numbers that came into your mind, and put

them in front of the others. You should have 4 digits in your mind, 4 digits that have come to your mind, with no real reasoning or logic. They are j ust arriving in your mind from your own imagination, your own intuition and instinct. I can already tell you, I am thrilled I asked you to do this…”

You will next take the billets from the spectator's hand. Open and hold one in each hand, making sure that the writing on them is facing you and not visible to anyone else. Ask the participant to name out loud the Pin they formed inside their head when trying to guess your Pin number. Turn around the 3386 billet to reveal that they successfully received your Pin! This is the first formal climax within the routine. Allow the impact of this moment to really sink in, and for your audience to show their appreciation. Do not be tempted to rush to the final climax and in the process not give this strong moment the time is deserves to sink in.

I am a mind reader, so I know as you read this you are thinking to yourself: ‘What happens if the force misses?’ Thanks to my 33 force, they will always get at least two digits out of four. If they get two or three digits correct, it is still very impressive; don't forget to congratulate them! If they do not get the force 100% correct, simply handle this as a

‘warm-up test’ and congratulate them for whatever success they did achieve.

Now continue with the second formal climax of the routine. Ask the participant to name their Pin number out loud. After a suitable

dramatic pause, turn the other billet around to reveal that you correctly received their Pin! The subtle detail of the scribbled number convinces everyone that that is the first billet you used, making the one-ahead principle completely invisible.

You need to deliver the Pin force smoothly and quickly. One of the easiest ways to do this is by memorizing the Pin force script. Here is the complete Pin force script; read out loud and repeat, repeat, repeat, until you are 100% comfortable with delivering the script each and every time in performance:

“I am going to concentrate on my Pin, and hopefully you are going to

receive it. Let go of reasoning and allow the numbers to come to your mind. I am going to guide you since this is the first time you have done this…To make it easy for you, I will think in two digits at a time. The first two digits I am concentrating on, together, make a number lower than 50. Both digits are odd, and in fact they are the same number repeated. For example, 11 would be OK, but 15 would NOT. Got a number in mind? Perfect. Please remember it. Now I am going to

concentrate on the last two digits. Together they form a number greater than 50; this time both are even and different one from the other. Got a number in mind? Great! Now please place in your mind the first two digits followed by the other two digits to form a complete Pin, and make sure you remember it.”

Additional thoughts by P eter Turner:

One thing I always take into account in performance is logic; an effect minus logic is often so transparent that it makes the effect see-through and easy to work out from an audience’s perspective, often making the simplest pieces of mind reading seem bolder in performance than they need to be.

One such principle that has long been a problem for me and other performers I have talked to is the one-ahead: a devastatingly simple principle that is so easy to perform badly. It is not so much the principle or effect of a one-ahead that is the difficulty, but a logical reason as to why the participant should say their thought out loud at all. Here I offer a logical reason that I have been using for a long time and perfectly fits this type of routine (a one-phrase one-ahead).

Close up

{I will frame this in the context of the current routine.}

“I would like to try something a little interesting with you. Can you generate a four-digit number in your mind for me? And please, for the purpose of this, make it as random as possible.

“For all intents and purposes, this number could be a pin code, but to protect your privacy, I am obviously not going to reveal your actual pin code, so this will make a nice substitute.

“Let’s take this a step further. I want you to constantly keep changing the numbers, so even you don’t know what numbers you are going to generate.

“I am going to commit to my thoughts on this card, and after this I will give you a chance to change your mind further. Then whatever four digits you say out loud after this point, after you have changed your mind as many times as you like, will be your final decision. I want you to j ust keep changing the numbers in your mind.”

“Change your mind a few more times (pause a few seconds) and say the four digits that are in your head right now (snap your fingers). These four digits are the four digits that you have committed to. Are you entirely happy that these numbers are completely random?”

(Let the participant answer)

“From this point onward, I will refer to these numbers as your pin code.”

[What is great about this approach is that there is now a logical reason as to why the participant is saying the numbers out loud. Look at this in a simplified sense. They are repeatedly changing their mind and only commit to the four digits when they say them out loud. So they have to say them out loud, which is great as it logically makes sense.

Another interesting thing to point out here is that anybody who steps into the effect at this point will hear the four digits being called a pin code and see a much more impressive effect!]

Stage

An interesting principle for stage with a one-ahead is something that is often overlooked, but very simple, and from the audience's perspective makes this entire thing completely impossible.

Ask a member of the audience to stand. After you have repeated the above script about changing their mind and mentioned that whatever digits they say out loud are going to be the digits that they commit to, you write your impressions (WRITE NOTHING) and place it

somewhere everyone can see.

Make a point of saying to the audience that you have committed to the number on which you think they are going to settle. Say to the

participant:

“I am going to ask you what the numbers are in few seconds, but for now let me ask you a couple of questions. ”

(Ask a couple of random questions.)

In fact, I am going to change my mind, pick up the prediction, pretend to scribble it out and now write "3386." (THIS OBVIOUSLY SETS US UP FOR OUR PLOY LATER, BUT ALSO SOMETHING EVEN MORE

BEAUTIFUL.) Approach the participant, take his/her wrists and look right at her and say:

“I think I am happy with what I chose.”

Ask for a round of applause and walk the participant to the stage. Under the round of applause, say:

“Sorry, I forgot to ask. What were the digits you chose?”

The participant will sing like a canary, believing you have committed to something. And now you have your piece of information.

[As you can see, this is beautiful, as no one else in the room knows that you know the four digits, meaning no one else in the room could ever even begin to work out the method.]

After you have proceeded to get the participant to make a guess at your number, say to the participant:

“Can you tell the audience FOR THE FIRST TIME what your four digits were?”

[This one line will psychologically imply to the audience that the digits were never said out loud before that moment.]

{As you can see with the above two pieces, they are beautifully

constructed in a way that not only makes them logical, but also makes the method more water tight. These principles don’t have to be applied to just this routine, but can be applied to any routine that requires any sort of one-ahead, making them great for flexibility purposes.}

The switch

Another thing that always bothered me about a one-ahead (or one behind) was the switch at the end. You can always mis-number the cards if there is more than one phrase, but in this circumstance there is only one phrase.

So I have found this method to be the most convenient and disarming. All you need for this is a wine glass or shallow glass (not a shot glass). When you have committed to your thought, screw it into a ball and drop it into the glass. Once the participant has committed to their thought, ask them to crumple theirs and drop it into the glass also.

Now stay away from the glass and reiterate the events to the audience; this creates a time delay. Bring everyone’s focus back to the glass and ask the participant to tip it onto the table.

When the participant pours out the glass, it naturally makes it impossible to keep track of whose ball of paper is whose and makes them only identifiable via the squiggle inside.

[As you can see, this technique will work in stage, parlor or close-up scenarios.]

The logic for the participant’s restrictions

“I am going to guide you. Since this is your first time, please do not second-guess yourself; go with your very first instinct, your true intuitive reaction. We will work two digits at a time. Let's begin with two of the numbers in my Pin. For now, it doesn’t matter which two.

“Do you think this two-digit number is above fifty or below fifty?”

Let them answer. Give them a completely FREE CHOICE. [The reason you give them a free choice is that they can either aim at the first two digits or the last two.]

If they say below fifty, apply this force.

“The only clues that I am going to give you are that both digits are odd. In fact, they are the same number repeated—eleven would work, but fifteen would not. Already I know there are two numbers that have come into your mind. Lock those numbers in your mind and do not change your mind. It is vital we work with the very first reaction you have.”

You have now successfully executed a modified psychological force. This is my method to force the number thirty-three, and it will hit 95% of the time (in my opinion).

If they say above fifty, great. Just have them go for the second two digits with this force.

“The only clues I am going to give you are that both digits are even, and they are both different from one from the other. So sixty-six would not work, but sixty-eight would. I can sense you already have numbers in

mind. Please lock those into your mind for me. Do not change your mind. Trust your first reactions.”

This sets you up for something so psychologically fair.

I f they went for below fifty the first time

“Because you went for a number below fifty last time, let’s make it interesting this time. Go for two digits higher than fifty, and this time because YOU WENT FOR ODD, make both of these digits even and different one from the other. So six would not work, but sixty-eight would. I can sense you already have numbers in mind. Please lock those into your mind for me. Do not change your mind. Trust your first reactions.”

[You will notice the little line I slipped in that will fly right by, but will be great when the participant creates a false memory later on. They will think they chose odd or even the first time. The reason this flies by is that you are giving your participant instruction, and because of the social compliance created (with them guessing a number), they are practically forced to stay mute until you have finished giving them instructions. By the time you have finished giving them instructions, they are focused on the instructions and forget the one slipped-in line.]

I f they went for above fifty the first time

“Because you went for a number above fifty last time, this time go for a number below fifty, and because YOU WENT FOR EVEN, this time make both digits odd. In fact, make it the same number repeated—eleven would work, but fifteen obviously would not. Already I know there are two numbers that have come into your mind. Lock those numbers in your mind and do not change your mind. It is vital we work with the very first reaction you have.”

[This is all about reframing the force depending on the participant’s choices. You may notice by doing the force this way that the two digits might be back to front…Is that a problem?

In all honesty, I would not be bothered if the participant gets the four digits in the wrong order. This can look stronger sometimes (after all, it is their first time mind reading).

If this is something you potentially worry about, don’t! Fifty percent of the time, they will (based on probability) accidently get them in the right order, so again this is not something you have to worry about, as you get the kicker of revealing their “pin code.”]

Another subtlety for ensuring a strong finish

The reason is, if by some anomaly in probability they miss the numbers, then you can still open yours and be 100% perfect, meaning you are going to finish on a really high note.

The way to achieve this is to draw a black dot on the back of the first billet (before you start the routine), and when you crumple it up, ensure that you can see it. Don’t make the dot so big that the participant notices it. Just to reiterate, the dot goes on the back of the billet on which you are going to write 3386.

When the glass is tipped over, nonchalantly remark, “I am not sure whose is whose, but open that one first,” while pointing to the billet with the dot.

Now, even if the participant only gets two of the four digits, she gets a round of applause, which is great for a first attempt, but it ensures you

get a more rapturous round of applause when you open the one with their pin code.

This eye effect:

The performer hands one spectator a pen and a blank card. He begins:

“I would like to try an experiment of a specific skill. This skill is

known as psychometry. It is the idea that an obj ect handled by someone somehow retains information about that person. To do this, we need some ‘target’ information.

“Please, I would like you to write on the paper you have a place that

you would like to travel to in the future. It can be anywhere you would like, but it must be somewhere you have not travelled to in the past, but somewhere you would like to travel to in the future. When you are finished, fold it in half so the writing is on the inside and recap the pen.”

The performer turns his back to ensure that he cannot see what is being written. When the spectator has finished his writing, the performer extends his hands behind his back and asks for the paper.

“I get the sense that this is the desire of someone who has faced many

challenges in their life, someone who finds themselves at a crossroads. Soon a mentor figure will present themselves to you, and if you follow their guidance you will begin to move in the direction you want to...this has been your past. In your present you are faced with decisions on a personal level, decisions that you must deal with now.

“The secret is to allow the past to stay in the past so you can move

toward the future you deserve... look at this eye...”

The performer points with his left hand to his right eye. After a moment of focus the performer continues: “I have good news for you...”

The performer turns his back and hands the paper back to his participant. After the participant has taken it, the performer again faces him and says:

“I see you in the future on a beach, in a sunny place, relaxing with a

significant other, someone very special to you, that you have not yet met. I see you in Brazil...where is it you wanted to travel?”

This eye setup:

My Duplo gimmick is at the core of this method, so let me please first explain to you how to construct what I like to call an “organic

duplication system.”

Materials R equired:

 A black Sharpie (fine point) marker

 A black Crayola washable ink marker

 Pair of scissors

I nstructions:

1. Open the Crayola marker from the bottom and remove its ink cartridge.

2. Using a pair of scissors, cut off approximately one inch from the Crayola cartidge.

3. Take the Sharpie and remove its ink cartridge (do not remove the tip).

4. Once the Sharpie’s cartridge has been removed, insert the Crayola cartridge into the Sharpie’s barrel and reassemble the Sharpie.

5. After the Sharpie has been reassembled, take a blank piece of paper, business card, etc., and scribble on it until the remaining Sharpie (permanent) ink is gone.

W hat does the gimmick do?

It allows you to obtain an impression from a business card. You will need to place some saliva on the palm of your hand. Then, you will need to apply a bit of pressure while ensuring that your palm makes direct contact with the spectator's drawing on the unfolded card.

This eye method:

The key to the routine is to ensure that the touching of the paper causes the spectators to understand, without saying it, why the paper is being held behind the back. This process, when performed, makes total sense. Review the scripting for this performance piece to properly understand the manner in which this is handled.

Hand out your Duplo gimmicked pen and instruct your spectator to record the name of a destination they would like to travel to in their future.

Here is the first major performance point: you will turn this routine into a performance piece of predicting the spectator's future.

You can use any single piece of information the spectator can desire in the their future. It could be the number of children they would like, an item they would like to own, the car they would like to drive—anything that a spectator can desire owning/attaining in the future. If you wish to make this routine more ‘spiritual’ in nature, you could ask the spectator to record the quality that they wish to improve in their personality. In this manner, the routine becomes about personal growth.

Whatever presentational hook you decide upon to achieve the

revelation of the information, you will hear the spectator recap the pen while your back is turned. As soon as you hear it, you are going to lick the palm (fleshy part near your thumb) and immediately to place both of your hands behind your back (right over the left). Have the spectator hand you the paper behind your back, turn around and deliver this line while you apply the impression of the word to your left palm:

“I get the sense that this is the desire of someone who has faced many

challenges in their life, someone who finds themselves at a crossroads. Soon a mentor figure will present themselves to you, and if you follow their guidance, you will begin to move in the direction you want to...this

has been your past. In your present you are faced with decisions on a personal level, decisions that you must deal with now.

“The secret is to allow the past to stay in the past so you can move

toward the future you deserve...”

Bring your hand with the impression to the front (hiding the impression inside your hand), and point to your eye and continue: “Look at this eye...”

After a few seconds of focus: “I have good news for you...”

Turn your back to hand the billet back to your spectator with your right hand, and at the same time take a peek at impression in your left palm, which will be very close to your face. This is a beautiful, invisible, fluid peek.

“I see you in the future on a beach, in a sunny place, relaxing with a

significant other, someone very special to you, that you have not yet met. I see you in Brazil...where is it you wanted to travel?”

The spectator confirms that this is indeed where she desires to travel.

Additional thoughts by P eter Turner:

This is a great routine; the scripts and presentations are fantastic. I thought I would add a variation with a few of my touches and subtleties that I thought of when I read this wonderful piece.

The first thing about this that stood out for me was the title “The eye”; when I think of a psychic eye, I instantly think of the center of my forehead, and because of that I want to shape that around the core of my presentation.

The scripts for the routine are going to stay the same. The only difference is that I am going to use three cards instead of one, making this a "sneak thief"-type routine (but I think you will agree that this is a beautiful method) and not similar in any sense to sneak thief

[Here is the streamlined presentation]:

The performer places a blindfold upon his head and is verified to be essentially blind. Three business cards are introduced and handed one at a time to the participant. On these business cards, the participant is instructed to write, upon two of them, places they have been and, on one, a place she wishes to go.

(The performer can be out of the room at this point if the participant so wishes.)

The cards are mixed up into ANY order; they are examined to ensure that there are no bumps in the cards and no way to feel that they are different. (That’s right, no nail nicks or visible differences.)

The performer states that he is going to identify the card that has the place that the participant wants to visit by his skills of intuition. The cards are then brought one at a time up to the performer’s third eye (his forehead), and after a little deliberating he says to the participant:

“Something amazing is about to happen. If I correctly identify the card that has the destination you want to travel to on it, stand up and walk back to your seat. When you walk toward your seat, the audience will burst into a round of applause.”

The participant freaks out and makes her way to her seat while the audience applauds rapturously.

The performer removes his blindfold and stops the applause. He calls for the participant to stop and looks right into her eyes for a few seconds and says:

“Is the place you want to go Brazil?”

When it is confirmed by the participant, the audience breaks into another round of applause. Sounds interesting, right?

Break down

First I will tackle how to identify the card and then get into the subtleties.

The trick to this is a technique called olfactory. There is not much written on this subject, but this makes for a very simple way to tell on which card the place is written…so simple I think it will make you smile.

Take a business card, spray it with perfume from a distance and let it dry out. Now take two identical cards and place them behind the perfumed card.

I n performance

Hand the card with the perfume on it to the participant to write the destination they want to travel to first. Then have them write destinations they have been to on the other two.

All you have to do when you bring the cards up to your forehead is to smell them, and whichever one kicks off the smell of perfume is the right card!

Simple, but so effective.

[This part of the routine is all about theatrics; pretend you are having trouble divining the exact card, and in close-up performance always reveal the destination card last. By saying, "I don’t think this is it… or

this… I think this is it! "

A quick note: the only difference between close up and stage is the blindfold; when close up you can close your eyes. It is just the same.]

The peek

Performing the routine this way also gives us a massive amount of time to peek and a disconnection from the billet, which makes the thing seem even more impressive from the audience and participant's perspective.

Not only that, it gives us two ways to gain the information. The first way is simple and requires no gimmicks, as you say to the participant:

“I believe it is this card.”

All you have to do is hold the card below your nose, face up, so the participant is looking down, giving you all the time in the world to employ a downward peek from the blindfold, and the misdirection creates itself logically.

[For those new to blindfold work, tie a blindfold around your head and you will notice you can clearly see straight down the sides of your nose!] What is great about this is that you have set up your participant to take the card and to head straight back to their seat, to a round of applause. This is your cue to remove your blindfold.

If you are in a close-up environment and you aren’t using a blindfold, you can place it (after finding what you believe the card to be) behind your back and use the impression-to-hand (Duplo) described in the actual routine.

I would create a time delay here and hand her the card to fold and to place away and then move into another routine. During the dead time in the next routine, I would turn and reveal the place.

[This is great, as it not only kills dead time in another routine, meaning you don’t have to make up “filler,” but it also ties the two routines together and is so disjointed from the participant placing the card into their pocket that it is impossible to backtrack, making the reaction larger.]

An important thing to focus on here is the time-delay principle; it is something I have discussed at great length in the past. Don’t be tempted to reveal a piece of information just because you have it. You can save it for later in use for a one-ahead, or part of a Q&A. If you let three or four pieces of information like this build up (remember the aim of the effect was just to locate the card), you will have a beautiful Q&A that is sure fire.

You could also take this piece of information and place it into your confabulation at the end, or use it as part of an ultra-clean mental epic. The point I am trying to express (forgive me for my tangent) is that you can use this information for much, much more later.

Describe the feelings you get from this place. If you know what it looks like, describe a few things from there and go on a remote viewing journey with your participant.

Doing this, you can apply something so wonderful; after revealing the place, after having them feel and mentally travel with you, you can nonchalantly say, “You can now tick this off of your to-go list.” If you say that line with conviction, I promise you it will make your audience/participant feel amazed. What’s even more amazing is how they describe the effect afterward to their friends!

This eye 2 effect:

The performer hands two spectators a pen and a blank business card each. He begins:

“I would like to try an experiment in the unexplained, a blind test of a specific skill. This skill is known as psychometry. It is the idea that an obj ect handled by someone somehow retains information about that person. To do this, we need some ‘target’ information.

“Please, I would like each of you to write on the paper you have a place that you would like to travel to in the future. It can be anywhere you would like, but it must be somewhere you have not travelled to in the past, but somewhere you would like to travel to in the future.

“When you are finished, fold it in half so the writing is on the inside. When you are finished, please hand them to me.”

The performer turns his back and extends his hands behind his back, to ensure that he cannot see what is being written. When the spectators have finished their writing and handed the papers to the performer, he openly mixes the papers as he continues:

The performer continues to mix the papers behind his back as he turns around to face the spectators again. He then brings one of the papers from behind his back in each hand and instantly hands them to the spectators for which he is performing. He continues:

“I will work with the paper I feel drawn to the most, the paper from which I feel the most vibration.”

The performer places his hands above the papers, and then after a moment of focus, he continues by reaching forward, grabbing one of the papers, closing it in his hand and closing his eyes.

After a moment or two, he continues still with his eyes closed:

“I get the sense that this is the desire of someone who has faced many challenges in their life, someone who finds themselves at a crossroads. Soon a mentor figure will present themselves to you, and if you follow their guidance, you will begin to move in the direction you want to.”

The performer opens his eyes and locks his gaze with one of the assisting spectators and continues:

“I am talking to you, aren’t I? This is you; this has been your past. In your present you are faced with decisions on a personal level, decisions

that you must deal with now. The secret is to allow the past to stay in the past, so you can move toward the future you deserve. I have good news for you. I see you in the future on a beach, in a sunny place, relaxing with a significant other, someone very special to you, that you have not yet met. I see you in Brazil…where is it you wanted to travel?”

The spectator confirms that this is indeed where she desires to travel. The performer then continues addressing the second spectator:

“I can feel that you are a little disappointed. I can try to work with you if you want.”

The spectator confirms they would like a reading, and the performer continues:

“I see you in a cold place, a place that you have considered visiting many times in the past, but for some reason or another it has not happened. However, I do see within the next year or two, you sitting in an ice bar, in Finland. Does this make sense to you?”

This eye 2 method:

Duplo is at the core of this method. It will allow you to get ‘one-ahead’ with great ease. The key to the routine is to ensure that the mixing of the papers as well as the ‘target selection’ causes the spectators to understand, without saying it, why the papers are being held behind the back. This process, when performed, makes total sense.

Review the scripting for this performance piece to properly understand the manner in which this is handled.

To perform the effect, you will hand one spectator a marked billet with a small ‘nick’ in the outside corner. This nick will be felt by running your thumb along the outside edge of the billet, along with the gimmicked pen and an ungimmicked paper. The second spectator is handed an unmarked billet, ungimmicked pen and ungimmicked paper.

When the spectators hand the papers back to you, instruct the

spectators to record the name of a destination they would like to travel to in their futures. Here is the first major performance point: you will turn this routine into a performance piece of predicting the spectators' futures. You can use any single piece of information the spectator can desire in the their future. It could be the number of children they would

like, an item they would like to own, the car they would like to drive— anything that a spectator can desire owning/attaining in the future. If you wish to make this routine more ‘spiritual’ in nature, you could ask the spectator to record the quality that they wish to improve in their personality. In this manner, the routine becomes about personal growth.

Whatever presentational hook you decide upon to achieve the

revelation of the information, you will have the spectator hand you the papers, with your back turned to them, and spend a moment mixing the papers. Draw attention to this moment, and then slowly turn to face the spectators. Take a deep breath, as if preparing.

This sequence silently communicates to the spectators that ‘we are about to begin’; it also communicates that what has happened until this point is not of importance. In reality, as this is happening, you will locate the marked billet by running your finger along the edge of the billets. Next, you apply the ‘impression’ of the word onto your palm. Instantly bring both hands out, each holding one of the folded papers. Be careful not to flash the ‘impression’ on your palm. Hand the spectators a paper each and then allow the hand with the ‘impression’ to drop to your side.

Next, bring your ‘non-impression’ hand close to the papers and pause. Screw up the non-marked billet. You will pretend that this is the billet that belongs to the spectator who really wrote with the gimmicked pen on the marked billet. Review the effect description/script to see how you will reveal the information. When you have confirmed that you have accurately guessed the correct desired destination, you will, without calling attention to it, open the screwed up paper as if to ‘confirm’ to yourself you were correct. In this moment, you will read and remember the destination chosen by your second spectator. At this point, pause and communicate to your spectators, through your attitude and body language, that the demonstration is over. Gesture for the second billet to be handed to you. At this moment, screw it up and place it with the first billet.

When the time is right, continue by stating:

“I sense you are a little disappointed that I did not work with you. We can try if you want.”

In this way, the second revelation seems totally off the cuff, and at this point, all papers are out of play and you reveal the information you just learned when reading the paper.

This eye 3 effect (by Mik e V ance):

“I would like to try an experiment of a specific skill. This skill is

known as psychometry. It is the idea that an obj ect handled by someone somehow is imbued with information from that person, even their thoughts or intentions. To do this, we need some ‘target’ information.

“I need you to draw a quick simple picture on this card. I will turn

away so that I cannot see what you are drawing. ”

Once they are done, and with your back toward them and your right hand held behind your back, tell them:

“Please fold the card into fourths, and place it into my right hand.”

When you have the card, turn around, leaving your hands behind your back. Bring out your left hand, point at you left eye and continue:

“Look into this eye...”

After a few seconds of focus, say:

“I'm getting an image, but it is not clear. I'm getting the impression of a house. Is that correct?”

The spectator replies that it is not. Continue:

“I'm sorry, but the image I was getting was too fuzzy. I'm going to need physical contact to get a clearer picture.”

Move your right fist in front of you. Ask her to hold out her right hand under yours. Stare directly into her eyes (or turn your head to the left) as you put the card on her palm-up hand and then grasp her hand with yours as if shaking hands, with the folded business card in-between the hands. Pointing at your left eye with your left hand, again ask:

“Once again, look into this eye. Ah, yes. The house was j ust the surface of the picture. We need to walk through the front door and into the kitchen. There, in a bowl on the counter, is an apple. Did you draw a picture of an apple?”

The spectator acknowledges that she did, and you get your well-deserved applause.

This eye 3 method:

This is an alternative handling of the Duplo effect. Ask the spectator to draw a picture. Turn around with your back facing the spectator and take the folded card into your right hand while licking your left hand.

Turn back around, facing the spectator, while transferring your left hand behind you as well. While you patter, get your impression on your left hand.

The patter plays the percentages as Banachek does. If you instructed them to draw a picture, suggest that you see a house, one of the higher percentage hits. If you are right, you are already done and don't need to use your impression at all.

If not, then bring your left hand forward and gesture with your left hand as you talk. Quick, sweeping movements with your palm toward the spectator should not flash the transferred impression. You can also look at your left palm in front of you, either openly during an open-hand gesture, or by putting your left fingers to your forehead to concentrate, etc.

Then, suggest that you need contact with the spectator to clarify your vision. Turn your head to the left as you bring out your right hand with the folded card and drop your left hand to your side. Ask them to hold out their right hand under yours. Put the card on their palm-up hand and then grasp their hand with yours as if shaking hands. Look into their eyes.

Explain that the house was the key, but that you didn't/couldn't delve deeply enough without physical contact. Now, travel through the picture in whatever way you need to arrive at the drawn object. If it is an animal, find a stuffed animal. Food will be in the kitchen. A car will be in the garage. Vegetation can be out in the yard. The sun and stars and clouds lie overhead. Pictures of just about anything could hang on the walls. Just about anything can be found in the house picture.

D uplo clean-up:

The impression can be removed openly as well. Before you do the trick, establish the visual habit of holding your hands in front of you while talking and rubbing your right thumb in the left palm. After the trick, use the established behavior to clean up.

The goat knew me

The goat k new me effect:

The mentalist places his phone, his keys and a coin onto the table. “In front of you on the table are three obj ects. These three obj ects right

now mean nothing. What's interesting is that sometimes the greatest things in life can be right underneath our own nose and we don’t even know it."

The mentalist takes out a bill.

"I made a prediction.... If it fails, you can keep this money."

The mentalist places the bill onto the table.

“If you were to instinctively choose one of these three obj ects right now,

which would it be? Go ahead and grab it.”

The spectator grabs the phone, and the mentalist continues:

“The choice you made speaks volumes about you. The interesting thing

is, you didn’t j ust randomly choose the phone, no matter what you believe. Subconsciously your mind told you to select the phone. A good representation of this is every time you move your arm, you don’t

consciously think MOVE. A phone is a metaphorical bridge that connects people from all demographics in seconds. It is faster than a plane; it’s an obj ect that is depended upon by most people j ust to get through their day in an organised fashion. The sort of person that might choose a phone would be someone who is a mediator, the glue that holds everything together in social situations; a person that is relied

upon for organisation; someone who actually makes plans happen and a person that people turn to in times of despair.

"I k new you were that kind of person before you even came over here. I k now you are thinking, right now, that there is no way I could... "Place the phone close to your ear.”

The spectator now hears for his amazement a recording repeating:

“I knew that you would pick the phone…”

The goat k new me setup

:

You have to make an audio recording of yourself saying:

“I knew that you would pick the phone…”

Open the audio, and make sure to place the volume bar as low as you can go without it being completely off—just enough sound so that when you place the phone near your ear, you can hear the recording.

Now configure the “song” so it plays over and over again.

You can easily set it up in front of your spectators. There is nothing strange with what you are doing; you are just checking your phone. You can have the phone ready in your pocket; the recording will be playing over and over as long as you want.

You also need a plastic keychain. There you will write, with small letters, “You will pick the keys.”

Finally, write with a black marker on a bill: “You will pick the money!” Fold the bill so the writing is hidden inside.

You will only make the setup once, and you will be ready to perform this effect as long as you are carrying your Phone and your keys (the coin can be easily borrowed).

The goat k new me method:

We are simply making use of multiple outs and a little reading. When they choose an object, it gives us the opportunity to talk in a special light about them, to make the entire effect a lot bigger and to take the attention away from the other two objects. It gives them a reading that suggests why they chose the object they did.

This makes it personal.

Using these scripts below, they will believe you knew them and knew the choices that they would make.

I f they pick the phone:

“The choice you made speaks volumes about you. The interesting thing

is, you didn’t j ust randomly choose the phone, no matter what you believe. Subconsciously your mind told you to select the phone. A good representation of this is every time you move your arm, you don’t consciously think MOVE. A phone is a metaphorical bridge that connects people from all demographics in seconds. It is faster than a plane; it’s an obj ect that is depended upon by most people j ust to get through their day in an organised fashion. The sort of person that might choose a phone would be someone who is a mediator, the glue that holds everything together in social situations; a person that is relied upon for

organization; someone who actually makes plans happen and a person that people turn to in times of despair. I knew you were that kind of person before you even came over here. I know you are thinking right now that there is no way I could... place the phone close to your ear.”

*Make sure to place the phone volume as low as possible using the volume bar. It does not matter if you are in a quiet place; the voice coming from the phone will not be noticed by your spectator until they place it near their ear or they turn it up so everyone can hear.

I f they pick the k eys:

“The choice you made speaks volumes about you. The interesting thing

is, you didn’t j ust randomly choose the keys, no matter what you believe. Subconsciously your mind told you to select the Keys. A good representation of this is every time you move your arm, you don’t consciously think MOVE.

“Keys are metaphorically depicted as the tools that open passageways

to new pastures, a must in security and essential in protecting privacy.

“The sort of person that might choose the keys is someone that is

constantly thinking forward and investing in new ideas for a better future. They are more often than not very private people that keep

things bottled up, and at the best of times keep people at arm’s reach. They are the sort of person that is trusted with secrets because of their private nature. I knew you were that kind of person before you even came over here. I know you are thinking right now that there is no way I could... take a closer look at the keys.”

I f they pick the coin:

“The choice you made speaks volumes about you. The interesting thing

is, you didn’t j ust randomly choose the money, no matter what you believe. Subconsciously your mind told you to select the money. A good representation of this is every time you move your arm, you don’t consciously think MOVE. Richness, to gain richness, is something that all mankind seeks, but more often than not is unachieved. It doesn’t represent greediness. Quite the opposite, it represents visual progression. The sort of person that chooses the money might be the sort of person who constantly aims to strive through adversity; often a thinker, constantly refining his or her thoughts in order to ensure that their life is the best it can be within their own circumstances; successful and life enriched. I had a feeling you were that kind of person before you even came over here. I know you are thinking right now that there is no way I could...I placed this bill right here since the beginning… In reality my money never was at risk…”

Additional thoughts by P eter Turner:

This is my favorite effect in the book. I love this effect for the premise and the fact that you get to give a reading. I am about to share with you a way to do this without multiple outs. These methods will take some practice, but genuinely work.

You will also notice that I have altered the script very subtly. Please do not overlook the power that this piece has. It will blow your participant's mind.

The mentalist places his phone, his keys and a coin onto the table.

“In front of you on the table are three obj ects. These three obj ects right now mean nothing; they seem insignificant. What's interesting is that sometimes the greatest things in life can be right underneath our own nose and we don’t even know it.

“Take these three obj ects. When we look at them in their simplest form, they are j ust a phone, keys and a coin, but look beyond the title and see what these things really are.

“A phone is a metaphorical bridge that connects people from all demographics in a matter of seconds. It is faster than a plane; it’s an

obj ect that is depended upon by most people j ust to get through their day in an organized fashion.

“Keys are metaphorically depicted as the tools that open passageways to new pastures, a must in security and essential in protecting private obj ects that we wish to hide away from the world.

“The coin is often wrongly associated with greed, when metaphorically it is a universally understood language that is passed from hand to hand. This small seed has the power to make the world stand still.

“I want you to think about these obj ects. Instinctively in your mind be drawn toward one of these obj ects; focus on it and concentrate on holding that obj ect.”

(This is where you have one of four options to gain the information of which the participant is merely thinking.)

Method #1

Look directly into the participant’s eyes as you are telling them to concentrate on holding the object and feeling it in their hands. You will notice they look directly at the object!

When you think you have a feel for which object the participant is looking at, close your eyes and ask them to look at you and to see you holding the object.

[This is great, as when the participant looks up, you have your eyes closed. This means that there is no way for them to backtrack a method, as they will believe you had your eyes closed the entire time.]

Method #2

If the above method fails, I would then proceed into this method. If you are not comfortable with the above method, you can just move straight into this.

This method is very old but underused. Take the participant's wrist. This is where you need to make a quick decision: do you believe your participant is compliant or non-compliant?

I f your participant is non-compliant:

“As you have come into this with an air of skepticism, I want you to try to lead me in your mind away from the obj ect.”

Hold the participant's wrist above each object. There will be one of two tells here which should give the game away very easily.

One tell is that they will pull you toward another object, rapidly eliminating that object and making it 50/50, and then you find which object they subtly pull you away from, leading you to the object. The second tell is that they will pull you away from the object instantly, and you know it is that object.

(Sounds easy, right? That’s because it is, but it does require practice.) I f your participant is compliant

This is the scenario you will find yourself in more often than not. Ask the participant to guide you with their mind to the object and to imagine being drawn toward it.

Hold their hand above the objects, and whichever object they pull you back toward is the object of which they are thinking!

Again, it is ultra-simple and often overlooked, but so strong. [The secret here is the framing; even though the principle is old, I believe framing them like this is new. I took into account their natural actions and framed them in a way that pulls the muscle reading in your favor (mind the pun).]

Method #3

This is the boldest of the methods I have found, but works in a tight spot. Address the participant:

“Can you please pick up the obj ect and show everyone else of what obj ect you are thinking?”

At this point just apply a gypsy peek. [To perform a gypsy peek, cover your eyes with your hand and peek through the space between the little and fourth fingers.]

Method #4

This is the simplest of the four. If I was going to perform this method, I would ensure that there was only one key on the table as opposed to many (but I will explain a subtlety should you want to keep the many outs).

Ask the participant to pick up the object that appealed to them and to show the audience.

All you have to do is place your palms face down onto the table and listen/feel from where they pick up the object. Ensure your eyes are tightly closed at this point.