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    Mental Magic - First Lessons in Mind Reading and Stage Hypnotism - With Tricks to Wow Your Family
    Mental Magic - First Lessons in Mind Reading and Stage Hypnotism - With Tricks to Wow Your Family
    Mental Magic - First Lessons in Mind Reading and Stage Hypnotism - With Tricks to Wow Your Family
    Ebook173 pages2 hours

    Mental Magic - First Lessons in Mind Reading and Stage Hypnotism - With Tricks to Wow Your Family

    By Anon Anon

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    About this ebook

    This fascinating book provides a comprehensive introduction to mind tricks for the budding hypnotist and mental magician. Illustrated with explanatory black and white drawings and diagrams. This book contains classic material dating back to the 1900s and before. The content has been carefully selected for its interest and relevance to a modern audience.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRead Books Ltd.
    Release dateDec 3, 2014
    ISBN9781447491651
    Mental Magic - First Lessons in Mind Reading and Stage Hypnotism - With Tricks to Wow Your Family

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      Book preview

      Mental Magic - First Lessons in Mind Reading and Stage Hypnotism - With Tricks to Wow Your Family - Anon Anon

      Mental Magic

      First Lessons in Mind

      Reading and Stage

      Hypnotism

      With Tricks to Wow Your

      Family

      FIRST LESSON IN MIND READING TECHNIQUE

      THE BASIS for a great many of the most effective feats of mind reading is the secret exchange of a folded paper, on which a name or message has been written, for a duplicate paper which remains in full wiew. The mentalist is thus enabled to read the original paper secretly, make another exchange of the papers and so pose as a genuine telepathist.

      Most writers in describing such an exchange, technically called a switch, tell the reader that after he has made the move, he is to open the paper, read the message, refold the paper and again make the switch. What they do not tell is how the reader is going to do all this without detection. The result is that either the novice is completely discouraged before he attempts the trick, or that he tries to do it, fails miserably and gives up.

      It is necessary, of course, to be able to make a perfect switch but that is only the first essential. The second, and equally important, is to know how and when to use it. I propose to make this first chapter a lesson in which I shall teach you the best method I know of actually making a switch of papers and then proceed to show you how, with the aid of this switch alone, you will be able to perform a very effective feat of mind reading in which there is no necessity for opening and reading the writing on the paper. This switch, which is my own original method, I have named The Baker Switch.

      THE BAKER SWITCH

      The term switch, as used by mentalists, means the secret exchange of one object for another. It must not be confused with the change sleight used by card magicians which is done by a quick movement of the hands and generally under cover of animated gesticulation. The switch, on the contrary, must be made in the most natural manner possible in the act of merely passing an object from one hand to the other.

      To learn the moves you should begin with dollar bills. I advise this course most strongly for two reasons. First, when a dollar bill is folded in the manner to be described, it forms a little packet of the most convenient size for making the switch. Second, the ability to switch a dollar bill will at once enable you to perform a most effective trick at any time or place. In this way you will attain complete mastery of the sleight in actually doing a trick for your friends. This is a very different thing from going through the motions in front of a mirror. By actual performance before people you will gradually obtain the effortless, almost automatic, handling which is necessary for success and you will be ready to perform with complete confidence some of the finest feats in mental magic. Many of these depend on the use of the switch and the best of them will be explained later.

      There are two distinct elements in the perfect execution of the Baker Switch; a.) The actual motions of the hands in doing it; b.) The timing of these motions. I will treat these separately and then, finally, show how they are employed in a set trick.

      I. THE TECHNIQUE

      First you must have a clear understanding of what you must appear to do, namely merely to transfer a folded bill from one hand to the other. To do this, fold a dollar bill in halves lengthwise and again in halves the same way, then once the opposite way, Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5. Take it at the tips of the thumb and forefinger of your right hand, Fig. 5. Move your right hand towards your left hand, turning it over in the action and thus reversing the bill. Grasp the free end of the bill between the left thumb and forefinger, Fig. 8.

      Repeat this simple move over and over and study the action carefully for this is what you must appear to do when the switch is actually made. When you understand the action thoroughly, practice the following moves until they do simulate exactly the passage of the bill from one hand to the other.

      1. Take two dollar bills and fold each of them in the following way—first in halves with the backs on the outside, Fig. 2.

      Fold again in halves the same way, Fig. 3.

      Fold in halves the opposite way, Fig. 4.

      This process will give you two little packets about 1 1/2 inches by 1 1/8 inches in size.

      2. Place one of the folded bills, which we will call B, and which will represent your own bill to be switched for a borrowed bill, in the finger palm position in your right hand.

      3. Take the second folded bill, which we will call A, and which will represent a borrowed bill, between the tips of your left thumb and index finger in such a way that its lower right corner overlaps the upper left corner of B, Figs. 5 and 6. Hold both hands in front of your body, your arms half bent, hands about nine inches apart and the left hand a little higher than your right hand.

      4. As if merely to place A in your right hand, move your left hand towards the right at the same time turning it back upwards, thus turning A over, end for end, Fig. 6. As the hands meet again, place A in the finger palm position in your left hand, drop the tip of the right thumb on B, gripping it against the tip of the right index finger, Fig. 7, and draw the right hand away, the tips of its thumb and fingers sliding over B, Fig. 8. Hold this position, the tips of the right thumb and fingers at the top of B for a few moments before removing the right hand altogether, Figs. 9, 10, holding the spectator’s bill B in plain sight.

      I must repeat that the action must simulate the actual placing of A in the right hand. Practice the moves in slow motion until they become familiar, then, and only then, increase the pace to that with which you would actually place the bill in your left hand in ordinary circumstances.

      II. THE TIMING

      Timing may be defined as the seizing of a favorable moment for the execution of a sleight as, for example, when the spectators are relaxed or have their attention directed elsewhere.

      We will suppose that a spectator has folded a dollar bill in the manner already described and that you have a duplicate dollar bill finger palmed in your right hand.

      Follow these moves—

      1. Take the bill from the spectator with your left hand, then put it in your right hand in the position shown in Fig. 6. Keeping the greater part of the folded bill in full view, hold it against your forehead for a moment or two. Drop your right hand to body level as you say, "I get a 3 (or whatever may be the first figure in the number of your finger palmed bill which you have memorized).

      2. Again put the bill deliberately to your forehead, pause for a moment, then drop your right hand again to a point a little above and a few inches away from your left hand, and say, "There’s a 9 next (or whatever the second figure of the memorized bill number may be). Say this with your whole attention directed towards the spectator and at the same time place the bill in your left hand, really executing the switch.

      Note particularly that the switch is never made in moving the right hand from the forehead directly to the left hand. First you put the bill deliberately to your forehead, then drop your hand, again put the bill to your forehead and again drop the right hand. Pause a moment and then make the switch as you engage the attention of the spectator by making a remark and gazing directly at him.

      III. THE APPLICATION

      Now that you have learned the switch you are ready to apply it to a trick. I give you the following trick which you will be able to do for your friends. Since there is no message to be read and only the switch to be used you can do it whenever an opportunity offers itself. You will find that by breaking the trick in in this way you will become much more proficient than by practicing for hours before a mirror. Too often those who have attained mirror perfection go completely to pieces before a real audience.

      I call the trick:

      BILL-EPATHY

      Effect.—The mentalist asks for the loan of a dollar bill and when one is offered by a spectator, he hands him a paper pad and a black crayon, requesting him to make a record of the serial number of the bill which will be found in the lower right hand corner just above the signature on the bill. When this has been done the spectator is further instructed to fold the bill into a small packet with the number inside the folds.

      Taking the folded bill the mentalist holds it to his forehead and then names the figures of the serial number on it correctly. The bill is then handed back to the owner. He unfolds it and checks the serial number. He is then told to make a record of the number of the bill, that is, the eight figures at the top, and to fold the bill again.

      Again the mentalist takes the folded bill and holds it to his forehead. He calls off the figures one by one and again they are correct, corresponding with the record.

      Requirements.—A dollar bill, a large crayon pencil, preferably black and a pad of paper. For casual performances of trick, done mainly for the sake of practice, any pencil and piece of paper will do.

      Preparation.—Take a dollar bill, not too new, memorize the eight figures comprising its number and then fold it in halves lengthwise, again the same way and then once the opposite way with the numbers inside the folds. Place this bill in your right hand trousers pocket. Have the paper pad and black crayon handy.

      The reason for using the paper pad and black crayon is a logical one. By having the spectator write the figures with the crayon, quite naturally he will write them boldly. They can then be read easily by the other spectators who are thus enabled to participate directly in the procedure and, further, the final check up of the figures can be made without any fumbling.

      The reading of the serial number of the bill is a very simple matter. Unknown to the general public, the serial number on all dollar bills at this time is 1935. The figures are very small and in most cases the spectator will have to be told just where to find them, that is, on the lower right hand side of the bill and just above the signature.

      Procedure and presentation.—Begin by asking for the loan of a dollar bill. Several will be offered and you note quickly which one is similar in appearance to the bill which you have in your pocket. Give the pad and the crayon pencil to the person offering this bill and have him record the serial number in bold figures. It will probably be necessary for you to tell him where to find this number and this you do.

      When this has been done, have him turn the pad face downwards so that there can be no suspicion of your getting a glimpse of the figures. Instruct the spectator to fold his bill with the numbers inside (in the same way that yours is folded). While all this is being done you have been standing at a little distance and have been careful not even to glance at the spectator who is handling the bill and you have had ample

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