Standing between Objects

Impromptu    Direct    Miraculous    Memorable

After doing the effect in several situations, it has become the most powerful piece that I perform. People give you credit for special powers and they give you extra positive treatment when they see this one. I've even had people ask for counseling and readings of their fortunes after experiencing this miracle.

The effect: The mentalist asks a member of the audience to remove a pen and a business card that has a blank back. Then, the audience member is asked to fold the card in half, end to end, so that it can be torn neatly along the crease. This creates two halves of the card that should be pretty close to being identical squares. One of the squares is placed on the seat of his chair or on a nearby table. The audience member can even put this extra square in his pocket or another audience member could hold it. Anything is fine as long as it's out of the way, and can be attained later in the presentation.

The mentalist requests that the volunteer think of any object in the world, but not a living thing... an inanimate object, from anywhere in the world.

At this time, the mentalist says, "No, not the Eiffel Tower... it needs to be a single word, like 'Tower' as an example... so, just think of something else."

There is a shocked reaction to this quick miracle.  The performer explains the difficulty with multiple word concepts, and proceeds.

Once the volunteer settles on the single word that is the inanimate object, he is asked to print the word in capital letters on the back of the card. Once he finishes writing the word, he is asked to make a single fold in the card in a way that bisects the card lengthwise. The performer explains that the fold is made to hide the word. Then, the performer walks toward the volunteer, and, with his head turned away from the folded card at all times, takes it in his left hand. This is held behind the back, and the performer never looks in the direction of the written note.

With the first, hidden square held behind his back, the performer backs away to give the volunteer enough privacy to write something on the other square.  With his eyes open, the performer can see everyone in the audience using only slight peripheral vision, and the whole audience can see him.  He closes his eyes, and holds his empty left hand beside himself, the square held by the right hand behind his back.  With this considerable privacy, the volunteer is asked to print another word in capital letters on the extra square, not allowing anyone to see. He is to write an antonym; a word that is the opposite of the word that the performer is holding behind his back.

If the volunteer seems unable to come up with the antonym, that's okay... the performer just tells him to go ahead and write a synonym, instead. Something that goes with or accompanies the first word that was written. The performer closes his eyes while facing the volunteer during the writing of this second word.

The volunteer is asked to fold it in the same way that he folded the one that the performer is holding. The performer just turns around momentarily and shows the still folded square behind his back as a reminder.

The performer asks the volunteer to face him, and to relax the arm that is not holding the second folded card. The two are facing each other, and the performer explains that they "are both standing between the two objects" regardless of whether they are opposites or the same. The performer concentrates on the card that the volunteer is holding, and he begins to describe what that card has written on it. It becomes clearer and clearer that the performer is on the same mental wavelength as the volunteer, and the look on his face is one of wonder! His thoughts have been read, and the audience members gasp when they see his astonishment. The volunteer shows his card to have been correctly revealed, and the performer brings his card forward for the first time, unsure of what it says. The words are shown to be as they were thought of, either opposite or the same.

This effect can be done for one or hundreds, without fear of detection or prior knowledge of method.  Everyone is watching your face when you become aware of the hidden information.  No guilty glances or waiting for that 'right time' to gain access information.  This is so simple, you will wonder why you never heard about it or thought of it before.  No fakes, no gimmicks, no preshow work, no setup, no stooges or stage cues.  This can be done on stage, in a restaurant, in a living room with guests spread throughout the room, in a coffee shop...  When you walk into the room of spectators, you will immediately be visualizing and strategizing the execution of this technique.

"I think we'll be adding new letters to the Mentalist Dictionary. Along with MOAB, OO, AN and all the others, you will soon be hearing 'I used SBO last night and killed with it'. This is an outstanding idea and method for getting information...  you will be able to steal a major thought from a spectator in one of the cleanest ways imagined. And, on top of that, this routine outlines a great presentation for calling out that thought. This is high-level thinking and a very useful idea to have in your arsenal."   Greg Arce, World Class Mentalism Expert

Standing Between Objects  Complete with photos, performance recommendations, and alternative "bathing suit" version.   In Adobe Acrobat format

$9.95 US funds - That's less than dinner!  No shipping, no tax...  No excuses.

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Please contact me by email.  This may take time to verify and complete.  imagique@gmail.com