I'm sure this must have been done before but I sometimes use the following presentation for MS.

A number is selected unknown? to the performer. He then starts to fill in the squares asking the spectator to concerntrate on his or her number. After filling in a few he asks if they see their number - they don't obviously, he carries on filling in a few more,can they see it now? no, he finishes filling in all the squares and asks for the number. He apparanatly has failed, but wait if we add up all the numbers in this line we get your number! In fact all the lines across add up to your number! As do all the vertical lines etc etc. as per the normal revalations.

Gets good reactions however I appreciate this method adds one more phase into the MS prior to filling in the numbers which is why I also do a more impromptu version based on Harry Loraynes presentation which obviously always palys well.

Regards..............

I think that is a great idea.

Would be fun if it's not apparent that it's a grid at first, so you just write a single number and show it, asking if he sees his number. When he responds in the negative, you continue with your suggestion above, writing a few more. But I think it's good to write them on the same row so it's still not apparent that you are beginning to form a grid.

Thanks!

/Tomas

I do something similar and it plays very well.

May I ask how you handle this problem presentationally:

You must make the spectator think of a number of at least 30. If he knows that you know that he is thinking of at least 30 it falls pretty flat if you write a number less than 30 on the paper and asks if he sees his number. He knows that you know that that can't be his number.

So have you found a way to restrict his number to make your guess feel like a real possibility?

An example of what I mean: You chose to make sure his number is at least 30 by saying "Please think of a three-digit number."

You show him a two-digit number and ask if he sees his number, which of course does not make any sense. How is this solved, if possible at all to solve?

Thanks in advance,

/Tomas

I like the suggestion of writing the numbers with no apparent grid visible.

As to your question re: justifying a smaller number than the parameters stated. Perhaps just saying : "I am going to write some numbers here...please tell me if you see your secret number...it could be an individual number or a combination of the numbers I write". Leaving it fairly vague may give you cover until the final revelations are shown.

Rich

I use an presentation that I use that I thought several of you might appreciate. Instead of using a grid which may allow them to get an idea of where you are leading them, I have a postit pad in my hand and write one large number on a single posit-it sheet, rip it off and stick it either to a blank dry-erase board or even a wall if my performing area is backed up to a wall. Then of course I ask does this make any sence to you or is this your number? They say no, I then write a second number on the next post-it sheet on the pad, rip it off, and also stick it on the board/wall, but in a random place (not directly next to, over or under the first), I repeat my question to them again.

I keep doing this putting the individual sheets up in a seemingly random order. They have a look like "what the hell is he doing". The grid idea really doesn't hit them and this presentations keeps more of an element of surprise right up to the reveal. I hope you like it.

Tomas, it's a good question, and I asked myself the same thing. But actually, that's part of the fun. You casually ask the spectator to write down a number between 35 and a hundred. I then reveal numbers four at a time, asking if he sees his number (with an additional premise that I don't want to go into here). Most of the audience who recall the conditions (and it won't be everyone) soon realizes that you can't be right, and thinks you've made a big mistake. With each reveal, the audience gets more smug, convinced that they've caught your mistake, congratulating themselves on remembering your initial conditions. The magician plays it off as being more and more bewildered as to where he went wrong. So, then it's that much more powerful when you reveal the square!

Thanks!

I got this other idea how to combine the restriction yet make your "guess" logical:

Write a number formed by the last digit of one number and the first digit of the number to the right of it, and make sure this is at least 30. That way there are totally new numbers formed when you later draw the grid, since they see that the grid lines are dividing some of the numbers you started with as your guesses.

/Tomas

Use a force bag-clear

Using upto100 numbers -small square size etc, only have a few in the bag & add the rest so
audience see whats happening..

Have them select your force

That with any of above routines for MS would work really well.....

that's a really neat way of doing MS
I must try a similar presentation sometime as it seems logical
to actually put some of the nos down prior to getting the specs nos
which gives even more credability to the square when complete etc....

upto 12 of the 16 nos will work easily...

Thank you!

Strangely, I'm thinking of performing a MS soon in a caberet and had similar ideas to the above. My take was:

1 - At the top of the show I ask a spec to "think of a number which has emotional significance to you. For example, I could have picked 40 as it was the house number that I grew up in. Try to keep it a whole number and between 25 and 60 is best, to be the best balance between making it difficult for me, and us being here all night!" Once she has that, get her to write it on a pad (p**k), tear the paper off and keep it with her for the duration of the show. Tell her to concentrate on the emotional significance, instead of the number.

2 - Do other parts of the show, then at the end invite her back onto the stag with her paper. Also invite someone who has a calculator on their phone and give them a set of post-its and a pen. Ask them to write the numbers I say down for reference.

3 - Try to "read" the event from her (guess / cold read), based on what I know of the number.

4 - Do a mind reading act around using the MS numbers to see her reactions, honing in on her thought of number, whilst the other spec writes all my "guesses" down on postits and puts them up in a horizontal line around the wall.

5 - Reveal the number and (hopefully) get applause.

6 - Rearrange the postits in blocks of 4 and reveal the MS and ask the 2nd spec to check the calculations etc.

What do you think?

I love these Magic Square presentation ideas. Thanks to all!

You can do a birthday patter adding up the numbers in the birth date.
Since you pick how to split the date you can control the total.
Normally the year split into two will get you over 30 and with the day and month added in.
ie. March 5, 1921, would be 3+5+19+21=48 your "cosmic number".
If they are born in the early months of the 2000's, then you are doing Magic Square for kids and you should be able to outwit them.