In Jay Scott Berry's Penguin lecture he talks about tension and release in the context of a CP vanish. Can anyone recommend resources on learning and practicing this type of movement. He does it beautifully and I'm guessing there may be some acting texts or exercises that may help with this. This may not be the perfect place to post this, so any advice or guidance is welcomed. Thanks.

best,
Joe

For visual reference, check out Tom Stone's penguin lecture
he talks about this concept in the context of one coin routine

also all the dvds and booklets from Michael vincent
he mentions the tension & relaxation in all of his material

for the reading source, I recommend everything by Slydini
John Ramsay, Gary Kurtz

Tension/Relaxation cycles are hard. Tommy Wonder is the place to learn how to use them but there's a problem. The first time I read the Books of Wonder all I got out of it was a card trick that I performed poorly and one line of theory that I didn't know how to use. So I mulled over that bit of theory and thought I understood it but I didn't. A couple years later I came back and reread the books of wonder and out of it I got...2 lines of theory, well, 1.5 really, just a slightly better understanding of that first line. A couple of years later I came back to it and got a bit more. I started to slightly understand what he was talking about, but still had no idea how to use any of it.

Then I started meditating and learned how to observe my body. I started reading books on acting and learned about motivation, emotion, and movement. I learned how to react to things, how to tell stories, how to make people laugh, how to direct attention. I learned how to pantomime, how to flirt with my eyes, how to stand with confidence. Then I came back to Tommy Wonder and everything he was saying seemed so obvious and easy and it seemed so odd to me that I never understood it. Just this week I watched someone do several effects from The Books of Wonder and I was marveling at how he did every single thing on the wrong moment when Tommy Wonder so clearly states when to do every move.

My point is magic theory and relaxation and tension is like telling a blind person what to look for. Moments of tension and relaxation are present in every single thing we do, every moment of our lives, but we don't notice them because we don't think about them. Look down at your left hand and think about how it got to whatever position it's at. Try to picture how it moved to there. I assume you really have no idea because you weren't paying attention to it, you were paying attention to the screen in front of you. How we move when we're not consciously controlling our actions is incredibly complicated (well, seemingly complicated, but it follows 1 simple rule, whatever takes the least amount of energy).

The first step to understanding magic theory isn't to read books, it's to learn to watch yourself without influencing your movement. When you're walking, feel how your arms swing. When you pass something from hand to hand, watch how your empty hand falls to your side. Pay attention to where your eyes move during a conversation with someone. Just learn to be aware of what your body is doing. You may not understand all of it, but just focus on feeling what your body is doing.

Then read Slydini, my suggestion is "Master of Misdirection" by D. Angelo Ferri, while paying special attention to how the body moves and takes the hand/arms with it.
And then Tommy Wonder (Books of Wonder) with a focus on how to control attention.

Wow Great advice! Thanks so much. I went ahead and got the Stone lecture (I'd been wanting to for a while so glad you mentioned it). I've only watched the first hour or so so far but it's been excellent (I've re-watched that hour about 4 or 5 times) and has already made an impact and difference on my performance. I have not gone back into the Books of Wonder for a while but will definitely make a new study of them and am looking forward to reading the Master of Misdirection (I've heard great things about it). FYI I also recently got the Ostrich Factor and it's helped highlight the tension / release in my effects I initially asked about. Again thanks for the specific and thorough responses

Best
Joe

Hi Joe,
I'm glad you found The Ostrich Factor book helpful. I hope you found other helpful ideas also. Types of body movement, body language, tension and release may not be the same for everyone, but general principles apply in most cases. Thanks for mentioning my book! Best wishes with your performances!

Cheers!
Gerald

Besides Gary's big hardbound book! He has a small set of notes out Called " Leading with your Head" No tricks But you Do get the GOLD!!! The Good stuff. The WHY Not just the HOW!!!

Thanks David,
You are right. The last section of Kurtz' book is the psychological section. Everything he says in this section meshes with Al Schneider's 'intention of reality." But imho, Schneider's
theory might be more important because it is not one of many techniques to be remembered, but IT IS MORE LIKE A CONTROLLING THOUGHT OF REALLY, DOING SOMETHING---
that is not. But you are right, Gary's book is a classic. What I like about Schneider's theory is that it is so simple, but that it is above technique, and can even overcome average technique,
if it is followed. What is your mileage with these things? I am not trying to create an argument, but just to post some things and see what you all have experienced, even if it is different from
my experiences.

Wow, I'm so pleased by this great info coming in. I went ahead and purchased the Kurtz notes (and Pocket Power). What are some good sources for reading Schneider's thoughts?

If you look up Al Schneider here, he has some great thoughts on MC.

This is tough to write... the folks I watched for that stuff are gone from magic and conventions. The last one was Dean Dill. Years ago folks went to Slidini... fortunately we have Jerry Deutsch at the Café to ask. For reference, reports of Ramsay in action suggest he created the tension/release in the audiences' minds by letting folks think he was using well known methods, then showing an empty hand where that suspected method would not have been empty...using that moment of reconsidering as the blind spot to hide his method...BUT all the while acting as the genial forthright person with a twinkle in his eye if you looked. A different form of misdirection than broad stroke/breathing, character based work as shown by Slydini, Kurtz, or Fred Kaps.

The Ganson book on Dai Vernon's magic has good examples. Look at the Han Ping Chien trick there and then at the dinner table version of Free and Unlimited Coinage.

Save tricks like Slydini's helicopter card for after you get the strategy working

Hi Senno,
Thanks for starting this thread. You are a real seeker and I expect you to be rewarded for your efforts. I copied this from Al Schneider, Coins Across +++, currently from page 5 of this forum (nothing up my sleeve).
I am just trying to serve you by copying and pasting this. From recent experiences of performance, where the Intention of Reality was applied, I think this information should be charged for. If not, most people cannot
appreciate all the time, work and incredible results which have come from it. In Al's words:

_____________________________________________________________________

Intention of Reality
Before getting into the primary routines of several of my books, I like to present some philosophical information about performing magic. While these books are not always concerned with making coins disappear, that subject is used as an example of what Intention of Reality is. Often other magicians ask me how I make a coin look like it really moves from one hand to another when there is in fact no coin. I tell them that I paint a picture of the coin moving from one hand to the other. However, there is one little detail in the picture that is missing. That is the coin itself. The reason this works is that if all other details are present in the picture, the minds of the audience automatically fill in that one little detail.

The device used to paint this intricate picture is called Intention of Reality.

To begin to understand what Intention of Reality is, try the following experiment. Place a pencil on a table in front of you. Now pick the pencil up. Put it on the table and do it again. Actually do it again several times. While you do it, study your thought patterns. There is a point there when you intend to pick up the pencil. When you think that, actions flow forward and the pencil gets picked up. The pencil does not get picked up if you pretend to pick it up. The pencil does not get picked up if you believe you can pick it up or want or decide to. The pencil only gets picked up when you intend to pick it up.

This concept is applied to magic when you take that thought process and use it to create reality for your audience. In magic, the audience is not aware that the reality they are observing is false. This bears repeating. During a magic performance the audience is not aware that some real thing they are observing is not actually real. This is true even though the audience knows that you are not really doing magic. In a stage play, the audience perceives that the actions, though appearing real, only appear real and are in fact not real. For example, a person might be shot and die in a play. While the audience cries over the person’s death, the audience knows the actor did not die. In magic when the audience sees something created with Intention of Reality they perceive that it is real. As mentioned the audience will realize, of course, that the effect produced is but an illusion. But at some point the audience will observe some reality that is not reality that is used to mislead their minds from the true method of the effect. Consider the creation of a coin in your hand when in fact there is no coin in your hand. After the effect is performed they will believe that somehow you extracted the coin from your hand without being able to detect this. The reality, however, is that you used Intention of Reality to create a coin in your hand after which you simply revealed there was actually no coin. The point here is that, when correctly performed, the audience will believe that a coin was actually in your hand. There perception then is that somehow you got the coin out of your hand to accomplish the illusion of magic.

The thrust of all of this is to convince you that the Intention of Reality means intending something to exist. As we have introduced the use of this with coin vanishes, let’s focus on an intended coin in your hand as an example. The idea is that you have done some sort of move in which you have apparently placed a coin into your hand. There is nothing in your hand, but the audience is to believe that the coin is there. You can use your mind to intend the coin to be there. If you look at that feeling or thought that you use when you intend to pick up a pencil and apply that feeling to the intended coin in the hand, you have it.

How is this developed?

The first step is teaching yourself and/or your subconscious mind what the reality is that you wish to create. In the example we have selected here, we wish to create the reality of a coin being in your hand.

The method is to hold a coin in your hand. While you do this you become aware of all the sensations and feelings of the coin being there. Move your hand up and down allowing space around the coin so the coin flops around in your loosely closed hand. Notice the weight of the coin, how the surface of the coin feels rough on the tips of your fingers. You also notice how your other hand behaves. You also notice the position of your head, your shoulders, and your arm and so on. You must become a master of what happens to your body while holding that coin. And you become aware of what your eyes are doing while holding a coin in your hand.

You must study and be conscious of these things. Then you take the coin out of your hand and recreate all of those sensations, feelings and thoughts with your mind. You first teach your automatic side what the reality of the coin is then you use your automatic side to recreate those phenomena when there is no coin there.

You first use the reality of the coin to do this. That is, you use the actual coin to teach your body and mind what is happening. Then you use your intellect and awareness to do this. The process requires a lot of study and time.

Now, when you take the coin out of your hand and intend a coin to be in your hand, all of those things you studied while a real coin was there are turned on. You don't think about it, you don't pretend and you don't act. In fact, you don't do anything. For all the world is to know, there is a coin in your hand. You will find this quite amazing the first time you do it. You will find yourself holding a coin but there is no coin there. You will not pretend or even try to believe. But with the slightest intention there is a coin there. When you talk to someone, when you look at someone; your mind will be on the coin in your hand and you will make no effort to keep it there. It will simply be there.

This is the Intention of Reality.

It can be applied to any motion of deception. The recipe to accomplish this, as presented here, is to do whatever motion you wish to use for real. Do the event over and over, until your mind and body know every detail. Then you get your mind and body to duplicate that move during the performance of the deception.

A great deal has been said of Retention of Vision. That is very pretty and powerful. However, it is not as powerful as the Intention of Reality for, during the presentation of a Retention of Vision move, the performer knows it is a move or knows there is an act to perform. The use of Intention of Reality requires no move.

Also, moves like the Retention of Vision require that the audience actually see something. That is, during the effect there must be something there. With Intention of Reality there need not be anything there. In my e-book on The Theory of Magic I present the example of pretending to pick up a coin and causing it to vanish. There, the coin is left far behind. Then the "intended" coin is dropped into the hand and allowed to vanish. At the point where the coin is dropped into the hand the Intention of Reality can cause the audience to actually see the penny. Magicians have observed this and call it Retention of Vision. I must quickly point out that there is, in fact, no coin there. Yet, the observer sees a coin in my hand. Such is the power of this concept.

Putting this into Practice
While the above is quite interesting, it does not spell out the specifics of how these ideas a put into practice. Here are a few words about that.

To get into this I must present an idea of how I believe the mind works. There are two sides to the mind, the Aware and the Automatic. Other disciplines will have there own names for these and their own definitions. I wish not to get into those philosophies so I offer my own words and definitions for them. The aware aspect is that part of us that is aware of what is before us and responds to it. When we think the thought “I” it is the aware part thinking that thought. The aware part observes and makes decisions. The automatic part essentially contains a number of actions that are waiting to take control of the mind and body when asked to do so by the aware side. An example is in order.

When driving a car, you see a light and put your foot on the brake and stop the car. If you scan your memory for some recent time you did this, chances are you will remember seeing a stoplight at some point. You will tend to not remember stopping the car. During this process, your aware side saw the red light and told your automatic side to stop the car. It took over, moved your foot, applied exactly the right pressure and the car stopped right at the line by the light.

The point of this is that the aware side observes and takes action. The aware side creates intention to take this action. The aware side intends something to happen, that intention is a message to the automatic side to execute whatever it is.

To apply this to magic, an appropriate action of deception must be built into the automatic side. The entire complexity of the action is put there. Then during performance, an intention is conceived and the automatic side is directed to do its thing. Perhaps the major point of this is that the fact the automatic side is doing it causes that action to appear real to the audience. Indeed when this is mastered, whatever the deception action is, the aware side of the person doing it also observes it as real. This, at first, can be a bit disturbing. When you master this for the first time with something mundane as holding a coin in your hand, you are amazed that you really feel the coin there. You see, you do not believe the coin is there, you do not pretend it is there and you do not act as if it is there. You throw out this intention and you feel the coin is there. It is quite magical.

With this understanding, however, how do we get that action into the automatic side? But then, even before we can address that, how do we determine what to put into the automatic side?

The first task then is to decide what to put there. This is difficult for many books have been written on magic moves of deception. What you do is thus, another part of the equation. In general the answer is doing what is natural. In our example here, we are simply holding a coin in the hand.

Once you have the action you wish to put into the automatic side, the act of repeating that action over and over is done to get it there. Thus, the transfer from the aware side to the automatic side is simple repetition. This has its own problems. This process can be painful and requires a great deal of time. Only the serious student will devote the time to do this. Many begin but many will quit before the task is accomplished. This task is made even more difficult if the person doing the practice does not believe the action being moved to the automatic side is a correct action to use.

I have not been able to effectively communicate what must be done in writing. I have been quite successful at teaching this to many people. However, this is done in a classroom where I stand over each student essentially forcing them through the process. It is not always successful for people sometimes get up and walk out of the room because the pressure can be great.

Unfortunately the only way to determine a correct action is to go through the entire process and see if it works.

One aspect of the Schneider teaching method is that there is a process to accomplish getting some action from the aware side to the automatic side. This is a bit beyond the goal here of describing Intention of Reality. It really is just simple repetition until it gets there.

Hopefully the forgoing sheds some light on the Intention of Reality.

Before leaving the subject, however, I wish to push a bit more on a critical point. Most magicians understand the need to move a motion of deception into the automatic side. They, in general, do not understand the need to move an actual motion into the automatic side. This bears explanation. Consider a coin lap. Most magicians feel comfortable holding the hand near the edge of the table and doing the action. But do it as a real action. Simply rest your hand in that same position as if you were doing nothing. Most magicians doing this will feel very awkward. This is the Intention of Deception. You see it is not real. The audience can detect that this is not real. What all of the forgoing suggests is that you determine what your hand would do when it does that action for real. Then repeat it until it is comfortable and automatic. Then, when you intend to simply rest your hand on the edge of the table, it happens without further thought. This is Intention of Reality.

In conclusion, to master a move both the real and motion of deception must be moved to the automatic side.

Understand that the motions of deception are quite varied and depend greatly on personal preference. The attempt here is to show a basic procedure that must be practiced for the whole to work well.

Al Schneider

_____________

To me, the I.O.R. works like this: when you hand a spectator of coin, by doing the French drop, you let your mind, not just your actions, feel it and know it is in your hand, when it is not. When it disappears, it would be natural to do a simple gesture,
not a knack sleight, to point out your surprise and partial confusion that it is gone. So this occurs in the mind, is backed up by natural moves, but the emphasis is on the mental side/natural simple moves. Recently, this has been creating some great magic for me. I say this humbly, because it took me so many decades to partly learn this, finally, to just give up and to let the mental side take over. The hardest part of this is to believe it will work. But it is only when we believe it mentally that magic can be conveyed to the spectator. If magic does not happen in OUR MINDS, BACKED UP BY NATURAL SIMPLE MOVES, then how can it occur in the spectator's mind? Please let me know if I am off or a heretic. he he.