Al Mann - The Test of Thoth - On the Art of Thought Reading

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~L MANN g'zd'~ POST OFFICE BOX 144 •

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(201) 431-2429

FREEHOLD, NEW JERSEY 07728

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Al Mann Exclusives

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Order and simplification Are the first steps towards the Mastery of a subject Thomas Mann The Magic Mountain

The Test of Thoth is the Supreme table billet switch as used by Charles Foster and other top billet workers. It is detailed in print here for the first time! It is a Masterpiece of the Billet Worker's Art. A thing of beauty and yet so easy to do. This test is so perfect and undetectable that expert-observersexposers were never able to catch Foster or Reese doing the switch. All they knew was that a switch had been made but did not know when, where or how! This test has been confused with the inferior test called the Supreme Office Billet Switch. In The Test of Thoth, the spectator's billet never leaves the table (or so it seems). The operator appears to just mOVe it along the surface of the table for about 2 or J inches, in the pretext of aligning the billets or pellets (ala Reese) or placing them on the -center of the table, out of reach (ala Foster). The test can be done with billets (folded slips of paper) or pellets (balled slips). It is most deceptive when done with billet~.

Ii .st·flll.u(,tL.:ciOfA, : Take a piece of white card 2 by Ji inches and fold it into quarters and place it on the table tent-fashion. Next, reach over with your right hand (or left if you are left handed) and pinch the billet, but do not lift it off the table. The back of your fingers are towards the audience and your thumb towards you. Then just move the billet along the surface of the table and release it. That is exactly what you will pretend to do during the switch. And that is exactly what your audience will See you dol And that is exactly what the action will look like. You only move the billet 2 or J inches towards you. The visible back of your fingers never move! During the actual switch only your thumb will move!

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THE TEST OF THarH

AN AL MANN EXCLUSIVE

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SIZB OF THE BILLETS must be according to the size o£ your hands so you may want to make the card or paper a bit larger or smaller.

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t:;~t.": Make a dummy billet by £olding a second card exactly as the one on the table and placp it cross-wise at your £inger-tips as shown in Fig. 7. The billet is held in place by pressure applied on the ends by the first and little fingers. If this pressure is removed, the billet should fall free. While the billet is in the fingertip grip, the fingers are held solidly together Fig. 7 and ne.ver move, except that the operator can close his hand in a relaxed fist before the switch is applied.

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(in four easy steps) 1. The real billet with the message is resting on the table tent-fashion, while you have a dummy billet in finger-tip-grip position, Fig. 7. Your hand may be slightly cupped to avoid flashing the billet. 2. With your fingertips pointing downward, reach over and pinch the real billet between your thumbtip and your fingertips, aligning the ----~~--~------two billets so that they look like one billet, Fig. 8, but do not show them or call attention to this fact. Release the grip on the dummy. 3. Move the real billet and dummy billet together as one towards you about 2 or 3 inches and at the same time pull the real billet up into palm position with your thumb tip, Fig. 9. 4. Pull your hand up off the table, leaving the dummy behind in tent-fashion and secretly stealing the real billet. The hand is again cupped into a relaxed fist. The switch is executed in a relaxed and natural manner and is never done as a fast move. The slower the switch is made, the more convincing it looks. Eig. 9 Cupping the hand before and after the switch is a natural move that all billet worker do. The professionals never take any chances. When they have a billet or anything else palmed, they cup their hands like a fist as though that is the way they always hold their hands. For easy handling use card stock until the moves are mastered. Smooth card is preferred •

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THE TEST OF THOTH

J AN AL MANN EX.CLUSlVE

After you have maste~ed the moves with card stock, try it with paper slips, and later p~llets. The Test of Thoth is a killer. The perfect switch. A sitter or sitters across the table from you can watch you intently and see absolutely nothing other than that you moved their billet. To appreciate this devastating move, watch yourself in a mirror. Only a few minutes' practice should make you a master, but you must practice it always and do it under fire continuosly to become a master of the billets.

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Let's observe a master billet worker, Charles H. Foster, doing his thing. Foster is holding sway in the lounge of the local main hotel. There is a massive dining table, fireplace, easy chairs etc. His visitors request a demonstration of his powers. He instructs the visitors to please take small pieces of paper and write down thoughts, names, numbers, words or questions. Several persons begin to do just that. Foster has a dummy billet in finger-tip grip position and his hand is slightly cupped. After one of the sitters writes two or three messages he reaches over and says, "place all the papers in the center of the table. He makes the switch with his right hand and also takes up a billet with his left hand and moves it to the center of the table. "Mix them all up. And don't let me see what you are writing." Foster then goes to the fire place to relight his cigar and reads the stolen message paper. He then palms the paper in his left hand in readiness for the folding-switch (this switch should be known to the reader. You can find a version of it in Practical Mental Effects) . After the writing is all done, Foster approaches the table and reads a thought in the mind of one of the sitters, (the info he read in the first billet!) Everyone is amazed. He then does the psychometric bid, saying, "I am going to pick up the piece of paper in which that one question is written." He further mixes up the pile of billets and then picks one, throws it away and picks another. "I think this one is it." He then opens up the billet, reads it. Smiles. Does the folding-down switch and says, "See for yourselves!" Everyone is stunned! From then on Foster continues doing the one-ahead and baffling everyone. Some feel like screaming after witnessing the awesome power of this man. NOTE I In the above routine, the dummy billet, which is blank is secretly marked by bending back a tiny corner. In doing 'the 'psychometric bid,' the operator can pick up folded billets and place them to his temple, and do the templeswitch (detailed in Acidus). The psychometric bid is very strong. The sitters will say, "I did not know myself which was the paper that contained the message. How could he know?" By this demonstration, the operator is displaying not only telepathic powers but clairvoyant powers as welll

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AN AL MANN EXCLUSIVE

THE TEST OF THOTH PRACTICE

PRACTICE

PRACTICE

let's go The key to succ ess is to prac tice the corr ect way. So over the moves agai n. a shie ld that will The four fing ers of your switc hing hand form keep the four finto learn cove r all the secr et move s, so you must nted. ceme gers tigh tly toge ther as if they were pinch it h~rd. When you reach over to pinch the real bille t, If need ed Just y. dumm the on This will help in relea sing the grip dummy. the se relea help move the midd le fing er inwa rds to lar clip inste ad regu a at ly slow Then move the hand towa rds you posi tion and then just of fast. Pull the real bille t up into palmand do not lift your hand tips er fing push the dummy along with the and that it up unti l you are sure that the dummy is free and loose will stay on the table . fully so that When lifti ng your hand up, you must do it care is what clinc hes the dummy rema ins behin d in tent- fash ion. This done othe r the move and makes it look like noth ing trick y has been than to move the bille t a bit. ered the move of PUSHING THE BILLET AWAY. Afte r you have mast rds you, you towa switc hing bille ts while prete ndin g to pull them ing them topush by will find that you can also do the same thing you need to when e This is the mast er strok ward s the spec tator . veri fy, etc. to them give back the real bille t to anyon e and askin g The $i~(,e ~44din~: ?he doing the answ er and' solu tion for

'lest of Thot h is the perf ect priv ate read ing and divin ing

a sing le ques tion (or more ). write out his Sitt er is given a prefo lded card and told totable tent- fash ion. the on t bille ques tion and to place the folde d her bille t. anot with This can be demo nstra ted it in fron t of hims elf Read er then take s the bille t and plac es has been made and the The switc h and makes pass es over it, etc. a few note s on his real bille t is read on his lap. He jots down to the sitte r sayin g, writ ing pad and then push es the bille t back pock et. You may keep "Plea se take this card and place it in your he reve als the it as I have no furth er use for it." For the clima x secr et thou ghtl the sitte r can This is a mind -sha tteri ng demo nstra tion since sees noth ing and s time all at see his folde d bille t on the table darn bille t in the had he that r trick y. Late r the sitte r will swea the bille t enti rely since his pock et at all time s or he will forg et psyc hic's powe rs. the with do appa rentl y it had noth ing to the psyc hic comments , table the on When refe rring to the card human eye to pene the for e ssibl impo that it is tota lly opaqu e and trate the card since it is folde d four ways . inch es .. The size of the card used here can be 2 by.3 out mov1ng the w1th them do can you l unti Prac tice the moves visib le fing ers.

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MANN g'zc/~

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POST OFFICE BOX 144 • FREEHO LD. NEW JERSEY 07721

By Gene Gran t and Al Mann

The follo wing is an on on an idea orati elab sent to me by Gene Gran t reffe ring to a close -up bille t test where it appe ars that the Men talis t neve r touch es the bille ts! The Test of Thot h has been entw ined into the meth od. desig n and IN EFFECT: A perso n i9 told to think of a wordto orfold the card to jot it down on a busine~s card (pref olde d) and also he that says The Men talis t whic h is throw n into a gla@ s. folds t talis Men will jot down a thou ght or desig n on anot her card . his card and throw s it into the glass also . a piece of chalk to The spec tator is then given a slate and ied into the table . hold while the cont ents of the glass are emptof the cards and desMen talis t then tells anyon e to take one to anot her pertroy it by teari ng, while the secon d card is given , the Ment aoyed Afte r the cards are destr son to do likew ise. thou ght his list instr ucts the spec tator with the slate to chalk the same does t or desig n secr etly on the slate , while the Men talis on anot her slate . ns are When the two slate s are comp ared the thou ghts or desig the same! h bille t switc h. METHOD, The secr et is of cours e The Test of Thot it offlding prefo by The card given to the spec tator is mark ed cards the r Afte s. edge cent er so that a tiny step is seen on the one some to card his s are dumped on the tabl e, the Men talis t give the dummy is passe d and to tear while the othe r card is switc hed A piece of doub le-si ded out to the othe r perso n for teari ng. slate to make it easy t's scotc h tape is attac hed to the Men talis vUnb rella Move ' or what the to anch or the card there afte r doing The rest is obever afte r the spec tator V s bille t has been stole n. viou s and the conc lusio n follo ws. hes the folde d The actio ns imply that the Men talis t hard ly tOucor throw n into t burn card s. The piece s of the card s must be eith er

6 AN AL MANN EXCLUSIVE

THE TEST OF THOTH PRANT INI 's PHOEBE

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a receptacle where they cannot be reached. Some performers us: a tall four-foot long-neck wi~e bottl~. Reese would t~row them 1nto the spittoon. Another method tfiat will create talk 1S to use watersoluble paper which is then thrown into a bowl of water where they dissolve. This type of paper is available at some dealers.

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A design duplication using two persons from the audience. . . . I EFFECT. Psychic says that he 1S g01ng to draw a s1mp e desing on a piece of card, which he folds and places on. the table in sight of all. He then asks a spectator to also ~h1nk of a simple design and to draw it on the card handed h1m, to fold it and also place it on the table. The two folded cards are far apart on extreme ends of the table. Psychic then produces a slate and chalk and places the slate down flat in front of the spectator and then picks up the spectators folded card and places it on top of the slate. Psychic then picks up his folded card and together with a second slate hands it to a second person in the audience. "Please open up my card and copy the design on the slate but do not show it to anyone yet. Please remember that I drew,that design long before anyone else at the beginning of the experiment." Psychic then goes and picks up the slate on the table, dropping the folded card on the table where it remains in sight of all and he tells the first person to draw his design on the slate large enough for all to see. After the designs are drawn, the psychic takes up the cards and throws them away or leaves them on the table. The slates are then compared and found to contain the same design drawn on them by the audience I Psychic may then show the cards to the audience. Method. The Test of Thoth switch is used twice. The 5 ESP designs are also used. The circle, cross, wavy lines, square and star. Psychic draws a star on a card, folds it and places it on the table in sight of all. The first spectator is then told to think ~f one of the 5 ESP designs (cards may be used to illustrate the designs) and to also draw it on a prefolded card, which he again folds and places on the table. When the psychic produces the first slate, he picks up the spectator's card, does the switch and places a dummy billet on the slate. (It is well to also draw the star on the dummy card). Psychic next produces a second slate and chalk and picks up his folded card, does the switch again and gives the slate and card to a second person in the audience. This second person is now holding the card upon which the first person drew his designl He or she draws the design on the slate and keeps it secret for the moment. Psychic next plcks up the first slate and asks the first person to draw his design by memory- (that is why the designs must be simple - the psychic must make sure by asking the person if he can remember his design and to not change his mind.) the first billet is dropped on the table.

7 THE TEST OF THOTH TETHYS

AN AL MANN EXCLUSIVE

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NOTE I The climax of this effect is so strong that there is no need to show the cards afterwards. It is best to just discard or destroy the cards, however a lot of little touches can be added if desired. For example, after the slates are shown to the audience the psychic takes back the card from the second spectator and can at this time show it to the audience. Then if desired he can walk to where the first card is, switch it and give it to the first spectator as a souvevir., NOTE I Of the 5 ESP designs» the star is the favorite, so if the star is drawn on the slates, the psychic can show the dummy cards which also contain the star. The psychic watches the first person as he chalks his design on the slate~ If he sees that he has drawn a star then there is no need for ~witching cards further. He can just pick up the dummy card and show it to anyone in the audience. The presentation of this effect is strong. The psychic never knows what is drawn on the card until the slates are shown at the climax. This effect can be made stronger if words or names are used instead of designs. The effect then takes the semblance of a prediction.

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You now have in your arsenal a very powerful weapon. The Test of Thoth billet switch is the ultimate. You will be amazed that you can do all these tests with a little practice. But take heed and practice correctly. Your mental attitude is very important. You can develope the correct attitude by watching the reflection of your hand in the mirror as you practice. Do not look at your real hand but only at what you see in the mirror. The correct moves will fool you too. The muscles of your hand and fingers will tire while practising but after the moves become routine you will be able to do them in a natural manner and you will be on the road to mastering the art. In the beginning you will have the natural tendency to move your fingers as you do the switch. This you must avoid. Your mind must control the muscles of your finger and tell them what to do. When performing the switch on the platform or stage, you must watch your angles. The back of your fingers must face the audience squarly.

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THE TEST OF THOTH

AN AL MANN EXCLUSIVE

'J/te ""'t'U~8't,(4 ~t'~erk ./ Let's proceed one step further, Gentlemen, into the realm of the impossible. Eye witnessing sitters that have seen the performance of The Test of Thoth said that the psychic never touched the folded card but only pushed it with the tip of one fin~erl That is exactly what seems to happen 1n the following routine. You are seated at your reading table. The circle of the ~odiac with the 12 signs covers the top of your table. A sitter is told to write down his question on a prefolded card which he then places in front of him tent fashion. Tbe psychic reaches over and moves the folded card to the center of the circle and asks, "What is your birth sign'?" Upon hearing the answer he then. moves the billet to that particular sign on the circle and then gives his reading and answers the question after which the folded card is again pushed towards the sitter for him or her to keepl What you do is to execute the 'switoh' when you mOve the card to the center of the circle and as soon as the switch is made, you close all your fingers except the index finger which you use to push the card around to the proper sign. Fig. 10. By closing your other fingers into your palm, you have accomplished two goals. You are covering the stolen billet and also creating the illussion that you are only touching the folded card with one fingertip I Rumor has it that one initiate is creating havoc and making the big bucks with this one test.

Ours is a beautiful art.

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• • Keep it secret.