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EndersGame Inner circle Reviewer EndersGame 2195 Posts |
I recently came across a simple demonstration of muscle reading that is undoubtedly familiar to most of you. My source is Marvin Kaye's Stein and Day Handbook of Magic under the name "ESP Card Location" but I've seen it described elsewhere as well.
Here's how it works: The mentalist holds up a fan of five cards. A volunteer sits beside him with eyes closed, and clasps the mentalist's hand with his hand. The mentalist holds the cards with their faces towards himself and away from the volunteer. He names one of the cards, and the volunteer lets a finger of his other hand (the one not clasping the mentalist's hand) wander freely above the cards. Meanwhile the mentalist stares intently at the named card and with his mind wills the volunteer's finger to touch it. The subtle messages transmitted to the volunteer from the mentalist's clasped hand (the mentalist is not to deliberately signal this, since it is to be subconscious) will guide the volunteer to the selected card - when the volunteer touches a card he takes it out of the fan and generally finds it to be the selected card. That's pretty much the effect as described by Kaye. I've tried it a couple of times and certainly got more "hits" than the 1 in 5 odds would expect. My question for you is: What is the best way to perform this effect in terms of handling, and to get good results? I'm not so much worried about the patter (unless it's important), but the actual physical handling since that seems to be most important here. - The touch: What's the best way for the physical contact? (assume we're operating with friends and family here, so the personal contact is acceptable). Should the volunteer grasp the mentalist hand to hand? Or should he be holding the mentalist's wrist? Or should the mentalist be holding the volunteer's wrist? And if so, which wrist, the free hand, or the wrist of the hand moving over the cards? - The position: What's the best position here, should the volunteer and mentalist be seated beside each other? Or opposite each other? I've found that if the volunteer has his eyes closed, he doesn't know where the fan of cards is precisely, so even moving his finger above the cards can be somewhat of a challenge. - Anything else? I'm just looking for ways to do this effect more smoothly and cleanly, using a handling that will give the best chance of it working, so I'd love to hear from others about the best way to do this. Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice that you might have! |
IAIN Eternal Order england 18807 Posts |
If you wanna start a topic in inner thoughts, I reckon you'll get more help mate..
I'll chip in with something...
I've asked to be banned
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EndersGame Inner circle Reviewer EndersGame 2195 Posts |
Thanks for the suggestion. Moved to Inner Thoughts - please continue the discussion there.
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......rum=82&0 |
Ramsay Special user England 638 Posts |
I often think that the premise of muscle reading is far more interesting than the method.
Any mentalism routine can be dressed up as muscle reading - with or without the use of the real thing. L. |
EndersGame Inner circle Reviewer EndersGame 2195 Posts |
True enough, hellstromism can be a thoroughly convincing act as far as the audience is concerned, and little wonder that from time to time mentalists like to use muscle reading as a premise that makes their performance plausible. But for this particular demonstration, Marvin Kaye wants to legimately use muscle reading to achieve the effect without any other methods.
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