Adam Kordecki - Think

THINK Copyright 2013 by Adam Kordecki. No part of this publication may be stored, reproduced, copied or transmitted without the prior written consent from the author. Layout and design by Daniel Andersen

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This book is dedicated to my father, who sparked my interest in magic as a kid and helped me get started on this crazy journey. I miss him greatly. ! ! ! Don Kordecki (November 12, 1931 - October 26, 2010) !

This book is also dedicated to my wonderful girlfriend, Jen Garrett, who had to painstakingly sit by me as I wrote this book over and over and over, helping me edit along the way. Thank you.

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CONTENTS PREFACE

v

INTRODUCTION

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THINK OF A PLAYING CARD

8

REVEALS

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SUBTLETIES

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THINK OF A DATE

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!

MONTH

27

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1st DIGIT

34

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2nd DIGIT

37

USING THINK WITH OTHER METHODS

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JUST THE BEGINNING

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PREFACE Greetings, All! Welcome to THINK. Thank you for picking it up. Over the next 30 pages you will discover my take on a classic method that allows truly prop-less mind reading. It can be performed anywhere, anytime. I've included two main presentations, along with subtleties, and a few ways to use THINK with other methods. I sincerely hope you enjoy reading THINK and find it worth performing. Best,

Adam Kordecki

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INTRODUCTION THINK is based on a classic method in mentalism, the Progressive Anagram (PA). PA's are an excellent way to perform prop-less mind reading. Although I believe THINK is better described as a branching anagram, I'll refer to it as a PA for simplicity throughout the rest of this book. To my knowledge, PA's started with Stanley Collins in the 1920's. There have been plenty of works on PA's, and while I haven't had the privilege of reading them all, the few I have are incredible creations. My personal introduction to PA's was Contimental by Max Maven. I remember feeling like I was in mentalism heaven after reading it! As a side, I was recently in mentalism heaven again after reading Peter Turner's The Portugal Notes. Great material from a great guy. My next exposure to PA's was K.E.N.T. by John Mahood, published by Kenton Knepper, followed by The Prodigal by Atlas Brookings, which I picked up earlier this year and is practically an encyclopedia of PA's. I highly recommend all these works. When I developed THINK, I wanted to find a way to branch out from fishing only for letters when receiving a negative response. The graphs in this book mostly just use letters and the number of letters in a word, but other categories can be used as well. For example, if you made a PA for colors you could

also use the categories of the color being a primary or secondary color. If you made a PA for numbers you could use categories such as a multiple of 3 or prime number. With some time spent thinking of different categories for a subject, one can construct their own THINK PA. After receiving a negative response, changing the category, plus time misdirection, should give your audience the impression that since you seemingly can't use your mind reading skills to read specific letters from your volunteer, changing the category means that you're now starting the mind reading process over again. Along with the time misdirection, the audience should forget that you already have certain bits of information on what your volunteer is thinking. For instance, in the playing card diagram, when you receive a negative response to there being an 'E' in their thought of value, you'll move on to saying there is 3 letters in the word. Using the subtleties, including time misdirection, by the time you mention it being a 3 letter word you should be able to make your volunteer and audience forget that you already know there is no 'E' in their thought of value. As you read through the playing card diagram this concept should make more sense. You are about to read two presentations that I use on a regular basis. Think of a playing card Think of a Date

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If you've never performed a PA, I highly advise you take the time to study and implement the subtleties and nuances which really make this effect work well. Although I do include the subtleties needed to perform these PA's, I also suggest you check out the works of Maven, Brookings and the numerous others who have written on the subject. Alright, alright, less talk, more mind reading. Onward.

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THINK OF A PLAYING CARD After learning that you're a mind reader, the most common response from a spectator will probably be, "Okay, tell me what I'm thinking." Of course being the brain decipherer that you are, you happily oblige. "I'm going to show you exactly what mind reading looks like. Think of a playing card. Any playing card at all, it could be your favorite, someone's else favorite or if you really want to catch me out, one at random. Do you have one in mind? Perfect. I'll give you a few seconds to change your mind if you want, but if not, stick with the one you have. Remember it and lock it in. Once you've settled on a specific card do NOT change your mind."

While each PA is different based on what information you’re trying to deduce, each follow the same basic guidelines: • All flowcharts start from the top and work downwards. The starting place is designated by the symbol that has an outline. • A solid line leading from one step to the next signifies the path you should follow if you receive a yes response. A dotted line is for a no response. • Finally, once you arrive at this shape: you’ve deduced the volunteer’s thought of card/number/etc. Let’s begin.

What follows is a miraculous demonstration of what mind reading looks like. On the next page you will find the first of a series of PA’s presented throughout this book. These will be your guides to the THINK method. To be most successful with THINK, study these until they become second nature. At first this may seem daunting but once you understand how simply they work, you should have no trouble. 8

King Let’s start from the top of the PA and work our way down*. After you have asked the spectator to think of any card and lock it in their mind, say: "In order for this work, I need you to first concentrate on the value only. Your card is either a Club, Heart, Spade or Diamond, but forget about that for now. Wait… you didn't think of a red card, did you? I thought so, it looked like you did. Okay, now just focus on the value of your card repeating it over and over, only in your mind, nothing out loud please. Just like that... like King… King… King." Now there are many linguistics at play in this first bit. It serves two purposes to tell them to concentrate on the value since: • The "mind reading" of the value and suit happen separately. • It allows for your first opportunity to figure out what suit their card is. As you name the suits, pause slightly in between each one, looking for any subtle facial cues giving away which suit their card is. The spectator may not give anything away at this point and that's OK. It's not necessary to know the suit just yet, but it certainly helps.

"You didn't think of a red card, did you?" This part is very important. It allows you to fish out the color of their card and seem as though you're correct regardless of their answer. If they say, “No,” say, "I didn't think so, it looked like a dark color." That tells them you "mind read" the color black. If they say, “Yes,” say, "I thought so. It looked like you did." Saying, "looked" conveys to them that you're reading their mind or facial cues to determine the color. Your response to their answer should be very natural and a bit nonchalant. You don't want to draw too much attention to it. You had just told them to temporarily forget about the suit, and then interrupted yourself with the "Wait…" because you noticed a flicker or subtle cue about the color they were thinking. Drawing too much attention to your response may seem you had planned it all along. Now that you've figured out the color, and possibly the suit, you tell them to focus on the value of their card repeating it over and over in their mind, not out loud. I believe it's important to tell them to say it in their mind, not out loud, and be clear in those instructions because many times the spectator will just blurt it out. After that say, "Just like that..., like King… King… King...” This again serves as a two purposes:

*If you own K.E.N.T. by John Mahood, I'm sure you can deduce why the King is at the top.

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• To give them an example of how to repeat the value over and over in their head, which adds a nice, Old Witch Doctor's effect*.

I’ll usually reposition the spectator and say something along the lines of, "If you would please step over here, just like that and we'll get started*.”

• Just as in K.E.N.T., a clever way to eliminate the King. If they're thinking of a King, the spectator will 9 times out of 10 tell you they're thinking of a King, either by verbally telling you or nonverbally showing their surprise at your correctness.

Figuring out if their card has an E in it’s name will split all 12 remaining values into two groups.

In the rare case that they have indeed picked the King, but either their poker face is very convincing or they didn’t understand something that was being said, the King ends up in the same place as the Jack and the 4 during the reveals. Later on I’ll explain what to do if you find yourself in this pickle.

"Take a deep breath in… and out... Good. I want you to begin to imagine and visualize the value, and only the value, of your card as a written word. Remember not to give anything away, but let's say you were thinking of the 5. You would then imagine and visualize the letters F-I-V-E, or if you're thinking of the Jack you would see the letters J-A-C-K, understand? Good, now I want you to genuinely do this for me please, imagine and visualize the written word of the value of your card right here, as if it were written in the air in front of you."

The Letter E Next, you want to determine if the value of the spectator’s card (when spelled) has the letter E. It should seem as if this is the point when the mind reading begins. You can separate what happens from this moment and everything that just happened with the King and the suits. Again, reinforcing the idea of not drawing too much attention to your questioning the color of the card.

No: Jack, Six, Four & Two Yes: Ace, Queen, Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Five & Three

Just like before, there are a few linguistics at play to help you. It helps to make your instructions clear. Getting them to take a deep breath in and out serves as an Old Witch Doctor's principle, and helps the process of them following your instructions. Notice in the second sentence how I say to imagine and visualize just the value. Say that to reiterate your instructions. If at any point you think your spectator might not be following, do

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not hesitate to ask them if they understand what to do. It's not worth it to assume and have something go wrong later. The beginning of the next line says, "Remember not to give anything away.” To the spectator it should seem as if you're repeating yourself to make certain they have a poker face, but as I said before, doing so will put them into a state of mind of trying so hard not to give something away that they end up subtly giving something away. Giving them examples of what to do not only reinforces your instructions but also gives you a chance to possibly see if they're thinking of one of the examples. You could choose any of the remaining 12 values but I think it's good to use one number and one picture card. It not only covers both bases of number or a picture cards, but also helps reinforce that they're visualizing the correct things. As the mind reading begins, I normally act as if I'm trying to look for subtle facial cues to see the letters they're imagining. If I were truly able to read minds and see what they're thinking, it may take a moment or two to get used to who I'm working with and how they visualize information. I don't go overboard doing this but I would normally spend about seven seconds looking at them saying things like "If you could just make those letters a little bit bigger… yes like that, thank you." Another way, "If you could just imagine those letters in a bright red font, just the brightest red you could possibly imagine… yes, like that, thank you."

It's also another great opportunity to utilize the Old Witch Doctor's principle*. You could reposition them again as if it would help you read their mind more clearly. This part is essential in my performances because I think it helps give my audience members a glimpse into the process of mind reading. Now this may sound crazy, but to determine whether the value of their card has an E, I tell them, with the utmost confidence, that one of the letters in their word is an E. It may seem risky, but if you do this with conviction, I assure you that you won't look stupid or unskilled**. After saying there is an E in their word, the spectator will usually, without prompt, tell you if you're right or wrong. In the rare case that they keep a poker face and don't respond, I just raise my eyebrows and ask, "Right?" If you get a positive confirmation, then clearly your demonstration of reading their mind is going well, and you can move on to the next letter N. I will get to that letter in a couple pages, but for now let’s focus on what to do if their response is, “No.”

*The Old Witch Doctor’s principle, a term coined by Banachek, is the idea that if you spend time and effort making an action or movement, it must have an effect. **Kenton Knepper's 2005 release Mind Reading goes into great detail about "knowing" information when mind reading. If you don't have this book please do yourself a BIG favor and go buy it!

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4 Letter Word It's too suspicious to continue guessing letters if you get a negative response because it can seem obvious that you're fishing. Instead, show a slightly puzzled look on your face and ask them, "Are you sure there is no E in your word? Please make sure you're certain. Okay, in that case, I'm going to try something a little different with you. I want you to continue visualizing the letters, but shift your attention and count how many letters are in the word. Be careful not to give anything away. Don't allow your eyes to bounce from one letter to the next or I may be able to easily see how many there are. Count them over and over in your mind, not aloud, please. Thank you, just like that." First, ask if they're completely certain that the word does not have an E for two reasons: • You want to act as if you’re confident in your mind reading abilities, and you really should have gotten that correct. • You also want to double check that the spectator didn't make a mistake, overlooking an E in their word. It can happen and if you don't make sure they're correct, it'll mess up the rest of the effect for you. After double checking with them, quickly move into the next phase so as not to spend too much time being "puzzled.” Quickly change your expression to a focused state. The sentence, "Okay, in that case, I'm going to try something a little

different with you," suggests that this clearly doesn't happen very often, and that they are unique. This is flattery, instead of giving the impression that you need to do something different because they're bad at focusing. Moving on, "Visualize that number in large print, bright and vivid, really see that number as a crystal-clear picture as if it were floating in the air right in front of you. Really see that number big, bright and clear for me." After saying this, begin silently counting out the number three with your index finger as if it were a bouncing ball counting along each letter. If I'm facing the spectator I count from right to left. They’ll see it as left to right, just how people normally count the letters themselves. The value they're thinking either has three (6, 2) or four (J, 4) letters. As you count it out a few times be looking for any reaction to see if they are indeed thinking of three. If there's a negative reaction, or “no” reaction, then I subtly shake my head in a no fashion and begin counting out four letters. Of course you can start with four letters and do everything vice versa. Throughout this entire process of figuring out their thought of card, try to imagine what card you might pick if you were that person. If when you get to this phase, you believe they may have picked a Jack, then start counting four letters.

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At this point in the performance you should know whether they're thinking of four letters (J, 4) or three letters (6, 2). Later in this book I explain how to ascertain which card of the pair they’re thinking of and how to reveal it in the Reveals section. For now, let’s continue as if they had said, “Yes,” to whether an E was in the word.

The Letter N At this point you've just received a positive response to the letter E, and while it may seem to the spectator that the mind reading has just begun, by now you’ve eliminated 36 cards (either all the red or black cards, plus all the Kings, Jacks, 6’s, 4’s and 2's). Eight values remain: Ace’s, Queen’s, 10’s, 9’s, 8’s, 7’s, 5’s, and 3’s. Just like with the letter E, you're going to say, with the utmost confidence, that the letter N is in their thought of card. Doing this will split the cards into two groups of four: A, 8, 5, 3 & Q, 10, 9, 7. If your volunteer responds positively, skip ahead to U or V. If you get a negative response, move on to the 3 letter word stage.

3 Letter Word With the negative response to the N (which includes A, 8, 5 and 3), just like with the letter E, you should double check with your spectator. Always double check, it's easy for your spectator to make a mistake which will of course throw you off the correct track. You can use the same script as in the E phase, just modified for N. Here it is again. "Are you sure there is no N in your word? Please make sure you're certain. Okay, in that case, I'm going to try something a little different with you. I want you to continue visualizing the letters, but shift your attention and count how many letters are in the word. Be careful not to give anything away. Don't allow your eyes to bounce from one letter to the next or I may be able to easily see how many there are. Count them over and over in your mind, not aloud, please. Thank you just like that." The next thing you do is also the same as the 3 Letter Word section, except that the possibilities are now either three, four or five letter words. Continue with the bouncing ball gesture but only do five counts, not four or three. If you get a negative response for five counts then you’ll have to guess whether it's four or three and in the end, it can look like guesswork. Instead, if you get a positive response to the five counts you're now in the position of revealing either the 8 or the 3, and if you get a negative response to the five counts you're ready to reveal either the A or 5.

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U or V

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If you’ve arrived in this ideal position, it’s because you've received positive responses from E and N and you’ll want to keep this fantastic momentum going. Just as before with the E and N, you're going to say that there's either a U or a V in their word. The obvious difference with this is that you're saying two letters instead of one. You can justify this by saying, "Now is this a 'U' or a 'V'?". This is a line from Patrick Schlagel's book "Mnemosign". You'll want to say this to your volunteer as if you can see that they're thinking of a 'U' or 'V' but because of their similarity in shape, it's very difficult to distinguish. While Schlagel came up with this clever line, I also have to give credit to Atlas Brookings for coming up with the idea to use it here.

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If you get a negative response, say, "Are you sure there is no U or V in your word? Please make sure you're certain. Okay I must be confusing the U with an upside down lowercase n. Let’s try this…" You're now at the point of revealing either the 10 or 9. If you've received a positive response from the U or V, usually the spectator will tell you which one it is, you're ready to reveal either the Q or the 7*.

*This is the best possible outcome. You’ve now received only positive (yes) responses to your statements, and appear to be the real deal.

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THE REVEALS When I first began performing THINK, I would narrow it down to two cards and simply guess. If I knew it was down to the Jack or the 4, I would guess which one I think they might pick. If I thought they picked the Jack, and was wrong, I'd show a confused look on my face, saying something like, "Really? You didn't think of Jack? You're not trying to throw me off are you? Okay, really imagine that card floating in the air in front of you and in your head scream it at me, really try to tell me.” Wait a few seconds, then I'd show a sign of relief on my face then say, “Of course it wasn't Jack, that was stupid, you thought of the 4." This isn’t all that bad, but I’ve since devised various means of achieving a cleaner ending. Let’s first remind ourselves of the possible PA outcomes:

Jack and 4 One thing that these reveals all have in common is an importance for observing your volunteers reactions. You will be employing some clever linguistic tricks, and being able to know when you’ve successfully found their card will save you from missing the mark. The first scenario of either the Jack or 4 is a perfect example. Once you've gone through the elimination process and layered in a bit of time misdirection, you’re ready for the big reveal. Start by focusing on the volunteer, and after a moment, hold up four fingers. This is where checking for a reaction is important. If there isn’t one you say, "Yes, four, four letters in the word, right?". Pay close attention to the beginning of that statement, after saying, "Yes, four," give a slight pause to again check for a possible missed reaction. When you make that pause, remain natural and confident. If still no reaction, continue with, "Four letters in the word, right?" (even though that is a question, you say it with the complete confidence since you already know the answer). Along with ease and being natural, your wording, too, should be seamless. The whole process is incredibly convincing when you’re not stumbling over your words or sounding rehearsed. The most likely outcome is now that they have picked the Jack. You can reveal this by spelling, “J-A-C-K, four letters in-

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deed,” pointing to a finger for each letter. Enjoy the reaction and take a bow! There is, however, one other possibility. If you remember at the start of the effect, with the guessing of the King, I mentioned there is a small chance your spectator could have either; a. an amazing poker face which mislead you at the time, or b. didn’t understand some part of the exchange. In the case where the 4 or J are not the cards they’ve chosen, you can be sure it was the King all along. Simply say,“The Jack can easily be confused a King because of their shared masculinity.” Compliment your volunteer on being very clever and trying to catch you out as you enjoy your applause. This is so rare you’ll probably never experience it, but you are now prepared for any possibility.

6 and 2 Tell the spectator to concentrate intensely on their card and ask to borrow their hand. Take their fingers and form a peace sign, which means they’ll be showing two fingers. Briefly gauge their reaction. If they're thinking of the 2 they're most likely going to react positively. If, instead, you get confusion or no reaction at all, take their other hand and form it into four fingers being held up then bring the two hands together showing the number 6.

Although not many words are spoken, you must use a bit of showmanship to convey that you are reading their mind. You could introduce some of your personality here. If you wanted to portray muscle reading abilities or an ability to acutely read facial expressions, this is a prime opportunity.

Ace and 5 Many “think of a card” routines have always started with "Don't pick the Ace, it's too obvious.” While the spectator believes you're wanting them to be more random, as if that were possible, that of course just eliminates four cards out of the deck for you. I considered using that for this effect but a much cleaner option is available, and it gives you the freedom to say, "Think of ANY card in the deck" at the beginning of the effect. After telling them to concentrate and think of their card say, "Now, if you fit into the statistics, someone like you with (describe features about that person: hair color, eye color, their clothes, shoes, personality, etc…) would likely choose the Ace.” Look for a reaction, if none continue on with, “However, you wouldn't go for the first thing that popped in your mind, you'll try to catch me out by going for the 5." I really like when they're thinking of the 5 instead of the Ace because the line, "You wouldn't go for the first thing that popped in your mind" implies that they first thought of the Ace. This, to the audience, looks like you've not only read their mind in the moment, but you knew their entire thought process. It doesn't 17

matter if they actually thought of the Ace at all since you're just implying they did. The audience will know no differently.

8 and 3 This one again uses the volunteers fingers. Just as before you ask to borrow their hand, specifically their right hand. You then form their right hand into a 3 using their thumb, index and middle finger. If you get no reaction from the 3, ask to borrow their other hand and spread all the fingers evenly making a 5, put those together and you've got 8. The reason I use their right hand to make the 3 is because if it ends up being the 8, when they hold their hands together showing the 8, it'll be in the same position as if they counted it out themselves starting from left to right. The reason to use the thumb, index and middle finger is because that's how most people would count it out on their own hands. It's only a minor detail and you can choose to use it or not. Like the 6 and 2 procedure, you can either be silent while doing this or add in a bit of patter. Your choice. Remember: silence is a very powerful performance tool when used effectively.

10 and 9 Ask them to hold out both hands in front of them, palms faced forward as if making a stopping gesture. After mentioning that they're thinking of a number you say, "Now look closely at your hands. Do you see the number you're thinking of right now?” Look for a positive reaction. Technically, they can see their number either way, but a strong reaction indicates the 10. If there’s no strong reaction, or hesitation occurs, “Can you imagine it floating right in front of you?" Then put down one of their fingers down showing the 9. As long as your pauses aren’t too dramatic and lengthy, you'll seem as if you're moving the mind reading process along instead of guessing.

Queen and 7 Other than getting lucky with the King, the Queen and the 7 are the best outcome possible. When looking at the progressive anagram you'll notice that when the outcome is Queen or 7 you've gotten all yes answers or positive hits. A nice feature of both the Queen and 7 is that statistically, they are more likely to be chosen. A Queen is likely to be chosen by a woman, and a 7 is likely to be chosen when the volunteers is thinking of a number 1-10. For this reveal, you'll discover whether it's the Queen or 7 when mentioning that you're seeing a U or a V. Use this oppor18

tunity to spot any reactions as you go back and forth between saying, “U... or V...” If the spectator is giving nothing away, be bold, be confident and guess the Queen.

The Suit Finally, all that's left is to reveal the suit of their thought of card. You may have a good idea of which suit they're thinking of based on any cues from the beginning when you named them. If not you’re looking at a 50/50 chance of getting it correct*. Let's say you’ve revealed their card as being the Queen, and you already knew it was a red card. This then leaves you with either the Queen of Hearts or the Queen of Diamonds. You could simply say both suits aloud, stating that the image is not clear enough to distinguish between the suits. You could also take advantage of the fact that enough time has passed since you nonchalantly discovered the color of their card. “Turn the color up for me as if you could adjust the brightness. Yes, indeed, this is either a heart or diamond, I can see how vivid the red is.”

This will either be seen as confirming that they have picked a red card, or for those who missed it, will further prove your abilities. You could equally say for a card with a black suit, “I can see you’re having trouble making the color bright and vivid since it’s a black card.” At this point you could go back and forth between the suits and look for facial cues or any tells. Otherwise, as Derren Brown puts it, if you're going to guess, you may as well guess all the way. So instead of naming both suits, pick one and go for it. If you are correct, I expect you will be showered with virgins and money. If you happen to be wrong, simply correct yourself. By this point, you have revealed their thought of card and your audience will be astonished! Now I realize that relying on facial cues or just guessing can seem daunting to some, so to solve this issue you could simply use the Out to Lunch principle with a stack of business cards in each pocket. The left pocket would be prepared with Clubs/ Spades and the right pocket would be prepared with Hearts/ Diamonds. You could openly write your prediction of the suit with the pack from the black or red pocket (as needed), cover it with your thumb and have the participant initial the lower portion. From there, you have them reveal the suit and you've got a guaranteed hit.

*Remember, you already know the color of the card from the beginning of the effect.

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The idea to use the Out to Lunch principle for the suits was also from the wonderful mind of Atlas Brookings. Again, if you're a fan of using PA's you really should get his book "The Prodigal" now!

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SUBTLETIES

One of the easiest way to build rapport with anyone is to simply smile. Smiling can change the mood of any interaction, it can change the mood of an entire room of people. This is essentially simple to do but there is a catch. Your smile must be genuine! Whether your audience is consciously aware or not, most of the time they can tell the difference between a genuine smile and a fake smile. Genuine smiles include wrinkling around the eyes, commonly known as crow's feet.

to w. lo 52 ve ch ma in gi am c@ ag gm ic ai .c l. om co m

The importance of subtly and nuance cannot be overstated when talking about mind reading. A convincing performance and a weak one are separated by how thoughtful the performer is about the details of their show.

you're new to building rapport, I suggest learning as much as you can. Personally I have learned an incredible amount about building rapport from reading the works of Jerome Finley, especially from his massive release "Thought Veil". His attention to detail while explaining his routines is incredible and shows that putting forth the extra effort to build rapport can create miracles!

THINK relies heavily on linguistic tricks that can be utterly convincing if you are mindful of everything from your body language and ease, to your choice of words and timing.

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I’m going to now give you advice that will allow you to maneuver most situations with ease and confidence. No amount of reading it will suffice. You must get out there and put these ideas into practice. It may take a few (or many) performances before it all clicks, but you’ll be glad you put in the effort.

The first subtlety I want to discuss is something I always do before beginning any effect, routine or performance, and that is building rapport. There are numerous benefits to having well established rapport with your volunteer and it helps especially for THINK. I have found that volunteers who are in good rapport with me give off more obvious body language cues and tend to more often forget any misses that may have happened. There are many methods for achieving rapport with your volunteers and I will mention some here but if

Be nice and respect your audience. There's no need for the god complex in magic. I believe our art is meant to bring others in to experience wonder, not to prove that we're better than them. If your character uses insult humor, you can still show respect to your audience, even if it's in a subtle manner. Pacing and leading are very powerful tools in a mentalists arsenal. I'm not going to go into extreme detail with these but I will describe the basics. Pacing is essentially doing as your volunteer does. Breathing and blinking in sync, matching(mirroring) gestures, body movements, vocal tone, mood, emotions, personality, language patterns and more. I'm sure this seems like a lot to take in(and it is), but if you practice each one, one 21

time, allow the alpha to still feel as if they are the one in control. As my friend Jerome Finley says, "When in doubt, go back to pacing.". Always be mindful of your own body language. A generic mind reader might ask their volunteer to think of anything, write a few things on their pad, then reveal their thought. While this can be impressive in itself, it lacks an explanation(whether truthful or not) of the process of mind reading. As an audience member, to attend a performance of a mind reader, a basic expectancy is to see how one reads the mind of another. Show the audience your process, you're the expert. When I perform, I absolutely believe that what I’m doing is real. Constantly ask yourself, “If I was genuinely reading this person’s mind, what would it look like? What would it feel like?”

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at a time in everyday interactions, they will all eventually become natural. Start by simply matching the breathing pattern of someone in the same room as you. Once that becomes natural, do it while talking to someone (again, to be effective, you must do this without drawing attention to it). Finally, match their breathing pattern while performing. Once this is mastered, repeat these steps with matching their blinking, then matching gestures, and so on until you've put it all together. It's a long and arduous journey but well worth the effort! If any mentalist says it's not worth it, just remember this important advice, "I'm always right.*”

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Leading is essentially making your volunteer, unconsciously, pace your movements, breathing, blinking, etc. After you've effectively paced your volunteer, begin to lead them and see if they follow. You can lead by changing your posture, your mood, vocal tone, etc. and observe your volunteer to see if they follow you. Next time you're at a restaurant, look for a group of friends and watch their interactions. It's usually pretty easy to see who is the alpha male and/or alpha female of the group. Watch as the other members of the group pace the alpha. It's good to be able to effectively observe who is the alpha if you're table hopping, you'll want to pace then eventually lead the alpha because once you're leading the alpha, you'll be leading the entire group. Most of the time, leading an alpha is a game of give and take. Your goal is to eventually lead and become the alpha of the group, while at the same *This advice is drenched in sarcasm! :)

It’s up to you and your style if you wish to be perceived as having genuine psychic abilities. I find it more interesting to show my audience how what appears to be mind reading can be explained in non-supernatural terms. Besides, when performing convincingly enough, a percentage of your audience will still walk away thinking you have mind reading abilities anyway no matter how modest you are. One step you could take to enhance all of the above is consider an acting class, or even better, an improv class. Even if you perform as yourself, not using a character, acting classes can still help your performing abilities overall. Improv classes are especially helpful for learning how to think quickly, adjust to any disturbances and effectively deal with hecklers. 22

Next I want to turn the emphasis on learning to read your volunteer. When working with volunteers, the most important thing you can do is to pay attention to what they are doing*.

to w. lo 52 ve ch ma in gi am c@ ag gm ic ai .c l. om co m

Pay attention, and steadily you’ll begin to notice a host of subtle, nonverbal cues as the volunteer goes through the mental process Think requires. These can then be used to enhance any of your mind reading performances. I will going into the basics here, to learn advanced material I suggest studying the works of Dr. Paul Ekman (not a magician, by the way).

I know what you're thinking, if eye movements don't tell you what someone is thinking or if they're lying, then why is it important. The reason for noticing the eyes movements and the muscles around the eyes is to create a baseline. This is BY FAR the most important aspect to reading your volunteer. A baseline, in other words, how they behave normally, or their conversational habit. To learn your volunteer’s baseline, simply ask them a few questions unrelated to the effect and watch how the retrieve the answer.

Where to start? The eyes and the muscles around the eyes. I've posted a graph of how to read a person's thoughts by watching their eye movements. You can find it here.

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I've seen this graph explained as truth in some NLP books and even taught in psychology classes at universities. The problem with this graph is when it is scientifically tested, the results show it is not reliable in the least. From what has been scientifically tested, it seems that there are no common eye movements for thoughts, lying, etc. Check out this scientific study by magician and psychologist Richard Wiseman. If I'm wrong or this study is incorrect and you have proof, please contact me with the proof and I'll be happy to change my views and update this book for future purchases. If you simply disagree with me or this scientific study, don't fret, there's plenty of room on the Internet forums for your complaints. ;)

A fun way to do this is to play a lie detecting game. After learning a few basic truths about your volunteer and observing how they tell the truth, ask them to remember something they did last week. They are then to tell you four facts about what they did. Three should be true and one should be a lie. While they are telling you the facts, look for any patterns. Despite what many people believe, a person may look away when trying to remember a truthful detail, and when a lie is constructed, may hold eye contact to see if you believe them when telling the lie. This isn't always the case but whatever it is, the lie is usually when the person does something apart from the usual pattern. Although many of us do similar facial and body movements, every person is different and does different body language movements for different reasons. If you simply go by the assumption that because your volunteer looked up and to the left (from their perspective) you are beginning to put that person in a box. Doing so can throw you off when that volunteer does something out of the box. Those assumptions can make you blind to the truth, don't underestimate your volunteers. 23

Having this mindset keeps you on your toes and is an easy way to have and subtly show respect for your volunteers. Whether it's true or not, I personally imagine my volunteers are more clever than I am so I have to work especially hard to try to be one step ahead. When performing with the THINK method you’ll want to keep an eye out for certain moments where these patterns become visible. Notice the persons eye’s flicker as you call out a series of numbers or suits? Notice a slight widening of the eye lids? Do their eyes glance towards a certain hand when you’re anchoring two bits of information? I wouldn’t get too carried away with the eyes alone. Be sure to take a look at their mouth as well, especially their lips. When someone is trying to hold something back they will often purse their lips or try to keep them as still as possible. Because of this, it’s extremely easy to notice any slight upturning of the lips. This should be considered a positive response when you’ve mentioned what they are concentrating on in that moment. Learning to spot these types of cues will enhance your performance abilities beyond the average mind reader. If you choose, they can also be used to explain how you read their mind. Not only will most people not realize they gave anything away, but many will also wish they had your powers of observation. If you are interested in learning more about nonverbal communication, I encourage you to read up on Dr. Paul Ekman.

He has written several, reputable guides to reading faces and emotions. The final subtlety I’d like to make mention of time misdirection. This is the technique you will employ so the volunteer would have a tough time backtracking and discovering the method. Traditional misdirection is when the audiences attention is focused on one thing to distract from something the performer does not want them to see. Time misdirection is similar but uses the passing of time to create a disconnect in the volunteers mind between two connected events. Remember when you found out what color the card was? Remember how quick and nonchalant you made it seem? When you are performing the reveal at the very end, you can use the large gap in time to your advantage. Revealing the suit suddenly becomes far more impressive. Remember when you guessed incorrectly at some point along the way and changed gears, trying something different with the volunteer? Well, in doing so you’ve created a distraction, a new pathway. If the volunteer goes back in their memory, they will have a much harder time figuring it out since you moved on to a different way of reading their mind. Keep in mind, when revealing information, embrace long pauses and delays. Spewing out cards and numbers at the very end will not impress if there is no climax. Make sure you take 24

the time to build suspense, add a bit of drama, and for God’s sake, make it magical. Finally, while I specifically developed THINK to be used with a single volunteer, it can certainly be used with multiple volunteers. It can be quite a challenge to remember where each volunteer is on the diagram, but doing so actually covers your misses very well. With multiple volunteers, you can read all their minds at once. Just like before, start with the letter 'E' but instead say, "I'm not sure who this is coming from but I can see an 'E' in the value. Which of you has an 'E'?" The more volunteers you use, the higher the chance that you'll always get a positive response from at least one of your volunteers. This works a lot like how psychics throw out information to a crowd and see who responds. ###

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THINK OF A DATE If you’ve just finished the first half of the book, this presentation will be easy to follow. If you’ve skipped ahead without reading the last 14 pages, what the hell are you doing?!? Go back to the beginning. Really, go. I’ll wait here. The main difference in this presentation is that there are three PA’s. One for determining the month, one for the first digit of the date, and the last for the second digit of the date. Individually, they are easy to follow, and you should have no trouble if you spend a little time with each. Using these PA’s, you’ll not only be able to figure out any date someone is thinking of, but also their birthdate, or anyone else's for that matter, and even their zodiac sign. You can also use the Second Digit of the Date PA to deduce any thought of, single-digit number. To keep everything clear and consistent, all the scripts that follow will be worded as if you’re figuring out someone’s birthdate. Ready? Let’s do this.

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November Just like you do with the King in the playing card PA, you begin with November here. The entire effect is easiest if it is eliminated first. "Now, listen carefully to my instructions and this will work. I need you to concentrate on the month you were born. Just the month for now. You can do this eyes open or closed, whichever is easier for you. I want you to imagine yourself alone in a movie theater, sitting in your favorite spot. The lights slowly dim to darkness and the projector lights up the screen showing a month by month calendar. Imagine that calendar flipping through all the months, and once you've seen it move through all twelve months, I want you to allow it to begin flipping again. This time make it stop on the month in which you were born. The month you were born is displayed in big bold letters in the center of the screen. Not out loud, just in your mind, I want you to begin repeating your birth month over and over to yourself. Remember: do this just in your mind, and genuinely do this for me, please. Over and over, just like that... like November… November… November." This scenario of the movie theater is an example of getting the spectator to actively visualize. You're free to use any sort of imagery you see fit, but I find this works quite well. Giving them the option to keep their eyes open or closed is not necessary, but I usually add it in as an Old Witch Doctor's effect.

When you have your spectator repeat their thought of month be sure to be clear in your instructions, telling them to say it only in their mind. I learned that lesson very quickly and you may too if you aren’t explicit in your instructions. When you say, "Just like that, like November… November… November" it serves two purposes: • To give them an example of how to repeat the month over and over in their mind. • It's also a way to guess which month is their birth month without looking like you're guessing. If they're thinking of November, it's very likely they'll react positively. Because of this quasi, dual reality, you need to deliver that line in an ambiguous fashion so it could be interpreted as either you've just read their mind or you're simply giving an example. If you don't get a reaction from saying November, you'll now move into the next phase, which to the spectator, should look like the mind reading is starting.

The Letter R The next piece of the PA is the letter R. This starts off just the same as the playing card PA. You are going to say a letter of the alphabet that you believe to be in their month.

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To give a visible distinction between the instructions and the beginning of the actual mind reading, I usually reposition the spectator slightly and say: "Alright, if you would please step over here, just like that, and we'll get started. Now take a deep breath in…, and out. Good. Keep repeating the month over and over, remember only in your mind, nothing out loud. That always seems to take away the challenge. Hmm…, okay, if you would please focus on just a few letters near the end of the word. Just a few near... the... end… R. There's an R in there." After saying there’s a R in their word, the spectator will usually, without prompt, tell you if you're right or wrong. In the rare case they keep a poker face and don't respond, just raise your eyebrows and ask, "Right?". It's quick, and doesn't usually stay in the memory as a question being asked, but instead a simple confirming of what they’re visualizing. If you do end up having to ask, remember to ask with confidence. You don't want to give off the impression that you're guessing. If you get a positive response, you can skip ahead to the letter E.

4 Letter Word If you get a negative response to the letter R, don't worry, I've got you covered. At this point, it's too suspicious to continue guessing letters in the word. To solve this issue, show a slightly puzzled look on your face and ask them, "Are you sure there’s no R in your birth month? Please make sure you're certain. No? Okay, I'm going to try something a little different with you. I want you to continue visualizing those letters but instead of focusing on the letters specifically, I'd like you to count how many letters are in the word. Count them over and over in your mind, not out loud for me, please. Take another deep breath in, please…, and out..., good. Count them over and over. Yes, thank you, just like that." Again, you ask them if they're completely certain that their month does not have a R to double check with the spectator that they didn't mess up from being nervous or forgetful. It can happen, and if you don't make sure they're correct the rest of the effect is wasted. After double checking with them, quickly move into the next phase so as not to spend too much time being 'puzzled.’ Quickly change your expression to a focused state. You now need them to focus on a different aspect of the word for it to work. The sentence "Okay, I'm going to try something a little different with you" suggests a couple things: 29

• Saying that sentence, plus the puzzled look, gives the impression that this clearly doesn't happen very often.

you told them to imagine their month floating in the air in from of them.

• It's making it personal to your volunteer to say that you're going to try something different "with you.” Be sure not to give the impression that you need to do something different because they're bad at focusing or anything negative. Say it in a way that highlights them as being unique and compliment your spectator whenever possible. You're confident in your mind reading abilities but if something doesn't work out, be sure to put the responsibility on yourself. Keep this short, and hopefully the spectator will not remember it happening later when they recall their experience.

If you get a negative response or a “no” then subtly shake your head and begin counting out three letters instead. At this phase in the diagram, if their birth month does not contain four letters then it must be either May or August. You can of course count out six letters instead of three, but I personally always count three. If I'm correct then I was only one off.

Continue on with, “Visualize the month in large print, bright and vivid. Really see that word as a crystal-clear picture as if it were floating in the air right in front of you, counting the letters over and over." After saying this, begin silently counting the number four with your index finger as if it were a bouncing ball counting along each letter. As you count it out a few times look for any reaction to see if they’re indeed thinking of a month with four letters. If you’re facing the spectator, count from right to left so to them it's left to right: how they would count the letters themselves. Another nice touch when you’re performing this is to silently mouth, “One, two, three, four.” As you count for the second or third time, bounce your index finger across the letters. If you do this, bounce your finger in front of their face. This is where

If you're correct in that their month has only three letters then of course their month is May. Although you could reveal their month as May, at this point, I would wait until you’ve learned all the info. I'll explain why shortly. If instead you get a negative response to four and three letters, their thought of month is August. I would not correct myself a third time to say there's six letters in the month. Treat it just like before and move on to a ‘different way’ to read their mind. Because you know with complete certainty that the month they’re thinking of is August, you can either immediately move into a reveal, or use my preferred method. You start by making a comment about how this just isn't working and you'll have to come back to it later. I prefer this because when you reveal everything at the end, it’s much more difficult for the volunteer to backtrack. Since you openly admitted to having trouble determining the month, they won’t immediately think you were guessing months at random.

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Making a comment on coming back to it later is effective because you don't want to focus on being wrong for too long. Instead of focusing on being wrong, praise the spectator for having the ability to keep their thoughts locked in their mind. It makes for a much better reveal at the end. You come out looking more impressive while at the same time having shown them they also have an amazing mind. August is perhaps the worst case scenario in the month diagram but fret not. If you add in these subtleties, you'll still end up looking like a talented little devil. Returning to a positive response to there being four letters, then they're thinking of either June or July.Immediately continue with, "Good and that's a J and a U, June… or July, June or July…" Pause slightly after June to gauge their reaction. Sometime the spectator will react instantly and you don't need to mention July. If you don't get any reaction to June or July the first time you say them, go ahead and set visual anchors. Gesture with your right hand, June, then gesture with your left hand, July. Do this while keeping eye contact so to make the gestures appear only in their peripheral vision. The spectator will likely look towards, point their nose, adjust their torso, point their feet or all of the above towards their birth month. If after all that they still give nothing away, confidently guess either one. If you’re correct, perfect. If not, blame the fact that June and July can very difficult to distinguish while reading minds.

Another option is to skip that step all together. Once you get a positive confirmation of four letters you can say you'll come back to it later. Move on to mind reading the date on which they were born, and at the end when you get to the reveal, guess either June or July. Again, if you get it wrong, make the comment about it being very difficult to distinguish between June and July*. More importantly, don't worry about being wrong. Play it cool. Remember, mind reading is hard.

The Letter E If you’ve arrived here that means you've just received a positive response to the letter R. What’s more, by now you have already eliminated five months: May, June, July, August and November. Just like with the letter R, you're going to say with complete confidence that the letter E is in their month. Doing this will split the months into a group of three: January, March, April; and a group of four: February, September, October, December.

*You could even say you were off by one (nod to Kenton).

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5 Letter Word

The Letter B

Starting with the negative response to the letter E, be sure to double check with your spectator as I’ve mentioned many times before.

If you've received two positive responses from R and E you’ll continue with more letters. This phase is a bit different from the rest because it's not necessary to determine the month. At this stage of the process, the rest of the months all contain the letter B so saying so is a freebie. Use it to help build confidence, further prove your abilities and practice your showmanship*.

"Are you sure there is no E in your month? Please make sure you're certain. Okay, well I'm going to try something a little different with you. I want you to continue visualizing those letters but instead of focusing on the letters themselves, I'd like you to count how many letters are in the month. Count them over and over in your mind, not out loud, for me please. Over and over, just like that, thank you." As you can see this is the same script from the 4-Letter Word section except the R is replaced with E. Use the same bouncing ball gesture to determine the amount of letters. If you get a negative response to their month having 5 letters, the month is January. I prefer to treat this outcome just like August, and say, “This isn't working and we'll come back to it later.” If you get a positive response, then their month is either March or April. If you'd like to know for sure at that moment you can set visual anchors just like before with June and July. If not, wait until the end to guess. Since April comes after March you can use the line about being off by one if you guess incorrectly.

The Letter M In the same way I’ve talked about throughout this book, You’re going to tell your spectator that their month has the letter M. If you get a negative response then you'll know their month is either February or October. If you'd like you can either move into counting the letters to determine which one is correct, set visual anchors, or my preferred method: a confident guess at the end. If you get a positive response then you're on a roll! September and December are the only months left. If you find yourself in this fortunate position, you have some

*It’s nonessential, so if you want to skip it, by all means.

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considerations. Normally I'd suggest you confidently guess, but since you've only received positive responses, a negative response would kill the momentum. Instead, when you’re revealing everything say, "I know the month you’re thinking of is either December or March. December or March… December..., or March…" I know you're thinking, “Why the hell would I say March?” Right? Of course I'm right. I'm a mind reader! The reason is I'm gauging their reaction. If their thought of month is December, then when you mention December or March they'll usually continue keeping a straight face so as not to give anything away. If that's the case then you can assume it's December. If however their thought of month is September, then they'll either correct you, saying you’re wrong. You can reply, "I know I was wrong, I just had to be sure you were thinking of September" or instead of correcting you, they'll show a smirk on their face leaking joy that they've outwitted the big fancy mind reader. If this is the case, say, "Hmm..., well between December and March I'd say you were born in September." You were right all along*!

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*Just like in many mind reading or magic effects, it's a wonderful surprise to lead your spectator to believe that you're about to mess up the big reveal and instead, cleverly show you knew all along.

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FIRST DIGIT OF DATE Two “I'd like you to focus on your birth date. Just like before, I'd like you to imagine yourself sitting in the same movie theater as before, seeing your birth date on the screen. For now I want you to focus on the first digit, just the first digit. So, you're thinking of the 25th…, just focus on the 2, okay? Or if your birth date is a single digit number, think of the first digit as a zero. Does that make sense? Good. Now take a deep breath in…, and out... Imagine that first digit as a written word, appearing in big bold letters on the movie screen. Again, don't see it as a number but as a written word. So if you're thinking of the 25th, imagine the word two for the first digit. Does that make sense? Alright, good. Keep repeating it over and over in your mind, not out loud, just like that..., two… two… two." To determine your spectator's birth date there are two diagrams to go through so you must ask them to focus on each digit one at a time. The First Digit of the Date PA is extremely easy. As you can see, there are only two steps, the letters O and N. You can remember this as “ON.”

The beginning of this script is much like the beginning of the month script. The sentence "For now I want you to focus on the first digit, just the first digit. So, you're thinking of the 25th…, just focus on the 2, okay?" is very important. You've got to say it in such a way that it could be interpreted in two different ways. The, "So, you're thinking of the 25th…" needs to be said as if you're telling them what they're thinking. You then gauge their reaction quickly to see if you're correct. If you don't get a reaction then continue, "… just focus on the 2, okay?" and that will give the impression that you were simply providing an example. I tend to touch their shoulder as I say, "you're thinking of the 25th" which, if correct, provides the moment I’ve read their mind. If incorrect, I then point to my head when I continue with, "Just focus on the 2, okay?" It's not necessary to use the 25th as your example*. So long as you use a date between the 20th and the 29th, your first guess of the first digit will be a 2 in the diagram. When telling your spectator to focus only on the first digit, pay attention to their reaction. If they show a slightly confused look it usually means their birth date is a single digit. As confirmation, you may also notice your spectator nod after you say, "Or if your birth date is a single digit number, think of the first digit as a zero" because they now understand what to do. A confused look is more important than a nod because a nod on its own could just be a simple acknowledgement. *I use the 25th because it's my birth date.

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Always be sure to ask, "Does that make sense?" after those instructions because they can be confusing. If at any point in your performance you notice your volunteer looking confused, do not hesitate to check that they understand everything. If not, it can lead to a ruined effect. The line, "Just like that, two…, two…, two." is the same as the Playing Card and Month scripts used in place of King or November.

The Letter O

The Letter N If you get a negative response from the N, their number is 0. "Are you sure there is no N in your number? Please make sure you're certain. Okay, let's come back to this later. I want you to now focus on the second digit…" If you get a positive response, their number is 1.

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Next you continue with the diagram, confidently saying the letter O. If you get a negative response, their digit is 3. "Are you sure there is no O in your number? Please make sure you're certain. Okay, well let's come back to this later. I want you to now focus on the second digit…" Because you know their first digit is 3, you can use a bit of time misdirection, come back to it later, and move on to the second digit. If instead you get positive response, you move right onto the letter N.

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SECOND DIGIT OF DATE

digit as a written word in big bold letters filling up the movie screen. I change it up a little bit this time by having them imagine the movie screen double in size. The purpose of this, while not necessary, is to give the Old Witch Doctor's effect making this process seem necessary to the mind reading.

Seven

Remember, you can use a different form of imagery if you prefer one to that of the movie screen. Since mind reading is a very abstract concept, it is important to use a means of showing the audience the process you go through to accomplish it.

"Alright, for now let's move on to the second digit. Allow all of your attention to focus only on the second digit. Just like before, imagine the number as a written word in big, bold letters on the screen. In fact, imagine that movie screen growing bigger and bigger, growing twice as big. See that written word of the second digit twice as large. Focus on that word, repeating it over and over, only in your mind, not out loud, please. Just like that, good, like seven… seven… seven." The first sentence, "Alright, for now let's move on to the second digit" plays an important role. Hold off revealing anything until you’ve figured out their entire birth date, unless the first digit is 2*. Same goes for the month, unless it's November. I find the method is hidden more effectively when you use a bit of time misdirection. We’ll get to that in the Subtleties chapter. Next, you have your volunteer again imagine their second *This being the number that’s eliminated first in the diagram.

The Letter E I think you're clever enough to figure out what happens here. You say the letter E is in their thought of number. If you get positive response, you can move on to the Odd Number.

Even Number If you get a negative response to the letter E, then it's time to stop guessing letters. Just as in many of the other scripts you continue by asking, "Are you sure there is no "E" in your number? Please make sure you're certain. Okay, well I'm going to try something a little different with you. Hmm… I can see it's an even number… and I think there's just three letters in the word." 38

This is another freebie round, and you should always take the opportunity and use it.

second digit is 2. If you get a positive response, their number is 6.

3 Letter Word

Odd Number

That last line, “...and I think there’s just three letters in it” has the potential of being wrong. The only way it’s incorrect is if their second digit is 4. The consolation is that you now know their entire birth date. As always, I highly recommend using time misdirection before revealing everything. When their second digit is 4, you've just received two negative responses, and revealing it immediately could make the method transparent.

You’re here if you received a positive to the latter E. Normally getting a positive response with these diagrams you'd continue guessing more letters, but this is the exception. Instead, confidently declare their number is odd.

Something you could do right away is after getting the negative response from the 3-Letter Word line, ask your spectator to say all the numbers 0-9. Tell them to do their best not to give anything away. You can use this opportunity to display your body language reading abilities, commenting on how they end up giving away the very thing they are trying to hide.

Multiple of 3 If instead you receive a positive response to the, “...just three letters...” you'll know their second digit is 2 or 6. You can guess, set visual anchors, or, as I prefer, can say their number is a multiple of 3. If you get a negative response to this, their

If you get a positive response, move on to the letter N. If you get a negative response, then their number is either 0 or 8. Mention that you’d like to try something a bit different by doing some muscle reading. Ask them if they're right or left handed and move to that side of their body. Ask to take control of that arm. Because 0 and 8 are similar in shape, move their arm in a circle and gauge their reaction. If you get nothing, begin moving their arm in a figure 8. Gauging their reaction, you'll soon discover which is their second digit.

The Letter N Two responses later, it's now time to say there’s an N in the number. If you get a positive response, move forward with the final stage: the letter O. 39

5 Letter Word

The Birth Year

If you get a negative response to N, it's time to stop guessing letters.

I don't usually do this myself, but you may also be interested in revealing the year the volunteer was born.

"Are you sure there is no "N" in your number? Please make sure you're certain. Okay, well I'm going to try something a little different with you. I want you to continue visualizing those letters but instead of focusing on the letters themselves, I'd like you to count how many letters are in your number. Count them over and over in your mind, nothing out loud, for me please. Thank you, just like that."

The way I would do it is to guess in your mind which decade they were born in. Then use the Second Digit diagram to figure out the last digit of their birth year.

Continue with the bouncing ball gesture, guessing that their number contains five letters. If you get a negative response, their second digit is 5. If you receive a positive response, their second digit is 3.

The Letter O

If you're doing this with someone who looks to be in their twenties, and their last digit is 6, then it's very likely they were born in 1986, making them 27. You may want to be careful in figuring out the year someone was born though, since some people are easily offended. If you’re in doubt but want to go for it, try subtracting a decade off your guess. Tasteful flattery will score you big points.

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Congratulations. At this point you've received three positive responses from your volunteer, and you're in an ideal position. The only two remaining numbers are 1 and 9. You’re to say that their number contains the letter O. If you get a negative response, their second digit is 9. If you get a positive response, their second digit is 1.

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USING THINK WITH OTHER METHODS

Deckquivoque One of my favorite methods to use with THINK is Joshua Quinn's Deckquivoque, from his great book Paralies. I don't have the right to reveal Quinn's clever method, but I can tell you that Deckquivoque is "A well-honed system for using equivoque to force one card out of fifty-two, plus thoughts and strategies for using equivoque with large numbers of objects in general.". Deckquivoque is wonderful and I highly recommend Paralies to any mentalist. For the routine I gather two volunteers (v.), v.A and v.B, and isolate v.B so that v.B cannot hear what's being said for a moment. In a stage show setting, I give v.B noise canceling headphones to wear and music plays so there's no way v.B can hear anything. In a casual or impromptu performance I have v.B go to another room or just put their fingers in their ears and hum to themselves. I then have v.A think of any card and use THINK to determine it without revealing it. I then have v.A and v.B switch places. Now, v.A has the headphones on, I use Quinn's Deckquivoque to force v.A's thought of card onto v.B.

For the final reveal I usually have each volunteer write down (in big letters so everyone can see) their thought of card and have them reveal at the same time. Or you can hand a deck to v.A and ask them to pull out their card but keep it hidden, then ask v.B to do the same thing and you'll get this great moment of confusion as v.B tries to find the now missing card from the deck. Because of the way THINK works, without revealing the thought of card, you know it's one of two cards (KC or KS, 4H or 4D, etc.). How do you know which one to force? Well, you don't. Just guess! If you end up being "incorrect" it can still look amazing because it's as if v.B has thought of v.A's card mate (KC and KS, 4H and 4D, etc.). I never frame the presentation saying both volunteers will think of the same card so neither the audience or the volunteers know what to expect.

Card Index I know using an index doesn't fit with being propless but if you use a card index then this is a fun idea nonetheless. After using THINK to determine their thought of card, I then use my index to secretly load their card in an envelope(or any other sort of prediction) for a surprise prediction. I personally use Daniel Madison's The Advocate and load it into Oz Pearlman's stapled envelope from Into the Abyss. THINK can also be used with Kenton's wonderful creation Kolossal Killer. 41

Credits Max Maven - Contimental John Mahood - K.E.N.T. Atlas Brookings - The Prodigal Kenton Knepper - Mind Reading Joshua Quinn - Paralies Daniel Madison - The Advocate Kenton Knepper - Kolossal Killer Patrick Schlagel - Mnemosign Jerome Finley - Thought Veil Dr. Paul Ekman - Facial Action Coding System Dr. Richard Wiseman - The Eyes Don’t Have It William Larsen Sr. - Out to Lunch Principle, “Finger Prints” ! in Sphinx, July 1923

JUST THE BEGINNING Tah-dah! That's it. I really hope you enjoy THINK, it has certainly served me well. Put in the practice it deserves before performing it; it’ll be worth the wait. Even more important, have fun with it! I realize the thought of memorizing diagrams and scripts may seem daunting at first, but I assure you, it’s not that tough. And just think, once you learn it, you've got impromptu mind reading you can do anywhere! Thank you so much for taking the time to read this book. I can't wait to see the incredible presentations and applications you make out of this. Best,

Adam Kordecki AdamKordecki.com

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