talkmagic.co.uk

Mind Control by Peter Nardi and Marc Spelmann

Cost: £19.99

Available from http://www.alakazam.co.uk/acatalog/Alak ... _2_70.html

Catagory: Mentalism

Difficulty: 1/5 Not selfworking per say but only the most basic handling is needed. Performance is a must.

They say:

The basic effect

A participant is asked to examine a regular deck of playing cards, once this is done she is placed in a very mild state of hypnosis, she is fully aware of what you are saying and instructing her to do. The audience is shown how you can place someone in a suggestible state. You ask her to close her eyes at which point you openly switch the real deck for a blank deck of cards that is clearly displayed to the audience.

She is handed the deck and you ask her to listen very carefully as you give her some simple but important instructions, she is to open her eyes when you have counted back from five and then visualise a single playing card. Your precise careful wording here lets the audience in on what you are doing yet they will still be totally amazed.

You count back from five and ask her to open her eyes and visualise a card, you snap you fingers and ask her to close her eyes. The blank cards are taken from her as you ask if she genuinely has a card in her mind. She replies "Yes." as you show each and every card to be completely blank to the audience.

She is asked to stand and open the envelope you have previously stuck to the back of her chair. She takes out the single folded piece of paper from inside. You ask her to say out loud the card she believes she saw.. She replies the six of spades. When the paper is opened by your participant it clearly says.

"Through suggestion and mind control I will influence my participant to see the six of spades."

This is a killer effect to convince your audience that you genuinely use Mind Control to achieve some of you effects. It also reinforces other routines that you perform. Above all else Mind Control is very easy to do.

Marc has included his entire working script but not just the words he says but also the movements and gestures he makes at specific points throughout the routine, Marc has also illustrated the instructions to ensure you completely understand each and every detail all of which make Mind Control a true performance piece.


I say:
Well, I must say that I am glad I got this effect after thinking about it for some time.

This effect is so easy to do and is a great introduction into "dual reality" type mentalism effects.

This is not an effect best suited to close up although there is no reason why one couldn't perform it as such, I simply think it would play much stronger in front of a small audience.

Angles aren't an issue and the method is as sound as one could hope from a gaffed effect. Visually you are very clean.

Personally I would only use this effect in a mentalism based performance. One would need to set the mood as that of "Mind Control" and hypnotism/suggestion rather than one of "conjuring"...this would (IMHO) weaken a potentially strong effect.

Overall: 8/10 A tidy performance piece for a mentalism act. It could well add a real sense of credibility to a performers set.

Sounds interesting, considered getting it but the description makes it seem a bit too illogical, what with all the stuff about blank decks - how on earth would that help suggest a card? Still, I guess it all makes sense in performance and all flows very logically, especially considering the creators and KK's endorsement. I may just get it.

Cheers for the review!

I understand your confusion, "The spectator "visualises" a card"...well...the spectator actually looks at a single card from the blank deck. The blank deck is then, once again shown to the audience to be totally blank. Finally the spectator tells everyone the card they peeked at. It matches the card foretold within the envelope.