Hi all, is there anyone who thinks it comletely unnecessary to ask a spectator to write a name on a piece of paper, only to rip it up and tell them what they wrote? I understand the case for 'them projecting their thoughts, getting a clear image in their head by writing it down' etc. but is it not just unnecessary and a little obvious? as thought readers (or whatever term we use), surely paper is not needed...your thoughts please

"Plausibility depends on context."

From Principia Mentalia by Bob Cassidy.

I would suggest you read these booklets - it answers your question as well explaining many other concepts in the presentation of strong mentalism.

Cheers.
Tom

One way around this is to hide the method in your presentation...

Have them write down their thought...ask them if they printed it our wrote cursive. No matter whay they say, rip it up and have them re-write it the other way. Next you don't even have to touch it.

I don't think the CT is too obvious unless it is handled poorly.

JE

Dejavu

Clairvoyance

Great Question. One which I believe we have all pondered at one point in out crazy mentalist lives!Something I have discovered is that if you just do it, people don't ask.

As a performer, we over analyse everythng we do..."why tear up something someone has written?" "why does someone have to draw an image for you to duplicate? Why cant they just think of an image?" And so forth (sorry for the poor examples but you know what I mean!)

If you are genuinly confident about what you are doing, just ask them to write the name down, they give it you and start a little cold reading (or even guessing) as you are tearing the paper up. When you catch the glimpse, use your best presentation, ie ask them to think of a letter in the name, or ask them to imagine a phototgraph of the person etc as you name the person.

I think the confidence and authority prevents people from asking why you tore the paper up. I have found, and this is my own personal experience, that when I ask them to rewrite the word in capitals, they begin to wonder why it has to be capitals as opposed to handwritten. I feel that this makes me begin to loose control of the person's concentration and consiquently the overall effect is reduced.

That is my own experience only of course. I personally think that people are willing to believe what you can do, obviously you come accross the occasional person who questions your every move. In this case, simply state that you tore the paper so that there was no way you could catch a glimpse of what was written through the paper, making it totally fair!

All the best,
bryan

It's called visual compromise. It just ain't real mindreading......

...just to add to my previous post;

The initial question pops up from time to time. My opinion is, that we tend to think too much, and worry too much.

I have been using center tears for ages, - and Osterlind's PCT continously for the last year.
Believe me or not, but I have never been questioned about why the spectactor should write.
I have followed Osterlind's clairvoyance advice, - with great success.
Give it a try!

On the other hand, IF someone should ask me to read their thoughts, right out of the blue, I have used my NW. I have always got away with that too!


Sven

Your reasoning for touching the paper is called psycometry, it's where you pick up vibrations off of objects including paper, this is actually a ver valid and accepted reason. I mean if you came down to it why should any one ever bother with any kind of prop, I mean if your a real mind reader just read their mind and be done with it, but then there would be little entertainment in just that, would there?

Remember, it's the impossinility of your gaining the info under such extreme conditions of being totally sourounded and you even point out that your not trying to see anything at all.
I vary my methods all over the place, the more info gaining methods you have under your belt the more you change them the harder it is for any one to lock on to any one of your methods.

H.W

Don't claim to be a mentalist and say that this is the only way to achieve the effect.
you think I am joking! I aint.

I have been asked why they have to write it down and my responce is this...What I do may appear to be mind reading but it is nothing more than visionary thought control...by getting you to write a number down, this means you have to think about what you are doing much more...you end up writing a word that I want you to think of. then of course we no longer need the paper.

In Magic
Steve Dela
this is

I ask them to write something simple enough that they could draw if they will be ask to...
I take the paper and try to feel the vibrarions ....I fail....so , I tear the paper and give them another piece of paper and ask them to draw it...maybe this will give me better vibrations...who knows?

Sometimes I think you guys think too much. I just do it and barely ever get questioned on it. I look up as I'm touching the paper, thinking, I ask related questions, then come out with it! When aksed I just say that it's easier for my mind to catch it if it's written down and that's that!

Anabelle

I simply state that writing doen their "word" cements the choice in their mind and ripping up the paper releases their thought into the vapors for me to read. I know it's a little corny, but it works for me. When you use the word "because," People buy the explanation no matter how crazy it may seem. By acting and drwing out the revelation in an entertaining way, you create a distance time that seperates you from handling the paper.
:rolleyes:

There is a great idea where after they write down their thought you guess wrong and tear up the paper in disgust.

then you can reveal the thought at a later date.
but if all you do is get them to write their thought and then imediantly tear it up then yes it doesn't make much sense to a magician but from a lay person perspective to be honest I don't think they really care unless they are diehard mentalist fans who travel the world in serch of mentalists performances.

I do use and love the idea of getting it wrong first which adds a little comedy to the effect and allows me to do multiple reads at the same time.

Basically I use it in conjunction with other effects so when I get it wrong I go straight into another read, get it right and then move into the tear.

to ThomasBerger
I thought you lived in NSW

If almost twenty years of personal experience and motivation of a professional mentalist holds any credibility, give a look to what Richard Osterlind had to say about this earlier this year:

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/searc......=3573072

John LeBlanc

One way of getting around this disparity is to say "I don't want you to even whisper what you are thinking. Please write the item down. To assure that you are being honest, I want you to show what you wrote down to one other person." Therefore there is a justification for writing it down.

Jailhouse Jonny

I like that idea

"to ThomasBerger
I thought you lived in NSW"

icentertainment-
Nope,
I left Sydney and moved to Tassie a year ago.

Tom

Hi folks

I think a CT is a reasonably good impromptu method of revealing a thought of word, but surely an ID blows it out of the water?

Just do it!