Thomas Baxter - Memory Of Water

MEMORYof WATER

BY

THOMAS BAXTER

Memory of Water

This is a routine based upon Luke Jermay's effect, Touching on Hoy.

ln Luke's originall presentation, three audience members are lined up on stage, facing the audience, and each participant in turn is asked to think of their own interpretation of specific thoughts - A city somewhere in the world; The name of a woman that they do not know; and two simple geometric shapes. The performer stands and looks into each participant's eyes, then reveals the thoughts of each participant. There are no stooges or confederates, and no pre-show work'

Effects like this are worth their weight in gold, my friends. The methodology is brilliant. The only thing missing, for me, was a context for the effect that would fit in with my desire to present my effects as psychological illusion.

After weighing this over in my mind for several months, I hit upon a solution that works very well and that has been time-tested before paying audiences fbr several years now.

Strange Research What the *bleep* Do We Know, which was a peeuliar mix of various new age philosophies. In the film there was a segment dedicated to a book written by a Doctor Emoto from Japan (yeah, I know, but keep reading) in which he details his experiments to prove a hypothesis that water retains memory.

I viewed an odd documentary called:

In his experiments, water was photographed at a molecular level with the use of electron microscopes. The molecules all had an expected, watery look. The water was then given, in a glass, to a participant to hold, while they thought of negative thoughts. The water was then re-photographed, and according to Dr. Emoto, the molecules had changed shape, to jagged, angular, angry looking molecules. The water was then handed back to the participant, who was asked to think happy, positive thoughts. When the water was photographed once again, the molecules (says Emoto) had changed to rounded, bubbly, happy looking shapes. Nonsense, most likely, but a perfect jumping off point for my effect'

Performance Props needed: Two factory-sealed bottles of spring water.

A chair. The chair is placed to one side of the stage. The bottles of water can be set nearby.

Invite a young lady up onto the stage, and ask her what her name is. Let's say her name is Judy.

Performer: "Judy, I've asked you to join me today to conduct an

unusual

experiment. Please have a seat and let me explain..." Lead Judy to the chair and make sure that she is comfortable before continuing:

Performer: "This experiment is based on the work of a Japanese researcher, a fellow named Doctor Emoto. His research claims that water, everyday drinking water, has an emotional memory."

Emoto photographed water at a molecular lever, using The molecules all had an expected, watery look. The water electron microscopes. was then given to a participant to hold, while they thought of negative thoughts. The water was then re-photographed, and according to Dr. Emoto, the molecules had changed shape, to jagged, angular, angry looking molecules. The water was then handed back to the participant, who was asked to think happy, positive thoughts. When the water was photographed once again, the molecules (says Emoto) had changed to rounded, bu'obiy, happy iooking shapes."

"In his experiments, Dr.

"So, Dr. Emoto's conclusion is that water acts in such a way as to contain the person's memories or emotions. Personally I think it's all nonsense, but on the other hand, our bodies are made of, in a large percent, water; and certainly how we think affects us physically, so who knows? Maybe Dr. Emoto is onto something!"

"Tonight I thought we'd do our own little experiment to see if there's any chance that he's right. To do this, we'll need a few more helpers up here. Judy, look out into the audience and point out three young men that you'd like to get to know a little bit better."

will get a laugh and make the most of the by-play that ensues as Judy points out the fellows in the audience. As she selects them, invite them onto the stage, and as they a:rive direct them to form a line, standing side by side, a foot or so apart, facing the audience, to one side of where Judy is sitting in the chair. You, the performer stands This

between the men and Judy.

Performer: "Gentlemen, in a moment I'm going to snap my fingers. When I do, I want the three of you standing to close your eyes, and to keep your eyes closed until I ask you to open them again. I'm not going to hypnotize you or put you into some sort of trance. I just want you to focus intently on what I say. Please do not talk to each other. Just listen carefully to what I say." At this point the Performer moves behind the row of gentlemen. If the men, viewed from behind were numbered from left to right as 1,2 and 3, the Performer stands behind and between gentlement 2 and 3, facing the audience. Because there is a space between the men, the Performer is easily seen by the audience.

Performer: t'Gentlemen, when I snap my fingers, close your eyes!" The Performer snaps his fingers. The men will close their eyes, but as if to confrrm that they have done so, the Performer leans forward between gents 2 and 3 and looks at the men's faces to see that their eyes are shut. Secretly, as he does this, the Performer places his hands on the backs of the men on his right and left, tapping them firmly on the back. No one is aware of these secret taps but the Performer.

Immediately the Performer moves to his left and openly and obviously places his left hand on the shoulder of gent number 1 at the far left end of the rorv. As he does this, he turns his head slightly to the right and upwards, so that the direction that his voice is pointed to is unclear to the men standing with their eyes closed.

Performer: "The person I've just touched - listen carefully. I'd like you to think some thoughts for me. Let's start of easy - think of two simple shapes. A simple shape would be like... a square, I guess. But don't use that. Think of your own simple shapes." The Performer moves to the other end of the row, stiil standing behinci the gentiemen. He makes a large gesture with his right hand, holding it high, then bringing it down as if placing it on gent number 3's back, behind his right shoulder. In reality the Performer only mimes doing this and doesn't actually touch the man. Again, the Performer moves his head to the left and upward to disguise the direction of his voice:

Performer: "And now, the gentleman I'm touching now... I'd like you to think of something more specific. Think of ... a city somewhere in the world that might have a nice sandy beach. Burn the name of that city into your mind now."

The Performer moves slightly to the center of the line and appears to place his hand on the back of the man in the center of the row. In reality he only mimes this, not touching the man. Again, he turns his head as he speaks to disguise the direction:

Performer: "And frnally, the person I'm touching now... let's get VERY specific. I want you to picture a little girl playing on the beach in that city the other fellow is thinking about. Picture the waves rolling gently into the shore... picture the little girl playing in the sand with a pail and a tiny shovel, building sand castles. I want you to imagine what that little girl's first name might be. Don't use a name of someone you know. Really try to imagine what her name might be." The Performer moves from behind the row of men and back to the spot between the men and Judy, who still sits in her chair.

Performer: ttGentlemen, when I snap my fingers again,

please open your eyes, but remain completely silent. Don't speak to each other or to me or Judy. " Retrieve one of the bottles of water and hand it to gentleman number 1.

Performer: "Here's where we put Dr. Emotos theories to the test. Take this bottle of water and just to yourself, focus on those thoughts that I asked you to imagine while your eyes were closed a moment ago." Pause and allow the participant to do as you ask.

Performer: "Now, I don't want to touch the water, for fear of contaminating this experiment with my own thoughts, so please pass the bottle down to the next gentleman in line. You sir, please think your thoughts, the ones that I asked you to imagine earlier. X'ocus those thoughts into that bottle of water, as if you are infusing your thoughts into the water. Now pass the bottle along to our last male participant. As the others have done, sir, please concentrate your thoughts into that bottle of water. All done? Then please hand that bottle of water to Judy." ,,Judy, please unscrew to top of that factory-sealed bottle of water. Now, please take a big long drink. A perfectly normal bottle of spring water, apart from those three little drops of LSD that I injected into the bottle before the show!"

This little joke sometimes causes a "spit take" from Judy. Make the most of her

reaction, but immediately let her know that you are not serious about the LSD.

Performer: "Just kidding! It's just regular spring water. Take another sip or two. By now, if it is true that water retains some sort of memory, then these gentlemen's thoughts should now have become a part of you, Judy."

,,So what I'd like you to do is to recall the questions I asked them to imagine answers for at the very beginning. I think I asked one gentleman to think of a city with a beach, another to imagine two simple shapes, and another to think of a little girl's name. So consider those things and let the answers come to you in whatever order they come to you."

Performer: "Gentlemen, in a moment Judy is going to call out the thoughts as they come to her. I'm going to ask you to remain silent and NOT to respond in any way until I snap my fingers again. When I snap my fingers, if Judy got ANY of your thoughts correct, please signify that by raising your right hand into the air. But remember, NOT until I snap my fingers. 'Judy, Iet those thoughts surface to the front of your mind, now. In whatever order they come to you, please give us the thoughts that come into your mind.' 'The Judy will concentrate, and haltingly name the thoughts. She'll say something like: city is Cancun. The shapes are a circle and a triangle. The little girl's name is Juanita.'

Performer: 'Gentlemen, when I snap my fingers, if Judy got ANY of your thoughts right at all, please raise your right hand!' The Performer snaps his fingers, and all three men raise their right hands. Everyone is astonished, including the audience, the male participants, and most of all Judy, who has no idea how she read the men's thoughts.

Why It Works There are several forces at work here that will make her guesses appear to be correct. The first is the principle of DUAL REALITY. At the beginning of the performance, the Performer did his secret touches of gents 2 and 3, then went on to openly touch gent number 1 and said: 'The person I've just touched... think of two simple shapes...' Because the men had their eyes closed and you touched gent number 1 immediately after secretly touching the other men, all three will assume that you are talking to them. By ..,^-l:-^ sallr flrrce man rrrill nnrrr he fhinlrino nf frrrn cirnnlc uetv, vl@J fLaf !u4r rrnrr ho.rp uurrSD +l^o urw "ro', w\rrLrur6 +Li-^o Jvs

shapes.

The second principle in play is an ancient psychological force. When you ask someone to think of nryo simple shapes, 'A simple shape would be like a square - but think of your own shapes, not that one...' they are in reality left with very few choices. The vast majority will think of a circle and a triangle. Some might think of a diamond or an octagon, but EVERYONE will have either a circle or triangle as one of their shapes.

Later, when you ask Judy to call out their thoughts, it doesn't matter what she says about the city or the girl's name. The entire audience thinks that participants 2 and 3 are thinking those thoughts, while in reality all three gents are thinking of the shapes. Each of the gentlemen will think that the other two gents were the ones chosen to think of the city and the girl's name. Dual Reality at work.

Finally, a very important factor in the success of this effect: When you say to the gentlemen: 'When I snap my fingers, if Judy got ANY of your thoughts correct, raise your right hand!' another example of dual reality is used to maximize the chances of your success. To the audience, it appears that you are saying that if Judy got ANY participant's thoughts correct, they should raise their hand. To the gentlemen, because they are thinking of two shapes, they believe that you are saying that if Judy got EITIIER of the shapes they are thinking of correct, they should raise their hand. With the odds in your favour that they will think of either both the circle and the triangle, or one of those shapes with another random one, you are covered. The same psychological force is at work with Judy, who will name (9 times out of 10) the circle and the triangle.

This routine requires confidence and control by the Performer, but Performer with outstanding audience reactions.

will

reward the