Alexander de Cova - Symbolicus

magical ideas & routines by Alexander de Cova

Alexander de Cova’s

SYMBOLICUS

You display a big envelope with a prediction. Two spectators assist you with this experiment. You display now a transparent clipboard with a single sheet of paper on it. On this paper are printed 25 different abstract symbols in a numered grid. You ask one spectator to think of any uneven number from 1 to 25 (including 1 and 25). The other spectator thinks of an even number. These numbers are only thought of! Now each of the spectators looks at the clipboard and remembers the symbol corresponding to his number. Again the spectators never name aloud their symbols and you don’t ask a single question! The prediction is read aloud: „I, Mr. XXXXX, predict that tonight two vonlunteers will absolutely free and without any influence from my side decide randomly on an abstract symbols each. These two symbols will be a cross and a square.“ The two spectators indeed verify that they have been thinking of a cross and a square— your prediction proved to be correct!

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magical ideas & routines by Alexander de Cova

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1st edition, eBook version Berlin 2005 Design & Layout: Alexander de Cova

© copyright 2005: Alexander de Cova. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronical or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the copyright holders. Worldwide copyrights for all the material are held solely by Alexander de Cova. All rights reserved.

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magical ideas & routines by Alexander de Cova

SYMBOLICUS A mental routine by Alexander de Cova

INTRODUCTION I am VERY proud of this routine, because it is a bold and baffling piece of mentalism. In effect you correctly predict two absolutely freely chosen symbols. The method is interesting and a joy to perform. Here some history... Many (!) years ago the american mentalist guru Al Mann marketed an effect with ESP symbols, that were incorporated into a special wallet. Basically, his effect is the same—a prediction of two freely (?) selected symbols. He sold the effect along with the little wallet, I don’t think it is on the market any more. At that time I was still in school and my budget didn’t permit me to buy one of these wallets... There were a few things that I didn’t like with the original effect, mainly the VERY limited selevtion of symbols and the fact that they were built into a wallet, that did only serve this purpose (it was a kind of Himber-style wallet). So I set my mind to work, switch on the computer and the result you have in hands now. The first thing to change was the wallet. I changed it into a clipboard. A much more natural prop, and it makes the effect visible to an audience of up to 300 spectators. The second (and more important thing was to change the amount of symbols for the selection. I made up some new ones and ended up with 25 symbols... not too bad. Originally I did 49 (!), but then my good friend Prof. Dr. Toni Forster from Munich convinced me 25 are absolutely sufficient for this routine. Well... But changing the little Himberwallet for a clipboard also produced a new problem: How to change the selection of the symbols? You will understand my solution when you proceed with the instructions. 3

magical ideas & routines by Alexander de Cova

EFFECT: You display a big envelope with a prediction. Two spectators assist you with this experiment. You display now a transparent clipboard with a single sheet of paper on it. On this paper are printed 25 different abstract symbols in a numered grid. You ask one spectator to think of any uneven number from 1 to 25 (including 1 and 25). The other spectator thinks of an even number. These numbers are only thought of! Now each of the spectators looks at the clipboard and remembers the symbol corresponding to his number. Again the spectators never name aloud their symbols and you don’t ask a single question! The prediction is read aloud: „I, Mr. XXXXX, predict that tonight two vonlunteers will absolutely free and without any influence from my side decide randomly on an abstract symbols each. These two symbols will be a cross and a square.“ The two spectators indeed verify that they have been thinking of a cross and a square—your prediction proved to be correct!

METHOD: This works due to a combination of different ploys and methods. First of all, despite the fact that all the 25 symbols seem to be different (which in fact they are!) the two spectators are made to think of only two possible symbols: a square and a cross. The first set of symbols (shown to the first spectator) is then secretly switched for a second set of symbols (to force the second symbol on him). For the prediction to be correct, we use a part of David Hoy’s «Tossed Deck» principle... as simple as that! Basically, we work with two different grids with the symbols. On one all the force symbols are distributed on the even numbers (see figure A—the shaded symbols 4

magical ideas & routines by Alexander de Cova

are the indifferent «dummy symbols»). If you take a closer look, you will notice that all of these symbols can either be interpreted as a cross (or a sort of it) or a square. That’s the most important part of thesecret. The second grid appareantly looks identical, but here all the force symbols are distributed on the uneven numbers. The knowledgeable reader should by now have understood the basic workings of the effect. If spectator no. 1 thinks of any even card, he will consequently then also think of one of the force symbols. If we switch out the grid for the second spectator, who is thinking of an uneven number, also he will think of a force symbol. At the finish, there are only the following combinations: A: The spectators think of a different symbol—either the square or the cross. Fine, because then you have correctly predicted the two symbols. B: They think of the same symbol—whichmakes no difference, because using the David Hoy technique we make them either sit down when the correct symbol is named OR have them verify that your prediction is correct («Would you two please verify that my prediction is somewhere near the thought of symbols?») In either case, you have correctly predicted the two symbols!

PREPARATION: For this effecvt you need a clipboard, the two sheets of paper, an envelope and some non-permanent glue (Scotch 3M, spray or gluestick is fine). First print out the main sheet (it is the one which is labeled «symbolism testsheet» from the imaginary «Massachusettes Institute for Parapsychological Research») and the inlet. Cut the inlet along the outer black border. 5

magical ideas & routines by Alexander de Cova

The main sheet also has to be prepared (fig. 1). If you take a close look at it, you will notice the little black corners. Despite the fact they look like a part of the design, they in reality cover the little preparation you are going to do. With a sharp and fine cutter make slits in black corners along the lines indicated in the pictures 2 and 3. These serve later to accomodate the inlet (more or less like in a standard oldfashioned photoalbum). That done, you can easily insert the corners of the inlet into the slits (fig. 4-6). This will hold the inlet safely, but also ensured it can be easily removed with the aid of the prediction envelope. Correctly done—due to the design of the grid— the inlet will be invissible even on close qurters.

PREPARATION OF THE ENVELOPE: I draw a big question mark on the adress side of the envelope. The marked area (the dot of the question mark, as shown in fig. 7) is coatd with the non-permanent glue. The principle is simple—if you place the envelope adress side down onto the clipboard, the glue comes into contact with the inlet. When you remove the envelope from the clipboard, it takes the inlet secretly with it underneath, so that the other grid is visible on the

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magical ideas & routines by Alexander de Cova

clipboard. Due to the fact that both grids are designed especially, this change is VERY hard to notice!

THE PREDICTION: I take a quite large piece of paper and word my prediction (for better visibility in blockletters) along the following lines: «I foresee that tonight two vonlunteers from the audience, which I have never met nor spoken to before, will make a absolutely free decision. They will decide on two abstract symbols, which will be a square and a cross. Alexander de Cova» This piece of paper is folded and placed into the envelope. With the clipboard in place, we are ready to perform.

PERFORMANCE: I will not give you my exact presentation, because obviously everybody has to find his own patter and his presentation. I first bring out the prediction envelope and show it on both sides. This envelope is placed in full view of the audience. Next I ask two spectators to join me on stage for a little experiment. I have them stand to my left and right. I bring forth the clipboard and show it to the audience, explaining a little bit about the various symbols, parapsychological researches and so on.

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magical ideas & routines by Alexander de Cova

To the spectator on my left I point out now the numbered grid with the 25 fields and symbols. Iask him to think of an even number from 1 to 25, but not tell the number to anyone. I turn to the second spectator and ask him to think of an uneven number (in order to avoid both spectators thinking of the same number... a fine logical explanation for this procedure). Now I turn to the spectator on my left (the one with the even number) and ask him to forget the number (fine presentational plot!!!) and REMEMBER the symbol at his chosen number. As soon as he has done this, I start to turn to the spectator on my right and appareantly proceed to do the same with him. But here comes the switch of the grids. Appareantly as if I had forgotten about this, I ask for the prediction envelope. I hold the envelope as depicted in fig. 7. It is now logical to momentarily place the envelope onto the clipboard, to free the right hand to open the flap and remove the folded paper (fig. 8 and 9).

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magical ideas & routines by Alexander de Cova

I hand the prediction papar to the spectator on my left. The envelope is thrown carelessly onto the table (fig. 10). But due to the gluestick preparation, the inlet will adhere to the adress side of the envelope, and when I remove the envelope from the clipboard, also the inlet is secretly removed! This is the simplest solution I could come up with, and it is perfectly natural. Now I turn to the spectator on my right, who is thinking of the even number, and I let him remember the symbol corresponding to his though of number. After that, the clipboard is carelessly tossed face-down onto the table—it has served its purpose. Depending on your style of presentation you can now recap what has happened. Here you could stress the «big amount of different symbols, these dozens of different shapes and forms» (experienced readers will know how to put the wording to implant the right mental picture into the heads of the spectators and the audience). Also make sure to stress the fact that the spectators at no time acutally have named their symbols (and they must NOT do it!), etc. All that remains is to have a spectator read the prediction aloud. Turn towards both spectatorsa and have them confirm with a loud «yes» that your predictions are correct. Thank both of your volunteers and send them back to their seats or proceed with them with another mental miracle...

Appendix: The two masters for copying the necessary sheets with the grids

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magical ideas & routines by Alexander de Cova

THE MAIN SHEET

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magical ideas & routines by Alexander de Cova

THE INLET

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