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Hi guys, this is a question about an effect in which a few people are selected and they each sit down in some chairs/stand at a certain point etc and it is then later revealed that they have envolopes under their chairs with their names on, giving the appearence that the performer knew exactly where each of them would sit. I'm basically just curious as to whether or not anyone knows about this and if anyone knows how it is done. if so, could they please point me in the right direction to learn more... cheers.

Hi Lewy

These kinds of effects are called "chair tests", which should get you on your way.

aa cheers! next question... is it something that i could figure out or would i need to go buy some stuff in order for it to be effective? i had a look around on google lol, cant find too much about it tho

You can buy many books on mentalism that will help you achieve this and other effects, all of which would have taken a great deal of research and work on behalf of their inventor.

Searching for the exposé on Google is generally frowned upon as the solution is not seen so much as information but someone elses work.

Buy finding a free source as to the solution you are not only taking money from the pocket of the inventor but also encouraging them to not release any more of their secrets/discoveries.

EDIT: Also you could try and work it out for yourself, it may not necessarily be the way it was achieved but if it works then it works!

LewyD wrote:aa cheers! next question... is it something that i could figure out or would i need to go buy some stuff in order for it to be effective? i had a look around on google lol, cant find too much about it tho

Yes... to both questions here

You can find Chair Predictions outlined in several different books, I know that Patrick Redford has one but I can't recall which book it's in. There's my buddy Sebastian Black and his Chair & Balloon routine that's kind of fun, I think it's being sold through Lulu.com.

One of my favorite "gaffed" bits is Rick Maue's FATE. I've used it in several shows the past couple of years with tremendous audience reaction. I highly recommend it for anyone doing shows of fair size (30+ guests).

As you describe the routine in question, it sounds like some "pre-show" work was done, it's one of the biggest "secret weapons" we mental cases exploit. Ironically, there aren't many books out on it outside of what Paul Brook put out a year or so back and the Mark Strivings book. I have one coming out in about a month as well but other than mention here and there in other tomes,you wont find much on the that particular topic.

I almost forgot... I have another Chair Prediction in my book CRITTERS known as "The Baby Elephant Walk".

thanks craig thats helped me out a lot . message to ant - why so edgy? i was actually looking for some books and recommendations on google, I'm not a ponce - i know i won't find it for free. i was also merely asking for a name of the effect etc. no offence

luke jermay also has Shared some of his thoughts on the chair test.

There's a nice chair test on The Roy DVD, especially suitable for parties where everyone knows everyone else by name. The party host/hostess makes the prediction by shuffling name cards and gets it almost completely right, and then the mentalist shows he has predicted the one error.

despite all the good advice, its all going to be a bit of a waste of money for a number of reasons, if:

you're not going to want to perform this as part of an act
if you've not got anything else to perform with this
if you've not performed any other mentalism

but hey, your money, and your time...its just theres plenty you can work on and with that are very good, and very cheap...i know its great watching derren on tv and wanting to do the same...but even so, the vast majority of us will never be on the tv...

let the bragging begin!

No Bragging here Mr Grumpy pants.

My advice to LewyD, would be to look at what the chair test is, And try and work one out for himself.

A chair test is an effect that is built up of several standard magical techniques.

Things like forces, and outs. Things that you as a magicain, should have a basic grasp of.

If you like, look at it as a really big card trick.

Having one card, or a pile of cards chosen, is the same as having a chair chosen.

you can either make someone take the card you want them to take or.. have your pockets stuffed with 52 envelopes.

Im sure that you have read up on the basics. all you need to do now is to think outside the box.

Banachek in his booklet pre-thoughts has a simple chair test.

Derren Brown got someone to select one of three coloured chairs on Friday in the events program. There was an envelope underneath the chosen chair.

I'd personally steer clear of chairs for a while. Half the population think they know how Derren does his tricks. The other half (and that includes me) just say they know to impress their friends.

How about something else, I dont know if your method is specific to the use of an envelope? Perhaps they could each select something like a mobile phone and it has their name on the screen.

Here's a list of chair predictions, credit goes to Ezzet & Paolo Cavalli at the café;

There is also an essay on Chair Tests in Invocation By Max Maven.
I came up with my own Chair Effect a few seconds after rereading that essay.
If you wish to become a real magician read books.
I suggest reading Tony Corinda's 13 Steps to Mentalism and Ted Annemann's The Jinx before reading anything else, but here it goes.

Here is that list.

* The Ultimate Chairs Prediction - Gary Kurtz (The Ultimate Chairs Prediction Plus manuscript)

* Chairvelopes - Paolo Cavalli & Massimo Tira (Omicron)

* Miscellanea (reference to Corinda's 7 Chairs) - Paolo Cavalli & Massimo Tira (Upsilon, pg 54)

* Chairvoyance – T A Waters (Mind, Myth & Magick, pg 639)

* Chairvoyance Revisited – Sean Carpenter (Center Tear, Vol 1 Issue 4)

* Please be seated – Steve Shaw/Banachek (Syzygy, Vol1, Number 4)

* Be seated! – Banachek (Pre-thoughts, pg16)

* One From Ahead (The Borodin Chair Force) – Borodin (Sheherazade, pg 239)

* The Lazy Mentalist – Barrie Richardson (Theater of the Mind, pg 152 Also appears in Pabular and in Magick Vol 4 as Chair-Voyance)

* Hot Seat – Larry Becker (World of Super Mentalism, pg 120)

* Chairport – Tom Stone (Gravel)

* Chair-Voyance – Eddie Burke (Professional Mental Secrets, pg 4)

* The Seven Chairs – Corinda (Thirteen Steps, pg22)

* Are You Sitting Comfortably? - David Berglas (The Mind & Magic of David Berglas, pg 334)

* Tony Forster Chair Prediction (Lecture Notes, German only)

* Tele Hypnose (first published by Aarge Darling 1948 in his Danish publication "Mentale Mysterier"

* Dr. Stanley Jaks had a version in "Ibidem" magazine in 1961

* Stewart James had a version in "New Tops" in 1963

* Peter Warlock's version "Five Chairs" appeared in his book "Warlock's Way" (1966)

* Peter Warlock had another version "Chairio" in "Magigram" (Jan. 1991 issue)

* Jules Lenier lecture notes

* Ensconced Fundament - Patrick G. Redford (2005)

* Musical Chairs - James Biss

* Dr Zodiac "Chair'Ished" from "Untitled" (2005)

* Andy Nyman's - Chair Swindel

* THE TECNICOLOR CHAIR PREDICTION in "Bascom Jones' Magick magazine

* "The Great Chair Prediction" by Gene Grant (Phantini) in his book "Incredible Mental Secrets Vol. 2". (page 69).

* Michael Weber Landing Pad published in his lecture notes at the second MAGIC...Live! convention.

* Tony Iacoviello Lord of the Dance, originally published in 2004 in MUM

* Lance Norris- Chair Prediction That Kicks All Other Chair Predictions in The Seat ebook

* Jack Dean's Voice of the Prophet - chair/cassette prediction

* Sebastian Black - Chairloons

* Chair Enigma, Chair Enigma2 and Pic Chair from Colin Mcleods book Deceit.

* Chairman of the Board - by Kennedy

* Marc Spelmann's - One In Thousands

* Sean Taylors "Throne Room" from "Mindstorms" book

* Andrew Gerard – Color of money

* Rick Maue – Body language and Group dynamic from Mindvention 2006 lecture notes

* The paper plane chair game and The paper plane chair game mach II - Hector Chadwick book


Yaniv Deautsch
www.yanivd.co.il

Incredible list, thank you for sharing. I've been meaning to add a chair routine to my act! Thanks again!

Yaniv... you left mine off that list