Delusions: Experiments in a Surreality
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Delusions: Experiments in a Surreality I Delusions: Experiments in a Surreality Delusions By Scott Xavier “Experiments in a surreality!” II Delusions: Experiments in a Surreality Copyrighted 2006 Scott Xavier. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED! Piracy is robbing our art and making it hard to make a living performing and teaching what we love. If you gained a copy of this book illegally, DZ Productions will reward any information leading to the conviction of those pirates pirating this work. Reward? Yes, REWARD! How about money? Or better yet, how about an unreleased hands off ungaffed spoon bend? III Delusions: Experiments in a Surreality ::DEDICATED TO MY NEW FAMILY THE CORPS:: ADAM, ERIC, PULLZ, TONY, WILL, DONNIE, WES, BRIAN, AND ALL OF THOSE WHO I CONSIDER FRIENDS (FAMILY!). IN ADDITION I HAVE TO DEDICATE THIS WORK TO THOSE WHO STUCK WITH ME THROUGH THIS ARTISTIC ENDEAVOR. JILL AND AYDAN... IV Delusions: Experiments in a Surreality TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION: VI PLEASURE SQUARED: VII A mystery date is predicted in detail anytime anywhere! MIND’LUSSIONAL: XIV Close up card miracle. OVERLY HYP’ED: XVII Test conditions card delusion. 800 - THO-UGHT: XXVI Modern cell phone prediction miracle! PSYCHO KILLER: XXX Spectator back to back drawing duplication. WADD SPITTER: XXXIV A modern Bullet Catch using a BB/Pellet gun. PK LIGHT BULB: XLII Using PK a light bulb lights and shatters on it’s own. WALKING ON BROKEN GLASS: XLV Sideshow secret revealed. QUARTER BACK SNEAK: XLVIII Third eye game of chance. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: LI V Delusions: Experiments in a Surreality So why another book? The truth is, I will probably be releasing some new material on a DVD soon. Since my Hi-Def camcorder broke on me, and I am over 1000 miles away from home, I felt a book would be appropriate for release at this time. Sometimes my heart and love of both writing and this art encourages me to share my effects with the world. On top of the need for expression, there!s also something inherently romantic about a book, even if it is an e-book. The satisfaction of printing it out and reading it on a plane trip or even cuddled up in bed just before the sandman works his magic is innumerable. I am also rejuvenated by friends like Patrick Kuffs who keep giving to our community. He is a wonderful friend who!s legacy will live on. His recent gesture of releasing a few effects via the net, to help inspire the next generation of magi, has inspired me to attempt to do the same with this book. Imitations is the highest form of what? So here she is, my new treatise on paranormal dexterity with a charlatan twist, I call it Delusions. It is the second major publication I have released. The first entitled Untitled, gained moderate underground success. I hope all of you enjoy this one as much as the first. And may my coffers over flow with the fruits of my research. This book has more impromptu and easy to carry miracles and is slightly more heavy on the predictions. -Scott Xavier 2006 www.ScottXavier.com “The cure for the common card trick!” VI Delusions: Experiments in a Surreality Pleasure Squared: An Anywhere Mind Reading Miracle Once again I am brow beaten with people asking for impromptu effects on the internet. Impromptu? To what degree? To make one look superhuman it takes a lot of setup, and rightfully so. This next effect, however, is a semi impromptu miracle that takes no special gadgets. Most mentalists have the necessary gadgets on them right now. the Effect: The mentalist remarks about dreams and how they are the gateway to the mind and thus, can be a powerful tool for shamans, magicians, and mind readers who want to peer into one!s hidden desires. The mentalist removes a business card holder from his inside suit jacket pocket and asks a spectator to hold it until called for. The business card holder is sealed shut using 2 rubber bands preventing any tampering of its contents. The performer now selects a random spectator from the audience and asks them to expand their imagination with the rest of the audience. The spectator selects a dream date as well as chooses a name for this date. The date brings a gift, the spectator sees the gift in her mind and VII Delusions: Experiments in a Surreality names it. A location for the date is also chosen. Movie, theater, dinner, or dancing; any location can be freely chosen. A name for that particular business is chosen as well such as Mickey!s Bowling Alley. The time that the date ends, as well as whether or not the “mystery date” gets a kiss is also determined by the spectator. For the first time the business card holder is opened and a folded prediction removed. The prediction tells of the exciting night in specific detail that was just created by the spectator. The prediction even predicts the spectators name who invents this fantasy! A true mystery of real precognition! the Secret: This effect uses a technique known as double writing. The basic premise is that the performer actually records the responses on a 3 X 5 index card. Folded up on the bottom of this index card is a folded in half business card. VIII Delusions: Experiments in a Surreality The business card looks like this: Upon writing the initial response of the spectator on the index card, the responses are also duplicated on the business card on the bottom. The audience never sees the business card so they are unaware of what IX Delusions: Experiments in a Surreality is going on. In essence you are duplicating the answers just given onto the business card on the correct corresponding line! All the audience sees is that you are recording the answers, “for clear precise analysis later.” Now all you have to do is palm the business card and load it into the business card holder. If palming scares you, you can load the prediction by recovering the card holder and simply slipping the prediction inside with the index card blocking the view. The rubber bands of the business card holder are wrapped around in such a way that you can load the prediction inside from the side. MENTALISM ASIDE: Another presentational aside comes from my friend Scott Leavitt: “I Believe Oz Pearlman mentioned that he's coming out with a natural looking pen that can write in multiple colors - will be a natural for this as the colored print on the pad and business card can then be different to throw folks further off the scent!” Could be amazing to have 2 different color inks. One for the prediction and one for the immediate recording. See pictures on preceding pages for better understanding. X Delusions: Experiments in a Surreality ABOVE: Index card and business card prediction gaff. BELOW: Ungimmicked business card holder unloaded. XI Delusions: Experiments in a Surreality ABOVE: Performer view of prediction being loaded. Note that I am not holding the business card holder because I needed to take the picture. BELOW: Close up view of prediction being loaded. XII Delusions: Experiments in a Surreality Notes: I. From a recent Chuck Hickok essay, I developed a new appreciation for ordinary props. Chuck Hickok seems to believe that wallets may look hokie on stage, I on the other hand do not. Real psychics get visions all the time and would jot them down when ever they get them, such as on a business card and keep it in a nearby business card wallet . NONE OF THESE “PROPS” WILL EVER RAISE SUSPICION! They are natural in most settings. II. With several hundred shows under my belt in venues as varied as museums and colleges, I can honestly say that the majority of the audience never catches what is actually taking place. This double writing is extremely deceptive. III. I would like to thank Banachek and his wonderful series of tapes known as Radio Magic . And of course the original effect is a take on the original Confabulation effect that has seen many variations. IV. I believe the originality in this routine is the nearly impromptu nature and the fact that you do not need expensive magical props. The loading mthod as well is very original to me. V. In addition to this lust theme, you could come up with a ton of other themes that are ready to create a miracle at a moments notice. Other themes include: winning lottery numbers, mailed in headline prediction, weather predictions, shopping lists, and any time you need an instant miracle with ordinary “props”. XIII Delusions: Experiments in a Surreality Mind!Lussional: Simple is Beautiful It is your concern whether or not you add card tricks to your show. The debate burns as wildly today as it did in Annemann's day. No one can argue that all mentalists are magicians at heart. It!s like the roofer is a carpenter scenario. Anyway you look at it, I am sure you!ll love to perform this one. I can not claim any originality in this routine other than maybe making it a mental effect. It!s so simple, I could not imagine anyone not having invented it any sooner! the Effect: The mentalist being asked to perform some magical feat, borrows a deck of cards. He instructs a random and freely selected audience member to take the deck, shuffle it, and select ANY card. The card is noted and replaced. The performer mixes the cards and places one card on top of the spectators out stretched palm.