John Riggs - The Even Compleater Fortune-Teller

The Even Compleater Fortune-Teller

by John Riggs

Even MORE Discussion on the Q and A Act!!!

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The Even Compleater Fortune-Teller

J O H N R I G G S

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The Even Compleater Fortune-Teller

by John Riggs Volume Two In the Q and A Series Also by the Author: The Man With the $1.98 Hands Magic from the Ambient Domain Fat-Free Magic Mo' Better Magic Heavy Mental The Compleat Fortune-Teller Psychic Psoirees The Psychic Agenda The Messiah Process

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The Even Compleater Fortune-Teller

Copyright 1996 by John Riggs. All rights reserved.

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The Even Compleater Fortune-Teller

Contents The Oracles The Ancient Oracles The Questions Anna Eva Fay's Q & A Erik Jan Hanussen Erik Jan Hanussen's Q & A Open-Faced Q & A Richard Ireland's Q & A The Locked Thoughts Dealing with difficult or weird questions Envelope Zinger The Blindfolded Seers Cicardi's Full - Head Blindfold On The Line The Compleat Blindfold The Premise Paper Bag Blindfold for the Minimalist Doing Personality Readings While Blindfolded Describing Objects While Blindfolded Whillicker Bass-ackward Two-Person Q & A The Oracle Of Delphi—Two Person Psi-Grafico Tarot Telepathy 2000 Presentation of Q & A Energy Level Money is Energy The Hook The Use of Humo Biographical Anecdotes Staying Ahead of The Jones The Conclusion The Real Conclusion

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Chapter One The Oracles Do you think you can take over the universe and improve it? I do not believe it can be done. The universe is sacred. You cannot improve it. If you try to change it, you will ruin it. If you try to hold it, you will lose it. --Lao Tsu, Tao te Ching

The Ancient Oracles In the second century, a message-reader named Alexander the Paphlagonian answered questions sent to him in sealed scrolls. It’s said that he would open the wax seals on the scrolls with a long heated needle. He would then send the sealed scroll back to the questioner, along with his answer— and, presumably, his bill. But the message- reading act goes back even farther than that. In a book entitled The Mystery of the Oracles by Phillip Vandenberg, the author describes his experiences visiting the archaeological sites of the famous Greek Oracles of antiquity, including the famous Oracle of Apollo at Delphi. This book gave me some of the most intense mental jolts of my life. I realized that the author (who had absolutely no experience or knowledge of magic or Mentalist methods) was describing what could have been a modern Q & A act! I've since tried to replicate the performances described by Mr. Vandenberg in my own presentations. I’d always imagined that the Oracles came out of the temple and delivered their decrees without the benefit of any foreplay whatsoever. However, in one chapter Vandenberg points out that over 12,000 written oracle questions have been unearthed and are currently residing in museums. Written Questions? Hello!

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The ORACLE OF DELPHI performed the Q and A Act! Here is the procedure adopted by the ancient oracles, as described by Phillip Vandenberg: The querents wrote their questions on papyrus or lead foil and fold the questions in half. These questions were gathered in a jar. The oracle drew one of the questions out, and, without opening the folded slip, call out the querent's name and deliver a pronouncement. The folded slip was handed to a priest, who opened the slip, wrote down the oracle's answer and return the paper to the querent. If you’re thinking that this sounds a whole lot like a two-person version of Charlie Scott's Psi-Grafico, you’re dead right. I described this to Charlie, who chuckled and said: “You're on to me!” I knew that Charlie has been around a while, but twenty-five hundred years! Wow! The author was puzzled why some of the questions were written on thin lead foil. Perhaps the foil wasn’t used as a writing media but as a means to secretly obtain a copy of the information. Could we be dealing with an ancient impression device? The procedure is described as follows: “...When an oracle seeker entered the sacred precinct, a priest would hand him a blank tablet of thin rolled lead. The client would scratch his question onto the tablet with a stylus, and the tablet would then be folded in the middle and supplied with a number or the person's initials on the reverse side. The priest would put this and other folded tablets in a jar, which is then placed before the prophetic sibyl. “This system was already established some time before Herodotus visited Dodona, and the fact is confirmed by the sequence of lead tablets that appear to start at the end of the sixth or beginning of the fifth century B.C.”

The Questions It’s interesting to see that a sample of the questions, written and answered five hundred years B.C., were:

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Should I marry so-and-so? Will we move to Thracia next year? Will my grain ships show a profit? Is my wife faithful? Who stole the mat? Etc.... Nothing changes in human nature, even over a period of two millennia. The Q and A act, along with the phenomenon insensitively called “The Barnum Effect” by some psychologists, seems deeply rooted in man's evolution. We all wish we had a blueprint of our own future. The future is something we both anticipate and dread. Now let’s look at some other historical Q and A practitioners.

Anna Eva Fay's Q & A Anna Eva Fay was a Q & A practitioner from around 1871 to 1924. In spite of numerous exposés (there were as many of them in those days as today, it seems), she traveled all over with her act, retiring from the scene quite wealthy. Her methods and presentations hold up even to today's standards, taking into account advances in technology. She performed in many programs with Houdini, and in some critical reviews stole the show from the escapologist. She’s not to be confused with Eva Fay, an imitator who worked the vaudeville circuit. Anna was often described as a “vivacious Blonde” In those days, I think the word 'vivacious' was synonymous with 'large breasted'. She seemed able to charm everyone she met. Before her show, Anna's assistants passed around pads of paper upon which the audience members were invited to write their questions. The second sheet

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was secretly treated on the back with wax, so when the people wrote their questions and retained the top sheet, an invisible copy was made on the third sheet. This wax-impression technique is generally credited to Samri Baldwin, “The White Mahatma,” but let’s not forget the ancient Oracles. Anna's assistants were able to 'develop' the third sheet with carbon black and read the secret question. Today, printer toner makes an effective developing medium. Such modern pre-show devices as the Field's Device, the carbon paper clipboard, and any of the latent-image transfer technologies are direct descendants of this method. On the stage, Anna, sitting prettily in a chair, was covered head to toe by a sheet. The information was passed up to her from beneath the stage, and she called out the audience member's name, delivering her answers to the question. It’s said that she had tremendous dramatic skill and a quick wit, and that she contrived spectacular fake questions. She always dressed in high style, virtually dripping diamonds. She answered on the average about three questions per minute. Like Erik Jan Hanussen, she was very well informed and vocal on politics, current affairs, and other important events. She made lots of predictions. When she retired, she was the highest taxpayer in the city of Melrose Highlands, Massachusetts. At the conclusion of her act, her husband would remover the sheet, and she would collapse, exhausted, into his arms, to be carried unconscious from the stage. To tremendous applause, we can rest assured. Her act was imitated by many but never equaled. The numerous exposures only served to pack the theatres even more. A modern performer would probably sit in full view of the audience and receive the information from the hidden assistant through one of the two-thousand dollar radio devices available from dealers. Oy!

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Erik Jan Hanussen Between the fall of the Kaiser and the rise of the Fuhrer, Erik Jan Hanussen became a wealthy and successful mentalist/psychic. Born Hermann Steinschneider, Hanussen enjoyed a period of affluence and political influence unparalleled in the history of show business. This period was brought to a dramatic ending when he was shot by the Nazis in March of 1933. There’s not much available in English print on Hanussen and much of what is available contains a great deal of mystery and speculation. He was a successful vaudeville Mentalist, Hypnotist, and sleight-of-hand magician. He gained notoriety as a Psychic Detective by unmasking a bank embezzler. When a local scandal sheet accused him of Charlatanism, he sued the paper, gaining a lot of publicity and wowing the judge, jury, and the general public. He won newspaper headlines, and also won his case. Hanussen was an ardent supporter of Hitler during the Fuhrer's rise to power. He encouraged people to wear a swastika, as an “Indian luck charm”. He also predicted election victories for Hitler and Hitler's cronies, helping sway public opinion toward the National Socialist's favor. Hanussen was known to give private readings to businessmen for around $600. He also entertained the very highest party officials at his estate, forming connections with Show business personalities, Germany's elite, S. S. Officers and other unsavory, yet powerful, characters. It has been fairly well established, according to author John Godwin, that Hanussen was heavily subsidized by the Nazi Party. He drew large sums of money, earmarked for propaganda purposes, into his own coffers. At the height of his fame, Hanussen owned a large cabin cruiser and a villa in Charlottenburg. Hanussen published a monthly magazine containing his prognostications. When he successfully predicted the collapse of a major bank, all of Berlin was

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agog. In February 1933 , he delivered his most fateful prophecy. “I see a building, a great building, in our city. It is burning. Flames are roaring high. Smoke is billowing. Ah, but out of the blaze there arises the bird...a magnificent Phoenix, bringing new might— new hope — from out of the ashes.” When Germany's parliament, the Reichstag, burned to the ground a few weeks later, Hanussen's pronouncement became clear. Hanussen evidently knew too much about the financial maneuvers of some of the new leaders, plus several important SA officers owed Hanussen a great deal of money. Anti-socialist newspapers began hammering on the fact that Hitler’s number-one clairvoyant was a Jew. Hanussen had become a liability. Fearing the possibility of blackmail, the SA only needed an excuse to get him out of the way. Hanussen's prediction of the burning of the Reichstag gave them the excuse they needed to have him murdered. There’s even some evidence that Hanussen conspired with the SA to burn the Reichstag and blame it on the Communists. On March 24, Hanussen was abducted from his apartment. Thirteen days later, his bullet-riddled body was found in the woods at Baruth. It’s generally accepted that the Nazis had Hanussen shot, but his death has been shrouded in mystery to this day.

Erik Jan Hanussen's Q & A Hanussen, as we’ve seen, was a music-hall Mentalist who was prominent in Berlin during Hitler's rise to power. He performed a stunning Q and A act, complete with “Hurling the Headlines” style predictions of the future. It’s been suggested that he was so accurate in his predictions concerning the activities of the Nazi party because he was having an affair with an S. S. officer's mistress. When Hanussen predicted the burning of the Reichstag, the party officials

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decided he was too good, and escorted Hanussen out to a field and shot him. Let this be a lesson to would-be prophets; sometimes it isn’t healthy to be too accurate. A recreation of Hanussen's Q and A act appears in the German movie Hanussen. Hanussen passed out small folded cards and envelopes to his audience. The spectators would write their questions on the cards, and return them to the envelopes. The envelopes were gathered and brought to the stage. Hanussen would pick one at random. “Ah,” he’d breath. “ This question is from a lady —a beautiful young lady.” He opened the envelope and read the question aloud. “Will I join my family in America?” Suddenly pointing to a lady in the third row, he shouted: “Is this the question YOU want me to answer!” The startled girl gasped “Yes”. Hanussen answered the question with much drama and flair. Charles Scott analyzed the actions and related how the act could be recreated by a modern performer. The methodology is simplicity itself, leaving the performer's mind free to exploit every dramatic opportunity available. The envelopes are marked per Annemann's Pseudo-Psychometry. The assistant passes the envelopes out in order. In a theatre situation, I’d have two numbers coded in the envelopes — one for the row, and one for the seat. In a banquet situation, you could code the table and seat. Once you know with which spectator you are dealing, you frame a cold reading based on the visual cues you pick up from the querent. In William Larsen Sr.'s Tarot Telepathy, you’ll find some excellent readings based on sex and age. After you give a brief description of the spectator, you open the card and read aloud the question. Then, pointing to the person, you ask; “Are YOU the one who wants me to answer this question?” Although the methods seems childishly simple, remember it was effective enough in Hanussen's hands to gain himself a formidable reputation, star status, and ultimately shot. Perhaps you should hire a couple of bodyguards before you attempt this act.

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Open-Faced Q & A Along similar lines, it would be effective to have the participants write down their name, Astrological sign, favorite color, and question, and then gather up the cards. Selecting the cards one at a time, you read aloud the name and give a reading, based on the information, and then answer the question. For certain lecture situations this is ideal. For an even more minimalistic approach, you can follow the lead of Ford Kross. He has the person stand up, verbally give their name and Astrological sign, and then gives them a reading and answers their question! Tremendous skill and authority is required to make this approach work, but it can be an amazingly effective presentation. In Psychometry A to Z, Richard Webster provides a system that allows you to walk among an audience, hold objects proffered to you, and deliver a wide variety of readings. Sometimes less is more.

Richard Ireland's Q & A What follows is a transcript of Richard Ireland's performance of the Q & A act in a Palm Springs, California club in 1975. Bascom Jones related that Richard Ireland handled sixty questions in sixty minutes! Richard Ireland was a Spiritualist minister who traveled allover the world, most notably Hawaii and Palm Springs, with his act. He performed standing at a Plexiglas podium. His blindfold consisted of:

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Two half dollars, held in place with criss-crossed pieces of 1/2" tape

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One 1" strip of tape across eyes

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Three leather masks. Two of the masks were placed diagonally across the eyes and one horizontally across the eyes.

Half way through the presentation, parts of the blindfold begin to fall off. Having proven that he can “sense” the question, Richard removed parts of the blindfold throughout the act. Please pay particular attention to how Ireland forestalls “trick” questions, busks extra money, and interjects humor in his act. The presentations seems to start out a little slow, but picks up incredibly as soon as the questions are received. Also notice the frequent imbibing of salubrious libation by Richard— and how it affects his presentation. The use of question slips bearing requests for specific information, such as children's names, social security numbers, etc., is a principle that Richard uses well. This is a rather protracted write-up, even after I edited some irrelevancies out. But I think it bears careful study. I think you’ll agree Richard had an eccentric and unique style all his own. Ireland: “I'd like to begin by finding out how many of you have seen my show before? Oh, we're going to have fun tonight! “I'd like to tell you that I'm not a mentalist; I do not read minds -- you can relax and keep on thinking your dirty thoughts -- they won't bother me at all. “My ability lies primarily (although not restricted to) the realm of foretelling events before they occur, and on many occasions I have been able to predict such things as the exact date of birth and sex of a child not only yet unborn -- not even expected! “So, when I come to one of you ladies and say: Congratulations! You'll know exactly what I mean ... and should I do I hope you are under the age of 40 and married! Don't laugh at that last statement; we had 40 immaculate

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conceptions here last week. They're on the upturn this century. “I'd like to tell you a little bit about myself; I was born when i was very small (and I didn't have an echo there then). My mother resented it when I said I was very small because I weighed thirteen pounds. My father resented it more, and longer. My father resented it more .... and longer! Some of you will laugh at that in the middle of the night. “I discovered I was psychic at the age of five - made my first public appearance at the age of thirteen and since then I have done literally tens of thousands of demonstrations involving the psychic all over the world, to all kinds of groups of people. “I have been tested in almost every leading parapsychology laboratory in the world; parapsychology is the science that studies Extra-Sensory-Perception — and after a great deal of scientific research, they concluded that I was psychic. And I knew that before they started, and I hope to convince you of that before you leave. Because I intend to get you all better acquainted, and have a little fun, take a few skeletons out of a few closets, and make sure that nobody goes home alone. “The paper they are giving you is for the purpose of making inquiries about something you'd like to know about -- maybe something to do with your home, your family, your job, your future, an area of your interest, or maybe something important. You don't have to ask me your wife's name -- go home, sober up, you'll remember! Don't ask me how many grandchildren you have -- Grandmother keeps track. Ask me something you really want to know. “If you want to attract my attention, try wrapping the paper in a twenty dollar bill -- that will attract my attention. I may get tens and fives, but only guarantee to answer every question with an American $2.00 bill around it. Not two ones -- an American two --they're still around. I collect them. I have two boxcar loads; I'm trying to go on from there. “And if you put money in there, I don't want you to think that it influences me in any way; I want you to know it! All the money I receive on stage, seriously, helps support an orphanage down in Mexico of 1800 children in it. And if you put

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money in it doesn't promise an answer for you because I'm up here for about 40 minutes, and I can reach about forty people during that period, and we must have about 150, so I'll do the best that I can. “However, if you do put money in the papers, jot down the serial number because I will try to tell you what it is! Now that seems pretty easy to do, but I will be taped shut with adhesive tape, further with three black blindfolds; I won't be able to see, and if I give you the number on the bills that's about 10,000,000 to one odds against chance, and that might make a believer out of you, and that's what I'd like to do, and if you're a skeptic I'd like you to come up and check it out! “Now, I'll accept a lady or a gentleman, a guy or a gal, a boy or a girl, or anything in between -- even a marine!” Several minutes spent with the 'committee' who inspect and assist during the blindfolding. “Are you busy writing your questions? Signing your names? Wrapping them in twenties? Jotting down the numbers? Getting them ready? I'm going to need them in a little bit. “The purpose of all this (the blindfold) is not for cosmetic reasons, although it is a marvelous way to pluck your eyebrows. The purpose is to make you aware that I cannot see. I'd like someone to verify that I cannot see over, under, around or through. Who can tie the best bow knot?” Richard goes through some more business with the blindfold, then he borrows a bill from one of the committee members and reads the serial number of the bill. The audience applauds. “Hey you two -- do you think that was set up? I could take money from you in that case! Ladies and gentlemen, I am not limited to what you have written on your paper. I may not answer what you ask me; I may talk about something entirely different. If I don't get your name exactly right please remember I am 'perceiving' —not seeing, and just say 'hello' or 'thank you' or 'good evening' or something, and that will help me to reach more people during the course of the show.

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“I want to say there is someone by the name of Dwight Wilson -- where are you please? (Wife answers.) Dwight, you have a strange voice -- I think you're in the wrong bar! Your wife? Will you say hello, please?” Dwight: “Hello.” Ireland: “That sounds better. You wanted a serial number on something, but you didn't want to send it up here, -- is that right? Why do I see a 717461323? Thank you! And we haven't met before, have we Dwight? I must be a Psychic. And I will guess if that if you have a second marriage your second wife is going to kill you. It looks to me like you'd better take it kind of slow and easy. I think you're going to do it anyway, but I just wanted to tell you... “Where's Dorothy Gettleman ...Garaman.....Hi Dorothy. I think your husband is going to get where he wants to go and I think it has something to do with academic studies? And he's going to accomplish that. “I feel as though you're kind of psychic; don't you have hunches and things? And I hope you're paying attention to them because sometimes they're very subtle but I feel nevertheless you just have the attitude that I just told you that was going to happen, or had a feeling about it. Listen to it! “Hello Rosie! Rosie -- I don't really know. Its going to be a while and I feel there are some little problems that works itself out in time. Number two, I feel very good about it, that's going to happen a lot sooner and I even know who! I'm not going to tell you and take all the fun out of your looking. Job wise everything seems to be OK. And, Alice, I feel as though you should go ahead and sell the house -- you'll be happier and make more money that the damned thing is worth, anyway. “ I feel a five dollar bill coming on here... B. L. , where are you? Do you know the serial number on the bill? I'm keeping it anyway! Yes, in answer to your venture - and it seems to be a long period of time and its apparently a lot more valuable than you anticipated. I'm 92% accurate -- that's better than guessing!” Ireland answers a few more questions.

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“I'm not doing anymore until I get a drink! I'm on a strike —–union break. Ireland comments that it’s getting warm, and removes two of the masks. “Where is Ruth Bridges? Your Social Security number is xxx-xx-xxxx. I don't like to do that because when I start doing that then everyone sends them up, but I'll do it this one time. “I'd like to remind you, ladies and gentlemen, if you send questions up here, sexually, you know, if you want my body, please put your phone number on. It saves me dialing information.” Several more questions are answered, and some very dated off - colored jokes are told. “A man says: What's my dog's name? Go home and ask one of the kids! (Another paper) That one's too wild for me to touch. “R.P. where are you? Go ahead and buy a house; I think its a good idea. You'll make money on it in the future. “Jean -- did you know your son was shacked up? Did you know he should get married soon? For the baby's sake. Going to be a baby boy there. Hello? I thought you'd fainted. I don't think they know it yet; I think you are the first to know. “Hi Judy! Didn't find your paper -- just thought I'd say hi. Have a good trip; go ahead and accept the guy who proposed. The sooner the better -- he's the nervous type. Steve Jones, I can see you going to New York next summer. Visiting family over there. “Mrs. Hatcher, or Thatcher, you're stuck with the old devil. Why don't you settle down and enjoy him. The trouble with this fellow: he's too mean and ornery to die and too mean and ornery to live with and you're stuck! So have a nice, long, and happy life together. My feet hurt. “Marlene, do you have trouble with your feet? You're going through some kind of surgery connected with your feet. The AMA won't let me diagnose or prescribe, but I thought that you were going to go through some kind of surgery and you will come out 100% better. She's horny. Do you want to deny that?

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Watch out for this horny Marine, right down in front. “Did I tell you the story about the Pollack who threw himself at the floor -and missed? How about the Pollack who hijacked a submarine and demanded $200,000 and a parachute? I'm reminded of the story of the three bears. Daddy Bear said somebody ate all of my porridge. And Baby Bear said somebody ate all of my porridge. And Mama Bear said bitch bitch bitch -- I didn't even put it in the bowl yet. “Where is Joy? Joy, you have a problem. Bless your heart. You have a daughter that is shacked up -- did you know it already? (No) You have a daughter named Shari. Do you want the initial of the guy? Ralph! Do you know they're planning to get married? I hope soon. Before thanksgiving --OK? “Where is Jules Bernhart? Shall I call you Dr.? Shall I tell you that you will do well in Hawaii? And you should go ahead and make your plans and get going. You will be a lot happier in Hawaii than Cindy's going to be in Chicago! Where's Cindy Barero? You're just going for a visit? For Christmas? That's OK then --just don't plan on staying. “Back to Genevieve -- she thought I forgot her! Hello Geneva, Genieve ... whatever the hell your name is. I felt good about your financial investment; it will be successful. You have a great deal of foresight. I felt that you will do well with your finances. Pay attention to your own inner guidance. (What about my unintelligible?) That was part of paying attention to your own inner guidance. “I must tell you about Little George. A guy walks into a bar and ordered two double shots of whiskey, took a little man out of his pocket only about that tall. And said: This is Little George. The bartender said: Is he real? Of course he's real. Can he walk. Of course he can walk, George walk around on the bar. So George walked around the bottles and glasses and came back again. I still can't believe it -- can he talk? Of course he can talk, George, tell us about the time you were down in South Africa and you called the Witch Doctor a phony. Charleen? I did feel as though you've seen me before, is that right? And sit tight -- don't do anything -- do you understand what I am saying? And where is

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Linda? And Linda, I felt as though you've been going to school forever, but you're finally going to graduate. It looks good to me and there will be an opportunity for you coming out of the school. Are you fooling around with a guy named Jim? (No). You know a Jim? You call it what you want to call it and I'll call it what I want to call it! “Everette, where are you? (Calls out the number on a dollar bill). That's some kind of business situation. It involves more than a store -- its like a group of stores. A shopping center. And right now starting to bug you. Well Hiram, its going to work out all right. Is that your middle name - Hiram? You didn't put it on the paper, did you? “Its four minutes after the hour, ESP time, ladies and gentlemen. I was supposed to be through a long time ago. Where's Julian? Is your last name like Meyers? You're asking who will be the next president of the United States. Well, its going to be Kennedy and Birch Bayh is going to be vice-president, and I'm sorry, but that's the way I see it. “Where's Natalie? Oooo-Wow! Who's Jeff? Your son? Driving you nuts; the Psychic will have another drink. Please make a drink that does not taste like vanilla! Its going to work out OK for you, and its going to work out OK for your son Jeff. It will take a little time, a little patience, and a little understanding. I could be a lot more direct, but I don't think you want me to be more direct than that, do you? “When will my husband retire? When he gets hit in the head with an axe! He has no thoughts of retirement. Has he been telling you he's going to retire? Is he here tonight? Sir, are you ever going to retire? Do you want to know when you are going to die, Sir -- When you're 92. You're going to be killed by a jealous husband. “Story about an 85 year old lady who was complaining of stomach cramps and went to the doctor and the doctor said: Madam, you're making medical history -- you're pregnant. She said: I'll have to call my 92 year old husband and tell him. She calls him up and says: You dirty old man -- I'm pregnant! He says: And who is this?

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“That's what you married, and that's what you got, honey. Where are you, Ann Morrow? I think you ought to stay where you are -- its going to happen automatically, you don't have to make it happen. You are artistic -- do you paint? That's what you should do. “Somebody says: Where is my son? Do I hear a voice? Hello? Did he run away from home? (No) I feel some kind of loss. All I know is that David's all right. Your son is all right. Do you know the number on your bill? No? There's some mystery surrounding that? The mystery is all going to come to light. Where's Lillian Fox? I don't know when or where, but I know you're going to. Don't laugh -- she's still a virgin. “Where's Elinore? Elinore is absolutely a Darling. Have you seen me before? Twice? That's why I think you're a darling! What's your last name? It is Darling; have a nice trip to Europe! Where's Bethel? Aren't you connected to Europe, too? Don't you have a daughter living in Germany? She's coming back to this country next year. But she's going to go back to Europe. Yes, to your question -- and the number on the bill is.....Thank you! “I found another $2.00 bill! This one belongs to Mary. Is it Azar? You know the number? Is it......? And the answer to your first question: before the turn of the year, is that what you mean by soon? And I felt that you're going to be in business, a business that you've been in before, but you're out of now. Debra --where are you? Hello; good morning. Are you going into business with Mary? I bet you're both going to do it. OK -- have fun, make lots of money, send me 10% for giving you the information. “Manny -- things look better; they couldn't look worse! Hello, Manny? And it may take a little while, but you're going to go into a new thing, either on your own or sponsored by someone. Where's Jane B.? I think so -- just be patient. Pray a lot. Joyce, where are you? Five years, not three, and b another man -- they're not making it any more. That's not my statement, Will Rogers is the guy who said that. Mr. Story is going to have visitors. They're going to come

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clear across the ocean. Somebody sent me a $1.00 bill but didn't sign the paper -asked me to what sex will my grandchild be. Hello? Will you settle for a boy? (Oh -- rather have a girl.) Its already in the hopper -- too late to reject. You have three sons of your own? You have four sons? I only picked up Mark and Steve and Ken. (They're the three who are still at home.) OK no problems anyway -they're good kids. “James, where are you? Augo. Is that it? Where did you learn to write like that? Are you alone? Who's Theresa? His girl. And she'd like to swing in the hammock. What is her last name? Are you really hot for that? No -- for your last question! Why don't you take your time; you have another three years to go in the Marine Corps. Two? Send Jim a drink on me, please. But Ed, if that's not your plan, you'd better run like hell -- its closing in on you. Where's David? Yes, in answer to your question, David, wherever you are. “Madeline, where are you? Just sit tight -- its all going to happen. And it may come out all right with UCLA. And did you want a serial number or something? I don't have a damn dollar from you. The number is.....and let me give you another special number and I don't know what it is all about. But I see a.........(Wow!) What was that? (My Social Security number!) “That's all you're going to get, ladies and gentlemen, I get to keep the money, except for the two dollar bills. I help support an orphanage in Mexico with 1800 children. I don't answer any psychic questions after the show, please don't ask me, and if I didn't answer your question it doesn't mean something terrible is going to happen -- it just means I can't answer everyone. If you want to see me personally or privately, which some people asked about, see the man who passed the papers out -- his name is Jim. Its nice to be important, but remember, its more important to be nice. Thank you for your Winstons! Thank you, my subjects, for helping me -- thanks for the rest of you for putting up with me. Good night, Bridey Murphy, wherever you are. And thank you very much! There you have it — a complete one-hour presentation of Q & A by a guy who must have performed it thousands of times. No book tests or other foreplay whatsoever— he just does it.

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By the way, I’ve used the idea of having the questions accompanied by twenty dollar bills for a couple of performances I’ve donated to fund-raisers — and split the “take” with the charity. Sometimes you can make more than your usual fee! Hey, it happens.

Chapter Two The Locked Thoughts Give God permission to save the world.” --My friend Mac, a Psychic counselor In a discussion with my friend, mentor, and harmonica buddy Dr. Charles Scott, we discussed the idea of a box especially designed for gathering the folded cards for use with the reversible card ploy. This chapter will deal with the final result. The box itself is about 10" x 10" x 12", and is constructed out of a smoked plastic. The plastic is almost opaque, yet transparent enough for the audience to almost see what’s going on. The top of the box is hinged and has a small lock on it. There’s a slot in the top just wide enough to accept a folded question card. The overall construction resembles a ballot box. See Figure One for details. This box can be easily constructed at a plastics fabrication company. Mine cost about $50, but there are semi-transparent filing boxes available in office supply stores that could be modified for this purpose. The folded question cards are dropped by the participants into the box through the slot. This can be done before the show, or during the show. During

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the gathering of the cards, usually by the program chairman, I talk about “Locking your thoughts away;” “Your thoughts are locked away;” etc. When it’s time to begin the Q & A, I say: “Now we’ll unlock your thoughts.” The questions are obviously secure, and safe from any tampering or chicanery. Once the box is unlocked and the top opened, it’s an easy matter to reach into the box and reverse the nearest card before drawing it out. The opacity of the box gives you enough cover to perform the reverse move invisibly, and yet the audience can see your hand stirring the cards. This is pretty clean! This box works very well with any of the methods from The Complete Fortune-Teller. Every psychological selling point counts in Mentalism, and this box seems very impressive and tamper-proof. Another container I’ve used fondly in the past is a large fishbowl, painted a light magenta on the inside. Again, the bowl was barely transparent, so the spectators could see the hand in the bowl, but there was enough cover to hide any sleight-of-hand. Just be sure to remove the fish and water first. The Locked Box can hold your entire act. Place your slips, pencils, and blindfold materials (if needed) in the box and pack the whole shebang in a case.

FIGURE ONE —

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Dealing with difficult or weird questions Sometimes people don’t know what type of questions to ask, so they’ll ask something like the following: “What's my wife's name?” “How much money am I holding?” “How many children do I have?” I’m not always sure that these questions are being asked by smart alecs. I think that a lot of people just don’t know what to ask a Psychic. In order to minimize the occurrence of confrontational questions, I give folks an easy out: “If you’re unsure what to ask, or if you’re uncomfortable with discussing private matters publicly, simply write down your favorite fantasy. And I do want to tell you that frivolous questions will be dealt with frivolously. If you ask a silly question, you’ll get a silly answer.” This is an opportunity to add a little spice to the show, as a lot of people have some outrageous fantasies that they seem to have no problem with sharing in public. If you still get the confrontational questions, it is a matter of individual taste how to deal with them. I prefer to deal with them strongly. “Hmm, you’re having trouble remembering your wife’s name? Bartender, this guy’s had enough!” (How many children?) “In or out of wedlock?” Or, “You mean including that unfortunate incident in Kansas City?” (How much money is in my pocket?) “Sir, I'm not receiving anything from you. I feel that you’re trying to test me, and I simply don’t have time right now.” Interestingly enough, if you’re good with a Swami gimmick you have a good opportunity to scorch this guy! Say, “I'm not getting anything from you — just a number. I'll write it down here. Don't tell me your question, just tell us the answer.”

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You’ve pretended to scribble a note on his question slip. When he calls out the number, you Swami it in. Hand the slip to someone near you and ask them to read it aloud. “How much money am I holding?” the helper reads. “And you said you had 35 cents, right?” the performer asks. “Yep,” says the challenger. “Oh. What did I write on the outside?” you say. “35 cents.” Frankly, these days, I don't bother. I just pass on to another question and keep it moving. Answering questions about travel is easy. Simply describe the person in the place about which they ask. If no specific place is indicated, discuss how they seem to be under stress and need a vacation. Q and A opens the door for many interesting and memorable experiences. I thought I’d include an episode that happened while performing at a house party. One fellow's question was, “Will it never end?” I sized the poor fellow up and delivered the following: “I see you’re under a lot of stress right now, you are in a situation that seems to be draining the life right out of you. I think that the resolution of this conflict lies in the hands of others— there’s at least one other person involved in keeping the uncertainty alive. However, your sense of humor has kept you from losing your mind entirely during this time, and I think that you should remember to try to maintain that sense of humor. The missing piece is falling into place. You’ll not be kept in suspense much longer.” A lot of comment about very little information can go a long way. It turned out this fellow had survived a murder attempt by his wife's lover, and the police were attempting to find the assault weapon before pursuing the case. In The Compleat Fortune-Teller, I describe how to waltz around questions involving health, finance, marriage, etc. You gain confidence with practice. And if you simply cannot answer a question — don't! Pass on it and go on.

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Envelope Zinger This is a great way to end a Q and A routine. The effect on the audience is very strong, and the impossibility of the conditions destroys any theories that skeptics may have formed during the course of the evening. Read on:

Effect: Having answered any number of written questions with uncanny insight, the performer announces that due to exhaustion and time constraints, there’s only enough time for one more question. “But we want to be fair about it,” he assures the audience. Dumping the remaining questions in an envelope, the performer hands the package to an audience member to mix. Then the audience member reaches into the envelope and removes a question, reading aloud the name on the slip. “Would you please stand up?” The question, untouched by the performer, is dropped back into the envelope. Slowly, but with authority, the Psychic divines the participant's question —and answers it!

Method: Simple and bold as hell! Before the show, you gain access to someone's question. If the questions have been secured in the Locked Box, you can steal one or more out. Now, retire to your private spot and write the person's name on about ten slips of paper. Fold them up and put the slips on one side of a doublesided manila envelope. When you’re ready to perform, dump the remaining questions into the empty side of the envelope. Shake the envelope, and allow a spectator to draw out one question and read the name out loud. It is, of course, your force name! Have the slip returned to the envelope after the name is called out. The person is requested to stand up and concentrate on their question. Get as many affirmatives as you can. Try not to snicker as you reveal the information you already knew.

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The Famous Double Envelope

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Chapter Three The Blindfolded Seers “...I was blind, but now, I SEE!” --John Newton; Amazing Grace

Cicardi's Full Head Blindfold The following blindfold method was shown to me by the Master, Cicardi, and appears here for the first time with his generous permission. For the record, this is not the method Cicardi uses on his television program MINDPROBE; this is a backup method that arose from his constant experimentation with the Blindfold act. This is a full-head style blindfold, with multiple layers of various materials that seem to render vision impossible. However, it’s possible to get a fairly good glimpse— certainly enough to perform a Q & A act. Remember, a method to secretly read a message, even blindfolded, doesn’t assure a great Q & A performance. The real secret of Q & A lies in what you can do with the information once you have it! Cicardi's blindfold consists of: •

Two half - dollars taped over the eyes with

•

Four 6- inch long strips of 1/2” white surgical tape

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One eight-inch piece of 1” white surgical tape

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Two large putty eyepads,

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One sponge rubber pad covered in black cloth, 5” x 8” x 2”

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Three black napkins, criss - crossing in front of the face and tied in back.

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A fourth cloth covers the lower half of the face, bandit-style.

The illustrations on the next page shows this process step by step. One of the two half dollars are taped in place over the eyes with two pieces

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4

7

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2

5

Entire face is covered . . . But you

3

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get peek here.

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of 1/2" white adhesive tape, forming an 'x'. The other eye is covered in the same manner. An eight-inch piece of 1" wide tape crosses over the coins (and the eyes). It is important throughout the blindfolding procedure that you keep your eyes tightly screwed shut. Cicardi prefers to use a handful of white Play-Doh for the eyepads. The two pads of dough are pushed in place over the taped coins. Jack Dean suggested using canned biscuit dough. Then, the foam rubber pad is tied in place with the napkins as follow: One of the napkins is rolled and tied diagonally over the left eye. The second 'towel' is tied similarly over the right eye, and the third on goes horizontally across the eyes, and is tied in the back. At this point, the blindfold is quite impressive, but there’s more. The fourth towel, folded in half diagonally, is tied across the lower half of the face, effectively sealing off all avenues of vision. Yet, you can still see! If you open your eyes wide, you’ll open up a sizable crack along the length of your nose, and can see between the layers of cloth. It’s an interesting fact that if you carefully control the size of the hole you peek through, it will actually improve your eyesight. This is the principle of the pin hole camera and the new pin hole glasses. Very convenient!

On The Line This is a great effect with a test-condition blindfold. The idea comes from an item that appeared in Bascom's Magick by Jim Rainho. The effect is that you have a large, sharp spike mounted on a block of wood, pointing straight up. The spike is covered with a Styrofoam cup. Four other cups are placed with the 'hot' cup, and the cups mixed around. The blindfolded performer approaches the table. One by one, he quickly

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crushes the cups with the palm of his hand. One cup remains untouched— the one covering the spike!

Method: The original method as it appeared in Magick used a nail-nicked cup. I did not want to take any chances, so I came up with another method in case some wise guy shifts the cup off of the spike and covers it with another one. I had the spike magnetized, and I find it with a concealed compass. The needle points to the cup with the spike, and that’s the one I don’t crush. Don’t become confused if you perform this and think that you are supposed to crush the cup that the needle points to! Compasses that look like wrist watches can be obtained at the Sporting Goods store. Turn it inward toward your wrist and you’re all set. Or, you can have a tiny compass palmed or otherwise concealed. You can ditch the compass as soon as you know the cup. Be careful. Note: after the first edition of this book appeared several electronic method of performing this piece appeared on the market. Furthermore, I improved the handling of my own routine and came up with The Last of The Spike Tricks, which appears in Fat-Free Mentalism.

The Compleat Blindfold I didn’t perform Q & A blindfolded for several years, until a series of events occurred that convinced me to do so. First, audience's attention spans are not what they once were. Any show that stretches into an hour in length really taxes an after-dinner crowd. So, in order to shorten my show to a more sustainable limit, I dropped one of my pet routines. I had to— it was a question of which one of my pet routines to drop, so I dropped the longest one.

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Secondly, I realized that the two strongest parts of my act were the Blindfold demonstration, and of course, Q & A. Thirdly, all of a sudden some of the know-it-alls in my audiences were trying to explain the one-ahead message reading technique to me. It was obvious that their knowledge of the technique was flawed, since I could not possibly have used a one-ahead exclusively to perform the act. In fact, I used a one ahead combined with a reversible card to deliver answers to the questions without ever opening the slips (See Whillicker's Favorite Method in The Compleat Fortune-Teller). When I pointed out that the one-ahead requires the opening and reading of every question, they would invariable go blank and say something like: “I don't know... I just thought that's how it was done...” The first five questions I answer I returned immediately to the querent (via Cicardi's Psi-Grafico), just to eliminate the possibility of the one-ahead. These Brainiacs missed that, too. Many of my audiences are hyper-technical people. My Dad, who was a plant foreman for a plastics firm had to work with a lot of over-analytical people. He used to talk about “Educated Idiots.” These were, in his parlance, people with a lot of book learnin’ but no common sense. After listening to explanations ranging from having hidden cameras in the ceiling to an impossible version of the one-ahead, I began to understand what he meant by that term. The same over-analytical people, who had all the answers, would completely miss the connection to being able to read, while blindfolded, a serial number from a borrowed dollar bill (my “Skeptic Buster”), with the divination of a question — both of which are examples of written information on a folded piece of paper! I figured Randi or someone had been exposing the one-ahead on some of the news shows. Sure ‘nuff, I heard a repeat of the April Fool’s edition of NPR’s All Things Considered on the radio in 1994 and there he was, explaining the one-ahead step by step. My debunker's incomplete understanding of the actual mechanics involved would tend to support a cursory explanation that got jumbled

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together with all the other worthless facts we as humans tend to collect. But far worse, from a performing point of view, these people were so focused on trying to impress each other with how smart they were that they had completely missed (or dismissed?) the information I gave that was not written down —such as names, personality readings, predictions of the future, etc. Which of course is the whole point of the Q and A act. Since the blindfold fools everyone, the conclusion was clear. I telescoped my two strongest routines into one demonstration of paranormal abilities. End of sermon. Since my blindfold for the dollar bill test was a straight ahead model, I couldn’t use it for the Q & A, which requires a down-the-nose angle of vision. So I bade a reluctant good-bye to my minimal tape-and-steel blindfold method, and returned to the drawing board. I was familiar with the blindfold methods of Ray Noran, Charles Scott, Glenn Falkenstein, Kuda Bux, Henry Fields, and Gil Eagle. I wanted to come up with something different. Over the years, I’ve experimented with a wide variety of blindfolds, including Kuda Bux style blindfolds that use putty, dough, coins, and other odd materials. Jack Dean's book Psychic Sight, available from the author, describes Jack's thoughts on this style of blindfold. Karroll Priest, who was a close friend of Kuda Bux before his death, wrote an excellent treatise on this style of blindfold in his book The Blindfold Enigma, available from Martin Breese. What follows is the result of years of experimentation with various blindfold methods. It’s an extension of the blindfold I used in the eighties to psychically solve the Rubic's Cube. Oh, how I hated it when the Cube fad passed! The appearance of the blindfold to an audience is shocking. It resembles some S-and-M restraint device. I had to really wrestle with myself not to include studs in the design. I wrestled even harder about releasing this blindfold method. It’s my pet! This blindfold literally covers your head from forehead to chin. The only area exposed is an oval hole cut around your mouth, so that you can talk. Even

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the nose is completely covered. The blindfold materials will withstand rigid examination, since none of the pieces are gimmicked in any way.

Making the Blindfold You’ll need: •

A roll of 2" wide black duct or cloth tape.

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A black or dark blue bandana, folded into a rectangular pad.

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Two strips ( I call them “straps”) constructed from black wool. These measure about 26" long by 5" wide. Please remember that these dimensions fit my head and may vary depending on the size and shape of your head.

•

Some Velcro tape.

See Figure One for the details. The straps are four layers thick. Simply fold a 20" long cloth four times and sew along three edges. Since this book strives to be politically correct, please notice that I did not instruct you to get your wife or girlfriend to sew the strips for you! Hey, men can sew, too! Affix two pieces of 2" wide x 5" long black Velcro on the ends of the strap, one on the front and one on the back (Figure Two). For the time being, staple the pieces in place, as you may want to adjust them later. When you feel that the strap fits well, sew the Velcro onto the straps. Repeat with the second strap. Wrap one of the straps around your lower face, just beneath your nose. The ends of the strap angle upward and back, and attach to each other on the back of your head, just a little higher than your ears. With a piece of white chalk, outline the area around your mouth. Carefully cut the oval out and sew the edges in order to prevent unraveling.

Applying the Blindfold Just for grins, review the blindfold method I detailed in Heavy Mental.

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You will remember that the tape covers your face from forehead to upper lip. Yet, you can still see. Here's how: Apply a thin coat of Vaseline or Chapstick to the non-sticky side of the first six inches of tape on the roll. Tear this piece off and stick it over your nose, just under the eyes. It should extend well over both cheeks. Use caution in applying this piece. If it’s too close to the eyes you’ll experience a great deal of discomfort when you look downward for your peek. Experiment. Tear off a 1/8th-inch piece, and apply it over the eyes, remembering to keep your eyes screwed tightly shut. Apply a third piece over your forehead, pressing everything in place. Now, if you open your eyes wide, you’ll unstick the layers of tape, opening a channel to peek between the layers of tape! Of course, you don’t do this peek in full view; you want to cover the tape in order to hide the action. In Heavy Mental, I used a steel mask to cover the tape in order to get straight-ahead vision to read the serial numbers on a dollar bill. We’ll modify the method slightly to get a down-the-nose peek, which is essential in the Q & A act. With the bandana folded into a pad, place the pad over the eyes and secure in place with a horizontal piece of tape. Now is the time to “test” your peek. If you can see, fine. If not, use your thumbs, as you hold the pad in place, to pry the tape apart. Once you’ve ascertained your peek, close your eyes (and the gap) and proceed. Wind the solid strap around your head. The bottom edge should be even with the tip of your nose. Once again, make sure that you can see, and Velcro the strap closed in the back. The folded bandana will assure that the strap will be pushed far enough forward to get a good peek. And I take no chances with this— I get a HUGE peek! I don’t want to obviously strain to try to read the questions. Now apply the mouth strap. Once again, position the hole evenly over your mouth, and wind the two ends upward, and fasten behind the head. Your eyes should be fully open at this point and you do whatever adjusting is required to

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insure good vision. Practice reading various written items at this point, and I mean PRACTICE! It takes some work to effortlessly read at a downward angle. I used to get bad headaches back when I first started performing the Rubic's cube presentation with a similar blindfold. During actual performance, you’ll have a committee from the audience assist you. The only possible glitch is poor adhesion of the tape due to perspiration. If you open your eyes, and all the tape becomes unstuck, including the crucial nose piece, don’t panic. Keep your cool, and as you adjust the pad or the eye strap, use the back of the thumbs to push the nose piece against your cheeks as you open your eyes wide. This should give you your peek.

The Premise First of all, you’re not wearing a blindfold in order to prevent peeking. You’re a Psychic Entertainer, about to perform absolutely the most emotional and astounding demonstration any human can do. You’re not a magician, and you don’t do tricks! Tricks are for kids! And yet, on one level, you are wearing the blindfold to prevent peeking. So what's the idea? “Ladies and gentlemen, in order to perform what I am about to do, I require absolute concentration and total darkness! Now, if we turn out the lights, you’ll not be able to see what I am doing, so, I will cocoon myself in total, absolute, impenetrable blackness.” The purpose of the blindfold is to provide a necessary condition for the successful performance of the test —but in the skeptic's mind, it eliminates any possible “peeking” or one-ahead methodology.

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The Performance We’re essentially going to perform “Whillicker's Favorite Method” from The Compleat Fortune-Teller. As you recall, this combines the principle of the one-ahead with the Volta Hull reversible card principle. I’ll not go into any great detail in discussing this method, as it’s exhaustively covered in Volume One, and these two books are meant to be companion volumes. The only difference is that we’re going to perform the routine blindfolded, which means that we have to block out the routining differently. The roll of tape, the folded bandana, and the straps are on a table by themselves. Since I assume that, like me, you are a one-person act, you must assign a person in the audience the task of collecting the folded question slips. I usually enlist the services of the program chairperson or organizer. While the slips are collected, you pick out four large male assistants to assist you in the blindfolding procedure. Hand the two straps to two of your assistants for inspection. Invite them to hold the pieces up to the light to test the cloth's opacity. Hand the folded bandana to the third assistant. As they are looking at the cloths, tear off your nose piece from the roll of tape. This is the slightly greasy one, so you don’t want anyone else touching it. Hand the roll to the third volunteer, and have him tear off an eight inch piece. Take the piece from him and apply it over the eyes. Press the tape in place, incidentally wiping away any excess grease from the visible tape. Request the third piece, and press it in place overlapping the eyepiece and covering the forehead. Request the pad, and hold it in place while your assistant tears off a long piece of tape. Get him to help you tape the pad in place over your eyes. The tape piece should cross your head directly in front of your eyes. You may wish to have this piece already torn and attached to the pad.

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Now, get the spectator who examined the bandana to press everything in place with his hands. Request the first strap, the one without the hole, and wind it in place. By now, you’ve secured your glimpse. Request the second strap and affix it into place. Thank your assistants and dismiss them from your stage area. The best part is that the complete blindfolding procedure only takes a little longer than a minute— important in our short attention spanned society! Your volunteer should be finished gathering the folded cards. I have them gathered in the Q & A box described in the second chapter (Locked Thoughts). Have the box unlocked, and reach in to stir up the questions. As you do this, you unfold one of the questions, leave it in the box, and secretly read it! This is your one-ahead. Pick out any other folded slip, secretly reversing it and hold it up over your head, calling out the name of the person whose name and question you glimpsed. Continue as in “Whillicker's Favorite Method.” From The Compleat Fortune-Teller Briefly: Take the just-answered question with the left hand, and, as you reach into the box for another question, you glance down and read the information on the card. In the meantime, your right hand is reversing the folded card in the box to bring the question to the outside. Each question, after it is answered, is stacked in the left hand. The cards are nested, so that at the conclusion of your act, it is a simple matter to reverse the entire stack, returning everything to its proper condition. I place the stack in a glass for post-show inspection. At the end of the routine when you remove the blindfold, piece by piece, press the tape back into place. Slowly and painfully ( I mean it!) remove the tape. Believe me, if you could have seen the looks on their faces......!

AfterPlay: If you use Chapstick for your grease, don’t use one of the fruit-scented

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kinds. If the tape sticks to your eyelids, obscuring your vision, rub Vaseline over your eyelids before the show. The reason I use black tape, instead of the more widely used white adhesive tape, is that any crevice or hole in the tape is black against black and therefore invisible. Unfortunately, I’ve seen a famous blindfold mentalist, who uses white tape and steel mask, displaying a gap along his nose you could stick your thumb into. I could see it from the back row. His mannerisms, also, were that of a sighted person. People around me thought he could see because of these mannerisms. They didn't know how he was seeing, but that didn't matter. When blindfolded, be blind! The best way is to keep your eyes closed except when necessary. Get your peek and close your eyes. These days, I don’t grease the tape in advance. I pick up a little Vaseline off my eyebrows, on my thumb and first two fingers, and transfer it to the tape. This precaution also keeps my eyebrows intact. The pad can be putty or dough, if you wish, or a pad of foam rubber, and you could also incorporate coins over the eyes (the more layers the better). I don’t like to use coins over the eyes, because I dramatize the idea of sealing my eyes shut with the tape. It hits people in the gut. A steel mask could be used over the straps, and I like the idea. Something about that solid, seamless ribbon of steel is totally convincing to spectators. It would have to be a semi-circular mask with no nose hole, since you eliminate the curve of your nose with the pad. The glimmer of the light reflecting from the chrome surface of the mask also helps deaden the black and hide any holes. In my opinion always eliminate the need to tie anything in place. It takes too much precious time. Use elastic bands, Velcro, or snaps. Assure adequate lighting. It’s incredibly hard to read down your nose in dim light. These days, my cards are bright yellow, and I use very dark, soft leaded pencils. I pass over any question that isn’t immediately readable. Do you think you will get any less applause for 90% accuracy?

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Paper Bag Blindfold for the Minimalist A good impromptu blindfold can be improvised by first blindfolding yourself with a folded bandana, and then using a large grocery bag to cover your head. The bag is secured around your neck using tape. The very simplicity of the blindfold is very disarming. In order to get your peek, you first push the bandana up onto your forehead as the bag is applied. Then, while adjusting the bag, a concealed pin held between the first two fingers of your right hand pokes a small hole in front of your eye. The pinhole principle will give you a surprising range of vision. Try it and see. I have seen black paper bags in some of the gift shops. Look around. I know this sound weird, but can you imagine anything less contrived?

Doing Personality Readings While Blindfolded The down-the-nose style blindfold gives you a very limited range of vision. Under most performing circumstances, you won’t be able to see most of the people you’re reading. I rely a lot on visual cues to personalize my readings. What do you do? Well, the first good clue is the nature of the question If it’s about a family member, this is a warm, caring person. So, trot out your lines about caring and responsible people. If the question is an imponderable such as how high is up? or What happened to the dinosaurs? You’re dealing with a philosopher, a deep thinker with a wry wit. If the question deals with the outcome of a sporting event, the writer is a child at heart (after all, sporting events are games). Use your Peter Pan lines. As

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to the outcome of the event, I say, “I don't do sports, but there is a higher authority we can consult.” I pull out a Magic Eight Ball and shake it up. I ask if the home team will win, and read the answer from the oracle. This gets a laugh, and treats the question with all the respect it deserves. A logical question indicates a logical, analytical mind. You get the idea. The second, and probably best clue, is the handwriting itself! Learn a little bit about Grapho-analysis and you’ll always have something to say. For example, small writing indicates a very focused, introverted individual who’s sensitive to detail. Large, sprawling writing shows an extrovert who likes a lot of space around him. You get the idea. You can also sprinkle your presentation with Cold Reading lines that apply to just about everybody. Notice I say 'sprinkle' and not 'rely upon'!

Describing Objects While Blindfolded I’ve seen many performers who exhibit sightless vision, both effectively and deadly dull. I believe that the difference relies on the ability of the performer to evoke clear images in the spectator's mind. After all, psychic ability is a murky area. What exactly are you experiencing with your heightened awareness? I believe that the secret to an effective blindfold demonstration is the evocation of all of the senses other than sight. Suppose you’re presented with ticket to a baseball game. Here are two ways to describe the ticket: (1). “I see a piece of paper— it has some writing on it. Am I right? It’s a baseball ticket - to the Reds game? Yes!” (2). “I seem to hear crowds of people—it is a very festive event, children and adults alike are anticipating a great time. There appears to be some competitive element . . . the object you are holding seems to be soft to the touch. It isn't metal. I smell popcorn. I hear the crack of a bat! It’s a baseball game!

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What are you holding?” Which one floats your boat more? Any time you can describe an event we all share, you can forge a personal link with your audience. And isn't that what Mentalism is all about?

Whillicker Bass-ackward An approach I have used occasionally when I have a lot of questions: After answering about ten questions in the usual manner, I gather up about two dozen folded questions in a stack. I then secretly reverse the entire stack as I bring it into view outside the box. I can then either hold the stack in my left hand, pulling the questions off one at a time like a Kleenex, or set the stack on the table in front of me and do the same. Either way, I prefer to work one ahead, getting my information from the tabled stack while I hold the (ostensibly) current question over my head. Each question is discarded as I deliver answers a in rapid-fire manner.

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Chapter Four Two - Person Q & A The Oracle Of Delphi - Two Person Psi-Grafico “...A cynic is a person who knows the cost of everything , but the value of nothing...”-Oscar Wilde You’ll recall that at the beginning of this monumental tome I described the findings of archaeologists concerning the procedures of the oracles. I commented on the similarity of these procedures to certain classics of modern Mentalism, most notably Psi-Grafico. The best treatment of Psi-Grafico, in my opinion, can be found in The Compleat Fortune-Teller. This is another variant, using an assistant. In my opinion, anyone who takes the time to perfect this presentation could start their own church. The Effect: Audience members write their most pressing questions on slips of paper, which are folded and gathered in a basket. The basket is placed on a table in front of the Oracle. The Oracle, thoroughly blindfolded, selects a question at random, and gingerly holding it between finger and thumb, holds it over his head. He pauses to gather his impressions. “This person is a man, a young man, ” intones the amazing one. “He is concerned with pressing matters. Matters concerning life and the future. Career. The name is.... Jim Smith. Jim, please stand up.” The oracle hands the folded slip to his assistant, who holds it against an ordinary notepad or clipboard to write down the Oracle's pronouncement. “Jim, you’re concerned about your future with your company. I feel that there is some

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doubt as to your security there. There are wonderful things in your future, the best times are ahead of you. You’ll not always be in the field you are in now. A change will occur, for the better. Sometime this spring, around Easter. Fear not.” The assistant has been writing the Prophet's pronouncements on the querent's slip. The slip is handed back to the spectator. This procedure is repeated for as many questions as the performer feels necessary. How to do it: First of all, the clipboard has a pocket built into it like the notebook in Psi - Grafico. When your assistant is gathering the slips in the basket, she steals one out for the one-ahead. As she removes the clipboard from a briefcase, she opens the slip and puts it in the pocket of the clipboard . The clipboard is placed on the table containing the blindfold materials, and in full view of the performer! Who, of course, memorizes the information while gathering the blindfold materials. The assistant has placed the board down in order to assist the mentalist. After the performer is blindfolded with the assistant's help, he removes a slip and in best Shakespearean manner reveals the information. The slip is handed to the assistant, who opens it up and places it behind the one-ahead slip. The performer's answer is written on the first slip, and is ready to be returned to the spectator. The clipboard is placed on the table while this is happening, and the blindfolded performer reads the next information. He removes a slip and holds it up, beginning to reveal his impressions about the slip that is already in the clipboard. The assistant returns to the stage in time to retrieve the second slip, and repeats the procedure. How to do it Two: Another way to glimpse the information would be for the assistant to hand the performer the slips, secretly folded inside-out, as in the Volta Hull reversible

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card. The key point to keep in mind with both methods is that the assistant does the dirty work, keeping the heat off of the performer. The performer gives his impressions, identify the querent, and returns the card to the assistant, who fills in the performer's sage comments. No one-ahead work is necessary for this method. Imagine what two performers who have worked out a good verbal code could do with this! Whoo-ee!

How to do it Three Of course, a little pre-show work with a clipboard or billet-switching box (OM Box), combined with a close study of mnemonics can provide the two performers with all the material they need. A funny presentation would be for the two to alternate readings-as the questions fall into each person's realm of expertise. Sort of a psychic Jim and Tammy Faye act. The performers would memorize about ten questions each, and barely handle the slips at all. I think such a mentalist team could get their own talk show!

Tarot Telepathy 2000 This is a two person presentation that a couple can learn in a few days of practice. The presentation may take a little longer. Questions are written out on thank-you card sized papers by the audience, and gathered up by the male member of the team. He opens one, reads aloud the name, and concentrates. Across the stage, the female member of the team gives a reading to the audience querent, and then answers the question. At no time does the male member of the team say anything other than the person's name. This uses a very simple coding method. The mentalist, once observing the

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spectator in question, can devise a cold reading to suit the person. Several good ones based on age and sex can be found in William Larsen Sr.'s Tarot Telepathy. The question? All questions fall into a few known categories, as any practitioner of Q and A will tell you. The person transmitting the question does so by the way he holds the paper. Let's say that the following categories cover 95% of the questions you receive: Love Health Career Travel Money If the sender holds the paper at the bottom left with the forefinger alone, it can mean Love. If he holds it with the first two fingers, it can mean Health. Holding the paper with the left hand can mean Career and Money. Additional topics can be added by holding the paper by the top, with one or two fingers or the right and left hand. Don't forget to include codes for “pass” and “gag”. Advanced performers may even want to code “hot” and “cold” to each other, perhaps by a sniff, or a twitch of the eyebrow. This way, the experience cold reader can fish around to the exact question. It would enhance the presentation, I think, if the receiver was blindfolded.

Presentation of Q & A Even though you’re a Psychic Entertainer (which some people would say is an oxymoron!), the Q & A has its roots in antiquity, and hits at a fundamental desire of all humans —a glimpse into the possibilities of the future. Psychologically, the Q & A is much, much more than just a piece of entertainment. You’re dealing with people's lives. It’s one thing to psychically divine the serial number of a dollar bill, or a word out of a book, but it’s another thing altogether to penetrate into the personal

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affairs of total strangers. It’s this ability to touch an individual on such a personal level that makes the Q & A so seductive —and so dangerous. I think it’s a requirement for potential Q & A performers to practice Psychic reading techniques. A one-year stint at a Psychic Fair is good tuition. You must develop a facility for doing readings; it’s an essential skill. I learn each passing year the immortal truth of the old maxim. “There’s no substitute for experience.” A summing up of my calendar shows that in the past two years I’ve performed over two hundred shows. It didn't seem possible! Many an army has been slain with the jawbone of an ass. I don’t want to add to the casualties. As a Psychic, you have the ability to give people hope and motivation through he Q & A. You also have the ability to cause a great deal of harm. A precautionary tale: About twenty years ago, I was performing the Thornton - Hoy presentation “Hurling the Headlines”. I predicted several airline disasters for the first three months of the upcoming year. I performed this after a particularly effective Q & A performance. After the show, I heard people say: “I was planning a trip to the Orient this February. I'm going to cancel it now!” I heard several similar comments. My jaw was hanging open - they really believed in my abilities to foresee the future! Furthermore, people wanted to know which Airlines to avoid. I answered that my lawyer advised me against naming any Airlines specifically, in order to avoid getting my pants sued off. My advice was to “Go with your feelings — if it feels wrong, don't do it”. Duh! Needless to say, since then I’ve modified the nature of my predictions. Need I point out that if I had performed a book test and Mental Epic, then predicted disaster, no one would have taken me seriously? Once again, don’t underestimate the power of Q and A. These are people's lives. My worst fear is that something I say in a moment of carelessness will cause harm to someone. As with blue humor: “When in doubt leave it out!”

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Energy Level The issue of energy level is one that each performer must struggle with individually. We’ve been advised over and over to “be natural”. Then, we hear a naturally laid-back performer advised to “pump up the energy level”. What to do? If you’re a naturally hyper person, it might be advisable to slow down. Some hyper people seem to babble, and it can become irritating in a very short while. However, you have to listen to the audience for the best advice. For example, I’ve performed at the same energy level for years, and some magicians tell me to slow down, while others tell me to pump it up. Do you see how subjective this sort of advice can be? This section offers no answers. Only questions to ask yourself. Can you enter a natural high-energy state when you walk out on the stage? Or should you cool it? It’s hard to perform faster than your natural energy level. Should you work on raising or lowering your natural energy level? A naturally aloof person cannot fake warmth; it has to come from the heart. Better not try! At the end of Q and A, what is your energy level? Was such an awesome demonstration a snap for one such as you, or are you totally exhausted at the conclusion and need to collapse into a chair? Decide on what suits you best. Another important question: What’s the audiences energy level? Perhaps the best technique is to mirror the audience’s pace. I consider the first half of my show mere foreplay for the Q and A act. As a result, I tend to concentrate on personable and charismatic demonstrations that are totally convincing to my audience. I want to wear down their skeptical edge. Then, I blast them with Q and A! Do you criticize sex right after an orgasm? That's the frame of mind I want to leave my audience with.

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Money is Energy Money has a spirituality all its own It surprises some people when I say that money can be very spiritual. We’re at our best when we act as a clear conduit of energy. When we manifest the power of the Spirit in the world, taking the Spiritual energy from above and manifesting it in the world, we’re at our best. Money is likewise a form of energy. We deal with it best when we act as a clear channel for this energy. This is why it feels so good, and why we are so empowered, by the act of spending money. Hoarding money gives us a false sense of security, but we are also saving it for a glorious day when we can spend it. It’s sort of like delaying orgasm to increase the enjoyment and intensity of the experience. The only problem arises when we save for a day that never comes and defer our happiness infinitely. Since we’re discussing money as a model of energy, let's see what this implies to us as performers. If you’re getting, say, $500 for a thirty minute show, you owe the audience $500 worth of your energy. The books must balance. Conversely, let's suppose you are contacted by a fund-raising group to do a show for their fund-raiser. This is a very prestigious black tie and tail affair, and it would be politically advantageous for you to be seen there. Here is the catch. They only have $75 to pay you. In such an event, if you do your show under these conditions, and accept the $75 fee, you become a $75 performer. Your energy level will reflect this. The audience will pick up on it. After the show, you’ll feel lousy. Trust me —I know. I suggest, in such a case, that you instead offer to donate your $1200 show to the event, gratis. Now, you’ll perform the show of your life!

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The Hook The Hook brings you back - I ain't tellin' you no lieThe Hook brings you back - on that you can rely... -Blues Traveller - The Hook A fundamental requirement of each of your presentations is that it generates more business for you. If it doesn't, obviously you won't work very much! So in designing your presentations, you must build in a “hook” that will make key members of your audience— those who are in a position to do so— excited about booking you for their own events. Obviously, a great group before which to present your act are any of the eclectic professional groups where individuals meet in order to network. I covered the possibilities of exploiting Rotary and Kiwanis clubs in my book Psychic Soirees. Be sure to collect everyone's business card to build your list of qualified prospects. My greatest triumph, professionally speaking, was performing for a group of public relations special event planners. I mined those contacts for years! One of the strongest hooks is a person's desire to shine in the eyes of his or her peers. Convince your buyer that by being the one to bring your act to their event, they will receive positive attention for months to come. Need I point out that getting an insight into the problems and issues of your life is another strong hook? Psychic Entertainment provides its own hook. Skeptics want to try to pierce your secrets. Believers want validation of their beliefs. And both sides like to debate the point! Everyone responds to unique entertainment. If your audience is tired of guys jerking scared rabbits out of production boxes, or the brassiere off of the junior vice president, hook them with the uniqueness of your entertainment. On the other hand, there are few things in this life more tedious than a boring Mentalist!

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I love being in a position to be actually difficult to book. I am constantly having to explain to people that I am booked for a specific date. It makes me more unique and in demand. I often book shows this way a full year in advance, by people who could not get me for the event this year but want to be sure to get me next year.

The Use of Humor Interjecting humor in a Q & A act is a great idea, if you’re a humorous person. If you’re not, however, it’s probably best to play it straight. A sense of humor, like sincerity, is almost impossible to fake. Q and A presentations can be very intense for the audience. Properly presented, the Q & A resembles what you would do if you really had psychic powers. One gag I use is to have a fake cell phone in my pocket. During some prefatory remarks, I trigger the buzzer. I say, “Hold on a minute— excuse me... Hello? Your Psychic Friend's Hotline. What is your VISA number? Let me get back to you in thirty minutes or so.” I say to the audience, “Hey, you got to get it wherever you can.” Always gets several laughs where I need it most. Another great gag is to use the Magic Fortune -Telling Eight Ball. I always use this on sports questions. I tell the spectators, “I don't do sports, but we can consult a higher Oracle that will give us the answer.” I shake up the ball and ask: “Will the (home team) win?” Then I read aloud the eight ball's answer. It’s a hoot! Funny stories or anecdotes are very good, especially biographical ones, real or fictional. These anecdotes help make the strong performer seem more personable and human, and therefore lighten the tension. “I got a letter the other day from the Fortune Tellers of America thanking me for the great show I did. I called them back and said: ' I didn't do a show for you.' The lady said: 'No, but you will!’”

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Biographical Anecdotes I’m amazed at how naive some performers are in recounting their personal history, especially to the press. I remember about fifteen years ago a local paper interviewed a group of local magicians, including me, for a feature article. Predictably, one of the questions asked was how did we get into magic? I was chuckling to myself at this great opportunity to lay down a legend for posterity, not to mention my scrapbook. My friends, however, went into great detail about how they received a magic set at the age of six, and hung out in magic shops etc. Boring. Not your humble scribe! I regaled the reporter with tales about my grandfather the crooked gambler, who worked 'sawdust games' and carnival cons, and the many close calls I’ve experienced in my checkered career before I decided that entertainment was much safer. I told them about my mother the Astrologer (true) and my grandmother the palmist and crystal gazer. Realy warming to the story, I told them about how I gained the trust of the inner circle of magicians with my gambling and mindreading skills, and how I traded secrets with the pros. In brief, I laid it on thick! I gave them an interesting story about an interesting person! I also received almost 80% of the story, and the only two photos printed were of me. Who really cares about hearing the story of a lonely kid who stayed up all night learning the diagonal palm shift? People want adventure! Other stories. I talk about how I was the first person in the world to solve Rubik's cube blindfolded. I tell my audience that I sent a video tape of this event to That's Incredible. They said, “John. That's incredible! Come on out.” So I flew out to LA., only to discover that the show had been cancelled two weeks previously. “But the good news,” I tell my audience, “is that if I had been on the show, I would today be an international media star, and you would never had

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been able to book me at these prices.” Entertainment holds a romance for most people. In reality, we all know that there’s a lot of grunge work involved in show business, and even the most exciting show can get to be a grind after the first hundred performances. But why not keep the romance alive in the eyes of the audience? I’ve been told that David Copperfield performs over 500 shows a year! Wow! Of course he sleeps on a big pile of money with supermodels, which may explain why he always seems so happy. The skilled performer plays his audience like a violin. He tenses them up, sustains the mood, releases tension, lets them go. It is a very erotic process, like making love to a responsive lover. At the conclusion of your act, the audience should be like a tightly wound spring suddenly released, and unwittingly propelled to their feet in a standing ovation! It can happen. My point is for you to try to create an interesting character, one whom the audience can vicariously live out their need for adventure. Most of the anecdotes I tell now are true— but they weren't when I performed my first show! Capishe? A performance of Q and A is a metaphor for the quest on which we all embark in life as we seek personal knowledge. Metaphors that relentlessly repeat themselves become archetypes. The Oracle is definitely an archetype, so deeply rooted in the group unconscious that its seductive power cannot be overlooked. Don’t’ be just another entertainer — become an archetype!

Staying Ahead of The Joneses Western society is heavily influenced by the scientific method. We’re encouraged from an early age to observe and explain. As Psychic Entertainers, we must outwit our audiences. During the course of our performances, we must eliminate audience theories before they can form them. Left with no logical alternative, the analytical member is more likely to entertain the possibility that he

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may have actually witnessed a paranormal event. I believe this conviction is important to the success of a Mentalism show. There is no market for a fake Psychic. So, we must structure our routine in such a manner that no explanation is possible except the one we want them to believe. In this case, that we can read minds. The most popular explanation of a mind-reading act is the idea that we 'set up' or arrange the presentations. Unfortunately, this explanation would explain about 99% of the sort of routines most Mentalists perform. The Q and A eliminates this theory because you answer the question of the very guy who suspects setups! I’ve also heard murmurs of 'sleight-of-hand' during a Q and A style presentation of another performer, who, by the way, used a pre-show clipboard to get his info. He handled the billets in a flourishy, fidgety manner, which planted this suspicion in the skeptic’s minds. While “sleight of hand” is a very vague explanation, it still must be dealt with. Perhaps by wearing rubber gloves, or handling the slips with forceps? One of the best ways to eliminate such theories is to bring them up yourself, only to deny even thinking about using them. This was a favorite performing ploy of such old masters as Herrmann the Great and T. Nelson Downs. One approach would be to point out that to eliminate the possibility of cheating or switching, you’ll never open the questions, and will always keep the slip in full view. These conditions are possible with most Q and A methods. With this in mind I’ve sometimes said aloud, while blindfolded and performing for a skeptical audience, “I heard that sir. I couldn't be doing that because I never open the slips, AND I CAN'T SEE ANYWAY, so even if I was switching slips, it wouldn't do me any good..” The topic of fooling the audience is one that is almost taboo in discussions of Mentalism. The audience is expected to be caught up in the premise of real Psychic powers, and forget that they are watching a magic show. Okay....

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Unfortunately, there is the undeniable truth that no matter what you do, some people will never believe in Psychic ability. Even if you were real and could prove it there will always be people who simply cannot accept the possibility of the paranormal. And yet, they’re part of the audience that we’re obligated to entertain. Another point to consider is that the religious beliefs of some individuals will not allow them to believe, accept, or condone what you are doing. In the Southeast, I’ve run into this any number of times, sometimes having individuals disrupt the show, send me hate mail during Q and A, and generally become a distraction. So, these days, I ask the person who books me (after the deal is made, and indeed, the night of the show!) If he feel that there are individuals who may have a religious objection to my show. If he thinks that there are, I give him a card to read before dinner. It reads: “Ladies and Gentlemen, after dinner, we are going to be entertained by John Riggs, who is an Psychic Entertainer. John realizes that some people are a little uncomfortable with the premise of his show, which is a dramatic presentation of the power of the motivated mind. If you feel uncomfortable with the idea, its OK to leave after desert, no hard feelings. Thank you.” In the two years I’ve been using this disclaimer, I haven’t lost an audience member yet. It actually increases interest! Sometimes people who are desperate for the rational explanation need to be reminded of the real conditions. One of the best books ever written on audience point of view is Strong Magic, by Darwin Ortiz. Greater mentalist minds than mine have pointed out that this book is indispensable for any Mentalist. I hold Darwin in high esteem, and have seen him literally mesmerize a roomful of highly intelligent people using only a deck of cards and his own talent and understanding of audience reaction. His book is really very good. Finally, if you’ve done a little pre-show work and memorized a few questions, you can conclude your act by addressing questions without even

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touching the slips. I suggest that you collapse in an exhausted heap after this strenuous feat.

The Conclusion Strenuous and often contrived efforts have been made to give the Q and A a strong ending. The fact is, Q and A in and of itself is a strong ending. In my opinion, the performance need no flashy ending. I feel that you should end your act strongly, and Q and A fits the bill because it simply cannot be topped. A Psychic Entertainment performance is not a magic show. We aren’t selling pleasant puzzles; we’re selling a concept. Mentalism is a conceptual art. The concept is that we read minds or receive Psychic impressions. If you structure your show like a magic show it will be accepted as such. I describe my act as a speaker act, and it helps make me appear to be more professional. After the last question I usually segue into a Dynamite Mentalism style of reading, then end with a few predictions, some of which are very funny. Remember that Faye and Hanussen gained notoriety by remaining topical and vocal about political figures and current events. These are topics that interest everybody. Just don't get shot! My personal view on the state of political races today is that a dictatorship puts a lot less pressure on the populace. On special occasions I’ll perform a headline prediction after my verbal prediction. As a rule I don’t like headline or lottery predictions; I think they strain credulity way too much. The rare occasions I’ve performed them were special instances only, when I felt it was appropriate to really zing them with something over which to puzzle.

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The Real Conclusion Entertainment is not just a livelihood but a calling —–you’re summoned to serve. I have to be entertaining people on a regular basis or I’ll become ill and nervous. It is an addiction; a compulsion— a madness. Or at least it should be. Mentalism is not for everyone. Some people are more suited to general magic, finger flinging, or comedy. And even the Q and A act isn’t for every Mentalist. It’s necessary to be brutally honest with yourself in order to make the most effective use of your personal resources. When I was young, I wanted to be a dove, card, and billiard ball manipulator. I had the skills and dedication, I just didn't have that kind of stage presence. The first time I presented a mentalism trick, I heard my future calling to me, like Sirens to a sex-deprived sailor. I realize that 95% of the people reading my books do so for entertainment —they enjoy the thought processes and methodologies presented in the work I have no problem with this, armchair magicians and mentalists help keep the entertainment craft alive with their enthusiasm and, of course, their financial support. I’m a romantic. When I watch a magical performance, I really don’t care how it’s accomplished. This sets me apart from most magicians, who constantly want to know methods. When I saw Copperfield flying, my magical friends endlessly debated on the methods used. My concern was how closely the illusion approximated the real thing. As far as I was concerned, Copperfield was really flying! If you could really fly, that is what it would look like. What would it look like if you could really read minds? What would this ability do to your personality and character? I hope this book conveys some of the vicarious thrill of performing the

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strongest entertainment material possible before an appreciative audience. And if I seem a little hard on skeptical troublemakers, just realize that my goal is to open minds to new possibilities —and such people are trying to maintain an easily controllable status quo — and usually have a lot invested in keeping everybody else in the rut. We can't have people thinking and acting independently, now, can we? The corporate structure of America is a very insidious institution that tries to dehumanize people, and I don’t think the American worker will stand for it much longer. Come the revolution, I want to be KING! Entertainers are on the front line in this world in which we find ourselves. People are finding it increasingly difficult to distinguish between entertainment and reality. Personalities such as Rush Limbaugh are a product of this phenomena, an entertainer who is perceived as an authority figure. Be careful of the effect you have on others. We must always keep our egos under control. I realize that even if I become the best entertainer that ever lived, I’m still just an entertainer. And by the same token, the power-mad, ego-tripping CEO of the world's largest department store is still just in the business of selling shoes. I think that a lot of “successful” people forget this simple truth. And neither one of us will ever solve world hunger, cure AIDS, or do anything else other than provide people with a service that they don't really need. But being an entertainer is the greatest thing in the world. It beats working for a living. Remember, everything that happens in life is a miracle! Love and Light Yer pal; John Riggs, March 30th, 1996

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My Books Heavy Mental deals with strong presentations of Psychic and Psychic reading techniques. The Compleat Fortune Teller is a treatise on the Question and Answer effect, with some Pseudo-Psychometry thrown in. The Even Compleater Fortune-Teller is a continuation of the Q & A discussion. The Psychic Agenda is about ways to develop a reputation as a real Psychic, with many routines of strong mentalism. Psychic Soirees deals with Psychic Parties and small shows. Phrenology for the Psychic Entertainer is an easily-learned way to perform Phrenology readings. PW-The Mentalist's Secret Weapon is devoted to Pocket Writing. The Suburban Charlatan. Elegant mental mysteries for the Yuppie Psychic, with contributions from Psiman, Pecor, and Ron Martin. The Messiah Process. No mentalism routines, but an in-depth discussion of psychological techniques to create a magickal experience in the sitter. Past life regression, astral projection, hypnosis, implanting false memories. Three case histories of people who created small cults using these techniques. Fat-Free Mentalism. Tired of carrying around a trunkload of props? This book has routines using minimal props or preparation .