Mind Magic E-Book

Marc Lemezma

• Herausgeber: IMM Lifestyle Books
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Seitenzahl: 155

Beschreibung

Mind-reading, fortune telling, uncanny predictions and other paranormal activities continue to baffle audiences throughout the world Marc LeMezma, a member of the Magic Circle, opens up the world of psychic magic and shows just how easy it is to "trick" your audience into thinking that you can read their minds, predict their futures and control their thoughts. This book contains 17 tricks that anyone with a little guile and patter can perform, it guides readers through a little history of the subject, moving into the realms of mind-reading, ghostly occurrences, fortune telling and mind control, creating atmosphere, stories and stunts to amuse and confuse. Including tips on what to wear, what food and drink to serve, and how to set up your room, Marc LeMezma also gives information on a growing interest - holding a paranormal party.

Leseprobe

CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

FIRST STEPS INTO THE UNKNOWN

Predictable Behaviour

Ring-A-Ring Arises

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE THINKING!

Lie Detector

Telecommunication

One Head Is Better

IS SOMEBODY OUT THERE?

A Friend from the Other Side

Rise to the Occasion

The Mark of the Poltergeist

WRITTEN IN THE STARS

Astronome

The Mystical Tarot

My Sixth Sense Worth

MIND CONTROL

Gripping Stuff

Hobson’s Choice

Fallen Angels

A NIGHT THAT GOES WITH A BUMP!

An Invitation to the Darker Side

Paranormal Playtime

DROP DEAD MAGIC

Death Becomes You

Famous Last Words

Glossary

Tricks of the Trade

What Next?

Index

PREFACE

Have you ever looked back at a piece of work you completed a long time ago and thought to yourself, “I wish I’d done that differently”? When Mind Magic was originally published in 2003, it caused quite a stir. Some magicians didn’t like it because they felt it exposed too much, others said there wasn’t enough magic in it, and still others misunderstood what I was trying to do.

The reality is the book sold well across the world in several languages and still generates fan mail some 14 years after it was originally published. It went before the council of The Magic Circle (the world’s premier magical society) who honoured me with a promotion to a higher degree as a result. Their reviewer commented that it was one of the ‘best books on the subject of mental magic written for over 20 years’.

I admit to having felt a degree of apprehension when I was asked to review the book in preparation for this second edition. More than a decade had passed and the world has become a very different place. Would all the technological advances, and the four thousand magic performances I have notched up since the original publication, change my view of what I had written?

Magic is a physical art that transcends technology. It appeals to some very basic needs we have as humans to feel part of something bigger than ourselves. Whilst the exterior appearance of magic rightly changes to suit the current environment, the basic underlying principles do not. What I set out to do with this book is still very much relevant.

I felt (and still feel) that although correctly teaching the mechanics is vital, it is the understanding of how to “frame” a performance that was missing from the majority of magic books. The stories or scenarios were designed to show the importance of placing your magic in the right context. They are examples, laid out with the intention of making you think a little differently about how and when you perform.

My fears were unfounded. Although I have made a few changes to the text, mainly tidying, clarifying and updating, the book remains very much the same as it was fourteen years ago. One simple principle underpins my philosophy in creating, performing and writing about magic:

Magic is a narrative art form, so take your audience on a journey.

INTRODUCTION

We begin with a story…

Long, long ago, a small group of our distant ancestors was watching the night sky, awestruck by the sights above.

They marvelled at the dazzling array of lights and shapes, and sought to find meaning in this heavenly display. Surely it must be a message from the gods? No! It was, they decided, the gods dancing for them. After a good few hours’ gazing, they lay down in their crude huts and went to sleep, safe in the knowledge that someone somewhere was looking out for them.

One night a member of the group was restless, and stayed up a little later than the others. Something was troubling him. Suddenly he was struck with an amazing thought. The light-show in the sky repeats itself, not every day, not always the same, but there is a pattern.

After a little more thought and a lot more watching, he could tell his friends what was going to happen during the coming nights. He knew which gods would be in the sky and when. As his predictions came true, the others began to treat him differently. He must be special, favoured by the gods and blessed with divine knowledge.

The observant one became powerful and respected in his tribe. Any problems or questions would be put to him for his opinion, and his words of advice followed closely. He was offered the best food available and his choice of mates. This was not a bad thing for his group, as he was probably of above average intelligence for his time and could therefore produce good-quality offspring.

Magic Through the Ages

Now, it may not have happened exactly like that, but those who could see order in the world around them and make sense of their environment would clearly thrive.

One question I have always pondered is this. What if we were to tell that ancient thinker that the stars are not in fact gods, but huge balls of gas and fire, a trillion times larger than his village, floating in an infinite void? He would think we were crazy.

Throughout history fact and fantasy have become intertwined as human beings search for answers and often find the truth far stranger than the fiction.

In the past many leaders relied upon wizards, wise men and seers to give them insight and thus aid their decisions, military or otherwise. A fine, albeit mythical example, of such a person was Merlin, magician to King Arthur.

Unfortunately, the path has not always been smooth for those with ‘special abilities’. Frequently controlled and pursued by those in power, their ability to predict the future posed a threat to the leaders’ absolute authority. In medieval times witches were supposedly burnt at the stake. (In fact, most convicted witches in England were hanged.) The increasing numbers of these poor souls coming before his court began to trouble one sixteenth-century justice of the peace. Reginald Scot was a devout Christian and stated that these ‘certeine old women’ could not possibly be responsible for plagues, poor harvests, healing, controlling the weather or any of the feats attributed to them.

In his book The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584), Scot wrote: ‘But certeinlie, it is neither a witch, nor a divell, but a glorious God that maketh the thunder.’ In this text he set out to prove that witches possessed no special powers, and explained at length their rituals and the means by which they deceived. Although its purpose was to debunk rather than instruct, the book became the first in the English language to show how magic tricks could be performed by sleight of hand and other mechanical means.

While the book had its supporters, it was not welcomed by everyone. King James, for example, had it banned and decreed that all copies should be burnt. Nonetheless, it had a dramatic effect on magic and mysticism, acting as a catalyst in the development of conjuring as both art and entertainment. Indeed, you probably wouldn’t be reading this book now if it were not for Reginald Scot.

Mental Magic

Since the eighteenth century, magic of all kinds has become almost universally acceptable. Modern-day witches and psychics are not persecuted, although they are still not totally trusted either. However, in the last fifty years or so there has been an enormous growth of interest in magic and mysticism – just look at all the psychic fairs, weird shops, television shows and magazines devoted to these subjects.

This interest has been good for magicians, and we have developed our art to reflect it. This is particularly true of mentalism (mind-reading, thought transference and prediction) and bizarre magick (similar to mentalism, but with more supernatural and occultist themes, plus a lot of theatre to create a truly intense atmosphere). Great mentalists of the past have included Theo Anneman, while current exponents include Max Maven, Larry Becker and Derren Brown. In the field of bizarre magick Tony Andruzzi and Tony “Doc” Shiels have been influential. I for many years performed as Dr. Marcus.

Practitioners of mentalism and bizarre magick truly bridge the gap between what is seen as conjuring tricks and what may be real magic. Indeed, it can be very difficult to distinguish between a good mentalist or bizarrist and a real psychic.

If I were forced to put a label on the magic in this book, I would say it is a mixture of mentalism and bizarre magick. If you pushed me really hard, I would admit it is ‘lite’ bizarre magick, for, as you will see, the drama and storytelling makes the difference.

Here in the twenty-first century sophisticated methods of communication have made the world a smaller place: they certainly make it easier to share ideas. This is true in all sorts of fields, not least among people with spiritual and magical beliefs. Centuries of history and culture may have changed some of the names and characters, but the beliefs are essentially the same.

While much remains to be explained in our universe, I strongly believe there is a place for mind magic in our lives, and I have three main reasons for this belief.

First, it is entertaining. People are drawn into this fascinating world and see real results, by which I mean they will believe a mind has been read or a distant image received clairvoyantly.

Second, it is respectful to the world of real magic and the paranormal that many people have faith in. Although from time to time I have used a little licence, I have endeavoured to explain things in the correct terms. Certainly when performing the magic in this book you should be clear whether you are reading a mind or showing evidence of precognition, and I have given you the information to do just this.

Third, mind magic is a bridge. In some ways I hope that in using this book your interest and understanding of magic of all kinds will develop and grow. Whatever path life takes you on, being able to entertain or simply being more aware of the world and people around you can be fantastic assets.

Before You Begin

As you read through this book and experiment with the material you find, I want you to bear one important thing in mind. There is no denying that all the experiences described are brought about through trickery, but when you perform any of these tricks you are a magician – a special individual with special responsibilities.

There are a few rules of magic I would like to share with you, and I strongly recommend you to follow them closely. If you do not, you risk making a fool of yourself and possibly spoiling the chances of any magician your audience might meet in the future. If you follow the rules, which are explained in detail on page 98 and briefly outlined below, you will no doubt give a strong performance that will leave a powerful and lasting impression on your audience.

Rule 1

•Practice makes perfect, so make sure you have rehearsed thoroughly.

Rule 2

•Never repeat a trick to the same audience.

Rule 3

•Never reveal your methods to anyone except other magicians.

So let’s get down to business: your first mind magic experience.

FIRST STEPS INTO THE UNKNOWN

‘Only the unknown frightens men. But once a man has faced the unknown, that terror becomes the known.’

ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY (1900–44)

It is said that if you were to ask a hundred people what their greatest fear is, most would not say the dark, pain, or even death. Most would tell you it is speaking in public. Being the focus of an audience’s attention means that any mistake you make is exposed to everyone. On the other hand, any success is equally revealed, and your skill will be known to all.

This first chapter looks at three straightforward tricks to get you started with mind magic. They need not be performed as a show, but perhaps instead as an aside at any gathering. None requires great skill, so this will allow you to concentrate on your patter and thus build your confidence. From then on your performances will be plain sailing.

Nevertheless, do not be misled into believing that the simplicity of these introductory tricks means they will have a limited impact upon your audience. Indeed, each one on its own is a minor miracle.

⋆⋆⋆ PREDICTABLE BEHAVIOUR ⋆⋆⋆

Perhaps one of the most useful weapons in the mind-magician’s arsenal is a technique known as ‘forcing’. Quite simply, although your spectator believes he or she has had a completely free and unrestricted choice from a number of random items, you have, in fact, severely limited his options.

For example, if I were to ask you to think of any odd number from 50 to 99, I have already limited your choice by half. Later, when I say, ‘You had a free choice of a number between 50 and 99. Is that correct?’ You cannot deny it is the truth. Yet it seems to any onlooker that you had twice as many choices as you had in reality.

Later in the book, you will see a more complex example of forcing, but for now let’s start with an experiment using a very simple force involving a playing card to create the impression of amazing precognition.

You will need

•An ordinary deck of cards prepared beforehand for the occasion.

•A group of friends.

•A short note tailored to suit your chosen friend and the situation you will be in.

•A smattering of magic.

THE TRICK

You and a group of friends are sitting around the open fire in an old English country pub. It is late in the evening and everyone is feeling very relaxed. One of your group returns from the bar with a tray of drinks and hands them out. Your friend Michael reaches for his pint of beer. You turn to Michael and place your hand firmly on his shoulder.

‘You know, Michael, you are a true friend. And what I like best about you is your dependability, no, your predictability. You are always there for us, Michael. Let’s face it, you come to this pub almost every Friday evening without fail, and you never need to be asked what you want to drink – always a pint of beer. Tomorrow you will go to the football, Sunday you will spend with your girlfriend, and Monday it’s back to work, 8.30 sharp.’

Then, from a pocket, you take a small envelope that has ‘To Michael’ written across the front. You ask him not to open it yet while you remove a deck of playing cards from their case and begin to shuffle them. You lay the cards on the table in front of Michael and ask him to cut them anywhere he chooses.

You now instruct him to open the envelope and read the note inside, aloud.

‘Dear Michael,’ he begins, ‘I have already explained this evening how much I value your friendship and your dependability. You will be aware that I sometimes see things others do not, so it will not surprise you that I am more aware of your predictability than you are.

‘I have already foreseen where you will be tonight, what you will choose to drink and your plans for the next few days. Not particularly mystifying, I would agree, but I have also predicted which card you would cut to.

‘Michael, you have cut to the king of clubs – a truly confident and dependable card if ever I saw one.’

Michael laughs a touch dismissively and takes a mouthful of his drink and turns over the card he cut to. The entire gathering is covered in beer as Michael splutters in amazement. It is the king of clubs.

BEHIND THE SCENES

You forced Michael to choose the king of clubs using a very straightforward technique called the ‘cross-cut force’. This works as follows.

Place your force card, which could be the king of clubs or whichever card you feel is appropriate for your audience, at the very top of the deck. Make sure the back of the force card is uppermost.

When the deck was cut, you directed your friend to place the cards he had removed on the table next to the pile of cards that remained. You then asked him to place those remaining cards (cards that were originally the bottom portion of the deck) on top of and at right angles to the cards he had originally cut off, as in the diagram overleaf.

To make the force work you needed to create a little misdirection. More specifically, you needed to make your audience forget which order the piles of cards were originally in and how they had been subsequently laid out. But once you had messed with their memory a little, you simply lifted off the upper portion of the deck and asked Michael to ‘pick up the card you cut to’. In fact, this was a complete lie, as you were holding the card he had cut to in your hand. What you actually had him do was turn over the card that was originally on top of the deck – the force card.

The force card is placed at the top of the deck.

THE PERFORMANCE

To perform this trick with consummate ease, you will need something not so easy to find – the right moment. It would be all too simple to call up your friends right now and say, ‘Hey, I’ve just learnt this great new trick. You’ve got to get over here and see it.’ With mind magic, timing is everything, so judge your time wisely. Everyone needs to be relaxed and have no suspicion of any contrivance on your part. If you do go to the same place each week, you need not perform the trick as soon as you have learnt and prepared it. You may let two or three weeks pass before you decide, ‘This is the moment.’

So, now you have chosen your moment, you begin to speak to your audience and, in particular, your chosen friend.

You hand over the envelope containing your prediction, ask him not to read it yet as you need him to choose a card. Take out your cards and begin to shuffle – this is optional, and a sneaky false shuffle, which keeps your force card on top, is explained later in the book (see page 37