talkmagic.co.uk

A few days ago a member here "themagicwand" asked if muscle reading was for real. I was convinced it was but just tried it successfully for the first time. The first "sender" wasn't working for me to I switched to another spec, starting with something relatively easy - finding one red card placed with two black ones on a table. With the new sender I got it twice straight away and with no doubt before I turned the cards over. I then tried something a bit tougher - getting a three digit number. I wrote 1-8 on a large bit of paper (couldn't fit 9 and 0 on) and got her number 738 without much effort. In fact by the last number I knew it was 7 or 8 almost as soon as I asked.

I've been on a high since I did it. What a great trick! It works so well impromtu too. You really need nothing at all.

I'm going to have to re-read Banachek and Burlingame and do more stuff with this. It was just great and (for me) beats any card sleight, esp. as I can't do decent cards

Just did a few more people - numbers, ESP shapes drawn on paper etc. All hits.

I know it's "easy" but in case anyone thinks it doesn't work - it sure does.

Good isn't it

I've also started with muscle reading recently - more specifically using a pendulum. The results have been quite freaky - for me especially. Problem is now I'm hooked and all of the other methods I've been using now feel like I'm cheating...

What is muscle reading?

I keep thinking of palm reading but using their muscles...

Have a look at http://www.paralumun.com/muscle.htm

This surely sound interesting? Any books I could refer to for further explanation?

Banachek's Psychophysiological(I have no idea if I spelt that correctly) Thought Reading, and Fitzkee's Contact Mind Reading (It's available as an ebook at lybrary.com). Also - Banachek's PSI series hasa whole dvd devoted to it (I think it's the 4th one - can't remember off hand).

I've done MR work since the 70s and as Banachek points out in his DVD addressing this subject (as well as his book) If you can master it, you really need little else in that you can readily replicate the most common demonstrations associated with the whole ESP & Mentalism worlds.

The top three skills anyone interested in Mentalism should learn to master are;

* Muscle Reading
* Billet Work
* Reading People (and I don't mean this cold reading hocus pocus).

Literal empires have been built with little else.

Craig Browning wrote:The top three skills anyone interested in Mentalism should learn to master are;

* Muscle Reading
* Billet Work
* Reading People (and I don't mean this cold reading hocus pocus).

Just wondering if you have some favuret books or other media on the subject?

For muscle reading do you like hold the specs hand? Using a pendulum is easy isn't it. Is it when it tells you if the answer is yes or no because that is freaky. (If it goes in a line or a circle)

I put my right hand out with a finger extended to point, then have the spec place their left hand on top of my hand or wrist. The advantage of this method is that I can work over a small area (like 5 shapes on a single sheet of A4). If the spec doesn't need to move their feet it's much easier. Equally, they shouldn't need to extend their arm too far, or the tension can feel like resistance.

I have tried the method Banachek suggests for beginners (supporting the specs arm) but I can't feel it nearly as well as having the specs hand on the back of yours. It's also very visual for the spec in that you have a finger pointing at different things.

As for resources - I have seen a number of them and find 2 by Banachek cover all the points and everything you would need to know (including more variations/effects that you will ever try) as well as things not to do.

BOOK - Psychophysiological Thought Reading (Banachek). This comes with Burlingame's "How to Read People's Minds" attached and covers all possible details, including pendula, tables and other ideomotor effects.

DVD/VIDEO - Psi Volume 3 (Banachek) - here he performs a range of different effects in a real performance and then explains them. It's nice to see them being done (because it's one thing to read how he moves his body to hide a muscle read but much better to see him doing it in front of an audience). It's also good for getting a feel of what would or wouldn't work for you.

One thing to note is that the more removed the contact is from the "target", the better you can hide the MR. Having a spec's hand resting on your pointing hand can give the game away (although most still won't get it) but having your other hand hold their wrist while your pointing hand does its stuff is clearly much more subtle. However seeing Banachek pull a lady round the stage behind him convinced me that I shouldn't try it. It works for him (kinda) but table stuff works much better for me.

BTW guesses as to noting the specs pulse as you hover over an item seem to be the favourite misjudgement today.

I am interested in trying a copper wire as an intermediary object. Because everyone knows it conducts electricity it might throw some off the scent as well as removing pulses from the equation.

My best effect today (having a shop brings so many potential "helpers" through the doors!) was just turning 3 Snickers upside down and finding the one with no price label. It may not be Art but they knew I had it before I turned it over and they were gobsmacked. It was my best effect in terms of impact - not the hardest to do.

One thing I have noticed - saying confidently "it's not that one" or crossing shapes off a bit of paper as you go does really fix it in their mind that it isn't a game of chance. If you have all three, five etc items/cards there at the end they will wonder. Just remove them and it looks like you are doing something definite.

Thanks Mandrake. Will look into it once I get more time. From a quick glance, looks interesting. It's like Palmestry but more... different... Yeh... That's the word... different... LOL

Thank you Taneous for these suggestions. I'm looking forward to practise more mentalism and didn't knew really where to start, this sounds like a great point.
Any further advice for beggining mentalist is welcome !
(Hey! lybrary is a real gold mine! Thanks for the link!)

Beside the Fitzkee book, Banachek, Corinda etc. you should READ all the following.
1 Entertaining With Contact Mind Reading by Eddie Dexter(Magic Wand Publication) EASY START. You'll have to look for a 2nd hand cop
2. Practical Contact Mind Reading by Dr. Edward R Schatz.£9;45p from Magic Books By Post. Excellent and very practical.
3. Making Contact by Satori. £20 from MBBP. I booked him for a lecture some years ago and he was excellent.
These will set you up for a lifetime and they are all down to earth, easy to read, understand and put into practice.
Allen Tipton