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I was looking through the reviews of the different tricks on TM, and i was curious to ask, "if you could chose between 1-2 single effects, what would be you favourable tricks ever?" (i.e. say from reaction recieved from trick etc)

I would be extremely intrested as hopefully for my 3rd year Psychology project, i would like to look at the effect of strong magic on the mind of the viewer.... e.g. - changes in confidence levels, changes in depression levels - and try to form a correlation betweem performance and emotion

Anyway, il discuss more in the near future, but i am extremely intrested in your opinions on your most favourite effects and best reactions, please try not to chose effects that you think will add my investigation as it will screw my ecological validity blah blah lol

Many thanks

It is a bit hard to look at impact of a single effect in isolation, as i find that the strongest reaction often occur AFTER a sequence of already seemingly impossible effects.

I think that the strongest possible effects in general are mental effects. The strongest effect I ever experienced (and I later partly included it on my repertoire myself), was when a magician slowly spread the deck of cards (a complete and un-gimmicked deck of cards - in fact my deck of cards) and asked me to think of any card in the spread.

After he shuffled the cards, I was asked to hold the cards in my hand and imagine that the card I thought of would raise to the top. Then I was asked to check that this ended happened. WITHOUT me ever even naming the card, I just turned over the top card and believe it or not IT WAS THE CARD I THOUGH OF!!

I remember that I was so shocked that any effect this magician did after this was completely lost on me. I could not concentrate on anything after that. It was like my whole belief system of what was possible had been shaken.

Of non-mental effects, I think Mickey Silvers coin routine touched me very deep (despite he already in a lecture had explained the method).

My strongest effect is a palm reading to reveal a thought of card. Kind of a double whammy - brilliant and accurate reading followed by impossible revelation. Really slays 'em, but you have to know your stuff reading-wise.

Greatest single response was when a happy-go-lucky centre tear routine took on an unexpectedly profound angle. Tears, laughter, more tears etc.

Having gone through most of the classics to my family and friends the one they always talk about with shivers down there spine is Out of the world.
I think its because at some time we have all tested out ability with the old red / black card challenge and this one hits home..

Yes, OOTW always get very strong reactions. I find that Falkensteins added elements including where the spectators are asked to guess which card is wrong in one of the piles after they have been told that one card is wrong in e.g. the left column. I also have some positive experience with a version (my own addition) where each spectator is asked to name and select an "unlucky" card. Each of the spectators (the number of spectators involved in this does not matter and they can choose their card completely freely with no restriction on the color).
The cards are then returned to the deck in a quite freely manner (I am sure you have worked out how).

After the normal performance of OOTW all cards are placed correctly EXCEPT the unlucky cards freely chosen in advance and "almost" freely returned to a shuffled deck of cards.

I am not sure this version is stronger than Falkensteins version, but it is quite fun to perform and it gets usually extremely strong reactions.

I think I get the strongest reactions from another version of mine (utilizing an idea I learned from one of Falkensteins DVDs) where I tell the spectator that one card is wrong and they are asked (completely freely without any help) to guess witch card is wrongly placed. In (at least) 50% of the cases it is spot on, and in the remaining cases it is essentially also spot on...

these ideas are great thanks

i would love to have alot more opinions of your own personal favourite effects/reactions from effect.... Come on TM members lol

It will all go towards an investigation into the psychological effect of magic as an art of the viewers who watch or take part in it.

I would say that it is the magician/mentalist that gets the reaction, not the 'trick'. I would say there are far to many variables to do a reliable test. Could you get the same performer doing a mind reading act, and then doing a sponge ball routine?
Although my favourite genre of magic to perform is mentalism, one of my all time favourite performers is Ricky Jay. When I ask myself why...yes the routines are good...but its more than that. I find him fascinating. I like watching him perform. Anyone else doing exactly the same routine, and they would become just card tricks. In his hands it is theatre.
Could you really create a decent methodology for such an experiment that couldn't be completely pulled apart?

I'd have to go for a nice, multiplying sponge ball. Brilliant fun to perform and great fun for specs of all ages. A little something for everyone.

I can always rely on the biddle trick to be a popular and easy trick for me to perform and is probably the effect I do more than any other.

The most enjoyment I get from performing an effect has to be Sam the Bellhop or spooked(Einhorns haunted deck).
Spooked because of the reactions and the chance to get the audience to play along as I get them all in a circle wiggling their fingers (I'm such a child).
Sam the bellhop gives you a really opportunity to engage with an audience

For ME ENJOYING PERFORMING:

1. Twisting the aces
2. Lit cigarette vanish


For PLEASURE OF AUDIENCE REACTION:

1. Pace's 'the Web'
2. Colour Monte


For SHEER BAREFACED CHEEK:

1. The Biddle Trick
2. NFW


For FLOORING A HECKLING DRUNKARD

1. Paperclipped (Sankey)
2. Fifty-Fifty (NUMS version, my own effect)


For IMPRESSING YOUR OTHERWISE UNINTERESTED SPOUSE

1. Professor's nightmare (She still has NO idea how I do it)
2. Cups and balls (Again, totally oblivious to the simplicity)


For KEEPING KIDS ENTERTAINED FOR A WHILE

1. Sponge ball magic
2. Comic vanishing silk routine


For IMPRESSING YOUR MATES

1. Special Delivery by David Regal
2. The Messiah Vanish (routine) by Sanky

The trick I found caused the greatest impression in a couple of places was coin to bottle.

I don't have a fancy version and it wouldn't bear much examination during the performance but for shear "how did he do that" value afterwards it stll leaves people talking about it afterwards.

I do a version where the coin can go through the neck size wise and one where it cannot. The latter had people talking for hours afterwards, even more so when I left the bottle with people, they though it was a trick bottle and were even more amazed when I didn't want it back!

For impressing kids I dfind that anything that disappears or appears always gets them going.

I liked Mr Seige's layout, so:

For ME ENJOYING PERFORMING:

1. Jumping Gemini
2. ID


For PLEASURE OF AUDIENCE REACTION:

1. Colour Monte
2. a Psychological Card Force


For SHEER BAREFACED CHEEK:

1. Card under Glass/Card to Mouth
2. top change (though that is more a sleight )


For FLOORING A HECKLING DRUNKARD

1. De'vos impromptu bird production
2. a complete, sleeveless, coin vanish


For IMPRESSING YOUR OTHERWISE UNINTERESTED SPOUSE

1. Out of this World (the girlfriend never did find out, and always loved it)
2. normal coin to jumbo coin


For KEEPING KIDS ENTERTAINED FOR A WHILE

1. Sponge ball magic
2. vanishing silk


For IMPRESSING YOUR MATES

1. something that appears to be psychological
2. silver dream

thanks - this is great help - as stated, yes the methodolgy may get torn to pieces, but i will still do it just to see if a corellation can be formed between changes in emotive states and magic.... but i have a couple of years to work on my reserach methods etc

Keep coming in with your own opinions, thanks siege, i like your approach to saying which tricks suit which situation

It will go to a great cause, trying to prove that magic is very much an emotive and subjective experience to the individual as well as the whole social situation...

keep them coming ................