What's the mentalism routine that you've read, seen (or performed!) that's left you stunned?

I'm asking this because I've just read Derren Brown's Reminiscence and I think it's the most stunning piece I've come across.

Anyone else want to cast their vote?

Jack Shalom

"Stunning" in what why, Jack?

I mean it left me open mouthed with it's beauty of effect, and cleverness of method. It reads like pure mind reading.

Jack

This is the one he left out of the second edition of his Pure Effect book? Figures.



Brian

Do you have a brief of the effect Jack?

Here is what the audience experiences:

A volunteer is taken from the audience and hypnotised. She then chooses an area of her life such as 'Romance', 'Health', 'Travel', 'Finance' and so on, by selecting a tarot-like card that corresponds to that area. She is told to build in her mind a picture associated with that area. She is told to step inside it and look around, noting as many details as possible.

The performer closes his eyes too and begins to describe the picture that the spectator is seeing. She confirms that the details are correct. For example, she describes a meal with a boyfriend from when she was eighteen. The performer is able to tell her precisely what she is picturing, and such things as the name of her boyfriend and the type of restaurant without using cold reading. Using hypnotic regression he encourages her to experience the picture more vividly and is soon able to offer staggering detail such as the color of the napkins, the music played in the restaurant and a description of the waiter. Some of this information he merely states and has her confirm. Other information he writes on a pad, which is revealed only after she describes the scene.

Then a second volunteer is hypnotised and given the pad and pen.
The second volunteer moves his pen to a rhythm that he does not comprehend; when the pad is turned over, it shows a number that the first volunteer was thinking of.

Finally the performer asks her to forget about the scene and to get an image--think of a celebrity. He starts sketching a caricature on the board. When he finishes, the volunteer names the celebrity. The performer is correct again.

No pre-show work. Nothing has been written down. No stooge or instant stooge--the participants are as baffled as the audience. Each night, of course, the participant is describing a unique event.

It must be mind reading . . .

Jack

I agree with landmark. The methods (note the plural) to this effect are very, very clever. It really highlights what a great thinker Derren Brown really is.

The last time I was as impressed by the method of an effect was reading 'Twice as Hard' by Aronson. This is an awesome effect and the method is just incredible.

Andrew

The last time I was stunned like this was recently, when I fully grapsed the power within Peek Encores as I practised one of the moves in front of a mirror

Andrew, what's the effect of 'Twice as Hard' ?

It's a shame that it was excluded from the second reprint of Pure Effect , I missed out on it.However I can appreciate why it was omitted . I'll get my hands on it one day !
Does anyone out there or "in the know" know if Derren Plans to publish a book of effects in the near future ?

I must agree with derren browns reminiscence Its quite possibly the best routine I have ever seen.
The final part involving the charicature, genius!

The part using the second spectator writing a number is so well thought out.

Sludge,

Twice as Hard is as follows:

A 'normal' deck is shown and placed in the middle of the table. Two participants join the performer. The first person is asked to name a number between 15 - 25, let's say 22, the second person a number between 35 - 50, let's say 43.

The first participant is then asked to reach over to the deck and cut a portion off and note the bottom card. The second participant does the same. The cards are then replaced. (have my word that I have not left a thing out here, performer never touches the deck at all, the cuts are completely fair and the deck is completely squared at the end)

Performer now briefly spreads through the deck pondering and replaces the deck on the table. He turns to the first particpant and, with all the presentation you can give, reveals their card. Now the killer - he asks this person to pick up the deck and count down 22 cards. When the 22nd card is turned over, it's his card !!!

This is repeated to the second particpant, ie the card is revealed and turns up on 43.

The method is sooo incredible, in fact, you may not actually undestand how it works, it just does. Luckily I have a maths degree so I managed to work this out.

Diabolical, especially considering the deck is only ever handled for a brief second by the performer, which is forgotten.

It surprises me that this effect is very rarely mentioned, it works in a magical context and mentalism.

Great great work Mr Aronson (not sure if he's a member here)

Andrew

Anyone know of another resource for Reminisence? I have Pure Effect, but it must be the second edition as this isn't in it, as mentioned above

Spatlind,

Here I quote Ian Rowland from an identical question to yours posted a while back:

"For anyone interested in 'Reminsicence', and somewhat frustrated by its current lack of availability, why not check out its parents? Part III of Kenton Knepper's 'Wonderwords' and Docc Hilford's truly beautiful 'Perfect Q+A Act' are the parents which gave birth to 'Reminiscence', and both are well worth knowing. Incidentally, both are also very good emergency standbys if you're at a venue and unexpectedly short of material. If you can find some cards - any deck of cards - and get 30 seconds to yourself, you can mock up a "good-enough" version of Docc's Q+A act."

Jack,
do you have the first copy of Pure Effect!?

Folks, it's not the first edition of Derrens book, it's the original spiral bound one Derren published himself to distribute at lectures etc. The hardbound Pure Effect never had Lift or Reminiscence in at all, not even the first printing.

If you study linguistics or Ericksonian kinda stuff or even if you have wonder words then you probably already know enough to create your own routine.

Isn't it better to be yourself?

You can see it performed on his lecture video available from International Magic. Although it is not explained, it is possible to work out the method(s) from the video.

Damion

Reminiscence is a great routine - if one thinks a bit one can figure it out from DB lecture.

Andrew, do you have a reference as to where Twice As Hard can be found ? It certainly does sound impressive

Sludge,

You can find it in Aronson's wonderful book 'Try the impossible', in which the first 100 pages deal with a new principle and then many tricks that use it, 'Twice as Hard' being the best.

If you get it and read it, don't bother with the 'Fixed middle' part, it's very long and is totally unnecessary, unless you are a perfectionist. The effect works everytime, and is VERY simple, without it.

Note: You will need to learn the Aronson, or any memorised, stack (not cyclic)

Regards

Andrew

Cheers Andrew,
Would a cyclic stack cause a problem? I tend to use Mr. Osterlinds Breakthrough stack (and am at present in the process of committing it to memory)...
ade