Explicit Content

By

Sean Fields

Foreword By Kenton Knepper

It’s easy to get bent out of shape about these things.

Sean Fields is a smart guy. But when he told me he was working on a book
about bending keys and such, I was cautious. Sean knows I have used
“bending” to make a part of my living since the 1970s. Lately there have been
many jumping on the “I bend things too” bandwagon. Most of these people
teach bending as if it is a card or coin move. They misunderstand the power of
bending, and instruct others to perform such effects in quick, multi-climax
sequences. Such folks really don’t have a clue about what they are teaching at
all.

Sean Fields understands the soul of bending. That’s what so many others miss.
There is a feel and an intention to bending that has nothing to do with sleight of
hand. From this perspective only can a performer invent and teach such true
effects.

Rarely do I get excited about what others create in this realm. So little of the
neo-bender’s material is realistic. Sean’s effects are authentic to the spirit of
bending. I confess I will be adding a few of his techniques to my own
performances.

I will also tell you what I told Sean: He is dangerously close to explaining
methods some have used to start religions, and the real work people like myself
have tried for many decades to keep secret.

So, to those who read this book, beware. You are playing with fire. If you
cannot treat the power of bending with respect, don’t so it. You’ll get burned.
Third degree burns. Go back to card tricks. On the other hand, if you dare to
handle properly and with great care the material Sean tips here, you will be
thrilled. You must be clear how you define and label what you do however, or
be thought a prophet.

Have a clear intention, catch the feel and soul of really bending metal with your
mind, and then perform the real work in these pages… if you dare.

Kenton Knepper

Introduction
Mentalism is, by its very nature, an implicit art. The magic happens in the mind
of the spectator, and nothing is seen to happen. As a magician, I always looked
for, and performed explicit effects that allowed the spectators to see the magic.
When I started in mentalism, I was astounded at the impact a simple center tear
could have. But I was still uncomfortable with it. I wanted the audience to see
something happening, which brought me to psychokinesis.

I was immediately enthralled with psychokenesis, the ability to move, bend,

levitate, or otherwise alter items, seemingly with the power of the mind alone.

I have studied the work of those before me, Theodore Annemann, Kenton
Knepper, Ben Harris, Richard Osterlind, Steve ‘Banachek’ Shaw, and of course,
Uri Geller. I have studied their techniques, watching to see how they make the
illusion of psychic ability so realistic. I have also taken my studies to the most
important school for budding young mentalists, the school of trial and error.

What I present here are the moves, techniques, subtleties, nuances, theory, and
psychology that I have used to make my mentalism demonstrations more
explicit; to allow the psychic occurrences to be seen. Nothing is for everyone
and I know there is some things presented here that simply will not work for
you. That is fine, for the most part; the material presented here is completely
attainable by virtually any magician or mentalist with the desire to learn it.

Everything I present here is, as far as I know, completely original, and has never
seen print, until now. I have used these methods for years now, and they have
never failed to astound laymen and magicians alike. They are now here for your
perusal, study, and subsequent use. I hope the techniques here serve you as
well as they have served me.

Sean Fields
Forget Geller
This is a technique I have been using to bend coins for quite some time. It
alone has convinced spectators of my strange, unusual powers, and it has fooled
the pants off of magicians who are not familiar with the technique. It is a very
strong piece; don’t let the method fool you.

There has been a resurgence of sorts as of late with bending effects, namely
coins. And there are plenty to choose from; Silver Shifter, The Quantum Bender,
The Yuval Koran Bender, The Xpert Bend, and Bent Cent to name a few. These
are all excellent effects, and excellent gimmicks, ranging from just a few bucks,
to hundreds of dollars. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, so
regardless of your personal performing circumstances, or personal preference,
there is something for you.

This is not offered as a replacement to any of these bends, but rather, as a

supplement. This effect is strong on its own, but becomes stronger when
combined with any of the above-mentioned effects (I personally use Bent Cent,
and will detail my routine at the end of the description).

By the way, I am left handed, so if you are right handed, simply mirror the
directions for this effect, and all that follow.

Effect: A coin is borrowed, and lays flat on the palm. The mentalist gently
strokes the coin, and it bends upwards, around his finger! The coin is
immediately handed back to its awestruck owner as an impossible souvenir of
the spectacular display of mental ability just witnessed.

Method: Okay, I almost don’t want to tell you the method. Partly because I
love this effect, and am unsure I want to share it, and partly because I know
many of you will not do it. Well, before I change my mind, here goes; sleeving.
Yup, that’s right, sleeving.

Alright, I assume if you are still with me, you are one of the few who is not
afraid of sleeving, and want to learn this routine. I will try to detail this as well
as possible, so stay with me.

To begin, you need to bend a coin, I use a quarter, because it is still small
enough to bend without any real difficulty, but large enough for the effect to
register. You can use any coin that is just my personal preference.
Bending the coin is a simple matter of taking the coin, and wrapping it in card
stock, or cloth, and taking two pairs of pliers, gripping the coin by opposite sides,
and bending it. You could also use one of those fancy coin-bending devices they
are selling now, whatever floats your boat, just as long as you get the coin bent
into a loose ‘taco’ shape. Once the coin is bent, put it in your left pants pocket,
and you are ready to go. For illustration purposes, lets assume the quarter is
bent tails side in.

Reach into your pockets with both hands, as you ask to borrow a quarter, as
your left hand leaves its pocket, it clips the coin between the first and second
fingers and steals it out. Do this casually, and it will fly right by them; the idea
of a switch is destroyed before they could even think about it.

When they hand you the quarter, extend your right hand, and have them drop
the quarter on it. Make sure the quarter is facing the same direction as your
bent quarter (tails side up). If it is not, adjust it so that it is.

You are now about to do something integral to the routine, and indeed, bending
in general. You are now going to condition your audience. This is what really
makes the effect work, the psychological illusion. The visual illusion is
strengthened by the psychological illusion.

Gently stroke the borrowed coin in a circular motion with your left first finger, as
you simply say, “Watch.”

That’s it. That little motion and that simple word make this effect. You draw
attention to the gentle motion you are using, and the flat condition of the coin.
This is what they will remember, even though the actual mechanics look slightly
different.

After gently stroking the coin as described above a few times, you will now
switch the coin for the bent one. This is so easy, it is sick.

Hold your hands as if you were going to clap, the palm down left hand above the
palm up right hand.

Bring your hands together, so that the right thumb hits the left thumb crotch. If
done with the tiniest bit of force, the borrowed coin will be propelled up the
sleeve.

Immediately after the coin is sleeved, the left fingers spread which of course,
releases the clipped, bent coin. Press your left first finger onto the bent coin,
and slowly draw your finger back, revealing the bend. It really looks as though
the coin bends upwards, and around your finger, as you stroke it.
Slowly raise your left hand, palm towards the spectator, fingers wide apart, and
pause for a moment. This allows the spectator a moment to truly appreciate the
effect, and this position also signifies the end of the effect, an applause cue of
sorts.

As I mentioned, I use this in conjunction with Bent Cent. Routining the two
together makes both effects stronger by association. Here is an outline of the
routine:

When asked to do an impromptu demonstration of mind over matter, I do Bent

Cent. Each and every time I do it, they always ask to see it again. So this time,
I ask for a quarter, and do Forget Geller. I let them keep both coins. This floors
them.

The reason these two effects work so well together is that the methods cancel
each other out. Bent Cent makes Forget Geller stronger, because it uses no
switches, whereas the latter does. Forget Geller makes Bent Cent stronger
because is uses a borrowed coin, Bent Cent does not. And when you let the
spectator keep both coins, a very strange, but very desirable thing occurs; the
coins are now theirs, and they refer to them as “My coins.” Because of this,
when they show the coins around, which they will, they always say “Look what
he did to my coins!” which strengthens the illusion of your ability to bend coins,
keys and silverware by your mental faculties.

Try this effect just once; you will see how strong it really is. And if you are
familiar with Bent Cent, try the routine I outlined. You will almost feel guilty at
how powerful it is. Almost…
The Omni Bender
In my quest to design the ‘perfect’ key-bending gimmick, I researched other
methods, spent far too much money on prototypes, and re-invented the
proverbial wheel more than once. At the end of the day, the method that was
perfect for me was the method that started my quest to begin with! Not only
that, but the bender cost me less than a dollar to make, and is the best key
bender I have ever used! The routine described here has all of the misdirection
needed worked in with the choreography and the items used; it is virtually self-
working. This alone could be worth the price of the book.

Effect: A key ring is shown full of keys, and given to the spectator. The
spectator is asked to select a key, or if they wish, they can provide their own.
The key is then handed to the magician, who then causes it to visibly melt and
bent down, simply by stroking it! The key is immediately given back to the
spectator for examination.

Method: As I mentioned above, this is the best bender I have ever used. Its
design has a couple of key features that make the bends not only easier, but
rounder, which allows for a very strong illusion of the key bending right before
their eyes.

All you need to assemble the bender is a 1” long hex nut, and a bolt to match.
Screw the bolt into the nut, and there you have it, The Omni Bender.

I know you are probably looking at this thing thinking “I have seen WAY nicer
benders than this atrocity!” and the truth is, you probably have. But this bender
was not developed with style in mind, but rather function, and ease of use.

You will notice that if you put a key into the opening in the bender, only about
half of the shaft will fit (keep the jokes to yourself). Another thing you may
notice is that the opening is larger than on other benders. This allows for a very
smooth, rounded bend, which is what we want.

The other feature that makes this bender unique is the ability to unscrew the
bolt, extending the length of the bender, giving you more leverage for the bend,
thus making the bend easier. This is a nice feature for those who haven’t the
strength in their hands to bend a key with a shorter bender.

The one thing that this bender is lacking is a pull, reel, or any other sort of
ditching gimmick. This was not an oversight, but rather an intentional feature. I
wanted to be able to use the bender in any sort of clothing. I didn’t want to
have to be wearing a jacket, or even sleeves for that matter. Because the
gimmick is never suspected, let alone detected, you really don’t have to worry
too much about ditching the gimmick, and the routine given takes care of the
ditch in a very natural manner.

The only other thing you need is a ring of keys. If you go to your local
locksmith, or any little kiosk in the mall that cuts keys, and ask nicely for the
keys that didn’t work, they will most likely give them to you. Take these keys,
throw them on a key ring, and put them in your right pants pocket. The bender
is in your left pants pocket.

Reach into both pockets, and with your left hand, finger palm the bender, open
side up, towards the index finger, while your right hand pulls out the keys. Hand
the key ring to the spectator, and have him select one, mentioning that we could
use one of his keys, but if this demonstration is successful, it would be damaged,
maybe even rendered useless. They will more often than not simply take a key
from the key ring, and examine it. It really doesn’t matter if they use their own,
and hey, you warned them!

Once they have removed a key from the key ring, reach forward with the left
hand palm down, and retrieve it with the left fingers. The bender stays out of
view, because the hand is palm down. You must now insert the key into the
bender. This is simple; you just aim, and slide. Hold the key with your left
fingers by the base of the crown; you will be able to guide the shaft of the key
into the opening in the bender with very little difficulty. You can, of course use
your right hand to aid in slipping the key into the bender if need be. Once the
key is positioned in the bender, you are ready to proceed.

With your right hand, roll back the left sleeve. As you do this, you bend the key.
This is a simple matter. All you have to do is push forward with your thumb, and
pull in slightly with the fingers, and voila, the key is bent. The larger action of
rolling up your sleeve covers the smaller action of putting in the bend.

Now transfer the key only to the right fingers, keeping the bender in the left
hand, and roll back the right sleeve. Once the sleeve is rolled back, your left
hand should be directly above your pocket. You got it; drop the bender into
your pocket! The bend is done, the gimmick is gone, and the effect hasn’t even
started yet!

Transfer the key back to your left hand, keeping the bend hidden behind the left
first and second fingers. Let the rest of the fingers curl naturally. With your
right first finger, gently stroke the head of the key, but push ever so gently. This
will pull the key down, bringing the bend into view. It really looks like the key is
bending as you stroke it! After the bend is visible, give the key back to the
spectator to keep.
Here is an alternate handling if you aren’t wearing sleeves, or pockets you can
easily ditch into.

After the spectator selects a key and hands it to you, put it in the bender, as
already described. Gesture with the right hand to the key ring they are still
holding, and ask why they selected the key they did. As you carry on this brief
conversation, bend the key. Take the key in your right hand, and reach forward
with the left hand to take the key ring from them. The left hand simply goes to
the pocket to put the key ring away, and leaves the bender behind with it.

You can also extend the bending sequence by following up the above ‘stroking’
bend with the optical bend. This is simple. After the ‘stroking’ bend, hold the
key vertically, so the fingers are only holding the extreme end of the key, and
allow gravity to pull the head of the key downward. While the key really doesn’t
bend any further, the illusion is that it keeps bending, even after you finish
rubbing it. Ben Harris was the first that I saw to use the optical bend with a key,
in his excellent treatise on the subject, ‘Gellerism Revealed’.

One final thought, Kenton Knepper had a wonderful idea. Before you put the
keys on the key ring, bend the key ring. To do this, you simply have to hold the
key ring firmly with one pair of pliers, and with another, larger pair, squeeze the
diameter of the key ring until it is bent in a slightly oval shape. Now you put the
keys on the key ring.

After the effect is finished, you can call attention to the key ring that the
spectator is still holding, and encourage them to try to bend a key while it is still
on the key ring. After a moment, have them look through the keys to see if one
of them bent, and upon receiving a negative response, look closely at the keys,
and point out the bend in the key ring, stating that you have seen people who
have successfully bent keys, but no one has ever bent the key ring!
The Callous Bend
This is something relatively new to me. I kind of fell into this while practicing
some key bending, and it has since become a faithful standby for me. It takes
practice, and only certain keys will work, but when the situation is right, this is a
stone cold killer. Oh, and it got its name for a reason. It hurts.

Effect: The magician borrows a key, has it examined, and has a spectator hold
onto it tightly. The spectator begins to feel the key heat up, and then move
while in her hand! She opens her hand, only to discover the key is bent, and of
course, still warm to the touch.

Method: This is going to be hard to take on faith; I know that coming into this.
However, those of you who go through the pain of learning this (pun intended),
and then take the leap to perform it will have a very solid piece of magic.

I said at the out set that this will not work with every key, and it doesn’t, at
least, not for me. I have to use a tin, brass, or aluminium key. These are the
cheap alternatives to steel keys, and are quite common, so you shouldn’t have
any issues finding a couple to practice with. In fact, you probably have one on
your key ring right now!

Okay, now let’s go through the effect proper. Borrow a key, and have it
examined. When you take it back, extend you left hand palm up to receive the
key. Arrange to have the end of the shaft at the base of the second finger, the
head of the key at the base of the first finger.

With the key in this position, close your hand, and turn your hand over, as you
demonstrate how you want the spectator to hold the key. As you do, however,
you are going to bend the key.

When your hand is in a fist, your left thumb will be more or less directly above
the head of the key, and presses down on it. If the key is positioned correctly,
the thumb presses down, the middle fingertip acts as a pivot, or bend point, and
the end of the key is anchored at the base of the middle finger.

This will take some practice to learn the exact position of the key that works for
you, but once you find the sweet spot, you are set.

Now that the key is bent, the rest is just performance, and a very healthy dose
of suggestion.

Turn your hand palm up, and pick the key up with your right hand and very
openly put it in the spectator’s hand. You may have the urge to try and hide the
bend, the spectator does not suspect anything yet, and will not notice it. Have
her close her hand around it. Here comes the real work.

Tell her to concentrate, and imagine that key becoming warmer. Tell her that
soon, imagination will give way to reality, and the key will begin to warm up.
Because her body heat is warming up the key, she will begin to feel the key
warm up, and respond positively that she can feel it. Have her squeeze tightly,
and tell her that as the key gets hotter, the heat will begin to cause the key to
warp, or twist. Because she is squeezing so tightly, the key will begin to dig into
her skin slightly, and cause some minor discomfort, and she will mistake this
‘cutting’ sensation for a ‘burning’ sensation, and after a while, she will have to
loosen her grip (don’t worry, this is subconscious), and that will cause the key to
shift slightly, so she will actually feel the key move.

Have her open her hand to reveal the bend. You can even have her, or
someone else touch the key, to feel the residual energy, as the key is still warm.

This is a very strong piece. It is completely impromptu, and makes an excellent

addition to a spoon bending routine. Give it a try.
Ringu
Out of everything in this book, this is the one I was going to hold back, simply
because I know that most of you will not be comfortable bending peoples rings,
and those of you that might be, will not believe that this works. It does.

Effect: The magician borrows a spectator’s ring, and cleanly lays it on his hand.
With no cover whatsoever, the ring begins to bend right before the flabbergasted
spectators eyes! The ring is immediately handed back to its speechless owner in
its now bent condition.

Method: The method employed here is a very under utilized one in the realm
of psychokinetic effects. The one behind principle is used to great effect here.
With most bending effects the bend is put it early, hidden, and then revealed.
Here, the bend is revealed before the work is put in. Sound weird? It is.

This entire effect is based around an optical illusion. The illusion of the ring
being bent before it actually is. Properly performed, the illusion is spectacular.
Try this, take a ring, and lay it flat on your hand, and hold your hand just below
shoulder height. Now look down at the ring, and slowly tilt your hand away from
you. It looks like the ring begins to flatten out. This is simply because your
point of view is changing, but the illusion is remarkable when done well.

Now that you know the basis on which the routine is based, let’s get into the
actual performance of the routine. I should mention a couple of things here on
the outset. First off, I only do this for women, because women are more likely
to be wearing rings, namely simple bands that they bought for themselves.
Ideally, a silver thumb ring is perfect, but as we delve into the routine, you will
become familiar with the types of rings that you will be able to use. I also like to
use thumb rings because very seldom do these have a sentimental value, and
their monetary value is usually quite low as well. Many women wear these rings
for the fashion value only, and are usually quite laid back when I tell them that if
this works, their ring may wind up warped.

To begin, borrow a ring. It should be a simple band, preferably silver as

mentioned above. The reason you want this kind of ring is because you need to
be able to bend it with the fingers when the time comes, and silver is a very soft
metal. As well, many thumb rings are quite wide across, but quite thin. This
makes the illusion even stronger.

After you receive the ring, lay it on your palm up right hand, just below shoulder
height. You want the spectator looking more or less down on her ring, but just
barely. Now, you need to condition her to what is about to happen, and the
following patter fits the bill nicely.
“Alright, focus on your ring, stare at it. Don’t look at me, my hand, the floor,
that guy over there, look nowhere else, just your ring. You have to concentrate.
Sometimes this happens immediately, sometimes it takes awhile, but it always
happens.”

This serves one very important purpose; it makes them stare at the ring,
intently, which aids the bending illusion. It also creates anticipation, which also
aids the illusion.

You too, will now stare at the ring. Do not move a muscle, or say a word, just
stare at the ring, and make sure she is still staring at the ring. Stare at the ring
for as long as you possibly can, thirty seconds is just about perfect. After thirty
seconds or so, slowly begin to tilt your hand towards you; so that the fingers
begin to point towards the spectator’s eyes. You have to do this very slowly for
the illusion be convincing, you don’t want the motion of your hand to be noticed,
just the bending of the ring. About a ten degree tilt of the hand is plenty. Once
you do start to tilt your hand, comment that it is happening, so that she will
actually see the ring bending, otherwise it may just fly right by her. But when
she sees it, she will let you know!

After tilting your hand upwards, she will definitely react. Now is the time to
solidify the illusion. With your left hand, come over to pick the ring up, thumb in
the back, closest to you, fingers in the front, completely closed. You will notice
the fingers completely cover the ring, this is only for a fraction of a second, and
is all the cover you need to put the work in.

As you pick the ring up, squeeze it, not hard, just enough to put a bend in. You
do this as you turn your hand palm up, gently snapping the ring to a vertical
position, displaying the bent condition. Hand the ring back to the spectator to
inspect.

As I said, this is very gutsy, because you are putting the bend in when the heat
is high. It is also very unorthodox, as you are putting the bend in after it is
revealed. As gutsy and unorthodox as it is, it is a powerful piece, and it can be a
reputation maker.

If for some reason, you wanted to bend harder rings, such as thicker bands, or
low karat gold rings, you can modify the Omni Bender. Simply cut notches into
the open end with a hacksaw, at opposite sides, and you can bend more rings by
simply slipping them into the notches, and twisting the bender slightly. Unless
your last name is Geller, I wouldn’t recommend this however.
For those who don’t want to bend a spectator’s ring, this will work with a twist
off bottle cap, such as those found on ‘The King of Beers’. Just imagine the rim
of the bottle cap as a ring, ignoring the actual top, and proceed as above. This
works quite well because the pleats in the rim aid the illusion. It is a bit more
difficult to bend a bottle cap with just the fingers of one hand quickly and
invisibly however, but with practice is definitely possible.

You can also do this effect with your own ring, just take it off, and comment on
strange things that seem to happen to the ring. You take it off at night, before
you go to bed, and when you get up, you can’t seem to get it on your finger, and
do the bend, displaying why you can’t get it on your finger in the morning. If
you were so inclined, you could buy a few cheap silver rings, and give them
away in the bent condition after the demonstration. I wouldn’t do this every
time, but for an influential client, this is a great giveaway.

You can also do this in a more orthodox manner. Regardless of whether you are
using your ring, or a spectator’s ring, you can do this.

Hold the ring by its diameter in the left hand, and pivot it around a few times
with the right hand, to show it all around, from all sides. Pivot it again, but as
you do, squeeze the ring with your right hand slightly to bend it, just make sure
that you end with the side of the ring facing the spectator, the opening is not
visible. The ring should be in a slightly oval shape, and you should be holding
the ring by the ‘points’ of the oval with the left thumb and middle finger.

To reveal the bend, pivot the ring with the left first finger, so the opening comes
into view slowly, as does the bend. This is quite creepy.

This is very visual, although not as visual as the original handling. It is also
somewhat easier. Try them both, and use the one you are most comfortable
with.
Pent
People have been bending rods, and rod-like objects forever. Theodore
Annemann started it all by bending a glass-mixing rod. Steve ‘Banachek’ Shaw,
Richard Osterlind, and Ted Lesley among countless others have used the
principle as well, and the list of items bent is just as long. Nails, spikes, glass
rods, wine glasses, you name it, it has been bent. What I offer here is a very
visual bend, with an everyday object, that isn’t metal!

While this was developed independently, Andy Leviss, Banachek, and Kenton
Knepper both have had similar ideas, and this appears here with their
permission. I urge you to have a look at their routines as well.

This is a perfect close up application of the idea, as well as a great giveaway,

which makes for a great conversation piece.

Effect: At some point in his show, the mentalist draws attention to his pen, and
how sometimes, when he is writing, strange things happen. He then begins to
slowly rub the center of his pen, and very slowly, it begins to bend. Once it has
been bent, he gives it to the spectator to show everyone she knows what the
psychic guy did to the pen.

Method: This is such a great piece. I worked with this for quite a few years
until I finally had something that was easy to make, easy to do, and packed an
extremely strong punch, especially when combined with other psychokinetic
effects.

To make the gaff, get a Bic pen. Not the white round ones, but the super cheap,
clear plastic hex shaped ones. I played with countless varieties of pens, and in
my opinion, these work the best for this routine because when rotated, there
shape gives the illusion of movement, as well as there are very few distinct
markings on them, which further disguise the secret.

Now get a lighter, and slowly heat the middle of the pen, from about an inch or
two away. You don’t want to melt the pen, just get it hot enough to bend
slightly. Holding the pen away from the flame prevents scorch marks, and allows
you to control the heat applied to the pen. Because this preparation involves
fire, I must make this disclaimer; if you are under 18, or are accident prone,
please get competent adult supervision/assistance during this preparation.

Once the middle of the pen is warm and pliable, bend the pen slightly, just a few
degrees. Let it cool, and inspect it for scorch marks and obvious melt points. If
the pen is scorched, a little soap and water and some elbow grease will take care
of it. If it is obviously melted, toss it and try again (the pens are cheap, quit
complaining!).

Put the cap back on the pen, and put the pen in your pocket, along with a
matching unbent pen, and you are set to perform.

Perform a few effects, in which the pen is in play, preferably effects in which the
spectator handles the pen. Billet effects, add a number effects, prediction or
telepathic effects, whatever, just get them used to not only the presence of the
pen, but the condition of the pen.

At some point, put the pen in your pocket, and do another effect that does not
involve the pen. Here comes the big switch; go to your pocket, and grab the
bent pen. Now, you could immediately go into the effect, but I prefer to do a
few more effects with the pen in play first, ones that don’t involve the spectator
handling the pen (obviously) as it adds time misdirection. If for some reason I
need to put the pen down, I simply put it behind my ear. This casual handling of
the pen is what sells this effect. That, and the illusion is amazing.

When you want to perform the effect, draw attention to the pen, and hold it
vertically in your left hand by the writing tip (this makes the ‘paddle’ type move
that follows very easy), with the bend facing the spectator directly. This hides
the bend perfectly. When you want to bend the pen, simply start rubbing the
middle of the pen with the right fingers, gently, and slowly twist the pen with the
left fingers, kind of like a very slow paddle move. This slowly brings the bend
into view, and it looks like the pen just starts melting, and bending sideways as
you right hand rubs!

Once the pen has been rotated so that the bend is completely in view, you can
give the pen to the spectator to inspect, with the warning that it may still be a
little warm. Allow the spectator to keep the pen as a souvenir, along with your
business card. This is a great giveaway because the pen still works, so she will
use it, and remember you as the guy (or girl) who bent it just by thinking about
it! She will no doubt show everyone she meets, which is good for you, and your
business.

Another subtle point; because the pens are so common, and no attention was
drawn to whose pen it was originally, remember, the spectator used the pen
during the performance, and she now owns the pen, so she will remember it
being her pen to begin with; possession over origin.

As I told you at the outset, many people have used this idea before. I always try
to carry a set of pens with me in case I am put on the spot for an ‘impromptu’
piece of magic. This is a very solid piece, and I urge you to give it a try. You
will more than likely fool yourself the first time, and will definitely fool your
audiences every time!
Pent-Ultimate
After reading the above effect, mentalist extraordinaire, Banachek, offered the
following effect. While the effect is the same, and indeed, the revelation is the
same, the method is quite different. This version requires only one pen, no
switches, and the pen can be in play the entire time, until you want to display
the bend. This is a very slick effect, from one of mentalism most prolific
thinkers. Do not pass this by.

Effect: A pen is caused to visibly bend, by simply thinking about it!

Method: Before we get started, I will tell you, you will need to gimmick a pen.
It is very easy, and only takes a minute or two. Once the pen is prepared, you
are ready to perform this effect at a moments notice.

You need to get a Bic pen. Not the clear ones used in the previous effect, but
the round white ones, the same pen Banachek uses for his outstanding PK Pen
effect.

Once you have the correct style pen in your possession, you need to bend it. To
do this, simply bend the pen backwards and forwards a few times. The plastic
will soften slightly. Do this slowly, if you bend the pen too quickly, you run the
risk of cracking or creasing the plastic.

After the back and forth action, you will notice there will be a pronounced bend
in the pen. Here is the slick part; straighten the pen. It will stay straight!
However, if you bend the pen again, the bend will come back, just as it was
when you initially bent it. This is the basis of this method, and what makes it so
cool.

After using the gimmicked pen for a few effects, comment on how you would like
to offer them a demonstration of mind over matter. Allow the spectator to
examine the pen, and once they are finished, take it back, and hold it in your left
hand, the end of the pen butting against your pinky finger, the tip of the pen
between your first finger and thumb, the hand in a loose fist.

As you patter, simply push forward with the left thumb, the bend will come back.
When you are ready to display your ability, adjust the pen, so that you are
holding just the extreme tip with your left first finger and thumb, and the bend is
towards the audience, as in the previous effect.

Begin to massage the pen with your right first finger and thumb, and secretly
rotate it so the bend comes into view. This is the exact same handling as the
previous effect. After the bend is completely in view, allow the spectator to
examine the pen again, if you wish, and move onto other demonstrations of
psychokinesis.

You can avoid having the spectator examine the pen prior to the effect by simply
allowing them to use it, and keep possession of it until you want to do this
effect. This is far subtler, and the recommended approach.
The Tesla Experiment
This is the ultimate mind reading effect, an explicit display of telepathic ability.
Sounds strange, doesn’t it? How can you make mind reading an explicit event?

It is actually quite simple; involve the senses. Involve as many senses as you
can. In this effect, I get not only sight involved, but hearing and touch as well.
This makes for an absolute showstopper.

I will tell you ahead of time, there are gimmicks involved, most of which many of
you will have. If you don’t have all the necessary gimmicks, you can still do this
effect, but I urge you to try to get the gimmicks if you don’t already have them,
this effect is simply too good to pass by.

Effect: The magician has the spectator think of someone close to them. The
spectator then imagines the thought being transferred into one of her fingertips.
The magician then determines the finger that the thought resides in! The
spectator then feels the finger get warm, and then sees her finger start to glow,
and finally, the magician brings his fingertip close to hers, there is a loud zap,
and a bright flash of light; the thought has successfully been transferred! The
magician immediately reveals the thought of person.

Method: I can’t stress enough how cool this is. I had this idea for quite some
time, and was using it to great effect, but I was missing one key point; the
audible transfer of the thought. I then saw Criss Angel’s Paranormal special, and
the idea of using the sense of hearing as well as the senses of touch and sight
was too good not to incorporate. What you have here is the most powerful
version of the effect to date.

You will need to get a few things to make this effect possible. You probably
have them all already, and if not, they are readily available from your local magic
dealer. You will need a D’Lite gimmick, a Joy Buzzer, and a FISM Flash. I am
sure you can already reverse engineer the effect, but read on, there are some
key subtleties that really sell this effect. Simple ethics prevent me from detailing
the workings of these gimmicks, so I will not. I also assume you already own
them, or at least know what they are.

Just a note, I remove the stupid little ring that comes attached to the Joy Buzzer,
as it is unnecessary for this effect, and can actually prove to be a bit of an
annoyance, if not a hindrance.

To begin, have the D’Lite, the Joy Buzzer (already wound), and a pen in your left
hand pocket, and the FISM Flash set up, ready for use.
Hand a billet and the pen to the spectator, and have her right down the name of
someone important to her. When she is done, explain that the writing helps her
focus her subconscious, and that it is no longer needed, as she is now focused.
As you say this, perform your favourite billet tear. I use the Osterlind Perfected
Center Tear, but any tear will do. I will describe a simple center tear for the
sake of completion. Richard Busch has some excellent work with this, as does
Bob Cassidy. If you are unfamiliar with the work of these gentlemen, go and get
there books and videos, they are worth their weight in gold. In fact, any sort of
peek will do, The Mind Spy Wallet, The Thought Transmitter, or Mind Readers
Wallet, whatever, you just have to know the name of the person they are
thinking of.

Standard Center Tear

Introduce the billet and the pen, and draw a line across the middle of the billet,
and then draw an ‘X’ on top of the line, much the same way as one would mark
the line on a document for someone to ‘sign here’. Fold the billet left to right,
then bottom to top. The billet is now folded into fourths.

As you do this, have the spectator think of someone close to her. Hand her the
billet and the pen, and have her write the name of the person she is thinking of
to ‘focus her thoughts’, and when she is done, to fold the paper back up. Just a
quick note, but telling her to ‘fold the paper back up’ it subtly encourages her to
fold it up the exact same way you gave it to her.

Once she is done, take the billet back.

Hold the billet so the folded edges are on the left, and bottom respectively. To
perform the tear, simply tear the paper vertically in thirds, keeping the left most
third closest to you. Now turn all the pieces ninety degrees, and tear in thirds
again, and again, keeping the left most pieces closest to you.

After you have torn the paper, the rear most piece will be the original center of
the paper, the portion with the name on it. Throw the pieces in the garbage, but
hold back the rear most piece. You can now slip your left thumb into the
opening of this piece and pop it open by pressing your thumb against the middle
finger and moving it forward slightly; this is widely known as the umbrella move.

The piece is now open, hidden behind your left fingers, so you can read the
name at your leisure. Simply put your hand in your pocket to ditch the piece,
and you can continue with the rest of the routine.
This is a very simple explanation of the center tear; a more concise explanation
can be found in Corinda’s 13 Steps to Mentalism.

Once you have determined the name, take the pen back, and put it in your
pocket. While in there, slip on the D’Lite. Bring your hand out, and say the
following or something similar:

“You now have your thought locked away deep in your mind, correct? You are
the only person who knows for certain who you are thinking of, wouldn’t you
say? All right, now what I need you to do is imagine that thought taking a
physical form, taking the form of a little ball of energy. Now imagine that
thought, that energy, moving from your mind, to your heart, to the tip of one of
your fingers.”

As you give the above patter, gesture from your head, to your chest, to the tip of
your first finger. This subtly nudges the spectator to think of the first finger. If
they don’t, it doesn’t matter; you are about to find out using a very old muscle
reading technique.

Have the spectator hold her hand out, fingers outstretched. Now with your
index finger, touch each of her fingers, pushing back slightly. You will notice
that the finger she is thinking of will offer slight resistance. If you are
uncomfortable with muscle reading, you can completely forgo this sequence, and
just have her imagine her thought going to the tip of her first finger. This just
deepens the mystery slightly.

In any event, you now know what finger her thought resides in, and you will now
prove to her that the thought is there, with a little linguistic deception. Say the
following, or whatever suits you along these lines:

“Can you feel the thought in your fingertip? It usually feels warm, like your
finger is heating up from the inside out, barely at first, but then the feeling
grows, and is hard to ignore.”

By telling the spectator that her finger should be getting hot, you create
anticipation (there’s that word again), and she will fill in the blanks, and her
finger really will begin to feel warm, and in fact, the sensation matches the
description given in the patter. Try it on yourself, pick a finger, and will it to get
hot. Weird, huh?

After she concurs that her finger is getting warm, or even if she doesn’t, follow
up with:
“Sometimes, you can even see the thought glowing, taking shape in the tip of
your finger. It is a little bright in here, maybe if we covered it up a bit, it would
be easier to see.”

As you say this, cup your hands around her outstretched finger, with your fingers
just barely spread, and wait a moment. When the time is right, trigger the
D’Lite. There will be a glow emanating from inside your cupped hands, and she
will believe that it is truly coming from her fingertip!

After a brief moment of the glowing finger bit, take your hands away, which will
terminate the glow. Relax for a moment, and let the effect sink in, as you do,
casually put your hands in your pockets, and ditch the D’Lite, and finger palm
the Joy Buzzer in the left hand, trigger towards the fingers.

Bring your hands out of your pockets, extend your left first finger and explain
that now want the spectator to try to send the thought to you, and patter:

“Okay, I want you to try to send the thought to me, from your finger to mine. It
may feel a bit strange, almost electric, but it will not hurt you, shock or surprise
you maybe, but not hurt you.”

This plants the idea that the transfer of the thought will be akin to an electric
shock. Believe me, they will be shocked!

Slowly bring your left finger towards their extended finger; very slowly. When
you are about half an inch away, trigger the FISM Flash, and tap the trigger on
the Joy Buzzer. This will cause a loud electric buzz, and there will be a bright
flash of light. Her mind will fill in the missing feeling of the shock, because all
the other stimulus is there. She will remember feeling a shock. Now you can
simply reveal the thought, but do so immediately, as it really seems as though
the thought jumped to you in the electric shock.

You now have all the time in the world to put the Joy Buzzer back in your
pocket, because if the spectator hasn’t fainted, she will be in a state of shock (no
pun intended), as will the rest of the audience.

You really have to try it. Even if you don’t have a FISM Flash (they are a bit
pricey, and I know they can be hard to come by), if you only have a D’Lite and a
Joy Buzzer, the effect is still superb. As I mentioned, I did this effect for
sometime without a Joy Buzzer, and it worked wonderfully, but the addition of
the Joy Buzzer solidifies the electricity illusion perfectly.

Just an idea, rather than the FISM Flash and Joy Buzzer, you could eliminate
both, and just use a Funkenring. The Funkenring will not only produce the
sound desired, but rather than a brilliant flash of light, sparks will fly when the
fingers come together!

I didn’t want to give this up. I really shouldn’t have given this up. In fact, forget
you read this at all. This effect is so strong, it defies description. You really
have to see this performed, or perform it yourself to appreciate the impact it has
on an audience.

I told you even a billet tear could be turned into a highly visual, explicit routine!
Elemental
For some time, I wanted to be able to 'control the elements', in essence, cause a
glass of water to boil with my mind, and indeed, freeze solid with the power of
my mind. Some time ago, inspiration struck, and I have been working out this
idea since. I have not tried it yet, but I will do so very soon. I present you with
the basic idea of the conceptual effect, Elemental, for your consideration.

Effect: A small glass of water is poured from a nearby pitcher. The magician
stares intently at the glass of water, with his hands poised a few inches away
from the glass. Instantly, the glass of water begins to boil! The magician causes
the boiling to cease, and then begins to concentrate again. A few brief moments
later, the water is seen to 'fog' slightly, it is frozen! The magician inverts the
glass, and bangs the magically made iceberg onto the table for the spectators to
chip pieces off to cool down their drinks (that means everything is examinable,
and normal).

Method: This is the one effect that has eluded me for years. What I present
here is the culmination of years of desire to achieve the above effect. There are
no new principles here, just a new effect using tried, tested and true ideas,
routined into one extremely explicit display of your mental abilities.

Before you even attempt this effect, you will need a few things. You will need a
packet of Eno Antacid, some slush powder, a stack of transparent plastic cups, a
pitcher of water, and two thumb tips.

To prepare, take one of the cups, fill it with water, and freeze it. You must also
load both thumb tips, one with the Eno, one with the slush powder. Your
preparation is done, now comes the set up.

To set up, take the 'frozen' cup, and put it mouth down on the table. Invert the
stack of cups, and stack them on top of the frozen cup. You will notice the
bottom most cup (the frozen cup) is rendered completely invisible simply by the
nature of the cups, and the rolled lip that encompasses the mouths of the cups.

When you are ready to perform, put both hands in your pocket, and load the
thumb tip with the Eno on your left thumb. Introduce the stack of cups, and the
pitcher of water, and ask if anyone would like a glass of water. Regardless of
the response, take a cup from the top of the stack, and pour yourself a glass of
water. Take a sip, and ask if they want to see a remarkable demonstration of
mind over matter.

After they respond in the affirmative, push the glass of water forward, and begin
concentrating. Nothing will happen, yet. Relax for a moment, and as you do,
remove your left thumb from the thumb tip, keeping the tip finger palmed in the
left hand. Pick the glass up with your left hand by the mouth, and transfer it to
the right hand. Once your right hand grabs the glass, fingers closed, covering
the glass from view for the most part, your left hand tilts slightly, secretly
dropping the bubbly, bubbly, bubbly Eno into the glass.

Concentrate again for a moment, and place the cup on the table, removing the
right hand, showing the water to be 'boiling'. As this is going on, there is ample
time to ditch the thumb tip into your left pocket. Once you see the bubbling
beginning to stop, relax. It will seem that as you relax, the water stops boiling.
With your right hand, slide the glass to the left slightly, and concentrate again.
Again, nothing happens. Relax as before, but this time, steal the tip with the
slush powder with the right hand. Just as before, you are going to dump the
slush powder into the cup, as your left hand covers the cup from the front.

Concentrate, and remove the left hand to reveal the water has 'frozen'. The
illusion of frozen water is strengthened by the slight 'fogging' that will occur due
to the slush powder. Invert the cup slowly, to show that the water is not
pouring out, proving that it is frozen. The other reason for doing this slowly is to
ensure the globule of water will not come out.

With the cup inverted, now it is time to perform the only switch in the routine.
The cup is inverted directly in front of you; the stack of cups is off to your right.
With your right hand, reach for the stack, and as you move to the left, your right
pinky finger slightly separates the bottom cup (the real frozen cup) from the rest
of the stack. Once the stack is directly in front of you, your left hand takes it,
but lifts it up slightly, thus leaving the real frozen cup on the table, hidden
behind the right hand. The left hand immediately drops the stack onto the
'slushed' cup. Both hands continue moving to the left. The left hand moves the
stack of cups all the way to the right, off the table if possible, while the right
hand leaves the hidden cup in the exact same spot that the 'slushed' cup just
occupied, and continues moving to the left, to take the pitcher, and place it on
the floor as well. Done smoothly, it really seems as though you are simply
tidying up so you have enough room to do the following.

Grab the cup with your left hand, and bang it gently on the table, jarring the
giant ice cube, so that it slides out of the cup, and remains on the table, as you
take the cup and put it mouth up off to one side. Now everyone can touch the
mini iceberg, even chip bits off to put in their drink.

You may recognize the use of a bubbling antacid to emulate boiling liquid. The
idea is old, and well known to magicians, but it is so well known because it is
very good. I claim no originality there.
The switch at the end is somewhat similar to Dean Dill's Blizzard, however, the
effects are completely different.
Molten
This is a very cool idea. Metal bending is, by its very nature, a very visual form
of mentalism. This effect can, and will strengthen your existing metal bending
effects by association. Most metal bending effects are explained by the
performer as heat induced. This effect proves it.

Effect: After bending keys, coins, cutlery, and various other objects, the mental
marvel explains that the metal actually becomes almost molten during the
demonstrations, and offers to show the spectators this phenomenon.

The performer picks up a spoon, and begins to slowly, gently massage it, just
below the bowl. Soon, the spoon becomes red hot, and glows hellishly. It then
begins to melt, the bowl drooping down! The magician causes the heat to
cease, and drops the spoon on the table, frozen in its now mangled form, for all
to examine.

Method: This is exceptionally simple, as it is really just performance. To do

this effect, you will need our old friend, the D’Lite. The D’Lite resides quietly in
your left pants pocket. Make sure there is a spoon on the table.

At some point during your performance, or during your patter about

psychokinesis, and metal bending, put your hands in your pockets, and slip the
D’Lite onto your left thumb. Remove your hands from your pockets, and pick up
the spoon with your right hand, with the bowl nearest your thumb.

As you discuss your innate abilities, gesture slightly with your left hand, casually
displaying its emptiness. At the same time, your right hand puts in ‘the work’.
With the right thumb ‘inside’ the bowl of the spoon, the handle of the spoon
butts against the base of the pinkie finger, and your hand is in a loose fist. By
pressing forward slightly with the right thumb, the spoon will bend against the
knuckle of the first finger.

Transfer the spoon into the left hand, and offer to demonstrate your uncanny
skill. The bowl of the spoon is just above your first finger, while the handle is
hidden behind your left fingers, which remain close together.

Massage the ‘neck’ of the spoon, just below the bowl with your first finger and
thumb, which has the D’Lite on it. After a few moments of this rubbing, trigger
the D’Lite. If you keep your left fingers close together, a faint red glow will
emanate from behind them, which the audience assumes to be the spoon
heating up.
After the spoon has ‘heated up’, loosen your grip on the spoon slightly. This will
cause gravity to pull the bowl of the spoon downward, in front of your fingers. It
really looks like the spoon gets red hot, and melts! Try it for yourself to see how
weird this looks.

After the spoon has drooped downward, release pressure on the D’Lite, allowing
the glow to cease, and drop the spoon onto the table, and slowly show your
hands to be ‘empty’. Allow the spectator to pick up the spoon and inspect it.
The illusion created is that the heat from your fingertips ceased, and the spoon
froze in its new shape. You can now ditch the D’Lite in your pocket at your
leisure; the spectator will no doubt be examining the spoon.

As you probably guessed, you can use the red hot idea with any bend you like, I
just happen to prefer the bend described for this particular effect. You can also
use the bend described independently of the red-hot idea, it is a very strong
bend, not to be overlooked. In any event, try this effect; you will impress
yourself with the illusion!
The Fabric Of Space

The first time I saw someone perform Banachek’s Psychokinetic Touches, I was
astounded. Years later, when I learned the effect, I could not contain my glee.
The method was devious, the effect remarkable. The only problem I had was
that no matter how much I wanted, I could not make the method suit my
performing style. I immediately got to work on a method that suited me better,
and I present my adaptation here for your consideration.

Effect: The magician begins pattering about shadows, and their physical
peculiarities. With a spectator several feet away, the magician casts a shadow
across the spectators face, and the spectator cringes and screams, as they feel
the shadow touch them!

Method: This will no doubt be met with scepticism by mentalists, and open
arms by magicians. The reason for this is the use of a gimmick. The gimmick in
question is an Invisible Thread Reel. The use of the reel allows for some very
slick subtleties, the most notable of which will be the spectator’s reaction as your
shadow moves across their face.

I have worked with several different ways to use thread to accomplish this
effect, some original ideas, some the work of others. What I found was that
where the thread contacts them is integral to the illusion. If the thread touches
them somewhere that isn’t sensitive enough, it feels like thread; the thread had
to touch them somewhere extremely sensitive (get your mind out of the gutter!).

To begin, have an Invisible Thread Reel pinned inside your jacket, just below
chest height if you are going to be doing this to a seated spectator, at chest
height if the spectator will be standing. For illustration purposes, I will assume
that the spectator will be seated, and will describe the effect as such. If they are
standing, you need only change the anchor point for the thread to a higher
elevation. With the reel in position, you are ready to go.

At some point in your performance, begin to talk about shadows, and their place
in legend and mythology. Continue pattering about the idea that shadows have
physical properties, and offer a demonstration.

Pull up a chair, and have a willing participant sit down. Once they are seated, it
is a simple matter of anchoring the wax from the reel to the back of the chair,
right behind their right shoulder. Take a step or two back, and get ready to
scare the daylights out of them!
Instruct the spectator to relax, and remain absolutely calm, and perfectly still.
This subtly tells them that they are safe, and ensures that when they do react,
they won’t move too much, and break the thread.

Once they are relaxed, continue your patter about shadows, and begin to move
your hands from left to right in front of their face. As you do, however, hook the
thread between your first finger and thumb. As your hands pass in front of their
face, the thread will be drawn across their neck, and they will react!

Don’t hold the thread on their neck, just touch their neck once or twice, and
relax your hands, so the thread is no longer touching their neck. Walk over to
the spectator, shake their hand, and thank them for their participation. As you
do, simply remove the wax from the back of the chair, and allow the reel to
retract as they stand up.

The only thing that could kill this effect is lighting. Check your lighting before
you perform this. Indirect, diffused lighting is best.

I am not trying to reinvent the wheel here, as for many; Banachek’s original
effect is beyond improvement. All I offer here is an alternative for those who are
not comfortable with the original effect.

I have not given any patter, as this effect is highly dependant on a believable,
personal patter. There are unlimited patter possibilities; shadows, ghosts, fears,
whatever blows your hair back. Try this, and I am sure it will find its way into
your reserves, for when the time is just right.
Post Impression
This is the furthest thing from explicit mentalism in this book, but is included
here as those who I have taught it to really enjoyed it, and asked me to publish
it so that others may learn it. It is extremely simple, as well, extremely clean
looking. I urge you to try this; it will no doubt take its place in your mental
rolodex of effects.

Effect: The mentalist introduces a pad of Post It notes. They are normal, and
can be examined. He then hands the participant a pen, and turns his head. He
instructs the person to draw a simple picture, or word on the pad of paper, and
peel off the piece with his image on it and put it in his pocket. The spectator can
then again examine the pad to ensure there are no impressions, or anything of
the sort.

The magician turns around, peels off a note, and immediately duplicates the
image that the spectator drew!

Method: This is very simple, but very, very slick. Although the Post It pad can
be examined, and looks normal, it is gimmicked. And although the spectator
cannot find any sort of impressions that is exactly how you get the image!

I said the Post It pad was gimmicked, but don't freak out, the gimmick is simple,
invisible, and quick and easy to make. The secret is invisible tape.

To start, obtain a pad of Post It notes, but the SMALLEST size available. It is, 1"
by 1 1/2" if I am not mistaken. Next get some invisible tape; you know the stuff,
the flat, non-reflective transparent tape, sometimes referred to as satin finish
tape. Both of these can be obtained in any office supply store.

To gimmick the pad, remove the top TWO sheets of paper from the pad as one.
Now, stick two strips of tape side by side across the top sheet of the pad. The
width of the tape is exactly 1/2 that of the Post It notes. Use scissors to trim any
excess from the edges. Place the two sheets back on top, and you are set to go.

Begin your patter about telepathy, thought transference, whatever floats your
boat, and propose an experiment. Call attention to the pad of paper, and have
the spectator look it over (if you wish). Now turn around, and have the spectator
draw a SIMPLE picture, or word, whatever, as long as it is SIMPLE.

When they have finished drawing the image, have them remove the sheet, and
put it out of sight. Once they have done this, have them examine the pad again
(again, if you wish as it is not necessary). Once done, turn back around.
Recap what has transpired thus far, and explain now the experiment begins.
Remove the top sheet from the pad, and as you do, you can see what they
drew, as there is now an impression in the tape! Lighting IS a factor here. You
want the strongest light source above you, about a foot or two in front, in
essence above the spectator. Throw the pad down FACE UP onto the table. You
don't want to put it face down, as it may draw attention to the method.
Remember; don't run if you aren't being chased!

You are now miles ahead, as you know what the spectator drew, and only NOW
is the experiment beginning! Go through your performance, and slowly duplicate
on your piece of paper what the spectator drew!

As I said, this is not for everybody, but those who work on this have a great bit
of mentalism at their disposal.

It has been a lengthy description, but this is really not that difficult to make, or
perform, and can be as quick and direct, or slow and deliberate, as you want to
make it.

You may also want to try this in conjunction with The Explicit Billet Tear. Just a
thought.
Final Thoughts
Putting some of these routines into print has been exceptionally difficult, but I
am glad I did. The routines I have described are all exceptionally powerful and
practical for the ‘real world’, there is no magic club magic here.

I hope that I have shown you that mentalism can be just as visual as other
forms of magic, if you think about the effect. I hope to spark your imagination,
and get your creative juices flowing about effects currently in your repertoire,
and effects that you may not have considered doing because they read too dry.
Any effect can be made into a visual, explicit piece of true magic, if you simply
think about it.

So please, think about your effects. Think about how to make them more visual,
more explicit, and in turn, more powerful. The reactions you will get will be
exponentially stronger than ever before. But please, if anyone asks you about
this book, warn them, it contains Explicit Content.

Keep it real,

Sean Fields