Bob Cassidy - Scorpio's Message.pdf - Bob Cassidy - mcgregor2001

Bob Cassidy

NOTICE – This e-book does not contain a table of contents. Those who attempt to read what follows in

any order other than as presented are likely to suffer disorientation and various symptoms normally

associated with acute psychosis. You have been warned.

The First District Court of Moldavia / Division of Mentalism

Docket No. 03-03-2323

THE STATE OF LOWER MOLDAVIA,

Co plainant,

DECISION OF THE COURT

ROBERT DELACROIX, ET AL,

Defendants

Writing for the majority, the Honorable Justice Joseph Schwanstucke finds, in part, as

follows:

It has been generally accepted that the secret of Scorpio’s Message had been lost forever with

the mysterious murder of the master mentalist Eric Jan Hanussen on March 25, 1933. This may or may

not be true, but it was recently alleged that the effect may actually have been taught to Hanussen by

Robert Delecroix a/k/a Doctor Crow.

When asked about this by one of Moldavia’s leading mentalists, Crow stated that it was true, a

fact that could be easily verified by asking Hanussen. When advised that Hanussen has been dead since

1933, Crow simply replied, “Well I guess you’ll have to take my word for it then. Or, ask that kid I used to

ghostwrite for – Annemann I think his name was – he can tell you.

“It doesn’t really matter, though,” he continued, “the point is that it’s one of the strongest effects in

mentalism. It was a reputation maker for Hanussen and it can be a reputation maker for you. You really

ought to buy my new book and learn it.”

While lying about dead people is not illegal in the Mentalists’ Republic of Lower Moldavia (the

practice, in fact, is common among historians and probate attorneys representing long lost heirs), recent

truth in advertising statutes have made it illegal to refer to an effect as being “a reputation maker” unless

the reference meets the so-called “two pronged” test of a) foundation, and b) clarity. In other words, the

individual making the representation is legally required to provide a rational basis for the statement and

must clearly define what he means by “reputation.”

Having carefully reviewed the following brief and exhibits presented on defendant’s behalf by

Robert E Cassidy, Esq., it is the opinion of this Court that the defendant has successfully met his burden

of proof. The effect is truly a “reputation maker” and it is recommended that it become part of the required

curriculum at the Mentalists Institute of Moldavia.

The Hon. J. Schwanstucke, First District Court of Moldavia / Mentalism Division

Brief in Support of the Defendant, respectfully submitted by

Robert E Cassidy, Counsellor at Law

It has been claimed that Scorpio’s Message is one of the most powerful and

direct methods of performing the major effect in mentalism. It has been further alleged

that it is not just “another way” of performing the Question Answering Act. Its creator

has described it as “a complete routine combining proven performance techniques, a

simple - yet indetectable - method, sound psychological factors and strong

entertainment value. A true reputation maker” – words previously regarded as mere

“puffing” and “hype” in courts of law, but now deemed actionable under the recent truth

in advertising laws.

Exhibit One – The Overlooked Flaw in Mentalism’s Major Effect

I have often referred to the Question and Answer Act as a major effect in

mentalism. (“Audience reading”, perhaps, is a more accurate description of the act,

since many presentations focus on the revelation of information apparently unknown to

the performer – the Sunshine-Dunninger-Kreskin approach – rather than the actual

answering of questions.) The effect is major since it involves, or potentially involves,

everyone in the audience as opposed to minor effects, which involve only one or a few

volunteers, and are sometimes referred to as “exhibition mentalism”.

The general wisdom is that the most important aspect of the effect is the manner

in which the questions are answered or the information is revealed. The method used to

secretly obtain the information is considered secondary*. The general wisdom, though,

overlooks a fundamental flaw in the effect – the inevitable disappointment of the

majority of the audience whose questions are not answered.

Scorpio’s Message , as will be shown, is the only routine of its kind that effectively

overcomes this problem

* Indeed, some performers – particularly those who have adopted a strong “psychic” approach –

simply request audience members to ask their questions aloud. A modern example of this

approach is provided by the popular self proclaimed medium and best-selling author, Sylvia

Brown. Members of her audience simply take turns approaching a microphone and asking her

questions.

Exhibit Two – The Nature of Illusion

In The Hanussen Proof, I described a method of performing one of the effects

that made the reputation of the great German mentalist, Erik Jan Hanussen – his

legendary date/place routine. As described in newspaper articles of the time and in

books about Hanussen, notably Mel Gordon’s Hanussen, Hitler’s Jewish Clairvoyant ,

members of the audience simply told the mentalist the dates of significant events in their

lives, and the places where those events took place. Hanussen was then able to

describe, in detail and often with a good deal of drama, exactly what occurred at the

given places on the given dates.

While most readers agreed that the method I described simulated the Hanussen

routine, there were a few who claimed that the published accounts of Hanussen’s

performance made no mention of information being written and collected. Even as

described in Gordon’s book, presently the definitive work on the clairvoyant’s career, the

effect did not involve the collection of information. How then, without confederacy,

previously obtained information, or genuine clairvoyance, could the effect have been

accomplished?

I submit that his method was very close to what I described in The Hanussen

Proof - information including the place, date AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT

was written by the audience, collected, and secretly read. IT’S JUST THAT NO ONE

REMEMBERED IT THAT WAY!

While written descriptions of Hanussen’s performances gave the impression that

nothing was written or collected, the following bit of evidence would indicate otherwise.

Photograph of Hanussen in performance, ( c. 1932) appeared

with the caption “Hanussen collecting date/place notes”.

(Can we guess why?)

I include all of this to illustrate a fundamental principle that is often forgotten:

It is not what you do that counts and how you do it doesn’t count for much

either – It’s what people remember (or misremember) that matters .

My friend, magic historian and close up performer par excellence, Jamy Ian

Swiss, correctly points out that it is irrelevant that David Copperfield’s “Vanishing Statue

of Liberty” was somewhat less than a believable effect. The important thing was that

Copperfield became remembered as “the guy who made the Statue of Liberty

disappear” – even by those who never saw the illusion. All stories get better in the

retelling - especially in the world of magic and mentalism, where untrained observers

will leave out the critical details, thus eventually crediting the performer with having

performed the impossible.

Scorpio’s Message , like other illusions, is generally described incorrectly by

those who have witnessed it. Unlike other effects of its kind, it is specifically designed to

enhance this misperception of events.

Exhibit Three - Relevance

A recent informal survey of mentalists and psychic entertainers showed that most

considered the Question Answering/Audience Reading effect to be the strongest and

most commercial effect in mentalism. Nonetheless, most mentalists do not include the

effect in their presentations. The obvious question, then, is “Why?”

While it is true that most mentalists do not include Q and A in their performances,

this does not mean that the effect is rarely seen. Variations of the routine are performed

every day by currently popular telemediums such as John Edward, James van Praagh

and Sylvia Brown. Their audiences are composed of people who hope to receive

personally relevant messages and/or solace from the “spirit world”.

It’s not my intention to get into the controversy surrounding the legitimacy of the

claims made by these individuals. That they enjoy wide popularity is beyond dispute and

I cite them only as examples of the drawing power of performers who provide their

audiences with personally relevant information. The fact that some claim to do this via

paranormal means is really beside the point, as evidenced by the equal popularity of

“teletherapists” and psychologists such as Dr. Joyce Brothers, Dr. Phil, and my all-time

personal favorite, Dr. Ruth “Did You Vair a Kundum?” Westheimer.

To a very large extent, however, modern mental acts lack this sort of relevance.

Mentalists generally restrict themselves to the presentation of “minor” effects that

highlight either the mental revelation of static and non-controversial facts (maiden

names, social security numbers, randomly selected words, etc.) or to the exhibition of

remarkable mental abilities (memory, sightless vision, metal bending etc.). They

generally avoid making outright claims to psychic ability and usually characterize what

they do as examples of heightened sensory – rather than extrasensory – ability. While

they will generally acknowledge that “Question Answering” is one of the most powerful

effects a mentalist can perform, they usually restrict themselves to the performance of

minor effects in order to avoid the technical and/or ethical problems they perceive as

necessarily companions to the effective presentation of Q and A.

The problem discussed in Exhibit One is also relevant here. Even among those

mentalists who have no problem with the ethical or technical aspects of the Q and A act,

Bob Cassidy - Scorpio's Message.pdf

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