Contents
Foreword by Jez Rose
Introduction
Who and where?
EFFECTS -IDEAS AND EFFECTS.
Making Contact - Harnessing the power of touch
Susceptible - The spectators eyes are covered with your fingertips. Despite them
being able to feel your fingers, they feel touches on the back of their neck and head.
Relax - A spectator sits down and closes their eyes; you are watched by a group of
other spectators. You stand well away from the spectator on the chair and you ask
them to remain quietand ina moment you will ask them a very important question.
You silently stroke your shoulder a few times. You then ask the spectator if they felt
anything, the comments that they felt you stroke their shoulder, despite you being
nowhere nearthem.
Distant Touch - Standing well away from the spectator, you gesture towards them
and they feel you touch them.
Focus - one on one, the spectator feels something pushing them from behind,
despite your hands being in full view.
ROUTINES
Connected - An ‘experiment’ in paranormal communication that takes an
unplanned turn. A lighthearted attempt at making contact with the spirits goes off
ona diagonal asthings leave the performers control,
The Crying Child - A disturbing performance, centered around the spirits of a
young girl
VISUAL OCCURRENCES - NOT EFFECTS ON THEIR OWN, BUT IDEAS TO
WEAVE INTO EXISTING ROUTINES.
Burn on-A dead match relights under impossible conditions
Ghost Glass - A borrowed finger ring is placed inside a small glass as an impromptu
spirit bell. Atany time the ring isseen to move and shake inside.
Unaware - Events occurring that you are not aware of, The power of ignorance,
Final WordsForeword
"There is in souls a sympathy, with sound some chord is touched within us and the
heart relies.”
Before | became a Mind Reader professionally full-time, | worked clinically in
Psychology. The ability to touch someone physically and emotionally, without
actually physically touching them, has been an interest of mine fora very long time, To
do it without any props takes a very unique and intrinsic understanding of the human
mind. Shivers is a collection of effects that enable you to strongly connect with your
audience, They will move them, touch them and probably quite literally make them
shiver! | think Gary has done-a really great job in producing this unique collection of
effects that addresses a subject that is in my opinion far too underused in the art of
Magic, and Mentalism
As Gary nods to Banachek for inspiration, | think Steve Shaw would be proud that
"Psychokinetic Touches’ has inspired the effect of touching to be developed so fully
and wholly as it has here in Shivers,
"Upon touching sand may it turn to gold"
Jez Rose
www,JezRose.co.k
Introduction
Sometimes, magic as a performance art needs to be taken to a new level. Sometimes
sponge balls and playing cards just aren't enough to invoke the reaction that you desire.
Although magic in its standard form is as popular as ever before, it is evolving to a
higher plane.
Sometimes as a performer, you feel the need to effect people on a different level, more
than just entertaining them, you want to mentally alter their state of mind into thinking
that you are more than just the guy with the tricks.
In these pages, ! will detail several effects that can be used to mentally and emotionally
screw your spectators. These effects can bring about some VERY strong reactions and
need to be handled very delicately and with the respect that they deserve. These-effects
can scare, they can bring tears and they can make people stronger within themselves. It
is for this reason that | ask you to read each section of this book in turn and not go
Straight to the effects.
1 will describe herein the workings of these effects and | will detail the presentation, as
well as the methodology, Although the workings are simple in execution, without
serious consideration to the other factors involved in presentations of this sort, the
effect will fall short and will remain a trick.
None of these effects are presented as ma
in, youare merely a witness to these events and a point of focus for the spectator.
they are occurrences that you play ne part
| hope that you find this material useful and think strongly about how and where to use
it,
Knowledge is power, poweris dangerous
You were wamed.
aHUMS 8.8 VALSWho and where?
Who?
Magic isan artform that breaks all language barriers and can be appreciated by people
of all ages, beliefs anc morals. The type of performance that we are discussing here,
however, requires amuch more delicate selection of spectators.
Ifyou are looking at creating a REALLY strong performance tharwill REALLY affect your
spectators, it is well worth finding out a little more about these people before you
begin.
For example, you may choose to revolve your performance around a haunting, Now
this type of performance can be very strong for the right audience, but it can also
become a disaster if not handled right.
When evaluating your spectators, there are certain peaple to be aware of, each of
which will be discussed here,
Young Audiences
Asarule, | would never perform any of the effects herein for anyone under the age of
16, For a start, topics relating to the paranormal, death and other morbid subjects are
generally unsuitable for anyone under this age without first acquiring parental consent
Secondly, captivating a younger audience with these topics would be a very hard task,
by their nature they want to see fun, flashy magic, not sit listening to a story about a
dead girl. Thirdly, even if you could capture them with your story telling, the last thing,
you want to do is frighten them. Younger audiences can be easily affected by events
that they have not yet experienced, with no experience of death and the spirit world,
| they can be subjected to many misconceptions.and can create a false illusion of what is
| real and what is not. Fourthly, and most importantly, even if you COULD capture them
and make them understand the premise on which you are based, they could not
appreciate the effort that has gone into the theatrics of the effect, whereas an adult
audience would be more responsive and more likely to work with you to achieve the
desired results.
So as a rule, it is better that you do not perform these types of effects for a younger
audience, for oursake and theirs!
Older Audiences
At the other end of the scale we have the senior audiences, over the age of 60. My
opinion here is that, to perform or not to perform is decided only by your own
performing style and choice of patter.
What we need to remember is that, as we walk closer to the next life, we become aware
‘of our mortality.an a much more conscious level. Ifwe as performers are talking words
of death and monality, this can invoke an emational response that we may wish to
avoid, depending on our presentation.
Although emotion plays an immense part in our work, we need to be sensitive to those
that are experiencing the moments that we create. We want our performances to be
remembered for the moments that were created for each spectator as an individual and
we want these moments to bring about a positive feeling when they are remembered,
Be sensitive in your wording, words are the stepping stones on which we play.
Recently Bereaved
Again, | would avoid anyone that has recently experienced death in his or her life. We
as performers are going to take control of the emotions of our spectators, Someone that
has experienced a lot of emotional pain in recent times can be damaged by our words
to the point that we are reminding them of their loss, even though they have recently
come to terms with it. Again, think it over yourself, imagine haw you want your
audience tofeel when they are with you.
This may feel like a lot of work, deciding who to perform to / with. In magic wedecide
who to perform to and who to avoid, namely the rowdy table of drunks is passed by to
make way for the table of ladies having a nice evening: We know that at the drunks
table, our efforts are wasted and you will leave the table feeling belitted and
unsatisfied, whereas at the quieter table, we will have a nice performance that all will
appreciate and remember, This is the exact thinking behind this character analysis. lf
you are going to take the time to create a routine based around stories, you are going to
acquire the necessary items to assist in the mechanics and you are going to work hard to
make the performance memorable, then you will want the audience to be the best that
they can be, to make the event much more for you and your spectators.
Trust me, the time taken will be rewarded,
Where?
Finding a location is another very important factor in framing your performance. Just
because an effect revolves around paranormal activity, doesn't mean that you need to.
perform in a graveyard! Anywhere can be a suitable place to set your scene as long as
you take into consideration the following factors.
Lighting
You will want to have contro! of the lighting in your performing area. A streetlight
shining in through the curtains may be seen as.a distraction; you want the audiences
saucans Le A SATSfocus to be in that room only. Typically you will want the room to be dark, perhaps lit
only by candlelight. This on its own brings about an air of unease among your
audience. Stereotypically, things that shouldn't happen, typically happen by
candlelight.
Sound
You will also want to take the sound element into consideration. The power of silence
plays a big part in this type of performance, so you will want the only sounds that your
audience is aware of to be eminating from the room that they are in. For this reason you
will not want to perform anywhere that traffic can be heard outside, as this will be an
unwanted distraction, Ensure that no other external sounds is heard; this alone will add
aweb of nervousness to your audience.
Surrounding Items
Your performing area will vary in style depending on the type of routine that you are
performing. Typically a table will be used as your stage and your audience will face
you. You will need to be aware of the items within your performing area so that you can
manage the that they may have on your performance. For example, you may
have aclock on the wall that makes a significant ticking sound. Now this you may think
as being a distraction and in your particular routine it may be, BUT it CAN be used to
heighten the effect, especially ifa clock plays a significant part in the story line. On the
same level, if you know that on the hour the clack chimes, you can time your
presentation to fit in with this nicely to add more interaction to the performance,
Other items like televisions can be used as dramatic interludes to yourstory, By having
the television on standby and having the remote control in your pocket, at any pointthe
television can apparently turn itselfon, This of course can be very dramatic, especially
ifthe volume is turned up very loud.
If you are performing for a small number of people, you may consider performing
| outside, especially if the performance is not something that you planned. By standing
outside at night / in the evening, you can take advantage of some of natures own
theatrics. For example, by standing in woodland you have so many extra subtleties
working for you.
‘Your spectators may bea little tired and therefore open to suggestion more than they
may have been.
Hitisa cold evening, your spectators will feel this and this temperature will make them
feel a little exposed and vulnerable, again leaving them open to suggestion.
The surrounding area, assuming that you are not near any town / traffic noise, can
provide a host of sounds thatcan heighten the experience for your spectators.
The sound of trees, small animals scuttling around, even birds flapping their wings can
startle the spectators, These moments can, and do occur at pivotal moments in your
performance and can appear to be under your control. Even such things as spider webs
floating actoss your skin and the smells of wet soil can make you feel uneasy and
slightly scared. These are things that, if harnessed correctly, can prove useful tools
rowduing Keg in Oy A TOMaking Contact - Harnessing the power of touch
The power of touch is strong, | mean VERY strong. In our everyday lives we use touch to
convey a spectrum of emotions. We use touch to convey love in the form of hand
holding and kissing, we use touch to convey acceptance in the form of handshakes and
we use touch to convey anger in the form of physically pushing and fighting. Touch can
be used positively to express trust between two people and is a tool that is used
extensively by sales people to convey a message to us that we can feel at ease with
them.
in these effects, we will use the power of touch to emotionally warp our spectators. In
these pages you will learn methods to have a spectator fee! you touching them, despite
the factthat you touching them would in fact be impossible.
Read on.
—<——— a
Susceptible
Effect
A spectator is asked to take a seal ona chair. They are asked to help you in a little |
experiment to see how susceptible they are to suggestion. The performer states that in a
moment he will ask the spectator to close their eyes. The performer points his two
index fingers up and tells the spectator that he will place the tips of his two index fingers
‘onto the spectators’ eyelids so that they know he is still there, The spectator closes their
eyes as the performers fingertips are placed on their eyelids. The spectator is asked to
IMAGINE that there is someone else there with them and to say if anything happens.
After a few moments the spectator reacts and opens theireyes as the perfarmer removes
his fingertips. When the spectator is asked what happened, they state that they felt |
somebody touching them on the back of their head / neck
Method
This effect is based on a party trick that! have known for many years, I did not think that
the full potential was being reached, so | structured the mechanics of it to make it into |
more of a presentation piece
The effect is totally impromptu and relies solely on your patter and timing. If it is
performed as a one-on-one effect it can be very powerful, if it is performed in front of
others, it will be more of a light hearted effect as the rest of the spectators will be aware
of the methodology. This is
therefore suitable as.an introduction
effect.
As described, you will need to
select a spectator to take part in this.
Have them take a seat, or even
better, bring their own seat forward
to remove the likeliness of any
trickery involved. Explain to them |
that you will place your twa fingers
forward and ask them to close their
eyes. As they close their eyes you
will touch their eyelids very gently
(make sure you say this), This way
they will know that they do not
need to worry about you coming
close to their eyes. As you are |
explaining this, do the same thing to yourself, placing your index fingers on your
eyelids as they close.SHIWERS oy cory summer
Establish the fact that the spectator will
know that you are still there, as they
will feel yourfingertips.
Ask the spectator to slowly close their
eyes and you will place your index
fingertips on their eyelids as described.
Bring your index fingers forward to
touch their eyes as they close. The
moment that your spectators’ eyes are
definitely closed, you will pull back
one hand and stick out the MIDDLE
finger of the remaining hand
In this position, you can still touch the
spectator with two fingers, but you
now have a free hand. Due to a
retention of vision, you have a VERY convincing effect. The spectator sees the two
index fingertips coming towards their eyes as they clase and as they close they feel the
finger tips touch them. You will need to ensure that there is no hesitation to keep the
whole action as smooth as possible.
The next part of the effect is down to you. With your free hand you can stroke the
spectators’ neck or gently flick their hair. You will want the spectator ta be able to feel
SOMETHING but to not be able to distinguish what itis, so be gentle.
Ask the spectator to tell you if anything happens, the 'touching' part of the effect should
not last any more than 7 of 8 seconds and in this time you will need to watch the
spectator carefully to ensure that they don't attempt to open their eyes too soon, This
* generally doesn't happen due to the light touch of your fingertips on them.
Once they have commented that they felt something, you are going to reverse the
fingertip switch process that acts.as.a real convincer
Place your free hands index finger out again and place it next to the other hands index
finger, now ask the spectator to open their eyes and as they do, you will retract the
middle finger and separate the two hands slightly as you move backwards,
To the spectator you have just removed your two index finger tips from their eyes, try
this yourself to see how convincing itis!
As mentioned, this can be extremely powerful as a one-on-one effect that can have a
real impact on your spectator. Perfarming it in front of a larger audience however will
require a little thought. Although the workings would still be the same, the audience
would be aware of the workings. Therefore | would say to use this effect as. an opener to
explain how easily the mind can be fooled. The spectator will be amazed, whereas
everyone else will be amused! You can then move on to another effect where the
method is not obvious and the overall effect is much more confusing.Relax
Effect
A spectator is asked to take a seat. You tell them that you are going to try something
strange and that they shauld just relax, Tell the spectator that in a moment you will ask
them to close their eyes and sit absolutely silently. Tell them that if anything happens
when their eyes are closed, that they should not react in any way, not evena smile, just
relax. The spectator closes their eyes and the performer walks well away from the
spectator. The performer fifts his right arm and strokes his left shoulder three times. A
few moments later the performer asks the spectator if they felt anything. The spectator
states that they felt someone stroke their left shoulder three times.
Method
This effect is based on the work of Steve 'Banachek' Shaw in his manuscript 'PK
Touches’. | liked his approach to this effect but | wanted a way to perform it with just
one spectator. The whole effect relies on the spectator and the audience being in two
different time zones.
| Have the spectator seated and explain the premise of the experiment to them. Ensure
that they know not to react to anything that may happen but to just relay; this is very
important, as their reactions would give the method away.
Once they are comfortable and relaxed, have them close their eyes and ask for
everyone to be silent. Wait fora few seconds for the silence to settle, At this point you
are standing left of the seated spectator with your hand on the back of theirseat
You are now acting for your audience as your seated spectator has their eyes closed.
With your left hand, slowly raise it in front of the spectators’ face and gesture in a
hypnotic manneras if you are placing the spectator into some form of altered state,
As this is happening, you will execute the pivotal move. As your hand gestures, your
right thumb will make contact with the spectators left shoulder and will stroke it three
times, making sure it is firm enough for the spectator to feel it. This gesture and stroking
willall be over in.a matter of afew seconds.
You will now slowly walk away from the spectator. To the audience, all that has
happened is that you have done something in front of the spectators’ face and then
walked away.
| Stop about six feet or so away from the spectator and attract the audiences’ attention
without saying anything, You will now strake your own left shoulder three times. After
each stroke, glance over to the spectatoras if to check for their react
After you have done this, wait for another five seconds or sa and then ask the spectator
to slowly open their eyes.
Ask the spectator if anything happened and if so, what happened?
They will of course state that they felt somebody touch them, them may remember how
many times they may not. You can then ask where they were touched, their response
will be their left shoulder, 99% of the time they will just say “my left shoulder" as it is
easier justto say. that than to try to point to where they were touched,
The audience will assume that the spectator felt these touches at the same time as you
touched your own shoulder and will therefare create the effect in their own minds, You
can then ask the audience if you went anywhere near the spectator, they will of course
say no. You can ask the spectator if they definitely felt you touch them, they will say yes!
In this effect you are playing the audience against each other in a cheeky but very clever
way. The time delay between you ACTUALLY touching the spectator and the time the
audience think you WOULD have will not be noticed. You have not asked the
spectator to say WHEN they felt the touch and so they will natmentian when!
lfthe spectator was to speak with other audience members after the performance, they
will not remember the exact times and as they confer, they will pair up their own
information and decide that what appeared to happen, really did happen!‘SHIVERS ay tory summer
Distant Touch
Effect
A spectator is asked to take-a seat on a chair, of stand, whichever they prefer. They are
asked to face you and to relax and enjoy the performance. The spectator is asked to
make eye contact with the performer and to remain in contact throughout the
experiment. The performer states that he will try to make the spectator feel what he is
feeling, just by looking at them, but that the spectator should not fee! nervous in any
way
The performer stands around 10 feet away from the spectator and stares at them
intently. The performer slowly raises his right hand and gently scratches his neck, The
spectator announces that they can feel their neck also being setatched. This can bring
ona variety of different reactions.
Method
This effect is a VERY powerful one as both the audience AND the spectator have their
eyes open and you are clearly nowhere near the spectator when they feel the tingles on
theirneck.
This effect utilises an invisible thread ree! and is very simple in execution.
You will want to have the thread ree! at a high level'on your body, the best place being
inside a shirt with the thread attached to a button with wax. You will ask the spectator to.
join you and ask if they want to stand or sit
Ifthey want to sitdown, simply offer them the seat and bring it forward as they sitdown.
As they’ are sitting down, acquire the ball of wax that the thread is attached to and
anchor it to the back of the seat. Now if you walk away from the spectator, the thread
should be pulled over their shoulder.
If the spectator chooses to stand, simply ask them to stand in front of a wall and as you
assist them to the wall, anchor the wax to the wall behind them,
The mechanics from now on are much the same although a slight variation in
movement may be required,
You will want te slowly bring your right hand upwards and as you do, you will catch the
invisible thread in the crotch of your thumb. Now as you bring your hand up to your
neck, you will ensure that the thread is running at such an angle that it DOESN'T touch
the spectator.SHIWERS iy cory semmeer
You will now want to gently scratch / stroke your neck with your fingertips. As you do
this turn slightly, maintaining your eye contact. Now as you move your hand up and
down, the thread will also be pulled up and down as it makes contact with the
spectators’ neck. As your hand moves up, they will feel a tingle move up and as your
hand moves dawn, they will feel a downward movement.
This in itself is VERY convincing.
Due to the fact that you have asked the spectator to keep eye contact with you, they
probably won't want to look to the side, but even if they do they won't see anything. If
they DO decide to look you will want to step to the side slightly to pull the thread away
from the spectator.
To finish the routine you can either snap the thread at your end, or unstick the wax and
let itretract into the reel
This is of course downto you.
Focus
Effect
You ask a spectator to stand in front of you, facing you. You place your hands on the
spectators’ shoulders and gently massage them as you ask the spectator to relax and
imagine that they can feel another presence in the room. Nothing happens for a few
moments, then suddenly the spectator reacts. They feel someone or something
touching them on the back of their head. Slowly the touches move down their neck
until they pull away, out of fear or curiosity
Method
This effect is something that | have played with on and off for a few years now, |
originally intended for this to be a constructed gimmick that would do the ‘work’ for
you, however the effect has remained and evolved as an impromptu piece.
The method lies in.a moments preparation and a well thought out patter, without which
the effect becomes a puzzle.
There are several ways to achieve this effect, firstly you will need to be wearing either a
ring ora watch. | have always used a ring as | find it gives me more contro! over the
effect.
You will now need to obtain a rod of some sort. | originally used a cut down coat
hanger with a bead attached to one end. | also curled
‘one end for ease of application. The rod that | use is
around 22cm in length, you will need to experiment to.
see which length works best for you.
Push the curled end of the rod underneath your finger
ting and hook it under so that it sits securely, but
comfortably,
obscured from vision as it runs paralle! with your arm.
if you clench your fist however, you will see that the rod
then points away from your hand, this is the basis of the
effect.
$0, to perform, obtain and connect your gimmick. You
will then want to position your spectator in front of you,
facing you. The next sequence is very important.
If you open your hand wide, you will see that the rod is |i
As you explain to yourspectator that you need them toTelax, you wil] stroke your hands
up your spectators arms, to their shoulders. As you hands are moving upwards, your
arm will cover the gimmick.
When your hands reach the shoulders, your hands Will turn face down to gently
massage your spectators shoulders to aid in their relaxatieh. As your hands turn face
| down, the rod gimmick will then point upwards.
| It is for this reason that this effect is only suitable for one &¢ One presentations.
At this point in the performance, you will ask your spectalor to maintain eye contact
| with you, while still relaxing, Not only will this encourage jhe spectator to relax, it will
also encourage them to remain still, so as not to turn and !Ook to eitherside.
Continue to gently (GENTLY) massage the spectators shoulders. You da NOT want too
| much focus on the massaging as you want the feeling Of someone touching them to
| prevail overthe massaging.
As you are talking you will maintain eye
contact with the spectator. Despite this eye
contact you can sill see the rad, just past the
spectators head. As you are gently
massaging, tilt your hands in slightly,
pointing the rod towards the spectator.
You are now ina position to be able to pivot
the rod ta make contact with the spectators
head and neck. Practice and performance
will tell you how much pivot and pressure is
needed at this stage. Depending on your
height, hand size etc, you will need varying
amounts of pressu/@ and pivot.
When you are pivoting your hands inwards
DO NOT look at what you are doing,
ALWAYS maintain eye contact with your
spectator. You WeNt it to seem as if neither
you NOR the Spéctator knows what will
happen.
You will also learn as you perform this effect, that the whole effect is based on reaction.
You will need to start with a very light touch to the back of the head, just enough to
move their hair slightly, This usually invokes a reaction, ustially of uncertainty. They
felt SOMETHING, they just don't know what.
Mave on toa slightly firmer pressure, they can now feel something definitely touching,
them. Sometimes you can work off the light touching for a little longer and build up to
the more obvious contact. Sometimes you will want to go straight in for the kill, all
depending on your performance.
When you feel that the effect has come to its climax, OR if the spectator DOES choose
to look to the side, the following move will act as.a real convincer.
As you remove your hands from the spectators shoulders, your hands will again pivot
out slightly, hiding the rod behind your arm again, The action of hiding the rod is
lightning fast. Be aware though of your attire; cufflinks and watches can prove an issue,
as they will make a noise when the rod contacts with them. This of course makes you
look VERY clean, despite the fact that you're not! You can also have your sleeves rolled
up which will add to the effect.
This effect can be a very strong piece if performed correctly. A strong build up before
the effect can work wonders. As a presentation idea, why not contact the spirits and ask
them for a number (that you need for the next effect). The spectator will of course feel
something move their hair. Ask again far the number and the spectator will then feel
distinct taps, you of course have complete control of the number that is being ‘forced’
‘onto them by the spirits.
Iowiuirs G29 OU ys TES
—‘SHIVERS wy sory sammene
Connected
This routine is. a: combination of ideas, brought together to create a short performance
piece designed to be used as'an apparently impromptu seance. Itis ideally suited forthe
times when you need to scare close friends and associates.
The ideal scenario for this is to perform after a party, when only a select number of
guests remain.
As your conversation moves across rent areas, you will want to gently guide it
towards the supernatural. You are going to want to suggest a séance, without actually
suggesting a séance! This is easier than it sounds. As the topic of the supernatural is in
the air, you will listen to the comments that are being made. Atany opportune moment,
| you will raise the topic of seances and Ouija boards. Mast often the topic would arise af
its own accord anyway, but sometimes alittle gentle persuasion is necessary.
When the topic is being discussed, you can suggest that you all have a go at the Ouija
board that you just happen to have, Being a close group of friends, you will know how
to play them to ensure that they are ‘up for it’
You will want to play the whole affair as ‘a bitof a laugh’, remain sceptical, taking it all
with a pinch of salt. You want your guests to believe that the topic of Ouija boards just
came up and that everyone decided to have a go, just fora laugh. The more you can
take the whole thing away from yourself, the better.
Requirements for the performance
A Quija board or similar
Athin stemmed wineglass
AnInvisible Thread Reel
This performance will be very short, but will not be forgotten.
What the spectators see.
All the guests sit at the hosts table and one of the guests is asked to think of someone that
they would like to contact and to write their name on a small piece of paper, the paper
is screwed up and placed inside the wine glass, The Ouija board is opened up and the
wineglass is placed on the centre of the board and the guests are asked to each place
two fingers on the bottom of the glass. As all eyes fall on the boards, the glass begins to
move, slowly at first, then quicker. The glass spells the name of the person that was
written down. All hands are removed from the glass as the guests take a moment to
settle down. Without warning the glass falls, cracking, spilling out the piece of paper.
All remains silent, everyone agrees that the party is over.
Performing
The above description is the bare bones’of this routine. It is open to many possibilities
of adding and removing ideas. The workings are simple, the real beauty lies in the
informal setting in which the performance takes place.
Begin by attaching the invisible thread reel t your belt, hidden ofcourse.
The first stage of the routine is to have someone write down the name of someone on a
piece of paper and to have them screw the paper into a tight ball. You will need to
obtain the name of the person via your preferred peek / impression device, this | shall
leave upto you.
Have the spectator screw the paper into a ball and place the ball into the wineglass,
which isin turn, placed on your Ouija board,
Your guests are invited to join you in placing two fingers on the bottom of the glass.
You will now, unbeknown to your guests, take full control of the glass. You wan't want
to do ANYTHING straight away, both yourself and your guests are not (apparently)
expecting anything to happen, so by having something happen instantly implies
trickery,
Alter a suitable pause, you will push or pull the glass (up to you) just a little. | would
recommend pulling the glass towards you slightly.
What happens next is very important.Initially you will remove your fingers, pulling back quickly as if you are surprised at
what happened. You will then relax and laugh / smile as you casually ask who moved
the glass, Whatever the reaction, you just shrug it off and ask if your guests want to.carry
on. You will want your guests to see that you are uneasy, as this feeling will transfer
through to them,
Again, two fingers are placed on the glass and concentration is made. After a suitable
pause you will want to move the glass to the first letter of the name that has been written
down, that you already know. Stap on this letter for a while, with all fingers remaining
onthe glass.
Turn to the guest that wrote the name and ask them if this persons name has an 'X' in it?
Atthe exact moment they begin to reply, you will slide the glass, much faster this time,
overto the second letter, then the third, then any subsequent letters,
This. all happens in a rapid, aggressive movement. You will want to appear scared, and
yet compelled to continue. You want your guests to feel scared, but you also wantthem
to remain touching the glass, to see the final outcome.
When the'glass comes to rest, ask your guests to remove their fingers and as they di
you obtain the end of your invisible thread. Ask the guest that wrote the name if
‘Marianne’ (or whichever name is written}, was the person that they wished to contact.
This moment is very important, as it is a climax for your guests and a crucial moment of
misdirection for you
| You are going to, with suitable misdirection and cause, wrap the invisible thread
around the stem of the glass.
This all happens as the spectators remove their fingers, you are apparently just moving
the glass away, The invisible thread is now running from your thread reel, round the
glass and back down to your other hand, This hand will want to hold on tightly to the
thread while the other hand will wrap two fingers around the thread so that it too is
secure
By now pulling on the invisible thread, you can move the glass without being
anywhere near it. This is whal you are going to do, pull the thread, causing the glass to
| topple over, To cause the glass to topple, you will want the thread to pull on the glass
higherthan itactually is. To accomplish this, | recommend the following actions.
Leave one hand, depending on your presentation, in your lap. The other hand is
brought upwards, either to gesture or to touch / scratch your chin. This will raise the
angle that the thread contacts the glass.
Now by moving the hand that is held up, or the hand that is in your lap, you can cause
the glass to topple unexpectedly. By combining movement of both hands you can
make the whole event seem totally unconnected to you, Experimentation will tell you
the best posture and movement for you to ensure that your actions do not raise
suspicion,
You will want to be talkingto at least one of your guests when the action takes place, do
not even look at the glass, but react when it topples. You can use a hand gesture to start
the topple, which will take a moment to actually topple over, again separating the
action from you.
For this effect you will want the glass to be as light and fragile as possible (but not
expensive!) The lightness will allow the glass to be toppled without too much strain
being placed on the thread. Also, the delicate nature of the glass will mean that on
many occasions, when the glass topples, it will also crack, break or shatter when the lip
‘of the glass makes contact with your performance surface, adding to the drama of the
effect.
This presentation requires practice to work out the best positions to use. Those familiar
with thread work will already know the importance of establishing just how much:
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strain can be placed on the thread without breakage. You may wish to use an
alternative thread hook-up and maybe double the thickness of the thread for added
security, Again, experimentation will tell you the best way for you.
The whole performance relies on the fact that YOU are as affected by these events as
your guests. Leading by example will create a memorable experience that will be
talked about for years to come!
The Crying Child
What the spectators see.
A story is told about a young girl that once lived in this performing venue. Her mother
was killed and her father was convicted of the murder.
The young girl however, vanished.
She was never found.
People have said that over time, cries have been heard in these rooms, cries of a young
girl, Maybe it’s just imagination but some even swear that they have seen a young girl
sitting by herself, crying
Those in the room are asked if they would like to attempt to contact her. One spectator
is selected and shown a handful of photographs. They are asked to close their eyes and
imagine that they see a small girl sitting here with us, They open their eyes and move
their hands slowly over the cards until they are drawn to one photo. This photo is
shown and attention is drawn to a newspaper clipping that has been in a photo frame in
view. The photo chosen is the same girl as.on the newspaper. Suddenly the frame slams
down on the table and the spectator feels someone touch them.
Not forthe faint hearted.
Requirements for the performance
6 old looking photographs of young looking girls
One newspaper clipping with matching face of one of the photographs
One photograph frame, upright standing style.
One Invisible thread ree!
Fishing line
One small hook
You can obtain these photographs just by looking through your own old family
photographs. You will want six photographs of young girls, all around the same age
(depending on your story line) but with very different appearances. You will also need
to make a fake newspaper article. The title of the article should be 'MISSING' or
"MURDERED?" or something similar. Undemeath this title should be a clear
photograph of the young girls face, this face should be the same girl as in one of the
photographs.
sours U8 AO CHATSSHIVERS wy cory sammr
Performing
This routine takes a little set up but is well worth the time spent.
You will need to perform oma large table so that the photo frame can be placed at one
end, facing away from the group, so that nobody can see the newspaper article. Place
the article inside the photograph frame and place it on the table, facing away from
where your guests will be seated.
Take your fishing line and attach it to the bottom of the photo frame, at the back.
Usually there will be some kind of hale or hook that you can attach to, The next thing to
do is take your small hook ane! attach it to the wall behind the photograph. The fishing
line is then fed over the hook and then back to you. A loop is tied in the end of the
thread that can be slipped over your shoe while you are sitting. the illustration fora
detailed view of the set-up.
| Invite your guests to be seated with you, obviously ensuting that they remain on one
side of the table, not attempting to cross where the thread runs. As you take a seat, slip
the loop at the end of the fishing line over the foot that is closest to the frame, you will
also need to attach the end of your invisible thread to the back of the chair of the
spectator opposite you.
This can be achieved by walking round the table to turn off a light ete. You can then |
anchor the thread to the chair with wax and return to your seat, ensuring that the thread
runsacross their shoulder.
You will begin your story and present your audience with your photographs
You will need to be able to tell which photograph matches the one on the newspaper
clipping just by looking at the back. This can be accomplished witha small dot, a tear or
just a difference in shape of the photograph.
Show the photographs of the young girls to your audience and then lie them face down
on the table. Ask for a volunteer and ask this persarvta close their eyes and imagine that
there isa young girl in the room. She is crying, imagine she is crying for her mummy.
Imagine you can talk to her, imagine she can hear you.
The above should be spoken lightly and calmly,
Ask your spectator to open their eyes and hold out their hands, Tell them to imagine
thar the little girl is talking to them and holding their hands.
Ask the spectator move their hands over the photographs as the little girl tries to show:
them what she looked like. Tell the spectator they can stop on any photographs that
they feel drawn to and any that you will eliminate the photographs until there is just one
left.
You are now going to use the standard magicians force to ensure that the spectator
selects the required photograph. Obviously you will make it seem as if the spectator is
being influenced by the young girl and that you play no part in the selection process.
To work this, have your spectator lay their hands down, placing a hand on each
photograph, If one of the photographs is the force photograph, clear all the other
photographs away, leaving just two. Now ask your spectator to raise one of their hands.
Ifthey raise the hand above the force photograph, slide it away into full view stating that
this is the spectators choice. If the spectator lifts the other hand, they are left with their
hand on the force photograph, which is even better.
If in the first instance the performer doesn't put their hands on the force photograph,
just take away the two selected photographs. Using this method you are able to
‘whittle’ down the cards until only one remains....the force photograph.
Once the photographs have been eliminated and there is just one left, ask the spectator
to place their hand on the photograph. Casually show the remaining photographsand
place them to one side.
Draw attention to the photo frame that has been in full view and tum its face to the
spectators. Explain to them that this is the young girl that was never found.i
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At a suitable moment, ask your spectator to turn over the photograph that they felt
drawn to, it will of course be the same girl as in the newspaper.
Although the spectators fee! that this is the end of the events that then have been
witness to, you are now about to embed your performance in theirmemory.
Tell the spectators that you are sure that the noises and sightings within the house are
false and than the story is probably made up. As you say this yu will do two things.
Firstly, your foot that is NOT attached to the thread will come over the top of the other
foot and hook under the thread.
This foot can then tug / pull the thread withouttoo much body movement.
You will pull the thread as you are speaking, which will pull the bottom of the frame
and cause it to flip face down. This will be visually very scary, as well as causing a loud
slamming sound and possibly cracking the glass. As soon as this happens, react, as you
would want your spectators to react. The sounds created in this otherwise quiet
moment should be enough on its own to tip your guests over the edge.
At this point you need to judge the best time to create the next mini climax. At an
opportune moment, you will execute a version of 'Distant Touch’ to the spectator
opposite, As you are reacting to the recent event, your hand will come up, maybe to
cover your mouth or run your hand over your hair. You will need! to judge the angle |
needed to brush the thread across your spectators neck
imagine being that poor spectator.
First your friend communicates with a dead girl, finding her photograph among many
others. Then a photograph frame containing her picture violently slams on the table. As
if that wasn't enough, you then feel something brush your neck,
It is best to find someone that is likely to react well to these occurrences to sit opposite
you. Their reaction to the Distant Touch can spur an even bigger reaction from the rest
of the group! Allow your spectators to express their emotions and reactions and then
gently bring them back to reality.
What you do now is upto you, ... | recommend coffee, STRONG coffee!Burnon
Effect
The performer tells of how life is short, sometimes it burns aut on its own, sometimes it
is taken from us. As he does so, he strikes several matches and extinguishes them,
dropping them into a small tray. One of the dead matches in then picked up and
displayed as the performer states that although life comes to an end, there is always the
next life to explore. As this is said, the match js struck against the matchbox again and
lights perfectly!
Method
This is an old principle that has been moved from a simple bar stunt to something that
will stick in your spectators’ mind.
You will need to begin by preparing a match in the following way. Take a match from
your box and a black marker pen. Use the markerpen to colour in the head ofthe match
and about 1.5cm from the top. This will make the match look as if it has been previously
litand extinguished,
Place this match in your container (ashtray etc) with a couple of matches that have
actually been bumed and extinguished. To present, you will create a patter such as
detailed in the effect above. As you speak, you will remove matches and light them.
Allow each one to bum for a few seconds, then blow it out and drop it into the tray.
Ensure that you remember which match is your gimmicked match. When you are ready
to reincamate your match, simply reach into the tray and pull out the special match.
You will want to make the chaice of match seem totally random. Simply strike the
match on the matchbox and your apparently spent match will spur into a second life.
Ghost Glass
Effect
The performer tells of how, through time, mediums have used certain objects as means
of communication to the spirit world. One such item is a bell, which would ring if a
spirit was present. As the performer does not have such an item, a finger ring is
borrowed from a spectator. This item is dropped into a glass, which is placed away
from the spectators and the performer.
Everyone bearing witness are invited to form a circle around the table and to maintain
eye contact with the glass throughout the experiment. As all eyes gaze upon the glass,
the borrowed finger ring begins to mave inside the glass.
First it begins to twitch and slide around, then it begins to be shaken around in an overly
aggressive manner.
Suddenly, everything stops and the room falls silent. The spectator is asked to remove
their ring from the glass and is thanked for their co-operation.
Method
When performed properly, this effect can cause a real stir amongst your spectators.
To perform this effect you will need an invisible thread reel and a small glass.
Have your spectators seated at a table, where possible you will want the spectators to
be more in front of you than tothe sides.
You will need to anchor the end of the invisible thread toa small piece of magicians
wax. Have this wax held between the index finger and middle finger of your right hand.
Set your scene, using whichever story line you choose. Have a spectator remove a
finger ring for you to borrow, As-you take the ring from the spectator, you will wantto
comment on how personal items are always best as they have an aura of personal
emotion and experience that the spirit world can connect with. This is in fact, made up
patter that is used as misdirection to set up the animation of the ring. As you are stating
the above (or something similar), you will be looking at the ring closely as if to admire |
involved in its creation. In fact you are doing no such thing. |
the workmanshiWhat you are doing is dropping the small ball of wax through the ring and again
holding it between the index and middle finger of your right hand.
This will of course feed the ring onto the invisible thread. Hold the ring with your left
hand and with your right hand, pick up the small glass that should be sitting on the
table. As your right hand picks up the glass, you will want to stick the small ball of wax
to the underside of the glass. Ensuring that you have a little slack available on the reel,
your left hand will place the ring inside the glass. The best way to ensure you have slack
elcis
follows.
Reach over to the glass to bring it towards you, at the same time sticking the wax to the
bottom, Onee it has been stuck, divert the spectators back to the ring. Your right hand
should naturally fall to your lap where it can pinch the invisible thread and pull out a
little slack. Your right hand will want to keep hold of the thread in your lap.
Your left hand can now drop the ring inside the glass and due to the slack that has been
Created, it will jingle about inside and will not arouse any suspicion.
Move the glass forward now so that it is away from any apparent interaction with
anyone present, Depending on how much you move it, you may need to pull the
thread outa little more.
Ask your spectators to sit with their hands in their laps and to watch the glass. Let them
know that something MAY happen but quite often itdoesn't.
This will raise their curiosity and will be more of a surprise when something DOES |
happen. Also, by sitting with their hands on their laps, there is less chance that
someone will grab the glass and you will not raise suspicion by having your hands in
your lap.
To begin the animation, you will want to SLOWLY pull on the thread, Depending on
how the thread lies, it may cause the ring to slide, jump slightly or turn, all of which
should create a good reaction. The key to the animation sequence |s ‘less is best’; |
typically make the ring move several times, but only slight twitches. | then cause the
ring to jump once, which is startling to the spectators, nat only on a visual level, but the
jumping also creates a high pitched sound in an otherwise silent environment,
You don't want the ring jumping here, there and everywhere in the glass as this type of
animation suggests an element of fun. In the experiment you are conducting, fun isn't
the feeling you want perceived.
When you feel that you have brought the experiment to a successful conclusion, break
the thread in your lap, This will wind the excess thread into the reel. You can naw either
ask your spectator to remove the ring from the glass, or you can tip the ring out. In both
cases the ting will come away freely, as itisn't actually attached to the wax!
Assuming that the ball of wax is very small, you can either just show the glass around or
you can steal the wax away with your nail and leave everything for inspection
saulans eg OU ATSUnaware
As performers we are expected to create and demonstrate.
People watch us in expectance, the wonderful events that happen around us are
credited as our doing, which issomething we thrive on.
However, in certain areas of our performance, primarily anything relating to the spirit
world, ignorance can prevail
For example, imagine if you will, a small table of close friends being treated to a
paranormal experiment like nothing they have experienced. As these events occur,
there will always be daubt amongst your audience of the realism of these occurrences.
So why not take this into your hands. and use it to your advantage?
Imagine that you are performing a version of the previously mentioned ghost glass. The
effect comes to a close and your spectators attention focuses back on you. As you begin
your transition between effects, something happens behind you. Maybe a book moves,
agiass falls over ora curtain moves.
These ‘occurrences’ are seen by your spectators, but not you. By playing up the fact that
you were unaware of anything happening, this separates the effect from you, making it
seem like you played no part init.
Although this idea is-simple to suggest and simple in execution, just by adding a small
convincer such as this into your repertoire, you will be creating another level of doubt
inthe mind of your audience,
Similarly, by working a version of ‘Distant Touch’ into your routine at a completely
irrelevant moment in your performance, this will throw your whole performance off,
but for good reason. Your performance will be disrupted by a scream or similar
reaction, all focus then be placed on the spectator that is causing the disturbance.
Due to the fact that, at that moment, the performer was not TRYING to evoke any
events or reactions, it isasurprise that something did in fact happen.
This is a great convincer as it will cause your other spectators to all feel uneasy,
knowing that these events COULD also happen to them and knowing that the
| performer may not, infact, have complete control of the situation,
Definitely worth thinking about.
Final Words
I hope that you have enjoyed the material within this book.
There has been a lot of hype recently regarding effects and ideas that simply couldn't
work, pipe dreams is a popularly used term!
The ideas within this book WILL work, but they aren't just tricks, or effects, they are
ideas to incorporate into your routines. Believe me, without careful thought and good
acting skills, any ideas like these are useless,
Try different themes, different combinations and different methods. You need to force
yourself to believe that what is happening, really is happening.
With
your reaction, there will be nothing. LEARN TO REACT!
| sincerely believe that the material within this book has a wealth of potential among
magicians looking to develop their performance style. Just take the time to think things
through before jumping in at the deep end.
Remember, you are playing with fire here, you don’t want to get burt, just lightly
toasted.
Good luck in your performance and remember, knowledge is dangerous!
Gary Sumpter
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