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funsway Inner circle old things in new ways - new things in old ways 9982 Posts |
The other day I posted a humorous story that was obviously fictional to illustrate how difficult it is to sometimes "know your audience" and just to "light up" a theme becoming too serious.
In contract I offer another story that posses some questions on theme. Your responses will assist me in how to perform any follow up effects of this nature. ........................ February was an unusual weather month in East Tennessee, with week lasting snow and pipe-bustin’ freeze, then mud up to your axles. Anyways, Emmie and I got roped into going to a Mystery Dinner Party. There were only twelve couples so the food was better than expected – even warm. Unfortunately, the guy with the Murder Mystery supplies failed to make it over the mountain. Emmie and I were volunteered to provide entertainment – she playing guitar and singing and me doing “something magical.” My wife Emmie is blind, and some say her extraordinary musical abilities are a compensation gift. I have performed a lot of impromptu magic in years long past of both the physical and mental types, but am out of practice with both and hate doing a less than credible job. Fortunately, I had been working with Branwen, my wife’s Service Dog on performing both conjuring and mental based effects. No, not as an assistant. She is directly involved in the presentation and knows when the “magic moment” occurs and really hams it up. Just one reason this amazing Sheltie was inducted into the Tennessee Animal Hall of Fame and a special commendation from the State Legislature. When I perform I choose to be careful about mixing conjuring and mental effects. Normally, I would select one approach or the other depending on who my audience is and what their expectations might be. With Branwen performing it is completely different. Folks will allow that a dog and have “special abilities” they would not grant a human without suspicion. This evening I did only one effect just to give Emmie a little break and to fulfill the promise of mystery for the evening. I introduced Branwen and told some stories of the special empathy between a Service Dag and Companion, and suggested that everyone in the room had some experience with an pet’s seeming psychic ability. Many guests nodded their heads. I had torn out a dozen photos from some magazines in the foyer, each with a distinctive image like the Eiffel Tower or an airplane. Emmie was up on stage with her back to the audience as a joke on her being blind. I has three different spectators select one of the photos at random but not show it to anyone. Then, one by one I had them show their photo to Branwen. The wonder pup would then make all sorts of weird sounds – chirps, growls and yips. Emmie would begin to play and sing a song that the embodied the theme of the photo! Then the spectator would stand up and show the photo around. This was repeated with the other two photos. After the first demonstration there was scattered applause and a lot of whispering at the tables. After the second there was no applause but a lot of loud comments like, “I thought dogs were color blind,” and “I understand a couple of sounds my dog makes, but this is uncanny.” The best was, “I think they have a psychic connection and the talking is just a cover.” Every eye and mind was on the last demonstration and Branwen was living it up. She pretended not to want to look at the photo. Then she looked sat down with her paws over her eyes. Then she looked again and began her “talking.” As Emmie concluded her song there was a standing ovation and people gather around to meet Branwen as Emmie shifted to some Celtic songs. …………………… Now, all of you can think of several methods of how this was done. What is important is that I was never considered to be part of the demonstrations at all, or any suggestion afterwards that any trick was involved. So, was this performance Mentalism, Mental Magic, Psychic Phenomena, a demonstration that a dog can talk, or what? It must fall under “Mystic Arts” somewhere. Together we had demonstrated something impossible and forged a memory of something beyond just entertainment. It is intriguing to me that more readily accept "paranormal" abilities for dog over that of a human. Having a dog communicate through speech is paranormal for a dog, yet some seem willing to accept some "higher" ability. If I performed this demonstration myself without Branwen it would be a very weak performance. Trickery would probably be assumed no matter what I claimed. Do I practice this sort of effect for future opportunities, or could myself lucky and let it rest? If asked again, "Is that dog psychic in other ways, what do I say?" Maybe, "No, she is a Mentalist."
"the more one pretends at magic, the more awe and wonder will be found in real life." Arnold Furst
eBooks at https://www.lybrary.com/ken-muller-m-579928.html questions at ken@eversway.com |
Nestor D Special user France (Paris) 830 Posts |
Great story, good question
My bet is that it was easily accepted because you gave a process and build on an accepted phenomenon (comunication between a dog and a blind). |
George Hunter Inner circle 2013 Posts |
Thanks for your marvelous story. My guess is that when you suggested that animals sometimes have psychic abilities and "many guests nodded their heads," THAT scripted the audience to then experience the effect like they did. Good job, good story.
George |
RicHeka Inner circle 3999 Posts |
Funsway...I too enjoyed your story.
See here regarding dogs: http://tinyurl.com/nztxf5k There is a theory that all animals including humans have an innate ability to communicate telepathically. There is another theory that early man depended on a form of thought transference before true language was developed. Then over time this ability gradually diminished because it was no longer needed in everyday living. I sometimes mention these ideas briefly as a prelude to to a mental telepathy routine I do. [it sets up the premise nicely] I have been surprised as to how many folks nod affirmatively, and sometimes verbally agree...perhaps because many of them own pets, and have witnessed it personally. Happy trails. Rich |
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