"Simplamental" Book Test
Wouldn't it be nice if you
were a real mentalist and for a book test you
would only have to use any ungimmicked pocket-book
or magazine. You would merely take the book,
riffle its pages until the spectator says "stop",
and hand them the magazine, have them look at
the first three words and then you tell them
exactly what words they're thinking of. Well
just in case you're not a real mentalist, keep
on reading for here's the way YOU can accomplish
the above, clean cut effect.
In my presentation, I have
a chair sitting stage left and on it are a couple
of magazines and five or six paperback novels.
I get an assistant from the audience and have
them stand to my left (between the chair and
the microphone). I have them select one of the
books (or magazines) as I patter along the following
lines.
"I'm sure that the total amount
of words in all of these books and magazines
would total into the millions. In fact, the
one you selected (read off its title) has three
hundred and twenty pages and probably eighty
or a hundred thousand words in it alone."
Apparently, as the above was
said, you casually flipped through its pages
to confirm your statement. What actually happened
was as soon as the book is handed to you, you
take it in your left hand and hold it by its
spine. Your right thumb riffles the pages of
the book (upper right corner) stop a little
over half way through the book. Quickly glance
at the left hand page and scan any large ads,
pictures, general layout and if possible the
first two or three words on the page. Memorize
this information (with a little practice it's
easy). As soon as you have it, place your little
finger on top of the right hand page and let
the book close. What you now have is known in
card magic as a little finger break in the book,
at the lower right corner.
We now come to the all-important
force. So you don't get confused, positions
of hands are as follows. The left hand is holding
the spine of the book, the four fingers are
underneath the book, and the thumb is on top.
The right hand thumb is on top of the book's
cover. The right little finger is holding the
break and the other three fingers are underneath
the book. Still with me?
Continuing, the right thumb
starts slowly riffling the pages. When the spectator
says stop, both hands move the book towards
him as this happens, move your right thumb completely
away from the book. When you do this, the book
will spring open at your little finger break,
and you place the book into the spectator's
hands as you move away from him. The entire
action of forcing the page must be done with
your head turned away (to the right) from the
action.
When I perform this I say,
"I would like you to form an image of this page
in your mind. Visualize, the pictures, the headlines,
even the first two or three words of text, if
you will. Now, actually write these thoughts,
with chalk of imagination, on the blackboard
of your mind."
You then proceed to feed back
the memorized information in your most showmanly
manner. I have researched for many years the hundreds
of book tests that have been in magical print
and I've never found a cleaner, more direct, or
easier method than, "simplamental". I hope you
agree and will give it the practice it deserves.
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