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Center Tear is brought to you by the letters C & T, and also by Arcane, Gardinski and Lesault.

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Center Tear

the thinking persons journal

Volume 2 Issue 1

Jan 2003

A NEW year…A NEW look…A NEW volume……and NEW staff!!

OK, raise your hand if you thought we’d get this far!? Not very many – we’ll we have so there!!
The little eMAG, which started off as such a SILLY idea (or so I was told!). Has managed to get
through one year and one volume - so it’s onwards and upwards. This time round I’ve managed to
strike more off my wish list.

While we’re talking about contributions/contributors – I’d like to take a little space to say something: -
The contributions we receive are published how we received them. We don’t go in for chopping and
changing someone’s (hard) work. So YOU get, what WE get! So if you get something from CT, give
something back!

The other thing is ever contribution we receive gets treated the same. So you’ll find material from
working professionals and hobbyists. That’s the way we like it…

Just thought I’d clear that up. So all that’s left to say is enjoy the first issue of volume two. If you get
something out of it – give something back.

Trevor

Send contributions to:

arcane666@vizzavi.net

or AntonGardinski@aol.com

From the Inside Out - Creating Effects from the Inside Out by Christopher Taylor
Black & White by Roger Thompson
Triple Dipped by Arcane
Venus Flytrap or How to attain a state of pootness by Gardinski
Numero Uno
Have I Got News For You
Stacked in favour by Lewis Jones
Pulling Tales by Kenton Knepper
QWERTY by David Lang
NLP and Products for Mentalists: My Thoughts & Experience by Rex Sikes
Mentalism in the NET Age by Luca Fabbricotti (aka Luke Kerr) - edited by Gardinski
Reviews:-
Ted Lesley - Cabaret Mindreading Reviewed by Ray Thompson
E.S.Perfect by Arcane

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Creating Effects

from the Inside Out

by Christopher Taylor

When I first started getting serious about
magic, I was self-employed as an
environmental education consultant to schools,
local parks departments, etc.  I found that I was
often asked to do children’s presentations at
“eco-fairs”.  There were a number of
principles/themes that I have observed
countless times in nature that I wanted very
much to get across and looked to magic to
make my points. I didn’t know much about
method in those days and so I just made up my
own effects built around the principles I was
trying to get across. The shows were called,
“The Magic of Nature and the Nature of Magic”.

One of the important ideas that I wanted to get
across was the question of “what is the
mysterious stuff inside a seed that takes sun,
soil, air, water and space and organizes it into a
tree?”  (Much like the way that fuel, oxygen and
a spark come together to make a flame). The
kids would call out things like, “The leaves do it,
the bark ...” and I would point out that those
were parts of the tree put together by the
mysterious stuff.  No, I would just have to
demonstrate.  I brought out 4 old mason jars
with strange labels on them. One label said
“soil” and I opened it and sprinkled some into a
mixing bowl. Another said, “air”  (powdered air
is very hard to find) and it went into the mixing
bowl too.  The same with powdered “sun” and
powdered “water”.  The mixture was then
poured into a “space”, which was an empty
picture frame. There, in the space, the sun,
soil, air, and water became organized by some
unseen force into the unmistakable form of a
tree. “Magic,” the kids would yell.

I eventually lead the kids into looking at a real
seedling and pointing out that the same magic
was going on before their eyes in every tree. I
then shocked them by pointing out that the
same magical stuff was inside them taking
Cheerios, milk, and sunshine, and organizing it
into “little girl”.  Performing effects like this was
very satisfying because I was sharing
something that was important to me.   It was

magic presented in a specific context, and so
performing it had great meaning.

Years later,  I read James Gleick’s Chaos:
Making a New Science, and learned of the
“Butterfly Effect” (a butterfly stirs its wings in
China and it causes a thunder storm on the
other side of the earth. What an enchanting
idea!  I created a story based on that “principle
of chaos” and called it The Pebble In the Storm
and fit it to a very basic card effect (self-
restoring deck out done) to illustrate it.  It is still
a favorite effect of mine and one that always
draws high praise from lay people.  Looking
back on it now, I realize that it is an archetypal
setting (ocean and beach) combined with
archetypal moods (storm and turbulence,
serenity and rest) and avant-garde science (the
butterfly effect).

Now, my favorite way to entertain is through
effects that illustrate principles of avant-garde
physics, metaphysics or Jungian thought.

Principles and theories that not only enchant me
but also challenge my private hypothesis of how
the world works. For example, my effect “Being
There” (published in The Centre Tear) is based
on a concept of archetypal space.  Specifically,
the theory that we all have places in our
imagination, that we hope exist, where we can
be rejuvenated; an “inner garden”.

Even academia can be inspiring.  There is a
relatively new branch of geography called
“Cognitive Geography”. This field of study is
predicated on concepts such as, “Spatial
relations do not exist in the world in any
meaningful sense; rather, they exist in minds, to
aid in making sense of the world, and in
interacting with it.”  They use terms like,
“wayfinding”.  This is the basis of my “Getting
There” in which the participant mysteriously and
intuitively finds the correct way through a maze
that leads them to the inner garden.

Metaphysics asks, What is reality, other than
our perception of what is? Perhaps reality
differs if seen through other eyes. Are space
and time, as we believe?   If we imagine, how
then are our images contained in space and
time, or yet as matter?  Is imagination then not
a real thing? Where then, does imagination

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stop and perception begin? Is perception itself
not the mind's interpretation of stimulated
sensory organs?  Answering these questions,
and illustrating our conclusions, would provide
endless inspiration for powerful effects.

What precipitated this dissertation in the first
place, was a recent garden party where I was
performing (gardens again!)?   One of the
spectators became very uncomfortable with my
effects and stated that, “There’s no such thing
as magic!” and left the group I was performing
for.
A second spectator, who was thoroughly
enjoying the magic, said, “Oh well, of course
there is no such thing as magic.” I could not
resist introducing my next effect -- a centre tear
-- with a touch of metaphysics.

I drew a rough circle on a piece of paper and
asked, “What is that?” Several people called it a
circle. I pointed out that a circle is actually an
imaginary concept that cannot exist outside of
the imagination. I asked if they would agree
that it not possible, even for a computer, to
draw a set of points that are all exactly
equidistant from a centre point.   “If only one
point is even a billionth of a millimeter out," I
said, "then it does not meet the definition of a
circle and is not a circle.  But, that does not
mean that we can’t recognize a circle when we
see one. I just passed one elastic through
another, what did you recognize that as? So,
magic is just as recognizable as a circle. Just
as real?”  I was rewarded with smiles all round
and they paid very close attention when I asked
someone to write a word in the circle and fold
the paper up to be torn into pieces.

What if, through the act of
seeking/finding/creating effects to illustrate
principles like these - or other principles that
aim to explain the very nature of our reality - we
came to actually understand some of them?
Such a performer cannot help at least question
their own perspective on life and reality or even
come to adopt the perspective that those
concepts offer. Our art then, becomes a way
of looking at the world, and we begin to see real
magic in everything.  If we perceive the world
as magical, then it is magical.

Black & White

by Roger Thompson

The performer invites a young lady to assist in
an experiment. Showing a small flat bag, the
performer shows that it contains small stones in
the colours black and white.

"Ancient stones, in the most opposite of all
colours, sometimes allow us to test in reverse
order the attraction of things."

"Using the hand most connected with your
mind, not your heart, take a handful of the
stones from the bag"

"Now put some back in"
"Now it’s my turn...Getting interesting isn’t it"

The performer, still holding a number of stones,
turns the bag upside down and empties the rest
of the stones into a glass.  He strokes the bag
flat on the table.

"If I told you how many stones you had, that
would be just guessing.  So take my stones as
well"

He places his stones in her hands.  "You guess
on the white colour and I will try on the black.
It’s my favourite colour you know."

Whatever she says, you say "Good guess!",
and then name the correct number.

"Count the black stones, I’ll count the white."

The stones are counted and found to match in
number and equal colours.

"Strange that with such opposites, such a great
attraction appears.  Is it you, or me or are we
both very special. Please keep two stones as a
memento of this moment."

The stones from the glass are poured back into
the bag, and then those from the table.  You are
now reset, if necessary with a different number!

The effect is created using a simple small flat
change bag.  In one compartment are the equal
number of black and white stones.  These
should be less than two handfuls, as you must

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be able to retrieve the remaining stones in one
hand. The other compartment has stones in
which one colour dominates. This gives the
optical impression that something strange has
happened. By replacing an equal number of the
black and white tabled stones into the second
compartment, you are now re-set with a
different number.

As a possible alternative conclusion, whatever
number she says, you just say the additional
number to obtain the end result. If the total of
black/white stones is say 24 and she says 15
you say "great thinking" and at the same time
say 9. Then add all stones together to prove
that both were right!

Triple Dipped

by Arcane

This is a new (small) section, in which I hope a
few of you will get involved. Three effects which
play nicely side-by-side.

Ez’Wave – Stephen Tucker (volume 2 of
CENTER TEAR)
Lazy Mentalist – Barrie Richardson (Theatre of
the Mind)
Pseudo Psychometry/Graphology – take your
pick (too many to list!)

Venus Flytrap or

How to attain a state of pootness

by Gardinski

The Venus Flytrap is
an easy-to-make
gaffed envelope which
can be used in a
variety of prediction
effects. It allows you
to display a prediction

card within the window of a sealed envelope,
which may be held in clear view by an audience
member throughout the routine. At the
appropriate moment, you take the envelope, cut
it open with a pair of scissors, reach inside, and
slowly draw the card out from behind the

window in the cleanest possible manner, and
hand it to a spectator to read out your
stunningly accurate prediction, thus sealing your
reputation as a seer par excellence.

I will describe two simple but powerful
applications of the principle, but first let's look at
the construction of the envelope.

Building your flytrap
To create your Venus Flytrap, you will need a
window envelope, the 'short side' of which
should be slightly wider than your palm. The
envelope should be as opaque as possible, in
order to prevent anything being visible through it
(except where the window is). You will also
need a small piece of double-sided sticky tape.

Affix the tape to the interior back 'wall' of the
envelope (the side without the window), in the
position indicated in Fig 1.

Once it's in place, peel off the protective strip
from the front of the tape, and pat your thumb
against it a few dozen times to reduce the
stickiness.  We're aiming for 'tacky' rather than
'sticky'. Once you have reached the point of
optimum tackiness, (hereinafter referred to as
'p.o.o.t.'), a piece of paper/card pressed lightly
against the tacky tape should hold in place, and
may be retained there with no risk of it 'falling
off'. If you have succeeded in attaining the
state of true pootness  you should be able to
remove the card from the tape with no more
than a gentle tug. But be warned: Underdo your
pooting and there is a risk that your envelope
will become inextricably glued together.  The
level of adhesion we need is approximately
comparable to that of cards prepared with
roughing spray: firm but not permanent.

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If you have been following these instructions,
the method by which the Venus Flytrap works
may already be apparent.

Take a dummy prediction card and place it into
the envelope, so that it is visible through the
window. The card should be no more than a
third of the envelope's length - roughly business
card sized, although I tend to cut mine square
rather than rectangular.  This ensures that it
doesn't become trapped, and also means that
you don't have to worry about the rotation of
the card being visibly at odds with a second
card which you will 'switch in' during the
performance.

Seal the envelope with the dummy card inside,
and hand it to an imaginary friend for
safekeeping.

The revelation
Take a pair of scissors from your handy
mentalist's briefcase / wizard's chest / lunchbox.
At the same time, palm a second prediction
card which you will switch in for the dummy card
within the envelope.  Depending on the effect
you're presenting, this may be one of a series
of 'outs' filed away inside your case (see
"Numero Uno" below) or your prepared
headline prediction, or whatever.

Reclaim the envelope from your volunteer and
hold it up in a 'portrait' rotation (with the window
side still visible to the audience).  Position your
replacement prediction card behind the
envelope, ready to switch in, and snip off the
top part of the envelope with the scissors, as
indicated in fig 2.

Make sure you cut enough off the top of the
envelope to enable you to reach inside with
your fingers and seize the card firmly enough to
lift it. The broader your hands, the more you
will have to cut off in order to reach inside the
envelope.  (Or you could just use a bigger
envelope, obviously).  However, you must
leave sufficient room for the first 'dummy'
prediction to be concealed behind the opaque
part of the envelope.

Reach inside and apparently retrieve the
dummy prediction with the fingers of your right
hand (which should be visible through the
window). Once you've brought the card into the
opaque (non-window) area of the envelope, you
can simply 'pinch' it against the tacky tape,
where it will be held safely out of view, and push
the second card up from behind the envelope.
Hand this switched card to a spectator and
have them read out your stunningly accurate
prediction.

With very little work, you have a clean and bold
switch which happens in full view, right under the
noses of your audience. The fact that they see
your fingers lifting the prediction through the
transparent envelope window places you
beyond suspicion.  If you so wish, you can
subtly steal the original card out of the envelope
whilst the switched-in prediction is being read
out, and then tear the envelope up to
demonstrate there is nothing else in there,
although this should be underplayed as a subtle,
even throwaway gesture, rather than in a "Hey,
look, no more billets!" manner.    By just 'doing
it', rather than blatantly calling attention to the
action of shredding the envelope, you will get
the message across that there is nothing else in
there, and the 'cleanness' of the envelope will
register with the audience, without the need for
you to telegraph your innocence in an overt
way.

Here are a couple of applications for the Venus
Flytrap principle.

Numero Uno

The premise of Numero Uno is that you can
predict the character traits of an audience
member in advance, and thus deduce their
numerological 'Birth Number'.

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Effect:
Pythagoras believed that everything in science
and nature could be expressed in terms of
numbers. Even human characteristics and
personality traits were, he claimed, based upon
immutable laws of mathematics, and therefore
may be measured, and even predicted.

You produce a sealed, opaque envelope
(prepared in accordance with the Venus Flytrap
instructions above), with a window through
which a small coloured card is visible. On the
unseen side of the card, you explain, is a
prediction which you made earlier concerning
this evening's proceedings.

You request a volunteer who doesn't mind
divulging their date of birth. (Obviously, you
don't want to embarrass anyone by asking such
a potentially delicate question without getting
their permission first, so frail old ladies, and ex-
cons on the run with fake IDs are out). Handing
the envelope to your volunteer, you explain a
little more about Pythagorean numerology.

Allegedly, the individual digits which make up a
person's date-of-birth can be added up to
reveal a single number which reveals a great
deal about their personality type.

You now ask your volunteer for their date of
birth, and write it onto your whiteboard,
blackboard, or stone-age cave wall, depending
on your presentational style.

For example, let's say it's Charles Cameron's
birthday, the 31st of October 1927.
You would write: 31 10 1927

You would then add the individual digits thus:
3 + 1 +   1 + 0 +   1 + 9 + 2 + 7     =  24

Assuming your result is a two-digit number, you
would then take these two digits and add them
together, until you are left with a single number
between 1 and 9, in this case 6. (2 + 4 = 6).

The single digit at which you have arrived is
their numerological 'birth date number'.

In this example, you would have a prediction
within the envelope along the lines of the
following: "I will be assisted on stage tonight by
a person with the numerological birth number
X", followed by a brief character reading,

utilising whatever flattering platitudes appeal to
you.  For this routine, you might as well have an
actual prediction written out on the card inside
the envelope for, say, birth number 4, because
one out of every nine times you perform it, you
will get a number four by sheer chance, and
won't even have to bother with the switch. You
would thus need just 8 'outs' stashed away in
your case (or a pocket index) to cover all the
other eventualities.

The beauty of this is that you can create the
illusion within the minds of the audience that you
predicted far more than just a simple one-digit
number. If you 'sell' the effect cleverly and
subtly, the implication is that you somehow
predicted both the spectator's date of birth and
character traits, which is far more powerful and
dramatic than a straightforward "think of a
number" routine.

Any book or website on numerology will give
you plenty of material with which to pad out
your character readings.   The bottom line is
that if you keep your brief portraits positive and
flattering, you won't go far wrong.  Nobody is
going to disagree with a performer who
describes them as "trustworthy, popular, and
loyal", especially in public, surrounded by their
friends and family. Even the world's biggest
misanthrope considers himself to be witty,
charming and a little misunderstood.  "Unique
sense of style" is another good one, as it
covers everyone from the fashion maven to the
slightly scary guy in the tie-dyed dungarees.
And almost everyone thinks they have "hidden
depths".

For your convenience, here is a very quick list
of numerological character traits which you can
use to get started.  The benefit of using
standard numerological definitions is that you
won't be contradicted if there's someone in the
audience who 'knows their stuff'.

1:  Decisive, independent, strong leaders,
assertive, self-motivated.
2: Diplomatic, charming, considerate, peace
loving, compassionate
3: Charming, good sense of humour, talkative,
optimistic, popular
4: Hard-working, loyal, ambitious, practical,
stable, reliable

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5:  Adventurous, free spirits, easy going,
adaptable, like to expand their horizons
6:  Harmonious, stylish, charismatic, non-
judgmental, trustworthy
7:  Sensitive, compassionate, natural wisdom,
warm, understanding
8:  Confident, focused, practical, goal-setting,
responsible
9:  Independent, determined, enthusiastic,
courageous, resilient, 'hidden depths'

Have I Got News For You

The Venus Flytrap principle can also be used
for a very clean Headline Prediction.  Yes, I
know there are endless tried and tested ways of
getting billets into envelopes using clever little
knives and pencils, but you always end up
having to explain why you chose to write your
earth-shattering prophecy on a funny-looking
concertina of paper instead of a nice big juicy
square of coloured card.  (The best explanation
I've come up with so far for a prediction
inscribed on a tiny piece of rolled up rizla is that
the prediction was written by tiny invisible elves,
who had to roll it up tight so they could carry it
under their armpits).

The methodology is only slightly different from
the earlier examples.  Your gaffed window
envelope is sealed inside a larger envelope,
which has been posted to the venue or to a
local dignitary, along with instructions that the
sealed inner envelope it is not to be opened
until the night.

In this case, it seems appropriate to have a
nice red wax seal affixed to the inner envelope
to underpin the fact that it has not been
tampered with. The method of revealing the
headline prediction is exactly the same as in the
earlier examples: snip off the top of the
envelope, pinch the unwanted prediction against
the tape, and switch in the 'new' prediction.

One thing that should be borne in mind,
especially in the current international climate, is
that you might not want to be too precise about
the nature of the 'headline' you're going to
predict. Rather than boldly announcing that you
are going to predict the lead story, only to
arrive at the venue to find out that war has just
been declared, or a building bombed (a sure-

fire way of putting a downer on a gig), how
about predicting something like the outcome of
a sports event, or the academy awards, or
movements on the stock-exchange. Of course,
you may then have a tough time explaining why
you've chosen to waste your evening guessing
which hand someone's got a coin in, rather than
swanning around on your luxury yacht with your
squillionaire friends, but then, that's the catch
with the entire field of mentalism... If we could
really do it, we'd be loaded! Who are we trying
to kid? Let's face it, the whole thing's logically
flawed. Now, balloon modelling, that's a
different matter...

Stacked in favour

by Lewis Jones

There are times when you would like to allow a
spectator to deal a deck of ESP cards face-up,
or call out the cards one at a time. In cases like
these, the repeating pattern would soon be a
give-away for the standard cyclic stack. In
playing card terms, this is the Stebbins
problem. What you need is a way of breaking
up the regular arrangement so that it becomes a
pseudo-random pattern, but is still easy for the
memory to handle.

I offer two ideas that I’ve found easy to cope
with.

Idea number 1.
Use the standard method for converting
symbols into numbers, according to the number
of lines or points:

1 = circle
2 = plus sign
3 = wave lines
4 = square
5 = star

Use an Eight Kings mnemonic. And when the
card number is greater than 5, just subtract 5.
For example, 3 10 2 7 becomes 3 5 2 2. For
the moment, ignore pictures by holding each
picture’s place in the list by an asterisk (*). This
gives you:

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3 *  3 5 2  2 4 5  * 4 1  1 * 3 * 3 5 2 2 4
5 *  4 1 1

This happens to leave you with one card each
of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Allot 1 to the first picture-
place, 2 to the second picture-place, and so on.
This gives you the final list:

3  1  3 5  2  2 4 5 2 4 1 1 3 3 4 3 5 2 2
4 5 5 4 1 1

This takes care of all 25 ESP cards, with none
of them unused and none of them duplicated.
Dealing the stack face-up gives the appearance
of a genuinely random mixture, with no obvious
pattern.

Here’s an easy way to keep track of the picture
positions:

When you get to picture number one, place the
right index finger tip (finger number 1) against
your thumb tip. When you reach picture number
2, place the second finger tip (finger number 2)
against your thumb. And so on.

Idea number 2
Use the same system for converting symbols
into numbers. (circle = 1, etc).

Lay the 4-card (the square) aside for the
moment. Begin the stack by laying face-up on
the table card number 1 (circle), and on top of
that, place face-up card number 2 (plus sign).
From now on, each successive card-number is
the total of the previous two. Whenever the two
cards total more than 5, just subtract 5.

This gives you:

1  2  3 5  3  3 1 4 5 4 4 3 2 5 2 2 4 1 5
1 1 2 3 5

Pick up the 4 you placed aside at the beginning
and drop it on the face of the stack. All you
need to remember is that the bottom card of
the face-down stack (the 4) does not belong to
the system.

Pulling Tales

by Kenton Knepper

This is a simple but seemingly very
fair book test, with an unusual
solution. Don’t even ask me how
old this is - I first created it when I
worked in a magic shop in Cedar
Rapids - a LONG time ago. In the

last year or so, a few friends reminded me of it,
so I thought I had better share it widely while I
was thinking of it.

A spectator freely chooses a book. The
performer takes a bookmark and very slowly
runs it down the page side of the book.  When
the spectator stops the performer, he slowly
and pointedly inserts the bookmark at the exact
place the spectator desires.  The performer
pushes the bookmark in flush and the spectator
hands this book to yet another spectator.

The performer asks the second spectator to
open to the page the first spectator selected.
The performer may now describe every single
detail on that page - everything!  Words,
pictures, and so on that appear on this page
may also be predicted. The spectators may
take the book and bookmark home - a souvenir
for each - as these are examinable.

The method is complete simplicity. While the
books are normal, they are not unprepared.
The bookmark is secretly on a length of nylon
thread attached to elastic - a pull in other words.

Now the working should seem apparent.  Each
book contains a duplicate bookmark stuck in a
planned upon page. You may use different
books and three or four outs if you wish to
make this a prediction.  Double envelopes and
Himber wallets work fine, for instance. Due to
the nylon attached to the bookmark, the pull
goes unnoticed as it hides behind the base of
the thumb and enters the sleeve.

I keep the back of my hand with the bookmark
towards the audience, which also aids in hiding
any telltale line.  The bookmark is held between
the thumb and first finger.  Wherever the
spectator stops, I insert the end of the
bookmark into the book about one-third of the
way.  As I go to push the bookmark flush with

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the book, I release the bookmark, which shoots
up the sleeve. To cover this, my hand slams
palm inward as if shoving the bookmark all the
way into the book. A little trial and error will tell
you all you need to know to handle this for
yourself.

Naturally, when this book is handed to a second
spectator, they skim through the pages until
they find the bookmark - the one planted there
far ahead of time. As you have known which
book was chosen, it is an easy matter to pull
out the correct prediction or look at a proper
cue sheet in advance. The rest of the books
are forgotten of course as the one in use takes
all the heat and is handed out for examination.

Need I say the bookmark should have your
promotional information and style upon it?

Don’t let such a simple and unusual solution fool
you into thinking this is a “trick”. The method
allows for the fairest of presentations, which
should be played up to the hilt.

QWERTY

by David Lang

I use this simple, but effective
effect to open my cabaret act.
It’s clear, direct and sets up the
premise that “I can only read
your thoughts if you concentrate

on a single specific item" (a la Bob Cassidy).

It provides a quick and simple to follow
demonstration of your ability to receive others
thoughts, without being too strong for an
opening effect.

Get yourself down to Early Learning Centre and
buy a set of Alphabet Snap Cards - designed to
drive parents mad and amuse rugrats.

Reference on the box 49167 0501.

Please note there are SNAP cards and FLASH
cards. Snap cards have designs on the backs,
similar to playing cards, flash cards have
pictures & letters on both sides. Flash cards

make the effect very easy, but not very
deceptive.

There are 52 alphabet cards in the snap set,
discard 26 of them, leaving one complete
alphabet set.  Arrange these by dealing them
face up on the table
QWERTYUIOPASDFGHJKLZXCVBNM with Q
being the first card dealt & M being the last and
face card.  Any problems,  refer to your
computer keyboard.

Prepare a crib as a self-adhesive label, which
reads; QWERTYUIOPASDFGHJKLZXCVBNM
and stick it on the box the cards came in.  Stick
it on the side that will face you when you
replace the cards in the box.

A little ingenuity and a DTP package can make
this sticker look just like part of the package
design.  You could simply remember the
sequence!

The patter is about how we learn to
communicate, first letters, then words etc.
(Ideal set up for a book test). The cards are
fanned towards the audience as you explain
what they are (cards designed to teach children
the alphabet). Mention that the pictures
accompanying the letters make it easier for
everyone to define the letter.

Apologise that they are not in A-Z order, but
you are sure the audience can see they are 26
different letters. Mix (?) them up with a Charlier
Shuffle.  This will preserve the cycle, it simply
starts and finishes in a different place. We
don’t care!

I find it best to place the cards face down on a
clipboard/book/tray. Allow one or two
members of the audience to single cut the
cards and complete the cut.

Approach spec number one and request that he
takes the top card, repeat with spec two, three
or as many as you feel appropriate and will
remain awake. I use three specs; it fits in with
other stuff I do.

Ask the specs to concentrate on their letter’s as
you replace the cards in the box, glimpsing (or
just looking at) the face card of the packet.

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Keep hold of the box innocently, as though you
have forgotten to put them away.  Use it to
gesture at the audience, peeping at the crib as
you do so.

Find the letter you glimpsed whilst putting the
cards away. The audience members will
obviously have the cards that follow in the
sequence. For example if you peek Q, they will
have W, E & R in that order.

I usually reveal them in 1, 3, 2 order, claiming
I’m having trouble with spec no 2 and going
back to them. Reveal them in your usual,
dramatic manner!

The inspiration for this is Annemans Par Optic
Vision from Practical Mental Magic.  The
alphabet cards, QWERTY stack and the
“children first learn to communicate” theme are
my only input.  The QWERTY stack is easy to
create and reset, but appear a truly random
sequence to the audience.

If this fits in with what you do, try it out. Despite
its simplicity (or perhaps because of it) it’s a
very good opening effect.

NLP and Products for Mentalists:

My Thoughts & Experience

by Rex Sikes

Because I am frequently asked by
mentalists, magicians and
entertainers about NLP (having
provided training in this arena for
nearly a quarter century world
wide) I thought I would share some
of my thoughts regarding it, it's
application to mentalism and my
thoughts on Wonder Words and a
few products.

Neuro stands for brain and nervous system.
Linguistic for language verbal and non-verbal
AND the language of the brain. Programming
means that behaviours and thoughts can be
altered for the better. Thus, we can program our
mind or another person's mind for positive
results.

First, not all NLP is created equal. There are
good and bad books, good and bad
workshops, good and bad practitioners and
trainers but the system of study known as
Neuro Linguistic Programming is quite
wonderful. It is many, many things. It is the
ability to learn more and understand how
another person thinks, acts and responds.

NLP is learning to acquire having the ability to
begin to recognize patterns and hence predict
what a person is likely to do (not for example,
win the lottery? but rather, "is this person the
kind of person who would play the lottery?").

It is the ability to being to learn to recognize
non-conscious signals and movements and how
to understand and use them to create better
rapport, understanding, and harmony.

It is the ability to learn to use language with
great precision to influence and persuade like a
master hypnotist. It is the ability to learn to
utilize therapeutic trance and more.

It is the ability to understand how someone
thinks, processes and understands language so
that you can better package information back to
the person in a nearly irresistible manner.
It is the ability to recognize whether or not they
are getting your point, agreeing with it or not,
and what you can do to be successful when at
first you weren't. It is learning how to be flexible,
think on your feet and make the critical, timely
adjustments that allow you to succeed.

It is the ability to learn how people run their
brain so you can assist them in making
personal and professional changes.

Plus, it is a lot, lot more. It addresses goal
setting and how we can make plans for success
among other things.

NLP is a unique combination of some of the
very best personal development tools out there
and developments from people within the field
of NLP. It is a blend of tried and true as well as
new and innovative.

We have been teaching, training and providing
NLP since the middle seventies. I myself
worked for many years with one of the

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developers before parting company to pursue
my own interests.

I have supplied NLP training to companies and
individuals worldwide since the late 70's. I have
been involved with mentalism since 1960.

NLP is widely misunderstood by people who
have done little more than read something
about it often only in a news group. There are
some valid criticism about some of the people
practicing it, to be sure, but the application of
the technology does in fact work. And it works
really well.

However, like anything else NLP doesn't really
exist. It is just letters and information inside a
book. It is just methods and approaches which
lie dormant until someone puts them into
practice. With practice and dedication one can
get really good using NLP just like one can get
really good doing anything else. Building a skill
set, a positive habit set and appropriate
behaviours requires education and practice -
just as learning to play the piano or become a
gymnast requires dedication.

Too frequently people read about "NLP" They
debate whether it works or not. That is like
debating whether your screwdriver works or
your frying pan. Consider the different aspects
of NLP as tools and you will realize that some
tools work for what they were designed to do
and little else. Some work for many different
things. Some may not work at all or may be
faulty. To a major degree the usefulness of the
tool depends on the person wielding it. A tool is
never greater than the person that uses it. But a
wise and skilful person can use a wide variety
of tools or use one tool for a wide variety of
purposes.

Yes NLP exists in this sense. And no it doesn't.
It is not a panacea, it is not a cure all, it is not a
silver bullet - it is the application of
tried and true principles, approaches, methods
and tools in a given time frame to get a result.
In other words it is testable - either you got it in
your given framework or you didn't. No
guessing no theorizing no B.S. It either works
or it didn't.

Hence, it is useable, replicable and practical. I
call it "practical tools for the real world".

Rex Sikes Productions, Inc.

Mentalism in the NET Age

by Luca Fabbricotti (

aka Luke Kerr)

edited by Gardinski

Part one: Analysis

In these days of connection and globalization,
we could search the web to discover what
mentalism is on the net. The internet could be
an interesting new frontier for mentalism, but we
have to understand that the net is a new
medium, and so mentalism has to be shaped to
suit the net.

I'll start this series about mentalism in the net
age with a brief analysis of the situation. What
is the state of mentalism on the net here and
now?

Browsing around you could see that online we
have two or three kinds of mentalism website:
a) The sites "about" mentalism
b) The sites "about" individual mentalists
c) The sites that expose psychics in some way.

a) Sites about mentalism
We have two ways to speak about mentalism.
The first will be aimed at laypeople, and will talk
about mentalism and try to convey the
experience of viewing a show. This is good
because it lets the audience grow in interest in
mentalism.  It generates work for us, and may
encourage some amateur that could become a
great mentalist of tomorrow.

The second are the "password" covered page
and the forums. Usually in password covered
pages you could find some brief effects and a
list of books and props to buy.  Often those
passwords are not difficult for the curious
layman with an interest in magic to find (for the
sort of  password that is a question about
mentalism, Google takes five minutes to find
those passwords).  A simple explanation of an
effect could trivialize mentalism in the vision of
the lay people.

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It would better if such passwords were released
with a previous mail exchange or a system like
the one used by the Mentalist's Asylum or
Nailwriter.

It is a good idea to "password protect" the
selling of books. It cuts down the "I WANT TO
KNOW THE TRICK" people by a large
percentage. But it would work only if ALL the
magic shops use this system.  If just one online
magic shop sells to everybody without
password protection, the whole system crashes
down.

Some of the forums are really good, but if entry
is not protected by a selection process they are
going to lose a lot of good members when the
forum becomes "famous". I have an opinion
about this sort of site but let's speak about it in
the next step, after the analysis.

b) Sites about mentalists
The personal page of an individual mentalist,
created to publicize himself and sometimes with
secret sessions for friends. This kind of page
is necessary, but in my opinion if you put on a
"secret page" it's better not to put a big
"MEMBERS ONLY" button on the left.

Create your secret page, put a password and
publicize it between people you know are really
interested.  A big red MEMBERS ONLY button
will only force  the "I WANT TO KNOW
TRICKS" kind of people to start his researching
on google to obtain the password.

c) Sites aimed at exposure - Alas these sites
exist.
I think that it's important to take legal action
against fraudulent psychics when they are
causing serious damage to laypeople. (Here in
Italy right six months ago, they put in jail a
person that was selling occult things and casing
his clients to suck large amounts of money from
them, sometimes 500.000 $ each). But the
best way of dealing with such cases when they
are proven to be fraudulent is to "PUT THEM
IN JAIL AND SAY THAT IT IS A FRAUD", but
NOT to expose the method. Laypeople that will
be defrauded in future don't save themselves by
knowing the method more than by knowing it is
a fraud.  They believe principally because they

WANT TO BELIEVE and nothing will change
their mind.

Now I want to introduce a  fourth way to
mentalism on the net. It's what I consider
'Mentalism in the NET age'.

The kind of site that doesn't exist yet is a live,
interactive site for performing mentalism.  Not
simply a site where people speak about
mentalism, but where mentalism is performed
online, not only with the simple automatic trick,
but also from mentalists performing live and
relayed over the net, something like an online
radio show.

It is important to understand that if you put in a
page an automatic mentalism effect you must
consider that you can't  use the Self Working
Mental Magic as it is, because it is not suited to
the media. You have to work on an interactive
effect suited to the media, thinking that they
could repeat this and you have to entertain and
fool them every time without letting them
knowing how.

The same thing goes for online "live"
Mentalism.  You've got to create the effects
specifically for the media, you can't use
something that is designed for radio or live
theatre, and you can't create a good interactive
sites with only number and self-working tricks.
You have got to dress and modify every aspect
of an effect for this media.

It is logical: new media = new effects.

If you jump in a new media with the normal
effects you are doing it in the wrong way, in that
case you end up with a non-remarkable site, just
a name, a bit of publicity but nothing more.
Nobody will fall in love with mentalism from
your site, and very few people will think of
calling you to book a performance if they don't
already know what mentalism is.

The internet is a wide market. But the first thing
you have to know to use it well is HOW a
community thinks and WHAT you have to do to
reach a community.  Ordinary advertising is not
enough, but online there a lot of community and
if you shape your mentalism on the media and
if you go out on the net to reach a community
you will understand that you can earn

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something. But just like launching a career in
the real world, you are the one that has to go
and sell yourself, and to do so you must find
something to amaze people online, something
that is Mentalism for the NET people.

Ted Lesley - Cabaret Mindreading

Reviewed by Ray Thompson

Ted Lesley’s name is very
familiar to most magicians,
especially mentalists. This is
due largely to his book,
“Paramiracles”. Far fewer
people have seen Ted Lesley
perform, especially those of
us in the USA. I have just
finished going through

“CABARET MINDREADING” on DVD (I also
bought his “Cabaret Magic”, but that may be
another article). As I watched his performance,
he initially turned me off.  It was not his
command of English, as that is superb. The
live audience seemed to respond very well to
his weak humour and style. Some of them were
undoubtedly magicians (I am basing that on the
first volunteer's card handling). If they were all
magicians they were going to favour him, plus
they had spent some time with Ted and had the
chance to get to know him. By the end of his
show I was far more comfortable and even
warmed up to him. This lead me to think that
the audience had had more time with him; that
he is more personable in person; and that his
style takes some getting use to (for an
American).  Others might, or might not feel the
same way as me. But, if you do give him time.

Without getting into the differences and
arguments about mentalism and mental magic, I
would state that I think Ted Lesley’s ideas have
always been more in the arena of mental magic.
Ted Lesley uses many well-known effects and
puts his own unique twist to them. The handling
of “Booktest” and “Teleportation” (both of which
are book tests) are done smoothly. I think both
will be used by many of you.  “Decisions,
Decisions” is his version of “Stop!”. Having a
woman (the wife) tell the man when to stop
makes for some fun.  I have already used it
successfully, with a slight variation that I added.
It seems to play better having the man deal the

cards to me and having the wife tell him when to
stop. It also removes the cards from your
handling and “doing something to them.”

Ted Lesley has two effects “The Working
Performer’s Card Stab” and “Bending
Wineglass” where he suggests you purchase
items from him in order to perform the effect.  I
find that a little tacky.

I do not think anyone would argue that the DVD
format for an instructional video is wonderful.
The DVD instructional videos, which I have
purchased from L&L Publishing, have all been
quality efforts. “Cabaret Mindreading”, on
DVD, is a good instructional video.  It is easy to
use and easy to switch back and forth from
performance to explanation, as you need to do
so.

As a full time performing stage hypnotist, who
uses a lot of mentalism in my act, I am not
above using some mental magic.  I believe the
point is to entertain the audience. Presented
properly the effects in “Cabaret Mindreading”
will certainly be entertaining to your audiences.

E.S.Perfect

by Arcane

E.S.Perfect
The next generation in psychological Magic!

Two sets of five cards are
introduced. One set with red
backs and one with blue
backs. The performer hands
the red set to his spectator

and she is asked to imagine that she is holding
a full set of five E.S.P. cards. The performer
displays the faces of his cards to show that he
too has a set of E.S.P. cards. Both the
spectator & performer mix their cards and the
performer hands a facedown card to his
spectator. Now without looking at the faces, the
spectator is asked to hand the performer any
one of her facedown cards. The two cards are
turned over and seen to be the same symbol!
But this could just be a marvellous coincidence!
The performer instructs his spectator to turn
over the rest of her cards and they are all blank!

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A psychological miracle that will knock your
spectator for six!

***** ***** *****

Straight from the packet E.S.Perfect is a very
strong piece of Mental magic.

With some thought handling changes,
E.S.Perfect can become a killer of a Mental
effect.

Either way you have something which is well
worth the investment. But don’t take my word
for it...

A nice little packet trick. Comes complete with
Bicycle E.S.P. cards!

Price: £9.49 from

http://www.alakazam.co.uk/