Techniques of Mentalism Lecture ...

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Techniques of Mentalism
( The Bob Cassidy Lecture Notes)
Copyright © 2002 by Robert E Cassidy
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
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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.
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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?"
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"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
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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
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