Issue 2

Mar 2002

Well here it is the second issue of CENTER TEAR. I bet there’s a few of you out there who never
thought it would make issue 1!! Did I every think I’d get as far as a second issue? To be honest I hadn’t
even thought about it....

But with the amount of support and praise I have recieved for the first issue I am more than delighted,
and I hope you are to.

One thing I would like to mention is that CENTER TEAR would never have got this far without you. With
your support it’s got this far and I’m hoping we can continue to ‘push the envelope’.

So all thats left to do is thank you again for your support (keep it up) and I hope you enjoy this issue.
Special thanks to James Pell (thanks for the push) and The Mentalist Asylulm (you krazy diamonds!!).

With u all in mind...
Trevor

***PLEASE NOTE***

I am hoping to publish one issue of CENTER TEAR with effects and articles dedicated to the center

tear (how original!?). Also for the October (if we get that far!?), I would like to dedicate an issue to the

late Charles W Cameron. So, if you have any mentalism effects or articles that crossover into the

‘darkside’ (bizarre/occult) please consider them for inclusion. If you have something you’d like to submit

in the meantime, please send it to:- [e-mail]

+++++ +++++ +++++ ++++++ +++++

Making a Creature with Two Backs

– by David Lang

Mental Digits

- by Christopher Taylor

Reading Is Fun - Duh - Mental

- by Kenton Knepper

Tarot Reading

- by Barry Cooper

Four Card Mentalism

- by Les Johnson

Father of all lies

- by The Camouflaged Conjurer

Anarchists Pick ‘n’ Mix

- by Arcane

Appendix

Center Tear

the thinking persons journal

Making a Creature with Two Backs

– by David Lang

I’m always filled with trepidation when I publish an idea I’ve come up with independently, certain that
someone more knowledgeable than I will tell me it was first done 23 years ago.

However, if we all worried about that, we might stifle creativity – surely a greater sin? Aware that switch
envelopes are legion and many fold, I’ve looked at every reference to fake envelopes I can find and
I’ve not found it, so here goes. A small thing, but hopefully, mine own – unless you know otherwise!

I’ve used this a lot to switch bank notes (bills) and it’s so clean it squeaks.

You need a packet of pay envelopes and some glue. Pay envelopes have a front (plain) side and a
back (seamed) side. Imagine they are playing cards, fronts being the face, backs being the back and
all will be clear.

Glue two envelopes together ‘face to face’ (including flaps) to make a ‘double backed’ envelope. Have
the packet of normal envelopes ‘face down’ and place your note to be switched in into the top envelope.
Place the ‘double backer’ on top of that and secure all with a rubber band.

Ask to borrow a suitable note and have it folded to match yours. While this is going on, remove the
rubber band and fan the envelopes slightly so you can get a break under the top two (fake and loaded).
Open the fake envelope by inserting your finger and invite the spectator to insert the note.

Look directly at him/her as you ask, “do you have a pen?” As you say this, double turnover the top two
envelopes. Because of the ‘double backer’ everything looks exactly as it should. Have him/her sign
the envelope on the ‘face’ side, take it and seal it him/her self.

The strong point of this switch envelope is that the spectator inserts the note, signs the envelope, seals
it him/her self and then keeps it. This of course is exploited later by having them confirm that “you
placed a note in an envelope, sealed it and signed it. I haven’t touched the note or the envelope at
any time”. I’m sure you all know that bit!

Mental Digits

- by Christopher Taylor

Five participants are seated in chairs arranged in a line facing the audience. To warm up the participants,
and the audience, for a demonstration of the “collective consciousness”, the mentalist/magician has
the 5 participants play the hilarious theatre-game “Digits”. In the game, the magician calls out “begin”,
and any player is free to stand up briefly and call out “1”. Then any other player can stand and
say “2” until they reach 5. If more than one player says a number at the same time, they start over! After
a minute, and more than a laugh or two, the mentalist announces that the group is well attuned. The
mentalist now gives each of the participant an 8x10 inch card which clearly numbers them consecutively
from one to five. He then displays 5 business cards, each of which has a digit on it from 1 to 5. The
magician considers the group of 5 participants for a moment and selects one of the cards and puts the
others away. He explains that, in a moment, one and only one of the 5 will stand up and bring their
8x10 number card to him. There is a pause, then “participant number 3” stands up and walks to him.
This participant is given the card held by the magician to read. It is number 3.

This is a fun variation of Corinda’s “The Seven Chairs”. You have 6 cards, one of which is blank, and
show only the 5 numbered cards. You select the blank card, put the others away and thumb-write the
participant’s number as they walk to you. The theatre game is a hoot to play and provides lots of
opportunity for funny by-play.

Reading Is Fun - Duh - Mental

- by Kenton Knepper

This is a technique I mentioned in Wonder Words Vol. II, and in “Live in Lecture”, but
that seems to have been missed by many. I have since taken the original notion and boiled
it down to a ludicrously blatant, and effective, working.

The basic concept is this: Have several different tools in front of you from which you could
do a “reading”. It might be a deck of tarot cards, playing cards, runes and handwriting
analysis for instance. Use whatever tools you care for most, but have at least two choices
from which the client may pick. Now describe each tool to the client such as:

“We could use a tarot deck for a more intuitive, emotional, spontaneous approach, or we could use the
handwriting if you prefer a more logical, step by step, more down to earth approach... Which tool would
you like to use?”

At this point, the client’s choice tells you all you need to know! This should sound as if you are merely
describing the way each tool is used. But in truth, by the spectator choosing one or the other, the client
is telling you what TYPE of a person they tend to be.

If they choose in our example “handwriting”, you describe the person as “logical, earthy, someone who
likes order” and so on.

Once you know how the person views their own personality, you can use many other words to describe
these basic aspects. A full reading develops out of a simple choice – which is a little less simplistic than
it first appears.

Another Easy Read
That reminds me of another simple technique I mention in Wonder Words which is perfect for “Pseudo
Psychometry” or any sort of entertainment that uses and object for a personality reading.

Many people well versed in the study of perhaps legitimate readings can spot many fake readers quickly,
they say. People who are considered “true” readers never say a phrase such as “You are the type of
person” or “You do this”. A reader of pure psychological types may such things, but not a “real” psychic.
This is the report of those who believe and are considered well honed in looking for frauds or the
delusional.

So this method, as easy as it may be, appears more realistic than I first understood. It is a common
“NLP” technique. There is a legend that one the creators of NLP used to pick up girls working in a strip
club with this method. Who knows if that is true!

Pick up a personal object and hold it in your hands. Close your eyes. Now instead of saying “You are”
such and such, say, “I AM” such and such. Speak in the first person. Speak as if you are the spectator
or client.

For example, you might say, “ I am a person striving for excellence, but remain a little insecure – but
don’t tell that out loud! Sorry. What I mean to say is that I am still learning and still growing. People
admire me. I compare what I feel inside to how they look outside. I sometimes forget that they do the
same – that they do not know how I feel on the inside either. I have more talent than I admit – even
to myself…” and so on.
Saying “I am the type of person that” is far better than saying “You are this”.

You can see Wonder Words for more details on such things and to better comprehend why this works
so well. Suffice to say here that making these statements causes the listener to apply this statement
to them. At first, your words catch the spectator off guard. Then they must think to themselves “Why
is he holding my object and talking about himself? Oh, that can’t be right! He is talking about ME.
That is the only way this makes sense. It is like he is speaking out loud for me… He’s in my head…”

In short, the spectator applies what you are saying to their life, and makes what you say fit. It is the
only logical conclusion. Logic often makes for fine illusions, as we well know. Try this out and see for
yourself. It is an amazing method, especially when you don’t know anything about the person. Just
speak traits and ideas in the first person and watch the spectator and those nearby, apply it all to their
lives for you. They do all of the work. You get all the credit.

continued over...

When I used to do this in “Pseudo Psychometry” on stage, I learned another important aspect to this
method. You need to show the article or object you are holding for the correct spectator to apply what
you are saying to their own life, not everyone in the room. We tend to think that if we keep the objects
all hidden it is better. Not in this case. By showing the object you hold, the spectator knows precisely
whom you are speaking about, and so does the rest of the helpers and audience. This is an important
point, be sure not to miss it.

Yet Another
I admit, this one uses playing cards, and some of you are afraid of that. This is for those fearless
mentalists who can make anything seem real. This may be familiar from Wonder Words to some of
you as well.

“Playing cards that people pick tell us a great deal about their personality… Take any card you like,
and don’t let me see it”.

You may now peek the card, read the markings on the back of the card or have simply forced the little
bugger. The point is, you know what card they took. The words used however create a special situation.

The spectator must, in a second or less, make the assumption that because she took a playing card,
you can tell her about her personality. Why? Because you said so. This would be absurd and obvious
if you stated this directly. But notice instead how we indirectly implied or suggested this would be the
case. Further, we link this indirect statement with an action that fits it.

The spectator taking the card must be following the rule “playing cards that people pick” She is, we
must assume at least, a person. She is taking what appears to be a playing card. These being true
to your words, if you say something about her card then you must be saying something about her
personality. But it is even more devious. When you say something such as “You are a kind person at
HEART though not everyone knows that, you would naturally choose a heart card”.

The logic whirs: “If the suit is correct, what he says about me must also be correct. If playing cards
tell about the people who choose them, then the fact that he knew I had a heart must mean he knows
something about me”.

From here, you may make as many simple observations or complex patterns as you wish, always linking
these at the end to an element of the card they choose. Not only do you name their card, you tell them
about their personality. At the very least, you must be a mind reader.

This makes for a nice mixer at a party or cocktail affair, as well as a way to blend magic and mentalism
if one so desires.

Three simple methods anyone can use to do readings virtually overnight. I hope you give it a little more
thought than that. But the biggest secret to great readings is this: Do them. If you are too afraid to
try, you will never do be able to do readings. If you are concerned but try anyway, you will be doing
readings quickly. Do and keep doing. Before long, you may even start to believe.

Of course, “Completely Cold”, “Wonder Words”, “SAR” and “Wonder Readings” don’t hurt either. But
the methods I have given you here are more than enough to begin. I have met performers who have
used these exclusively to create a following.

Do, as you will.

Tarot Reading

- by Barry Cooper

As all cold readers know, the Barnum effect , named after P.T. “there’s a sucker born every minute”
Barnum, refers to the tendency for “sitters” to accept vague, generalised statements as personally
applicable to them. The first research on this effect was carried out by Bertram Forer in 1949,
using the following bogus personality profile (here split into twelve separate statements, for reasons
that will shortly become clear).

1. Some of your aspirations tend to be pretty unrealistic.
2. At times you are extroverted, affable, sociable, while at other times you are introverted, wary and
reserved.
3. You have found it unwise to be too frank in revealing yourself to others.
4. You pride yourself as being an independent thinker and do not accept others’ opinions without
satisfactory proof.
5. You prefer a certain amount of change and variety and become dissatisfied when hemmed in by
restrictions and limitations.
6. At times you have serious doubts as to whether you have made the right decision or done the right
thing.
7. Disciplined and controlled on the outside, you tend to be worrisome and insecure on the inside.
8. Your sexual adjustment has presented some problems for you.
9. While you have some personality weaknesses, you are generally able to compensate for them.
10. You have a great deal of unused capacity which you have not turned to your advantage.
11. You have a tendency to be critical of yourself.
12. You have a strong need for other people to like you and for them to admire you.

This profile has to be memorised if it is to be used for readings. My suggestion is to associate each of
the twelve statements with a pictorial image - a particular Tarot card.

A pack of 78 cards, of the type which has pictures on all suit cards as well as the major arcana, provides
plenty of suitable images to choose from - in fact, the pack probably covers the full range of human
mental states! You should choose whatever correspondences work best for you, but here are my
suggestions, using the above numbering. (I use the David Sheridan pack which accompanies Alfred
Douglas’s book The Tarot, but most of them will work with the standard Rider-Waite pack..)

1. 7 of Cups
2. 2 of Pentacles
3. Page of Cups
4. 6 of Swords
5. 4 of Cups
6. The Lovers
7. 2 of Swords
8. 2 of Cups
9. 5 of Wands
10. The Empress
11. Justice
12. 3 of Pentacles

While these correspondences are difficult to explain in print, most of them should be fairly obvious if
you look at a Rider-Waite pack.

If you use Tarot cards for your readings, no further memory work is necessary - you only need to force
some or all of your chosen twelve cards. To use the system without cards, I suggest the use of a
standard “peg” memory system - “one-gun”, “two-zoo” is quite good enough for twelve statements. Each
peg is associated with the picture on the appropriate card. Although the statements can be delivered
in any order, I recommend learning them in a fixed order, with a peg system, so that you can easily
rehearse them and keep them in memory.

The system can be used to give an “impromptu” reading whenever you use Tarot cards in an effect. It
would work particularly well in a psychometry routine, where several spectators each choose one card
(see, for example, PsychomeTryst in Mind, Myth & Magick by T.A.Waters).

The Forer profile has appeared in print many times. For a full list of references, and a detailed analysis
of the Barnum (aka Forer) effect, I recommend an article by Travis Dacolias at
<http://www.factsource.com/cut/coldreading.html>. Lee Earle’s The Classic Reading expands the basic
profile and explains how to use it in practical reading situations.

Four Card Mentalism

- by Les Johnson

This is based on an idea published years ago by the late Barry Gordon under the title Pictures in the
Mind but I have altered the handling and updated the illustrations etc. Obviously it is not mine to market
but in these days of computers and laminators I see no reason why members could not make a set up
just for their own use. It may not suit everybody but I find it plays well as an intro into more advanced
routines. The advantages are that it consists of just four Jumbo cards and no setup or sleight of hand
is needed.

Effect. The performer shows four cards (see appendix), each bearing eight different pictures, and asks
a spectator to choose any card. The spectator then mentally selects one picture on this card and retains
the card. The other three cards are held up, one at a time, for the spectator to check if his picture is
on any of them. If it is, he retains the card and, if not, it is placed aside. Instantly the performer knows
the chosen picture and discloses it in suitable style.

Method. As mentioned I have streamlined the original method given by Barry which involved adding
numbers and then subtracting them from fifteen. The Jumbo cards are marked on the back so they
represent one, two, four and eight in the well-known binary system. There are fifteen different clipart
pictures and these are recalled by mnemonics to suit your individual preference and dependent on
which pictures you have available.
All you need to do is add the values of the discards and the total automatically gives you the picture.
What could be simpler?

Please note: One point I may have not made clear - if you have no discards this represents Zero. The Tennis
Ball equals Fifteen Love. Love means nothing in tennis!

For the sake of completeness I will give Barry’s list and the ones I have used.

1 EYE (Kelly’s Eye - number 1). I have used CAMERA (Single lens reflex).
2 SHOE (Rhymes as in One, Two. Buckle my Shoe).
3 PAWNBROKER’S (3 Balls). I use TREE (Rhymes with Three – Irish T’ree).
4 GOLF CLUB (Fore!). I use GOLFER - also similar shape to number four.
5 PENTAGRAM (5 sides). I use BEE (As in Hive for Five).
6 CRICKET BAT (Hitting Sixes). I use an actual BAT.
7 DICE (Opposite sides total Seven).
8 OCTOPUS (8 Tentacles). I use MASK which looks like Eight.
9 GLASS OF BEER (One over the Eight). I use WINE (Rhymes with Nine).
10 HEN (Rhymes with Ten).
11 REF’S WHISTLE (Eleven in a team).
12 SPADE (Rhyme - Dig and Delve).
13 LADDER (Unlucky to walk under).
14 TIN HAT (1914 start of War). I use TOP HAT.
15 TENNIS RACQUET (Fifteen - Love Score). I used TENNIS BALL.

The final choice is yours.

Father of all lies

- by The Camouflaged Conjurer

Derren Brown ~ The Devil's Picturebook ~ not just caricature and taxidermy

Derren won me round with this impressive video tutoring. The performances were strong
and the explanations sufficiently detailed. The inclusion of
additional sleight explanations were equally beneficial, should you choose to adopt their
use.

Let's get rid of the negatives. You seldom saw the magic from the spectators perspective,
the camera was all but stationary 45deg from Derren throughout, 135deg for the pedantic.
This deviation was not as frustrating as the
pathetic size of table housing the explanations - again all from one angle. Why was this
necessary?

With that off my chest I strongly recommend this tape. I am somewhat "video'd out" at
present having sat through many hours of rather banal magic - while I have no wish to
dis individuals, perhaps Daryl's next chosen video series could be compacted to a one
hour course highlighting the "good" material. I digress...

I am not in favour of breaking down each routine as an element of the unexpected should
be present when parting with the necessary cash to afford one's repertoire. Nonetheless,
most if not all card enthusiasts will find something of value on this tape. There is almost
a clear divide in the midway point where close-up card magic becomes mentalism with
cards - this should not be overlooked by die-hard anti-mentalism groups however as
there are many techniques that are worth - at least - viewing.

Derren's employment of misdirection is to be admired and this can be witnessed throughout
his slick performance. The first two routines, "Three Card Routine" and "Card Under Box"
best exemplify this. The first, arguably, is the best on the tape, although it doesn't go
downhill from there. "Smoke", a routine clearly influenced by Tom Mullica is an attractive
adaptation, although you're unlikely to be in a location that allows regular performance.

Summary then, yeah, worth the money and repeat viewing to add something to
your arsenal, whether it be a move, a routine or a new slant, there is something here for
you. Subscribers of Jerry Sadowitz's "The Crimp" will see many previous ideas in practise.

Guy Hollingworth fans, indeed the reverse, will appreciate the end, 'nuff said.

Anarchists Pick ‘n’ Mix

- by Arcane

OK, why the name Anarchists Pick ’n’ Mix, two reasons:
* RIOTCANDY
* The original idea was to allow you ‘the Mentalist’ to take your pick from 26 words for each letter

Oh by the way If your lost already, you’ll be lost even more if you don’t know what a ‘progressive
anagram’ is...!!?

As you can see I got stuck halfway through the alphabet, so you only have a few lists, but please
remember that these words can be changed around to give you a customized list of words.

Many Mentalist have played around with ‘progressive anagram’ - Phil Goldstein, T A Waters and Richard
Mark, to name a few. Its was the latter mentalist that got me thinking, after playing with ATERNSOIL.

They say that to remember a list of items it helps to make them as bizarre as possible hence RIOTCANDY.
I leave it up to you to choose your mnemonics to remember the order of the ‘word list’ eg 1 - kamikaze,
2 - astronaut, 3 - jailbreak, 4 - gridlock, 5 - distort, 7 - friction, 8 - dictator..........

Here is a very brief outline of how to use RIOTCANDY: (V) volunteer (M) mentalist

To find out which word has been selected. A process of elimination is used. eg word chosen is JAILBREAK
from list one.
M: I’m trying to build a picture of the word , letter by letter - I’m pickling up something that looks like
an R. Is there an R in the word?
V: YES
N: Good, that means we’re speaking to each other. Now I see straight letters possible an I?
V: YES
M: Now we’re getting somewhere. Now I see a round letter, yes a large round letter, an O
V: NO
M: Now that's strange, can you concentrate a little more please.......

Its now down to you and your acting skills to pick up the rest of the letters, and make your revelation.

LIST 1

LIST 2

LIST 3

LIST 4

R

kamikaze

fishhook

telephone

doughnut

I

astronaut underwear

pawnbroker

feather

O

jailbreak

wheelchair

fireball

armpit

T

gridlock

ironhanded

orchid

bridegroom

C

distort

abattoir

poltergeist

janitor

A

friction hypocrite

electronic biochemistry

N

dictator abdicator

categories

capacitor

D

communicator

extractions

romantically

fractions

Y

contradict

accordionist

indicator

consideration

dictionary dictionary

dictionary dictionary

Another idea would be to print up each list of words on to card stock. Present them as 4 sets of 10
words and although the V to choose any set. You can show the other sets are all different - taking care
not to flash ‘dictionary’. Then proceed with allowing the V to choose any word..... A little bit more work,
but I’m sure you’ll admit - worth the effort.