Bob Cassidy - Techniquesof Mentalism Lecture Notes.pdf - Bob Cassidy - mcgregor2001

Techniques of Mentalism

( The Bob Cassidy Lecture Notes)

The nice thing about a lecture is that I have an opportunity to delve into areas which simply wouldn't be

appropriate (to my mind, at least) in my other writings. In my books I try to concentrate primarily on

original material. That is, after all, what the readers are paying for.

In a lecture, however, it seems quite proper to deal with fundamental approaches to the art and to discuss

my variations and handlings of standard effects and moves.

If you see me perform at a gathering of mentalists you will see nothing but my original material. When I

perform for lay audiences, however, (which is most of the time) I use effects that I consider to be the

strongest and most effective. Very often that is standard material.

I like to think, though, that even in the presentation of standard stuff, that my approach is at least

original.

In this lecture I'll be covering the material I carry with me all of the time so that it may be presented

whenever the situation arises. This is the stuff that gets the bookings. It's also material that will give you a

reputation for doing "the real thing."

I'll also cover the a two routines which most mentalists consider to be my best creations- my version of

the three envelope test and the “Card Memory” test. Unlike my previously published versions, which

covered a variety of different methods and approaches to the effect, what we'll discuss tonight is the way

I actually do it.

The Name/Place routine will also be described since I use it both in my close up and stage performances.

It is, I think, one of the most practical things you can do in an impromptu setting.

My Mentalism Kit

I make it a habit to always carry certain materials with me. When I?m wearing a suit, everything fits into

the pockets. In a jeans and T-shirt situation everything fits nicely into a belt pouch or fanny pack. (I

would, however, suggest that you don't wear the pack on your fanny unless you don't mind sitting on

your act.)

The materials are as follows:

A black lipstick.

A 35mm film canister

A regular die

A gimmicked "psychokinetic pen"

A packet of billets (blank 3x5 cards which have been cut in half)

Two "rainbow pads" (3x5 pads comprised of newsprint stock)

Magnetic cigarette case

At lease two more pens- one that matches the gimmicked psycho pen.

Two nail writers

6b and 2h artists pencils

Bent coin reel (For an effect not explained in these notes, but presented in detail at the lecture)

Some bent quarters

Paper clips

Envelopes

Golf Pencils

Drawing Pads

A couple of keys suitable to use as "benders" in case I can't find a suitable one in a small audience.

Here's what all of these things are for. Obviously I never do all of this material for one group. In fact, in

an impromptu setting, I find it much more effective to do no more than two effects. More than that

actually does more harm than good. Rather than creating a reputation for yourself by performing

something that the audience will remember always, if you do too much they'll tend to describe you as

someone "who did all sorts of things." You don't want that. You want them to tell their friends exactly

what they think you did.

The other stuff is for repeat performances.

The Black Lipstick

This has two great uses. The first is for my no-gimmick version of Fiedler's Memory Die. This has

previously appeared in my "Principia Mentalia" series but I gave myself permission to include it here.

This is the effect: The performer exhibits a 35mm film canister and an unprepared die. He hands the die

to a spectator and asks him to concentrate on one of the numbers. Next the mentalist hands the volunteer

the film can and tells him to drop the die into it so that his selected number is facing upward. The can is

passed around so that other spectators can look in and help in the concentration process. The last

spectator holding the canister is told to remove the die and toss it back to the performer.

Casually putting the die into his pocket, the performer retrieves the canister. Going into his psychic

mode, the mentalist successfully reveals the thought of number. Since we're discussing the use of black

lipstick I think the method should be apparent.

In the original routine, as described in "Principia Mentalia," I simply said to use a lipstick. The advantages

of using a black lipstick (available in any costume shop) hadn't yet dawned on me.

Prior to performance you need only insert the lipstick into the canister and leave a small dot on the little

nub which is on the center of the inside bottom. SMALL! Too much and you'll make such a mess that

you'll have no idea what number's being thought of.

Don't store the die in the canister. The lid is not used in the effect. It is removed from the canister just

prior to beginning the effect.

The handling is just as described above. When the die is tossed back to you a casual glance at it, as you

put it in your pocket, will reveal a slight smudge on one side of the die. The number opposite this one is

the chosen number. Remember- opposite sides of a die total seven.

(Of course if you didn’t already know this you are hardly ready to be a mentalist- or a parlor magician

either, for that matter.)

One problem with the previous effect is that it is basically a one out of six shot. It's more effective if you

use it in place of a force in a triple prediction effect such as Jak's classic "This Way Out."

The reason that black lipstick is best is that it won't be noticed on a white die with black spots. If seen by a

spectator he'll just assume that it is a cheap die with a shoddy spotting job. Red lipstick, however, while it

usually won't be noticed if you keep the handling brisk, will raise a red flag to an astute observer. My

other use for the black lipstick is simply a refinement of ideas created by Ned Rutledge, Punx, Ross

Johnson and myself.

The original effect was first described by Robert Parrish and probably goes back to the days of the

fraudulent mediums. This is how it looks:

The performer writes the numbers from one to five on a scratch pad in a vertical column on the left side

of the sheet. The spectator is told to think of the first name of someone who was important in his or her

life. Handing the spectator the pen, the mentalist asks him to print the name next to any of the numbers.

The mentalist, of course, does not watch while this is done. When the spectator says he is finished the

mentalist tells him to print random names next to the other four numbers, thus disguising the position of

the thought of name.

The mentalist retrieves the pad and explains that he has developed the ability to tell whether or not

someone is lying simply by observing his body language. The spectator is told to say "No" to each and

every question about to be asked, even if by saying "No" he will be telling a lie. He is further instructed

not to tell the truth until the performer tells him to.

"Do you understand?" asks the mentalist.

"Yes," replies the spectator.

"You don't get it, do you? Let me ask you again- do you understand?"

"No."

"Good."

Assume the selected name was Mary and is in the third position. The mentalist questions the spectator

like this:

"Was the name Ralph?"

"No."

"Was the name Jane?"

"No."

"Was the name Mary?"

"No." (If he says "yes" to this question you have selected an idiot as a volunteer. You'll get a big laugh,

but the effect is dead unless you've set yourself up to do it again. This will require another pen and pad- a

good thing to have in case of emergency.)

"Was the name Fred?"

"No."

"Was the name Ethel?"

"No."

The performer continues to question the spectator in this manner, but continually narrows down the

names until he is asking the same question over and over again, ie. "Was the name Mary." After the

spectator says "No" at least three times the mentalist says, "Now tell the truth." The spectator sheepishly

responds, "Yes."

The method is simple and, I think, more practical than some of it's predecessors.

There is simply a dot of black lipstick on the tip of the pen. You only pretend to write the numbers on the

pad. Actually you?ve written them there before the performance.

If you run your left thumb down over the first letters of the names, one of them will leave a slight smear.

If the smear runs through several names, don’t worry. Just look for where the smear began and that is the

selected name.

Again, as in the previous routine, it is essential that you only use the tiniest dot of lipstick. Too much and

everything will smear up. A little experimentation will show you the exact amount to use.

Originally the effect was performed with chalk on a slate. Later it was done with a soft pencil sharpened

to a razor point, making the initial letter of the thought of name noticeably thinner than the other names.

Rutledge came up with the idea of using a dot of blue carbon paper on the tip of a pen containing red ink.

Punx used lipstick to go red on red.

Red is a lousy color to use. Black on black is best. After the performance you needn't worry about leaving

the paper around. The smear is hardly noticeable.

The presentational aspect is mine and Ross Johnson’s.

The Psychokinetic Pen and Keybending

There have been several marketed versions of this effect and if you don't want to bother making one for

yourself (which can occasionally be a mess), I suggest you go to the magic store and buy one. Essentially

the effect is that the mentalist causes a pen placed on the edge of a table to fall to the floor. Standing

alone, the effect is meaningless unless you have established yourself as being "the real thing." It follows

the key bending effect quite nicely as an exhibition of the same "force" used to bend the metal.

An excellent impromptu routine (which literally scares the hell out of people) is a combination of the

following routines: Banachek's "Psychokinetic Taps," Bruce Bernstein's "Ring of Protection" (based on

Maskeline's "Ring of Power"), key bending, and the "Psychokinetic Pen." Except for the key bending,

these are all commercially available and thus it would be unethical for me to discuss the methods

involved. But, if you want a routine you can do anywhere, anytime, that is as strong as possible, you can't

go wrong with this combination.

There are commercial versions of the key bend but none is more effective than the no-gimmick version.

The method has been incorrectly explained so many times that it is probably a good idea for me to give

you my handling as it originally appeared in one of my earlier writings.

"...The main thing is to find a key with a large slot in it, like a KwikSet. Don't use a car key, it is very likely

to break, which will not go over too well with the owner. Remember, this is not the key you are going to

bend, it is the one that will act as a bender. If possible all of the keys used should be borrowed. By

borrowing several you will almost always find a suitable "bender." As a precaution, though, I always

carry a KwikSet key in my pocket which is easily added to the borrowed keys if necessary.

"In previous descriptions of the method, notably Randi's, the slot end of the "bender" projects from the

performer's hand. The tip of the key to be bent is casually inserted into the slot and the two are squeezed

to create the bend. This is done during the collection process, long before the spectators believe that

anything has happened. This hand position, however, makes the bending obvious to anyone who is

watching you too closely.

That is why I always hold the bender with the slot on the second joint of my first finger and the shaft

laying across the middle and ring fingers. This way you can insert the other key into the slot and

apparently only be holding it between the forefinger and thumb. While you are moving around you only

need to close your hand into a fist in order to bend the key in a completely imperceptible manner."

I realize that the above description may not be totally clear which is why this is something best seen at a

lecture. If you purchased these notes from me you've seen the move in action and should have no trouble

with it.

Billets- The Name/Place Routine, Center Tearing, Switching

Billet work is a cornerstone of mentalis technique. Unfortunately, very few mentalists or magicians are

skilled in the proper technique. Here's a paraphrased and updated version of what I had to say, in The

Art of Mentalism:

"...The problem is that billet work is undeniably difficult. To be effective, the switches and secret readings

must be performed completely casually.

Here I offer the reader a simplified means of performing the technique known as the "pocket read." In its

original form, using standard three fold billets, it was utilized frequently by Annemann, and is described

Bob Cassidy - Techniquesof Mentalism Lecture Notes.pdf

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: