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The Effect

The spectator is offered the opportunity to create life. It's one thing for a mentalist to read a spectator, there are techniques for age estimation and cold reading is often used to explain traits of their personalities. This is not a demonstration of cold reading.

This is a demonstration of sheer thought reading. I would like you to create a character in your mind, somebody completely different from yourself - make this hard for me! I want you to decide upon, in your mind, several details of this fictitious person.

1. Whether they are male or female
2. Their hair color
3. Their first name

They are handed one card with the word male, one with female. They are instructed to place one of these in an envelope, their chosen sex, and the other in a pocket.

Each of the other answers should be written on a post-it note, folded in to fourths and sealed in small opaque envelopes one by one and handed to the performer.

Piece by piece, the jigsaw is completed creating a profile of the person the spectator merely thought of. The magician reveals each piece with the utmost accuracy. There are no forces at all in place, the routine can play however you wish.

The basic method is a very well known one, however the value of this ebook lies in the routining and the little touches here and there which turn this into a miracle.

Cost

USD 11 from Lybrary.com


Difficulty
(1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)

2-4 (Only one major sleight, but a few subtleties that may scare away the amateur)


Review

A short-n-sweet effect, using only a minimal of objects, a well known psychological principle, yet it sets apart from the cliche by using a wonderful subtlety.

The key to this effect is that you make the spectator believe what you've just done. And it's true. You've done it.

The great thing about this is, it can be made as short/long as you like without destroying it's efficacy.

This is one of the few effects I use that employs a psychological ploy (kinda), and it's great to get off with it !

Overall

Delivers what it promises. 8/10