Psychic Spies

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Psychic Spies

Postby Jobasha » Jul 15th, '12, 18:18



The Effect: from the webpage

Ninja Mind-Reading Secrets of the Cold War Psychic Spies is a 56 page PDF comprising of routines, ideas and thoughts. The reader is taken on a journey from the Victorian London of Scotland Yard to the CIA & Soviet psychic spy initiatives to the Psychic Shadowlands of the Shinobi Ninja. The reader is also introduced to a variety of real life psychic spies and the adventures they undertook!

The book is broken down into three parts: Scotland Yard, the CIA, and the Ninja. The book features the following routines: The Hangman's Noose*, The Baker Street Tarot, Past Life Pendulum, Unknown Caller*, Remote Viewing with Cards and Own the Future. The book also outlines the techniques by which the Ninja both practiced psychic phenomena and allowed legends of the supernatural to surround them. This is a fascinating book full of more than just routines.

* The Hangman's Noose previously appeared in a compilation entitled 'Pendulum Magic: Routines for Mystery Entertainers' and Unknown Caller was a guest contribution in Rob Chapman's 'Arts Notorious'.


Cost
£18 from
http://www.readerofminds.co.uk/page_39.html" target="_blank

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)

In terms of the mechanisms of the tricks there all simple, but they all require a decent level of competence with audiences, many require the skills of a reader and the ability to adapt to the different directions the routines an go.

Review

Another excellent read from Paul. The book covers the use of psychics in governments. The book is split into three areas Scotland Yard, The CIA and the ninja. The book covers background to these, obviously a lot of it is tongue in cheek, but there all entertaining stories. There are a number of routines as well as examples of psychic spies from history.

The effects:

The hangman's noose: This is a wonderful piece of theatre. The trick has simple workings but maximum impact. Very dark piece, not for the faint hearted.

The Baker Street tarot: A nice system of divination through playing cards with links to Mr Holmes.

Past life pendulum: A great technique for exploring past lives, well worth the price of admission on its own.

Unknown caller: An up to date version of spirit communication through your mobile.

Remote viewing: A nice presentation for mentalism with playing cards. This followed by owning the future a routine that builds on this.

Weaved through all these routines there is background on Scotland Yards use of psychics the CIA's psychic experiments and Ninja psychic techniques. It makes for good fun reading and will probably spark ideas of other routines you could link to these themes.


Overall

A nice collection of routines on an interesting theme. Some top notch story telling and some some nice effects. If you've enjoyed Paul's previous work you'll probably find something in here you'll enjoy.

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Jobasha
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Re: Psychic Spies

Postby seamagu » Aug 16th, '12, 14:18

Hi Jobasha,

I found pshycic spies a really enjoyable read and it gives you great background to waffle on about during a performance, or to just discuss and set the mood. The baker street tarot is a nice simple system that I am now using combined with stacked deck where I know the cards they pick. Before we look at the cards I give them a reading and then explain the system and ten we look at the cards and the two readings more or less match up (I make sure they don't match exactly though!)

Sea.

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Re: Psychic Spies

Postby Craig Browning » Aug 16th, '12, 18:57

I nearly busted a gut laughing at the term "Shinobi-Ninja" in that a "Shinobi" is the outfit work by Ninjas along with Tabbi shoes.

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Re: Psychic Spies

Postby Vanderbelt » Feb 25th, '13, 16:22

This is a cracking little read, which I suspect most of Paul's fans already have by now but I thought I'd add my brief thoughts anyway.

The two pendulum routines are the stand-out pieces for me, they both add some fantasic theatre and storytelling to what can be quite a staid prop/device. If you like pendulum work then this ebook is worth buying for those routines alone.

Unknown Caller is potentially a cracking piece of work (I say potentially as I've not performed it yet, it's one of those effects that has to be done at the right time in the right place). I love the thinking behind it and the method could be used in a whole range of non-spirit effects.

Craig Browning wrote:I nearly busted a gut laughing at the term "Shinobi-Ninja" in that a "Shinobi" is the outfit work by Ninjas along with Tabbi shoes.

I'm not quite sure why you laughed Craig as you're quite incorrect. Shinobi is in fact another term for ninja (based on different pronunciations of the kanji). The outerwear you're referring to is known as "Shinobi shōzoku" (roughly meaning 'Shinobi's costume').

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