Thoughts Across: Effect

THOUGHTS ACROSS Effect: The performer sits down at a table and is asked to show his strange abilities. He reaches into his jacket and removes a single business card and a Sharpie marker. Placing the items on the table, he asks the lady sitting directly across from him to simply think of a name of someone close to her. The performer now uncaps the marker, picks up the business card and looks intensely at the woman for a few beats then quickly writes something down and tables the card writing side down in full view. As he re-caps and tables the marker, he asks the woman who she thought of and what this person means to her. The performer looks down at the tabled card, then turns it over and slides it in front of the woman where she finds the name she merely thought of written boldly across the card! Some things to consider: * No preshow whatsoever. * No nailwriting. * The thoughts are not limited to names. You could literally ask them to say the first word that comes to mind. * Works 100% of the time. * Can be used as a prediction instead of a mind reading demonstration by simply changing the framing and premise. Method: (I am left-handed so I will explain it as such.) Before I get into the explanation of this routine, let me quickly point out how this routine should be used. This routine was designed specifically for performing while seated at a table with just a small group of people seated directly across from you. The ideal situation for this routine would be you sitting in a restaurant-

style booth on one side of a table and your spectators and volunteer on the other. If you have ever done a routine that required lapping, then just apply the same restrictions. For this routine you will need a stack of business cards that are blank on the back (Please note that you can also use double-blank business cards or just card stock cut to size), a regular-sized Sharpie marker and a Sharpie Mini marker of the same color as the regular-sized marker. Place the mini-marker in your left jacket pocket and the remaining items in the right jacket pocket and go find you a table to sit at. There is a difference in performing this in a chair as opposed to a bench-style seat that you find in booths. I will first explain the chair method. I will also explain this exactly how I perform it. When I find a table I wish to perform this for (with chairs, not a booth) I have a seat with them and just mingle with the group. As I am talking, I casually remove the mini-marker from my left pocket, uncap it, place the cap on the back side of the marker and wedge it writing-side pointing left between my left leg and the seat of the chair. This is all done under the table and out of site from the rest of the group.

An under the table view of the marker under my left leg.

After I’ve done this, I ask each person in the group what they do for a living. When all have answered, the question is 9 times out of 10 asked of me. My response is “I’m a mind reader” and I leave it at that. It is now inevitable that someone will ask something like “Oh really. Can you tell me what I’m thinking right now?” or “Oh cool. Can you read my mind?” However they respond, you’re just about guaranteed that they will want to see you prove yourself to which I respond with “I really wish it was as easy as they make it look in the movies, but there is a process. Let me show you.” I now choose the person that seems the most excited about sitting at a table with a mind reader and ask her to think of the first name

of someone that she knows. After she has the name in mind I tell her, “Please look right at me and imagine that this person is on the far side of the room and you’re trying to get their attention. In your mind, shout their name as loud as you can. Louder. Louder!” I now reach into my right pocket and remove the marker and my stack of business cards. The marker gets uncapped and I place one card on the table. As I return the remaining cards to my right pocket, both hands briefly go out of view under the table and my right hand thumbs off one extra card to my left hand. As the cards are put away in the right pocket, the left hand places its card blankside up on my left leg. Again, this is all done under the table and it is very quick. Once the cards are put away and the card is secretly placed on my lap, I pick up the card from the table with my right hand and my left hand is poised ready to write on it.

Under the table view of the secret card

Now I look right at the person concentrating on the name and ask “This isn’t a female you’re thinking of is it?” If they answer yes, I say “I thought so” and if they answer no, I say “I didn’t think so.” I now simply guess at the name and write it down on the visible card because if I happen to get it right (and I have!), I have an ultra-clean miracle that defies challenge. If they say it’s a female, I always right the name Jennifer and if it’s a male, I always write the name John. I’ve had very good luck with those two names, but you may find something different works better for you. After I write the name, I place the card writing side down on the table, put the cap back on the marker and table the Sharpie as well. The placement of the card on the table is very important. It needs to be about an inch to an inch and a half away from the edge of the table closest to you. The card also needs to be at a slight angle.

This picture shows the placement of the card from the edge of the table and the correct angle.

Once the card and marker have been tabled, my right arm rests on the edge of table with my right hand pointed downwards and my left hand drops out of site below the table, retrieves the marker from under my leg and rests its pinky on the secret card on my lap to hold it in place. This allows a little bit of the top of my right hand to be seen at all times while the left hand does the dirty work.

This picture shows the left hand prepared for the secret writing under the table. Notice the pinky holding down the card.

All of the secret work above takes place very quickly and under the misdirection of a single question. I simply ask “What’s the name that you thought of?” When they answer, I immediately ask “Any reason why you thought of him/her?” As soon as they begin to answer I secretly write down the name with my left hand then quickly clip it between the index and thumb with my middle finger in position to rotate the card writing side down as it is transferred to the waiting right hand.

This picture shows how the card is picked up by the left hand in preparation for the transfer. Notice the placement of the middle finger.

This picture shows how the left middle finger rotates the card writing side down.

Once the card has been rotated writing side down, the card is transferred into the right hand where it is palmed. Remember that the right hand has never moved since it was at rest at the edge of the table so nothing seems out of the ordinary. With the card now loaded into the right hand, my right hand comes up into view and apparently turns over the card on the table, but what is really happening is in the action of turning it over, I am sweeping it off the table and into my lap then bringing the palmed card into view. Once the palmed card is on the table, I slide it towards my volunteer and allow them to see the name written across it. It is at this moment that my left hand “cleans up” by grabbing the dummy card off my lap and places it along with the marker in my left pocket. I have all the time in the world because their attention is on the card in their hands and they are also trying to make sense of what just happened. When performing this in a booth on a bench-style seat, the only difference is instead of placing the mini-marker under your leg, you simply just uncap it and lay it right next to you. It’s as simple as that! I know that this routine reads as complicated, but I can assure you that when you actually are doing it, it’s quite simple. Try out the lapping switch in front of a mirror and you’ll see how clean and convincing it is. The hardest part of the routine is getting the right verbal misdirection done at the right time to cover the secret writing and transfer. I do hope that you enjoy this routine as it has served me very well for the last 6 years or so. It hits really hard and looks like the real thing. As always, if you have any questions, please let me know.