TASTE CONDITIONS BY MORGAN STREBLER
The Effect
The magician hands the spectator a glass with a tiny bit of water on the bottom. He asks the spectator to sip the water in her mouth but not to swallow it. She complies, and swishes the bit of water in her mouth. All of a sudden, she feels the water take on a different, heavily minty taste INSIDE HER MOUTH! She then spits out the liquid back into the glass and reveals that it has changed into mouthwash INSIDE her mouth! Truly impossible!
Cost
About $15 for a 30 page PDF download.
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- Although there are no sleights used, this will take a TON of practice since most of the routine is all accomplished psychologically with the power of suggestion.
Review
Taste Conditions is a fantastic effect that sounds impossible to do in print, but can be really effective. BUT you will need to choose a spectator that can be suggestive, but it works really with anyone if you get the specifics down. When I first tried it, it did not work for multiple reasons.
1. The spectator was not very suggestive, and therefore knew exactly what was happening. Plus she is very knowledgable of magic.
2. Swishing the water in her mouth humiliated her due to my foolish move of making hwr swish for a long time, therefore she swallowed the water prematurely and had to drink another round.
So, if you do end up performing this for the first time, be careful. You will also hve to work on your suggestive power and the specifics of the effect. Taste Conditions is a killer effect! You will also need to find the right place to perform this, which I have found is really non-existent. You really have to work this into your venue somehow.
Also, this effect is better done as a one-on-one effect, but under proper conditions this could be performed with other spectators watching. This would most effectively be performed in a formal close-up show in which ypu have a case to block the dirty work. That is the reason this is best performed one-on-one in street situations, because you blatantly execute the dirty work while the spectator has their eyes closed.
The overall effect is very easy to perform, just the suggestion part needs to really be rehearsed and practiced on a willing friend or family member. I love it, and as long as you have a glass, water, and a small bottle of mouthwash handy you can perform this anywhere.
The ebook is VERY thorough, with histories, tips, biographies, EVERYTHING you need to know. It is very thorough: 30 pages for one effect. The explanation has been laid out very well, even colour coded to outline the method, patter, and even what is going through the spectator's mind at each stage of the effect!
Overall
Overall, I give this fantastic ebook and effect a very solid 9/10. Morgan Strebler bringsw a new concept and very original effect that can be performed virtually anywhere. Highly recommended to magicians who perform emotionally-connecting magic.
Michael Kras
