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Mentalism and Magick
By Bob Cassidy
All contents copyright 2002 by Robert E Cassidy
All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
Telepathy in the Third Dimension
............................................................................................................1
The Bullwhip Approach
..............................................................................................................................5
Under the Table
..........................................................................................................................................10
Split
..............................................................................................................................................................13
Thought Card in Pocket
............................................................................................................................16
Telepathy in the Third Dimension
For nearly twenty-five years, ÐFourth Dimensional TelepathyÑ a/k/a ÐThe Three Envelope TestÑ has been
the cornerstone of my mentalism show. Like most of my other routines, it has evolved over the years.
My standard method, as most of you know, involves a Shaxon flap envelope and a specially prepared
envelope stack.
Recently, I devised a method for performing the routine that eliminated most of the preparation and rendered the
effect almost impromptu. It is ideal for situations where you have to perform the effect several times in one
evening. I wonÓt go into the details of my previous handlings or presentations as they have been published many
times elsewhere. (My ÑstandardÑ version appears on the videotape/DVD
Mental Miracles
.) But I think if you try
this out, you may find that I have actually improved, as well as simplified, the effect, the preparation, and the
handling.
EFFECT:
(Here is the original effect and handling. For more details in the original handling and presentation, I
suggest you refer to
The Art of Mentalism, Part Two
, or the
Mental Miracles
video previously mentioned.)
Three spectators each write thoughts on billets and seal them in envelopes. The mentalist correctly reveals
each thought.
The bare bones:
The envelopes are stacked like this: The Shaxon flap on top, flap side up. This contains a folded dummy
billet- index card type. Underneath is another regular envelope, flap side up. Below that is a regular envelope, flap
folded down. And below that is a pair of envelopes set for a flapless envelope switch. The regular of these two
contains a folded blank billet. The flapless envelope is on the face of the stack. Note that this flapless set is reversed
on the bottom of the stack. Pencil dot the Shaxon set so you know which side is up.
stack.
The key to making the dump work is to belly both of the flapless envelopes out before you prepare the
Handling:
Two spectators write thoughts on billets. Their billets are sealed in envelopes. The first spectator's billet is
switched via the Shaxon envelope, which she seals and holds onto. The second spectator is given the now second
envelope down via a crude second deal. She seals up her billet herself, you don't touch it.
The performer returns to the front and asks for a third volunteer. At the same time, he puts the stack of
envelopes into his right jacket pocket, mouths down. He buckles it open and the first spectator's billet dumps out.
He comes right back out with the stack and puts it into his left jacket pocket. This is all done very casually and just
looks like you don't know what to do with them.
The performer reaches into his right pocket and removes the stolen billet. He opens it while explaining to
the third volunteer that she is to draw a picture and then to refold her slip. It looks like the performer is simply
showing the volunteer what to do. He is actually reading spectator #1's billet. He retrieves the stack of envelopes,
refolds the billet and places it into the regular flapless envelope on the face of the stack. He pulls on the flap and
switches for the envelope containing the remaining blank billet.
The envelopes are later collected and misnumbered 3, 1, and 2, thus setting up the one-ahead.
Again, this is described in great detail in the works cited and this recap is simply to remind you of the
important points of the routine, but I do strongly recommend that you read the previous versions in order to
understand the virtues of the present approach and to grasp the context of the various moves.
MODIFICATIONS, SIMPLIFICATIONS, CLARIFICATIONS, AND IMPROVEMENTS
Only one flapless envelope is required. No Shaxon flap is used. I prepare this by simply wetting the flap and
folding it down, inside the envelope. It is not necessary to cut the flap off. In fact, if you do cut the flap off it is
quite possible to create a slight ridge, which will later impede the Ðdumping move.Ñ You should, as I have noted,
buckle the envelope open a few times to insure that it will buckle open properly later in the routine.
From the top of the stack downward, the set up is as follows.
All
envelopes are flap side up:
This is a side view of the stack from the top down. The flapless envelope
is on the top and is inserted below the flap of the second envelope. The
flapless envelope contains a prefolded billet.
This envelope (the second from the bottom) also contains a prefolded
blank billet. (The billets are the ones I always use Î blank index cards cut
in half to form 2 ď by 3-inch billets.)
As you probably have already noticed, the preparation time for this variant is far less than required in the
original version. This envelope stack can be prepared in less than thirty seconds.
The stack is clipped together with a paper clip. (It is clipped along the bottom edge of the stack so as not to
Ðflatten outÑ the buckle in the flapless envelope.)
You may wonder why I have eliminated the Shaxon flap. (The Shaxon allowed the spectator to insert the
billet into the apparent uppermost envelope by himself and created the perfect illusion that the billet really was
going into that envelope.)
My reasoning is simple Î the only person the Shaxon is designed to deceive is the first spectator. No one else in the
audience ever sees it. A simple bit of handling with the first spectator enables you to create the same effect without
the nagging problem that the Shaxon sometimes causes - ie. It doesnÓt always seal properly and if the spectator
looks at the envelope too closely while it is in her possession Î which is for a considerable amount of time Î the fact
that the flap is really a double flap can sometimes be detected.
The primary advantage of the Shaxon flap envelope was that the performer could emphasize that he never
touches the spectatorÓs billet. With a bit of nerve and some very direct handling, though, the same effect can be
created with the standard flapless envelope switch. Here is how it is handled.
Approach the first spectator with the stack of envelopes in your left hand. Ask the spectator to hold her
folded billet up to the light to verify that he cannot see through it. Then, simply take the billet from her, insert it into
the envelope and say, ÐI donÓt want to touch it Î stick out your tongue.Ñ (!) This is, of course, a rather bizarre
request, but it covers the flapless envelope switch perfectly. As you make the request that she stick out her tongue,
simply pull the second envelope, containing the blank billet, from the stack and extend it toward her so that she may
lick the flap. If she should hesitate, simply hand her the envelope and say, ÐOr seal it up any way that you like, I
donÓt want to handle it.
Now I have been using the Ðstick out your tongueÑ line for years. (Followed by, ÐNow turn around this way
and do it again so that guy can enjoy it!Ñ) Here I am simply delivering the line AS I am inserting the billet into the
flapless envelope. Moved slightly ahead in the presentation in this manner, the envelope switch is just as effectively
covered as in the Shaxon version and the spectator is left with a completely innocent and unprepared envelope
which she can look at to her hearts content Î after it is sealed, of course.
As in the original handling described earlier, the second is given the next unprepared envelope in the stack
via a simple second deal, which is done as you walk toward her. (It can be as crude as you like, since no one is near
enough to you to see it anyway!)
The entire stack now goes to the right jacket pocket where the stolen billet is dumped. Both hand go to the
pocket at this point, as if you are fumbling around looking for something. The stack is immediately removed from
the pocket and replaced in the left hand. You then remove the first spectatorÓs billet from the right pocket as you
explain to the third spectator that she is to open her billet and visualize a simple picture. (This is where you glimpse
the first spectatorÓs thought.) At the same time, the left thumb draws back the uppermost (flapless) envelope on the
stack so that it goes under the flap of the envelope beneath it, the one that contains the other blank billet. Thus,
unlike the original version, you are using the same flapless envelope twice. (In my original version two flapless
envelopes were used. Since both had to be buckled to assure easy ÐdumpingÑ this only served to create an
additional potential problem Î in clipping the stack together and putting it into your pocket, the buckling in the
lowermost flapless envelope occasionally would get flattened out, resulting in some unnecessary fumbling when
dumping the first spectatorÓs slip back into the pocket.
These variants may, at first glance, seem minor to you. I donÓt think they are. They greatly simplify the set
up and operation of the effect and reduce any possibility of fumbling at a critical moment. Try it with the envelope
in hand and you will see what I mean.
The elimination of the Shaxon by simply bluffing your way through the switch illustrates what I think is an
important principle Î ÐItÓs what the audience remembers, not what actually happened, which is important.Ñ In this
case, you keep saying you donÓt want to touch the billets, even though you are blatantly taking the billet from the
first spectator as you as her to stick out her tongue. The fact that you donÓt touch the other billets Î and you keep
emphasizing that throughout Î tends to make them forget that you ever touched the first one. (And the first one was
covered by a funny line, which is, of course, the best form of misdirection. Remember, if you tell a joke or a one
liner at the critical point of any effect, the move will always go unnoticed.
ÐFourth Dimensional Telepathy,Ñ or its variants is actually an entire act in and of itself. And I have used it
that way. The only thing needed if you want to use the routine for a complete short performance, is an opening.
Traditionally I have always opened my act with a series of psychological forces. The purpose of this is to involve
the entire audience before focusing on the thoughts of just three volunteers.
Recently I devised a new approach to the psychological choices opener that accounts for the title I have
given to this section Î ÐTelepathy in the Third Dimension.Ñ
Here I use the concept of three dimensions to produce a psychological force, which can be done on an entire
audience with a success rate of over ninety percent.
I draw five large designs on a dry erase board or on a large pad. I show them to the audience and say,
ÐHere I have drawn five simple objects - a ball, a cylinder, a diamond, a box, and a pyramid. I am
concentrating on one of them. I am trying to project one of these objects into your minds. Just focus on one of them
that you seem drawn to and we will see how many of you can receive the correct image.Ñ
ÐReady? Do you all have an image in your minds? I was concentrating on the cylinder. How many of you
got that right? Just raise your hands.Ñ
As I said, this has a success rate of about ninety percent. There are several underlying factors at work here
that make the success percentage so high.
First, look at how I draw the objects:
First, note that I do not refer to the selections as
ÐdesignsÑ or as Ðdrawings,Ñ but as Ðobjects.Ñ I call
them a ball, a cylinder, a diamond, a box and a
pyramid. I do not refer to them as Ða circle, a cylinder,
a diamond, a square and a triangle.Ñ
I call this a ÐThird Dimension ForceÑ because the cylinder is the only object, which is drawn in three
dimensions. You could just as easily draw a cube in this position, but in that case, I would suggest that you replace
the square with something else, preferably a rectangle. It is the three dimensional aspect of the cylinder that makes
it stand out psychologically. Even though I refer to all of the drawings as Ðobjects,Ñ only the cylinder is drawn in
three dimensions, thus enhancing the likelihood of its selection.
[When I describe the Ðobjects,Ñ however, I use three dimensional names, as noted above. If I were to say Ða
circle, a cylinder, a diamond, a square and a triangle,Ñ I would be drawing just a little too much attention to
the cylinder, perhaps bringing the difference to a conscious level. You may, however, experiment with this
and see if you can get away with the latter description without making the whole thing too obvious.]
Also, you will note that the cylinder is in the second position from the left, which has been shown to be the
optimal position for a psychological force of this nature.
This force, of course, can be used anywhere in a mental act. Due to its high percentage of success, I also use
it in one on one situations. It is, however, ideally suited as a lead in for the ÐFourth Dimensional Telepathy routine,
thus providing an impressive opener for the envelope routine which comprises the rest of the short act.
As I have stated elsewhere, and it bears repeating, the three-envelope test is NOT perceived as a single
effect or routine by lay audiences. It is seen, and later described, as three entirely different tests. - the revelation of
the name of a childhood friend, discovering the name of a pet, and the duplication of a design.
___________________________________________________
The Bullwhip Approach
Not may people know it, but my father was also in show business. While he was an exceptional classical
violinist, he paid the bills for our family by playing the fiddle in country bands during the fifties and sixties. Here is
a photo of ÐThe Rodeo Rangers Roundup ReviewÑ circa 1958. My dad, Frank Cassidy, is in the black hat.
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