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Bill Abbott’s Mind Control

Available from most magic retailers

Price: £13.99 (GBP) / $19.95 (USD)

Mentalism

Difficulty: 1 out of 5 You will need to learn a few steps but all the work has been done for you.

They say:
Imagine. You place three objects in a row on a table. A set of keys, a credit card, and a watch. You hand a willing participant a pen and ask them to touch the object they seem most drawn to. The participant makes an absolutely free choice of any object, They can even change their mind! You then reveal an indelible prediction left in full view from the very beginning that reveals their chosen object!

Mind Control is totally free choice! No forcing involved.

Guaranteed that you will always be correct!

Easy and convenient to carry with you everywhere

Performed with common objects supplied by you and your audience

Self contained and performable anytime, anywhere, and without a moments notice.

A prediction that is in full view of the audience from the beginning

Complete with everything you need to perform

So Easy to learn you will be performing it almost as soon as you open the package

The mind control method is so fiendishly diabolical that it can work in the very hands of an audience member. IN fact, you can even be standing at the other side of the room when the choices are made and at no time during the selection process so you ever need to touch the objects. Mind Control can be presented as a stunning demonstration of linguistics, psychology, and neurology to convince anyone you actually possess the power to control their minds!

Also included is Bill Abbott's Advanced Routine where the number of objects is increased to seven making the predicted outcome decidedly more impossible


I say:
Ok, ok…I know, but bless them, they’re excited!

Some people think this effect is too basic, to easy to work out or generally obvious. That may be true, for us anyway, but why would you base a judgement of a trick on performances for yourself or other performers?

I have presented this trick and had “lay people” totally stunned. “How could you have known what I would choose?! That‘s really weird, that‘s not ‘right‘.” They often jump to the simplest conclusion and in the process of investigating it, instantly prove themselves wrong…they themselves often provide a powerful, logical and (to my amazement) built in “convincer“! Sweeeeet!

It does “what it says on the tin“. With any trick (and dogs), if you go in unsure, scared or doubting they will smell your fear and you could be in trouble. That isn’t to say that Mind Control take nerves of steel, quite the opposite in fact. It’s kind of made to work by default and you can relax.

The ad doesn’t quite tell the truth, you do get most things you need but you don’t get a credit card or a watch…that would be too good a deal!!! The props you do get are very nice indeed, well made and simple. The instructions and routines are simple and direct with plenty of room for your own variables. My routine uses a drivers licence instead of a credit card and I handle the use of the pen differently…no biggie.

The effect plays out as it reads. The spectator does have a genuinely free choice and can change their mind up until the last second. There are no moves, sleights, formulas or “special things” you need to do. In fact a calm and friendly bearing helps the effect hit even harder.

The methodology is nothing new, I have had tricks like this one in a variety of forms, but Mind Control has a clean-ness to it that is refreshing. I don’t need to point out that it is often the simplest effects of techniques that yield the biggest spectator impact, we know that is true and has been cited so many times before.

You won’t be buying any ground-breaking methodology or high-tech gadgetry, you will be buying (at a very fair price) a clever variation of a time honoured methodology married with well made props and a refreshingly subtle approach.

Overall:
I really rate Mind Control…in fact I ALWAYS have it on me as the props are subtle enough to never be casually noticed, everyday enough not to garner suspicion if you did suggest “trying a little experiment” and cleverly integrated into a routine that has genuine impact.

Rating out of 10: 9/10

Tom,

How do you think this compares to Free Will, although they use a different method they both have a number of objects that have been correctly predicted before hand.
Also do you think that one would follow on after the other?

It's a bit like and a bit not like Free Will.

Free Will predicts a number of things if you know what I mean and Mind Control predicts one thing...both take full advantage of their situation.

Mind Control predicts one thing but (as far as the spectator is concerned) with no input from the performer.

Free Will works fantastically when you can build a story and Mind Control can be as "impromptu" as the situation warrents...in fact it KILLS when someone says "Hey, you do that 'mind reading stuff...do something on me!"

I suspect (at 1:35 AM mind you) that they may be too similar to do back to back or even in the same set...I think...Zzzzzzzzzz...WHA?! French toast please!...Zzzzzzzzz

Lol yeah it's getting late.

I regularily perform Free Will and quite often someone asks if I can do it again, I just wondered whether this effect might be useful as a a sort of repeat.
I might get it just to see, I'm also interested in how it uses the principles. Actually I could do with an effect that gets a driving licence out as well as that would lead nicely into something else I do.

Ok Tom, yet again with your silver tongue you convince me to spend my hard earned cash. Just bought it, paid £13.50 including delivery from
http://kidshowmagic.co.uk/product_info.php/products_id/204?osCsid=a0da580e50c7595f24a09b93d402057a

Never used them before so that will be another test.

Bit of a long link I know, but I'm trying to help lazy people by going straight to the correct page.

Ok well I got it yesterday and was very impressed with kidshowmagic, never used them before but I did the order very late Sunday Night, I had an email Moday Morning acknowledging the order and then another a few hours later telling me it had been shipped. I had it the following morning ( Tueday ) It also happened to be cheaper than anywhere else. So full marks.

Like the effect not had time to perform it on real people yet, but I've no doubt it will play well. Though the instructions give two handlings the basic routine with 10 items and an advanced routine with 7 items. I really can't see myself performing the basic routine at least not with the method given. I just think it's too risky. The other routine in my opinion is much the better.

hi tom
i have this, and wasnt too happy about handling the pen either
could you tip me on the way you handle it?
pm me if you'd prefer
cheers mate
matt

Just performed it ealier tonight. Couldn't see an issue with the pen, all worked like a charm.

would this be the same type of effect that Derren Brown uses in Trick of The Mind??