Secrets of the Amazing Kreskin by Amazing Kreskin

SECRETS of The Amazing

Kreskin The World's Foremost Mentalist Reveals How You

Can Expand Your Powers

*

SECREHS of

The Amazing

Han

SECRETS of

The Amazing

Kroskiii The World's Foremost Mentalist Reveals

How You

Can Expand Your Ibwers

Prometheus Books 59 John Glenn Drive Amherst, NewYork 14228-2119

Published 1991 by Prometheus Books

Secrets of the

No in

Amazing Kreskin. Copyright

part of this publication

any form or by any means,

or otherwise, or

©

1984. 1991 by Kreskin. All rights reserved.

may be reproduced,

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site

without prior written permission

of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied

in critical articles

reviews.

Inquiries should be addressed to

Prometheus Books

59 John Glenn Drive Amherst.

New

York 14228- 21 19

VOICE: 716-691-0133.

ext.

210

FAX: 716-691-0137

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13

12

Library of Congress Catalogue Card

11

10 9

Number 91-52927

ISBN 13: 978-0-87975-676-5 ISBN 10:0-87975-676-4 Printed in the United States of

America on acid-free paper

and

To Bob Sy

Fish,

Collins,

and Ray Porter,

whose comradeship and counsel have eased

my journeys

over troubled waters

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2012

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Contents

Preface

1

2

xi

FIRST,

A WORD

...

PREPARE TO CONCENTRATE

1

5

Step One: Clear the Landscape Letting the Sitting

Body Go

Toe Touch

Back Bend

Head Rotation Progressive Relaxation Letting the

Mind Go

Image Integration Prepare to Concentrate

3

THE ART OF ILLUSION Punch

the Potato

Matched Thought Magician's Choice

The

Spirit

Touch

The Spinning Egg Twist the Apple

Rapport Appreciation

Agreement

21

viii

4

Contents

YOU'RE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK The Withering Touch Finger

Push

Power

It

Down Hands

Lift the

Fist

on

37

Fist

Four-Man Finger The Rigid Body The Rigid Arm Have Confidence

List

in

Your Strength

Be Committed to Concentration

5

JUST A SUGGESTION

53

The Confetti Race Glued Eyelids Clasped Hands Tell-a-Card Fire

and

Altering

Ice

Moods Tomorrow

Preparing for

6

THE HYPNOTIC TRANCE Everyone Buys the Emperor's What's

It

All

69

New

Clothes

About?

Faith-Prestige

Hypnosis and the Courts

7

NATURE AND HUMAN NATURE Listening Tests

The Greedy Eye Spotting the Lie

The Noisy Handshake The Cooperative Handshake

The Resisting Handshake The

Dynamo Handshake

The Limp Handshake

83

Contents

ix

Choose the Object The Tilting Table Lighter Than Air Clicking Coins

The Immovable Knee 8

THE EDUCATED GUESS

105

Predictable Responses

Guess the Number

Turn Over Coins Count the Fingers The Match Game Life as

an Educated Guess

Step

One— Know the Facts Two— Know the Psychology Three— Know the Outcome

Step

Four—Climb Out on

Step Step

9

Limb

FIRST STEPS IN "TELEPATHY*

The "Telepathic" Message (an The Moving Hand Around the Circle "Telepathy" in Motion 10

the

TAPPING THE UNCONSCIOUS The Kreskin Pendulum The Answer Sheet Initial

121 Illusion)

133

Responses

The Lie Detector The Memory Test Calling on the Unconscious 11

ESP

145

ESP Defined Hyperesthesia and ESP

Smell

t

Contents

Touch Hearing Sight

12

WHERE ARE WE GOING? The Business of Living

Mind and Health and Thou

I

159

—

Preface

Preparing

and

this,

my

a baby,

like

it

fourth book, was like giving birth to a baby

has two parents. Robert Bahr

gifted

is

both as

a writer and as an individual with an uncanny capacity to empathize

and

my thinking. He has captured in the following pages and precisely my most subtle feelings and expressions.

identify with

fully

Some finished effects.

of you will find this book a real paradox. Before youVe

it,

Yet

you'll

be actually

111 tell

utilizing

you now and explain

concept of "extrasensory" perception redefined I

ESP

is

psychics and their

in detail later that the

misleading. That

ilk.

Yet

many

is

whole

why IVe

of the claims of so-called

think the darkest day of the great

I

was when, wearying

as

an escape

artist

and

magician, he devoted himself to exposing mediums. in the pages to follow, while deceit

who

startling

as "extremely sensitive perception."

have been an archcritic of

dini's life

your mind to perform

and fraud

As youll

exist

claim to be explorers of the mind, the facts

Hou-

failing as a

among

—as you

learn

those

will see

—

them and experience them

Many

clairvoyance, and such

Out of

can't be ignored.

aspects of parapsychology

their ashes,

I

—are

skills,

mental

long overdue for

the hypnotic trance, scientific

debunking.

come unprecedented knowledge This book is but a first step. It is based

believe, will

of man's mental capabilities.

on

—ESP,

abilities,

that

I

have devoted

my

entire life to de-

them to entertain others, and there is no reason that you cannot do so, too. Some of the effects you will produce, particularly in the beginning, are mere ilveloping. Since childhood

I

have

utilized

lusions, simple placebos designed to establish

between you and your audience. Later you that have often been difficult to explain.

an

essential relationship

will achieve startling effects

Preface

xii

Whether you use share

it

this

book

as a guide at your next party or

with a friend or turn to

of your room,

I

it

hope youll enjoy

it

alone in the private seclusion for

what

it

is

meant to be

a dramatic learning experience, one of amazement, laughter,

and joy that can best be appreciated

The

curtain

is

due to open;

I trust

that

in the theater of

you

will

intrigue,

your mind.

never allow

it

again

to close.

Kreskin

First,

All

miracle.

is

a

Word

The stupendous order of

nature, the revolution of a

hundred million worlds around a million suns, the the

life

of animals,

all

are grand

and perpetual

activity of light,

miracles.

—Voltaire "Amazing! But how did you do

Fm by

it?"

asked that question hundreds of times a year in person and

letter,

and not only by those who have seen me perform

nightclub, college campus, special "concert," or

of the most curious are well-known

My response ist

or fortune-teller.

There I

is

I

am not

I

am

a

scientist,

a mind reader, medium, or "hypnotist."

a researcher in the

trasensory" perceptions.

I

perform what

About 85 percent of a

a

not a psychic, an occult-

nothing supernatural about anything that

am

at

Some

television.

celebrities.

always the same:

is

on

I

field

I

do.

of suggestion and "ex-

discover.

typical Kreskin "concert," as I call

performances, involves these mental laws, which

is

why

I call

a mentalist. The remaining 15 percent of each performance

is

my

myself usually

devoted to traditional magic. That's

Douglas,

what IVe told Johnny Carson, David Letterman, Mike

Merv

not everyone

Griffin, Phyllis Diller,

is

mittedly, vague.

pages, for the

and countless

others.

Of course,

completely satisfied with that answer, for I

first

am

going to give specific answers now,

it

is,

m

ad-

these

time ever. I'm going to reveal the basic principles

2

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

power of your personality, your perand your ability to perceive beyond the ordinary senses, you too can direct and command many startling effects. Ill explain in the following. chapters how you can duplicate step whereby, using the untapped

suasiveness,

by step the amazing

effects that

the nation spellbound. Ill

body so

tell

you can reach the

that

have held millions and millions across

you how level

mind and

to prepare your

of confidence and concentration

own

youll need to perform these experiments with friends in your

And where

room.

living

possible, 111 explain the mental processes

—the so-called "secrets"—that make these experiments

mind pow-

in

er work.

say "where possible" for a very

I

good reason:

the further

you

progress in developing the extraordinary powers of your mind, the

more

baffled

you

will

become by your remarkable

absolutely convinced there

is

nothing supernatural involved in

Someday, hopefully soon, researchers that

the

is

at play

when, for example,

number on

this

I

this.

be able to identify the force

am

able to

a total stranger

tell

advance, in

on next week's newspaper.

can't explain all the effects

book. Some, as

am

I

will

his Social Security card or predict in

writing, the headline I

abilities.

I

you

will

produce

have mentioned, are simple

after studying illusions in the

ancient tradition of the magician. Others, particularly those dealing

with

ESP

(extremely sensitive perception) are difficult to explain

completely because they involve subtle mental user far

is

not always totally aware

youll

yourself.

of.

come toward understanding

The

—

British Society for Psychical

that thought perception, or

mind

sensitivity to the slightest details

skills that

reading,

and the

son whose thoughts are being received

is

and using

I

at

—these

how skills

Research once proposed accomplished by extreme

slightest

—for

changes in the per-

example, a change in

the muscles of the face, even the smell of the body. that

even the

Yet youll be surprised

I

do

believe

recognize physical characteristics that telegraph the thought

that produced them. But

I

also believe there's a great deal

extremely sensitive perception, although

And maybe Hanson

I

shouldn't know.

said, "It's better

I

don't

As my former

know

more

to

what, precisely.

colleague Dr. Harold

you don't know everything

that's

happening

— First,

when

a

Word ...

3

you're presenting your program, because, obviously, at

show

point in your

be able to

if

you were

self-conscious of what's happening."

agree with that.

I

work

some more than you'd

you're harnessing something

why

not necessary to understand

It's

things

them

as they do. In fact, trying to understand them, to reduce

smooth functioning of extremely

to a formula, interferes with the

The

sensitive processes.

intellect rears itself like

a wall in front of

these natural intuitive senses. It's

the

same with emotions. Suppose,

one morning

feeling particularly

lectual person,

you

think,

are, that wall

happy, but since you are an

"Now, why on earth am

have enough money to pay the just failed inspection,

you awaken

for example,

bills,

my

happy?

I

I

intel-

don't

kids need braces, the car

and income taxes are due

in a

month." Chances

of intellectual detail will quickly and efficiently separate

you from your happy emotion. It

will

do

"extra" senses

produce every

the

same

you

if

insist

I

in fact,

I

on understanding how you

— I'm not

at all against intellectualism,

consider myself an intellect in

am

the intellect

is

are able to

effect.

Don't misunderstand frankly,

your pursuit of the deeper uses of your

in

insisting

—that truth comes

in various

forms and that

capable of revealing only one form of truth.

understand emotional truth through the

intellect.

In fact,

I

We cannot have never

heard an intellectually satisfying definition of love; although seen examples of happiness,

explained to me.

The

I

I

intellect fails

can we expect to understand,

us there, for that

at least for

of extremely sensitive perception, direct experience,

we watch them work, and But understand sical, is

or occult about

is

the realm

many

now,

is

there

intellect.

how we know is

Nor

manifestations

of which function in the do-

unmediated by the that

all

Wefeel them,

they are true.

nothing supernatural, metaphy-

this. Phyllis Diller

once jokingly

said,

"Kreskin

a male witch and should be burned at the stake!"— and others

have called is

this:

have

have never had happiness convincingly

of the emotions, and the intellect cannot speak emotional truths.

main of

and

my field. I am simply saying

that

I

me

am

a psychic, a medium, and even a saint.

like

most people, except that

I've trained

The fact my mind

4

Secrets

of the Amazing Kreskin

to respond hypersensitively to the subtle senses that

most people

ignore. I

do nothing

that any ten-year-old child couldn't

do

if

he had

thirty years' experience.

This book will do I

more than make you

the

life

of the party.

have known thousands of people who, by applying the methods

used in these mind games, have become more compelling in conversation, ers

more

successful professionally,

have learned to relax and

wise, future-oriented decisions 111

help you to

ples to

—the

more popular

list is

virtually endless.

you'll learn

not only

how

to master amazing effects

them but

also

how

your everyday

life.

lets

how to how

will discover

clock, feel

more

ener-

and our

begin this adventure together, this journey into ourfriends,

and along the way you

about people you probably never imagined to

you

and solve problems that you thought were beyond you.

Now, selves

to apply those princi-

Just one example: while learning

awaken each morning without an alarm

getic,

make

these practical benefits every step of the

plant a suggestion in another person's mind, to

Oth-

socially.

shrug away tensions, to

principles behind

way, so that

and the

fmd

sleep, to

know more about

yourself as well.

will discover things

—and

you might come

—

Prepare to Concentrate

The

It

typical

mind

is

a floodlight; the concentrated mind

is

a

laser.

seems almost a basic law of nature that every large party includes

at least

one

skeptic.

When this happens, you might try this entertaining

means of making a convert. Begin by saying: "No doubt you have a very strong mind.

How

long does

it

take

you to lower your pulse by ten percent?" Chances

the pulse, or heartbeat, stalsis

him. Everyone knows

are, the question will astonish is

an involuntary process

like digestion, peri-

(contractions of the intestines), and other metabolic processes.

Before the skeptic dismisses you as tipsy, ask:

"You mean youVe never decreased your

heart rate

by an

act

of will? Certainly you can decrease your pulse by ten beats a minute or at least /?ve?"

Now,

the doubter will certainly ask

"Certainly.

on

Anyone

YouVe put him on and

select

a

man from

the spot.

"Now, we're going establish

you can do

promise

I

it

yourself. Say:

will—later." Then, lay

everyone

how

easy

it

is?"

Have him take a comfortable

seat

the group to monitor the subject's pulse. Ex-

plain at considerable length

we can

if

And why not show

can.

the challenge: "All right,

I

to

and with assurance: let

you

your resting pulse

relax for a few minutes so that rate.

Try to

relax.

The next few

minutes don't count." Instruct the

monitor to adjust

his wristwatch so that he

can see

Secrets

6

of the Amazing Kreskin

had and to locate the

the sweep second privately,

if

possible

and

for the second

—to ignore the

about a tranquil subject that test.

Your

intent

When the

it

obvious.

from

will divert the subject's attention

overcome

to

is

making

being taken, talk in a calm, relaxed manner

is

would increase pulse

him

subject's pulse. Tell

minute but to count the pulse

third minutes without

While the pulse

the

first

apprehension, which

his natural

rate.

monitor announces the pulse

rate, say:

"That's pretty low for this particular test because of the excitability factor. I

don't

know how much

lower you can get

it

— although

IVe seen people with real willpower do surprisingly well." Challenge the subject with a smile.

Ask him:

"Are you ready to concentrate on lowering your pulse?" Instruct the

monitor to repeat the pulse-taking process while you

casually discuss the dynamics of heart rate: stalking

bloodhound,

"When

a rabbit sees a

heart might surge to a couple of hundred

its

beats per minute, which sends oxygen-rich red blood gushing through its

arteries to

nourish every

cell

of

its

up the heart

rate.

body." Use vivid action words

and physical exercise

to explain that fear, anxiety, pain,

"But a rabbit hasn't the brain or

who, merely by concentration, can slow

all

speed

of our subject

will

his heartbeat

by ten beats

per minute."

What

you're saying

centrating

on the wrong

entirely correct

is

things.

violent color of blood, to the ity

only failed to decline— but

The

chapter will

up

con-

rate,

it

his heart, to the possibil-

would

everyone

entail.

And when

will find that

it

the

has not

has actually increased.

skeptic will immediately insist that the pulse rate cannot

be reduced by willpower.

One

it

is

You're directing his thoughts to the

thumping of

of failure and the embarrassment

monitor announces the pulse

—but your subject

And

you'll

proceed to prove otherwise. This

show you how.

of the teachers

in Caldwell,

times that, in

I

New

had

in junior high school

when

I

was growing

Jersey, repeated a favorite accusation so

all justice, it

many

should be carved on her tombstone. Several

times a day she declared, "You're not concentrating!"

Prepare to Concentrate

In

my

on a

was mistaken. The one thing

case, at least, she

was to concentrate. In

as a child

thirteen-year-old classmate

fact,

was

it

named

1

did well

I

this total concentration

Lisa that led to the teacher's

occasional outbursts. Virtually

all living

or focus attention.

creatures have the capacity to "concentrate,"

Watch a

cat concentrate

on

eyes and ears focused utterly

field,

awaiting the

moment when

worm and

tracting a

Even

an open

in

prey, every muscle rigid,

on ex-

the bird begins to concentrate

neglects

its

own

safety.

and you can prove

houseflies "concentrate,"

the next time one lands

its

on a bird

on your arm.

If

you

try to

to yourself

it

swat

it

quickly,

chances are you'll miss. Wait until the insect has found an appetiz-

anatomy and begins concentrating on

ing portion of your

brushing

its

hind legs together. Then, whack!

Children have a wonderful capacity to concentrate, as

know. Call Joey for dinner when

all

in the

on a

television

parents

he's engrossed in play in the next

room, and he simply won't hear you. Talk to him while centrating

dinner,

he's

con-

program and he won't even know you're

room.

Every day we see examples of supreme concentration. In baseball, hitters

to

home

ball's

progress from pitcher

plate that in a fraction of a second they coordinate count-

nerve impulses to bring a bat in contact with a hundred-mile-

less

per-hour the

concentrate so intently on a

ball.

When

concentration wanders, the batter

is left

flailing

air.

We

watch a

field

goal kicker as he closes his mind to sixty thou-

sand screaming fans, the score, the other players, and focuses

on putting

entire existence

Ray Wersching, with on

the

the ball

San Francisco

One

moment he

goalposts.

steps on the The yard markers

and the player holding the job, as

ting

he sees

it,

is

49ers, concentrates so deeply

his concentration

he refuses to even look

him how long

from

at the

the kick must be,

ball indicates the direction. Wersching's

to concentrate

through the goalposts

weaken

field, tell

his

kicker,

"reliving" the physical coordination of his perfect kicks that,

the

to

through the uprights.

is

on executing a

perfect kick. Get-

the ball's job, and Wersching refuses

by worrying about

that.

Secrets

8

of the Amazing Kreskin

Next time you watch a great dramatic performer Bergman, Maureen Stapleton, or Alec Guinness

in

like Ingrid

a motion picture,

imagine what's really happening: Half a dozen cameramen,

try to

directors

and

their assistants,

prop and costume people, stage and

floor managers, technical consultants, other performers

around a tiny

milling

all

with cardboard walls in a big, dingy building not

set

unlike an airplane hangar. Cold white lights glare

on

crophones dangle above them. Yet, when the director

the actors; miyells,

"Action!"

a miracle of concentration unfolds.

The performers become

So deep

is

their concentration that they literally

The circumstances of

they portray.

ters

oblivious to the confusion around them.

become the characbecome their cir-

the script

cumstances, and the passions they reveal are the genuine passions

grow out of their concentration.

that

In

the manifestations of illusion

all

discuss hereafter, I

ESP

from

and mind power that we

to suggestion, concentration

suspect that to a great extent the gift of telepathy

for

profound concentration.

centration, beginning

exhausting that

is

the key.

is

the capacity

My performances demand nonstop con-

an hour before showtime, and the

I lose as

will

much

as three

effort is so

pounds during a three-hour

concert and must eat five meals a day to regain the weight.

One

reason for the great energy output

trate

on many

what

I

details

is

that I

must concen-

with equal intensity at the same time. Here's

mean:

Some

years ago,

I

was challenged to duplicate an escape

Houdini had made famous. I'm a mentalist, not an escape the idea to be

was challenging and so

done on

live television

to be certain I could

The

do

it

I

artist,

practiced for several months.

and before an audience, and

within a very restricted time

night of the performance

into consideration several factors.

I

I

It

that

but

was

wanted

limit.

discovered that I'd failed to take

One was

the heat. I'd never re-

hearsed under thousands of watts of glaring spotlights, and there

on the a

stage, with

fetal position in

my

hands cuffed behind

my

back, cramped into

a small canvas sack that was sealed with a metal

Prepare to Concentrate

9

bar and padlocks, the heat quickly became almost suffocating.

came

close to wrecking

A

second problem was that the police

me had done

to handcuff

my

wrists

it

who

officer

volunteered

with a vengeance. He'd practically cut

and by the time

I

had slipped

were bloody. Pain,

I

assure you, threatens concen-

off the circulation, cuffs

It

my concentration.

hand-

free of the

tration. Finally, the presence of the audience, especially those

that

I

would succeed and the few

hoped

would

that I

an audience

affect

fail,

me

was a

like

one

(there are always a few)

who doubted who actually

distracting factor. Negative feelings in

playing off-key in a large or-

violinist

chestra.

The escape was a

success, but

when

the curtain was pulled aside,

the audience saw a Kreskin that must have resembled a half-drowned

mouse.

my

My

clothes were soaked with sweat,

hair disheveled.

And when we went

my

wrists injured,

and

to a commercial break,

I

simply sat on the floor, stunned.

The I felt.

I

A

physical challenge explains only a part of the exhaustion

great deal

was caused by the concentration

had to continue to concentrate for

the

program was

over.

I

concentrate

on

at least

required. Yet

an hour more,

the "messages" various

until

mem-

Someone is very happy, fondling a ring. The color red. A dress. Somewhere in the audience, I realize, a woman wearing a red dress has just become engaged or married. The color blue. Sky, water. Someone is looking forward to an

bers of the audience are sending.

ocean voyage. It

has two I file

I

visualize the beard. He's thinking

about the boat.

sails.

these messages

away

for use later in the conceit.

I'm also concentrating on traditional sensory input, particularly sights

and sounds. Supernormal awareness of sensory stimuli is known

as hyperesthesia, of which 111 have

much more

to say later. This

highly developed ability to concentrate on our ordinary senses might actually explain

much "telepathic" communication.

For example, some years ago, when Las Vegas Hilton, It

wasnt the

I

heard a

soft,

I

was performing

at the

continuous clicking in the audience.

tinkling of coins, or the dull

sound of wood, but the

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

10

clacking of plastic

came

He left know my

—for

be-

it

overall concentra-

and addressed a row who was playing with the chips in his pocket.

"Your mind

I

the noise

my

on

to intrude

walked to the edge of the

in the third

should act on

when

chips. Finally,

me—threatened

that to

tion, I stopped,

man

gaming

is

on placing a

bet.

You

stage,

Perhaps you

feel lucky.

it."

immediately.

I

don't

know whether he won

concentration improved

or

but

lost,

— and the audience thought

I'd

read his mind.

was

It

at the

Embers Club

years ago to find out just

Kaytes, maitre

d',

the

crowd was

in Indianapolis that I decided sensitive

my

hearing really was.

cooperated. Every night for a week,

member dropped an if

how

Bob

some Bob

or a staff

object to the floor during a performance,

and

making no more than the usual

relatively quiet,

sounds of breathing, glasses clinking, and soft murmuring,

I

could

detect the sound.

Ultimately, detect the

the floor

is

in large auditoriums

And

all

could actually

floor. Since then,

confess

I

to

I

IVe

haven't a chance

one of the most important lessons

pages— my personal method of achieving

Don't just read it.

—but

I

carpeted.

And now these

found that through concentration

sound of a needle dropping to the

done the same if

I

this

chapter—practice

the rest will

fall

it.

you'll learn in

intense concentration.

Then, keep on practicing

into place.

Step One: Clear the Landscape Sometimes

I

really enjoy

cranking up the Mercedes and driving to

a distant city where 111 perform.

I

prefer

it

to flying

if

the distance

isn't

too great and the directions are simple.

fect

What I don like is confusion. The Baltimore Beltway is a perexample— six-lane expressways, traffic merging and exiting left

and

right,

't

speeding trucks blocking the road signs. During

my

first

experience on that road, driving from Harrisburg to Washington,

D.C.,

I

followed what

I

thought was the main highway only to

dis-

— 1

Prepare to Concentrate

cover

I

had entered another expressway and was heading toward

New York

City.

The same thing can happen with lives the

every direction. Distractions lurk everywhere, and

our minds continually

drift off in the

step in concentration

first

Letting the

wrong

It

means

as "the conception of

it

body and mind

that the

but the body in some ways

vice versa. Cold,

damp

man

On

illness,

body

is

you

entities.

For that reason

You

It

can't sleep

if

Tension in

your muscles

—to relax the muscles of my body— And

before every

take a brisk one-mile walk. That walk

my

probably the

is

can't concentrate.

of miles every morning.

aspect of

be-

emo-

including intoler-

can't relax completely.

tension in the mind.

and

body-mind ailments

Failure to recognize the oneness of body/ mind

are tense, and

moody

the other hand, our

problems can cause serious physical

but even that term implies two distinct

the

as a function-

actually a part of the mind,

is

able pain. These are called psychosomatic or

major reason that some people

Med-

are not separate enti-

weather makes us emotionally

cause our bodies are uncomfortable. tional

direction.

to clear the landscape.

the term holism. Doriand's Illustrated

Dictionary defines

ing whole." ties,

is

Body Go

YouVe probably heard ical

thoughts. In the clutter of our

mental landscape gets confusing. Ideas, problems, decisions

come and go from The

1

preparation.

I

is

TV

I

jog a couple

show or concert

as important as

I

any other

can actually feel the tension subsiding.

usually begins in the muscles around

my

neck and shoulders. Then

the liquid, flowing feeling seeps into those stubborn back muscles.

My

arms begin to

feel

more

limp,

and

my

legs

move

with an easy,

flowing rhythm.

Once

the

body

is

relaxed,

I

can detach myself from distractions

and build up an

attitude of deep introspection. Frankly,

how

had

I'd survive

I

not mastered the

art

don't

know

of relaxing, for the sche-

dule can be torturous. In 1978, the last year I

I

I

kept such records,

presented 613 performances around the world. In a four-month

Secrets

12

of the Amazing Kreskin

period that year

making

days,

flew an average of twenty-three flights every ten

I

several connections with only seconds to spare,

my

luggage often two or three flights behind. (The fine art of luggagelosing has been perfected

The

rigors of such

great performers.

A

bookings in half

I

had

airlines.)

a schedule have been the downfall of many

well-known comedian once told me, "IVe cut

—

my

psychiatrist

by some

I

just can't stand the pressure. "

tried to help

him

relax his mind, but

wasn't surprised to hear that. Relaxation

landscape —

starts with the

An

expensive

didn't work.

— clearing the mental

body.

The four primary muscle tension groups of legs,

it

the

body

are the

abdomen, back, and neck/ shoulders. And next to an hour-long

walk or twenty-minute jog, the best way to relax them

is

through

stretch exercises.

Sitting

Toe Touch

Sitting

on the

floor with

for your toes. If

to

do

you

this at first.

your

legs outstretched, feet together, reach

aren't very flexible,

Don't

you probably won't be

strain, just reach.

able

After about a minute,

those stubborn, tense muscles in your back and lower calf will begin to relax.

As

they do, lean farther forward. If you're particularly

you won't reach your

When you

toes the

first

do, you're halfway to the final goal, which

your forehead to your knees. Long before that you efits

stiff,

day, perhaps not the second. is

to touch

will feel the

ben-

of stretching and relaxing those back, shoulder, and leg muscles.

Back Bend Starting in a kneeling position. Slowly object

is

to touch the

and

carefully lean back.

back of your head to the

floor.

The

This must

be done carefully and cautiously, for the quadriceps (upper thigh muscles) of most people are not used to being stretched, and a fast

movement can thigh muscles

tear them. This exercise

and those of the

is

chest, neck,

wonderful for stretching

and abdomen.

Prepare to Concentrate

13

Head Rotation The most obvious

sites

of tension in most people are the muscles

of the shoulder and back that extend into the neck.

much

give these muscles

grow

and relaxing them

result

is

just don't

when

that

they

remain that way. The best exercise for

tight with tension they

stretching

and the

exercise,

We

is

the old-fashioned head

roll.

Drop your head sideways toward your left shoulder. (Unless you're more flexible than most, your head won't touch the shoulder.) Let it

droop

muscle to

there, allowing the

stretch.

Roll your head back, slowly and gently, careful not to tear tight muscles. After a stretching period, roll

pause. Finally,

it

over the right shoulder and

hang forward.

let it

Repeat the exercise

five times,

then reverse the direction.

Progressive Relaxation

When youVe step

attained flexibility in the major muscle groups, the next

progressive physical relaxation.

is

of muscle relaxation

know, yet

I

Progressive relaxation

is

it

It's

the most effective

method

takes only a few minutes.

based on the simple fact that you can't

consciously relax a muscle unless you're consciously aware that

When you feel

tense.

relax

the tension in the muscle,

it's

deliberately

it.

Make your hand then slowly relax it

you can

twice, then

do

it

it

into a

and

let

fist.

Clench the

fist

for three seconds,

your hand and arm go limp. Repeat

twice with the other hand.

That exercise was introductory only, to give you an idea of what well be doing with all the major muscles of your body. Now, close your

eyes.

them

as

Concentrate on the muscles of your forehead, tightening

much

as

you

can. Don't

cheat—make them

Maintain the tension for three seconds, then

Move on

to

let

really tight.

those muscles relax.

your jaw muscles, then your neck, shoulders, arms,

chest, torso, buttocks, legs, feet.

a dramatic release of tension as you relax the muscles, repeat the exercise and continue the repetitions, concenIf

you dont

feel

—

1

4

trating

A mazing Kreskin

of the

Secrets

on both the tension and relaxation,

muscles do dra-

until the

matically relax.

And you

will relax.

Much

of the muscle tension

we endure

results

Many

from our not being consciously aware of the tension.

of us

go through each day with our muscles unconsciously contracted preparation for battle, but since most of our enemies in are emotional

modern

in life

and psychological, we never get the opportunity to

use those muscles and then relax them. Instead, they're in a chronic state of tension,

and only by exaggerating that tension can we be-

come aware

and allow them to

that

it

relax.

Mind Go

Letting the

Now

of

youVe learned

to relax your

body

in

a few brief minutes,

you're ready for deep mental relaxation. Start by getting comfortable

—

sitting in

a soft chair or lying down. Avoid crossing legs or arms

or putting your body in a position in which the circulation will be impaired. 1.

Can you recall a time and place of perfect serenity? Most if we try gazing up at the stars on a warm summer night,

—

of us can lying

on a beach while the waves splash a few

near the trunk of a recall

tall tree

feet

away, resting

Perhaps you can

in a towering forest.

being a child in your mother's comforting arms, falling asleep

in her lap.

Whatever that scene of

perfect peace, recall

it

now.

This scene will become the passkey to deep and rapid relaxation for you, so effective

it's

worth your trouble to spend time

one you can. Or

if

selecting the

most

you have a good imagination, you might

wish to create your ideal scene, one that holds even deeper tranquility

a candlelit

Now, without to

—

known drifting on a rolling room where you hear only quiet music.

than youVe ever

grow

clear in

construction

effort,

without engaging your

sea,

will,

lounging in

allow that scene

your mind. Please note that I'm using a passive

here— allow

it

to

happen to you. Don't

scene or youll be working your

mind

try to force the

instead of relaxing

Allow yourself to dissolve into the scene. See the

it.

colors.

Smell

Prepare to Concentrate

15

the pine needles. Listen to the waves or crackling fire or music.

Feel the sand or your mother's arms or the carpet or the earth

beneath you.

With

mind

practice you'll be able to reach that special place in

in thirty seconds to a minute,

won't distract you from

Now

2.

and once

your

world

there, the outside

it.

empty your mind completely. Think of

you're ready to

a passive, tranquil color. Light blue and pale green work best for

me. Perhaps you

gray or a soft beige. Allow the vision

will prefer

of your tranquil place to dissolve slowly in the color until there

nothing

nothing but that hue in your mind.

.

.

.

Slowly inhale deeply, then

3.

diaphragm

you exhale

is

is

the air flow out until your

let

completely relaxed. Repeat two more times, and

when

mind and body

for the third time, allow your entire

to

go completely limp. You're

now

totally relaxed.

You've cleared the landscape of the

merging

distracting traffic, junctions,

and

lanes,

exit

ramps. You're

ready to concentrate, to re-create the one highway along which you

want your mind to

travel.

But before we go on, achieved. First, is

part

forms of

life,

and

me show you what youVe

society.

and some people

While under

flourish

stress

stress it,

our

is

there

from the high blood

ulcers that are the by-products of

To combat

already

to grips with the everyday stress that

and parcel of modern

that millions die every year sease,

let

youVe come

essential to all is

no question

pressure, heart di-

stressful life-styles.

with alcohol, tranquilizers, and other drugs

seems to be on the order of treating a headache by dashing your skull against a brick wall. tive

The

hours of exhausting, withering pill

solution

than the problem. Every time

or a drink to relax. In

juice,

I

stress,

fact,

is

likely to

step out

my

but

I

on a

be more destrucstage

I

face three

have not once taken a

staple beverage

is

grapefruit

and an occasional cup of tea.

After a couple of weeks of practice with the relaxation technique, you'll

be able to shed pressures in from two to

thoroughly

restful

five minutes,

take a

vacation in the most tranquil environment you know,

and return with enthusiasm and

alertness,

unimpaired by drugs or alcohol.

1

6

Secrets

Some

of the Amazing Kreskin

people reach a point in total relaxation where they

completely detached from their bodies. In

sensation of disembodiment through relaxation has caused ple to imagine that they

or had what

OBE

known

is

as

feel

fact, I believe that this

some peo-

have actually separated from

their bodies,

an out-of-body experience.

consider the

I

a sincere misunderstanding, a figment of the imagination. If

nothing

else, it's

What

else

a beneficial minivacation

can

total relaxation

facing a TV-like screen.

From

do?

—and the price

A young

is

right.

college student

sits

the metal cuffs around his arms, wires

extend to a shiny box with gauges and knobs. Dr. Neal Miller of Rockefeller University in

New York

stands by, along with a few as-

is silent, the young man totally relaxed. moments the machine with the gauges and knobs makes a bleeping sound. The dark screen brightens to reveal a dazzling landscape, a brief reward for the young man who has somehow

sociates.

The room

After a few

achieved what has long been considered impossible: he has lowered his

blood pressure, slowed his heart rate and even reduced the

trical activity

elec-

of his brain, achieving the conscious control of invol-

untary body functions after achieving complete relaxation. Serious practitioners of yoga have accomplished "visceral learning" for thousands of years, and a few masters have slowed their

metabolic rates so dramatically that they have survived burial in a coffin for several days

Personally,

not

I

—the ultimate in

have never

among my top

a matter of minutes

tried

total relaxation.

being buried in a

coffm— it's

just

ten favorite ways to spend a weekend. But in I

can lower

my

wrist pulse

from the normal

seventy-two beats per minute to between fifteen and eighteen as

I

completely relax.

And

at that party I described in the beginning,

you too

will

decrease your heart rate by at least ten beats a minute. During the first,

or threshold, pulse measure, think of something emotionally

stimulating.

Then

request silence, spend thirty seconds establishing

your tranquil scene and another

thirty

seconds allowing

it

to dissolve

to clear the landscape. Stay there, in the relaxed world of quiet color,

allowing everything to the room.

slip

away, oblivious of the time, the guests,

Prepare to Concentrate

Only when the guests announce ceeded

will

you

in

amazement

that

17

youVe

suc-

return.

Image Integration I

do not exaggerate

when

say

I

it is

the importance of the remainder of this chapter

the key to

all

you wish

that

reading this book. Virtually every "foretelling" the future

Yet

and being attuned to the

illusion to

subtlest messages,

both a higher degree and a higher quality of concentra-

will require

tion than

to accomplish through

from simple

effect,

most people ever demand of themselves.

effective concentration doesn't require superior intelligence.

Ordinary people can accomplish the objective I call

with ease once they understand

it

and technique.

my

approach to concentration image

integration,

and for

good reason: we enhance our concentration not by an act of will (remember the skeptic whose willpower only served to defeat him?) but by bringing together as

a

many

sensory "images" as possible into

single penetrating focal point of thought. If that

sounds confusing,

let

me

put

neighbor hears a stirring on the lawn. light,

He

it

way.

this

turns

One

night your

on an outdoor

flood-

but because the rabbit that prompted his concern remains mo-

tionless, the

neighbor

unable to distinguish

is

it

from

all

the equally

lighted surroundings.

You, on the other hand, have money to burn. You rabbits

on your lawn. So youVe

beneath the grass.

Now

installed

a

like to

watch

sensitive electronic grid

every time a rabbit hops on the grid, half

a dozen spotlights blink on, each trained directly on the same spot.

The surrounding lawn is in light from every angle.

in total darkness, but the rabbit

Preposterous as the analogy

is, it

concentrate in floodlight fashion peripheral and focus

When

on

—

makes

the point.

is

bathed

Most people

they're unable to eliminate the

the essential.

you're done reading and practicing this chapter, youll

concentrate differently. Just as the rabbit, not you, triggered the light-

1

Secrets

8

ing

of the

A mazing Kreskin

on your lawn, so the

will trigger the

subject

images that

will

on which you need

focus your

to concentrate

full attention,

while leav-

ing the surrounding landscape in darkness.

When sight,

I

speak of "images," I'm talking about those of the senses:

sound, smell,

and touch. There are other

taste,

the "extra" senses of so-called

senses, perhaps,

ESP. But IVe never seen evidence

they're involved in concentration

— and

I

that

suspect that what are con-

sidered extra senses are really unusual applications of the five basic senses.

Prepare to Concentrate

I

was

in

Reno, Nevada, in 1977, when a University of Nevada coed

was murdered. The police had four eyewitnesses, but each had only

moment to glance at None could give a useful a

The

me

to help.

witness to concentrate, to exclude

and to zoom

in,

one

all

I felt

that

could get each

if I

the peripheral sights and sounds

on the

so to speak,

least

car.

description.

authorities asked

chance that at

moving

the killer as they passed in a

killer's face,

there might be a

could give a clear description. In fact, three

of the four had such vivid recall that they described the suspect in precisely the

same way and

Here's the exercise

I

detail.

led

them through.

must practice regularly— once or twice daily

It if

is

the exercise

possible

—for

you

at least

20 minutes.

Step One. Follow the total relaxation techniques until your mind is

empty,

its

landscape a soft and passive shade of green, blue,

or gray throughout.

Step Two. Focus on a preselected scene or object, one that you can associate with each of the five familiar

you use Include 111

senses— but not the scene

for total relaxation.

movement

show you how

in the scene if possible. In the next chapter

vivid

is

our

recall of that scene.

a fellow so open to the suggestion of

movement

that

I

once knew

we could

blind-

Prepare to Concentrate

fold him, place

him on a

rug,

him

tell

was being pulled

that the rug

out from under him and watch him react.

He would

ment, adjust his balance to compensate and

fall

19

"feel" the

move-

forward— where we

would be waiting to catch him. Don't force the scene or object

— allow

it

to

come

to you.

assume youVe chosen an orange. Against the void of

Let's

landscape, you'll see the form take shape. there a drop of moisture

on

it?

The

The orange

the skin punctuated with pores.

skin will glisten. Is

color

is

rich

and warm,

there a blue produce

Is

stamp on

the side? Is the fruit perfectly round? You'll smell the tangy aroma. You'll feel the skin, so different

Toss

in the

it

Feel

it,

air.

It

Feel the weight of

open

it.

might make your mouth water.

from an it

as

apple's, it

rough and rubbery.

lands in your hand.

Apples go crack when the halves are pulled

The orange makes more of a squish sound. The smell is richer now. Taste it. It tastes like

apart.

it

it

smells, doesn't

—tangy, sweet? You

the

can follow the same procedures with a scene, incorporating

motion of a moving

you walk.

A

car,

own arms and legs pumping while much more input, and if you give

your

scene allows for

yourself just a few extra minutes perience that will perhaps

Be

—

right

occurs they

mark

it

off

can have an ex-

amaze you.

patient as your scene unfolds.

checklist in the corner of their minds,

some

now—you

Some

and

people keep a mental

as each sensory experience

and go on to the

next.

Of

course there's

benefit even to that, but they will remain forever amateurs in

the art of image integration. You're not out to keep score but to

have a unique experience

in concentration.

Observe what's happening in the scene. Someone's cooking steaks

on an outside can hear the ters

grill

and of course you can smell

sizzling fat as it falls

on

the charcoal.

Certainly you Your mouth wa-

it.

with the taste you'll experience.

There are sounds everywhere—from the volleyball players, the street,

the birds.

As you open

yourself to sensory imagery,

up with

from everywhere. You're

filling

even "zoom in" on

recognizing things you hadn't

details,

it

it

comes

You can noticed when

to overflowing.

20

Secrets

you were

of the Amazing Kreskin

actually there before.

You

aren't

remembering

—you Ye

re-

living the scene.

Of

course, that's precisely

how

I

enabled the

nesses to describe the killer, although

they had seen

or "hypnosis,"

on every

him I

at first.

Reno murder

none of them even

wit-

realized

Without using polygraphs, truth serums,

used imagery integration to help them concentrate

detail of the experience.

So

vivid

was

their recall that three

out of four were able to relive the scene in their minds and take the time to study the mental picture in

The

it.

and describe the

man

they saw

descriptions were virtually identical.

And

the effect can be

you know how to relax and to concentrate

—the bedrock on

It

takes

no

special talent,

no

rehearsal.

dramatic.

Now

is

required. Ill say

From this point on I won't refer to either when an unusual degree of concentration only this before we go on to the next chapter:

if

you fmd yourself

failing repeatedly in the effects that follow, re-

which

all

the rest

is built.

of these subjects except

turn to this chapter and master

it

before going on.

—

The Art of Illusion

Even the most hardened

skeptic believes

what

his senses tell

him

but the senses are easily deceived.

The male peacock, when

threatened, transforms

itself

from a rather

drab and awkwardly shaped creature into a glorious jewel of descence. That's

how we humans

a prowling dog

there's

In fact,

nothing glorious about that transformation.

downright scary.

it's

Before the dog's very eyes the peacock has grown huge. over the brilliant,

iri-

see the displaying peacock, but to

dog—no longer just

now

one helpless bird but

It

towers

a dozen huge,

unblinking eyes confronting the animal. The bird screeches,

steps closer, the eyes threatening

—and almost invariably the dog

re-

treats. It's

an

illusion,

of course—"an erroneous perception of reality,"

as the dictionary defines the word. less against

great size

the dog, but the

and

The peacock

is

dog has seen with

fearlessness of the peacock,

and

relatively defense-

his

own

eyes the

trusting his senses,

he has drawn the rational conclusion.

Nature abounds with the insects

Other

on which they

illusion.

dine.

fish enlarge themselves

Carnivorous plants use

Large

fish use

it

it

to lure

to lure small ones.

when danger approaches, or

they have

evolved into species with large, frightening heads, or they have bright violent colors Illusion

—

is

all

to give the illusion of viciousness.

universal in everyday

human affairs as well. The citizens

22

Secrets

of militantly ears

of the Amazing Kreskin

Communist

and read with

countries regularly heard with their

own

their

own

eyes the "fact" that the United States

was a war-hungry nation, and countless millions had come

to believe

the illusion.

Americans, too, swallow rinsed your

mouth

illusions.

When was

the last time

you

so you'd have kissing-sweet breath, or used a

perfume or cologne to help you meet someone handsome or beautiful at the beach, or

Most

bought a computer so you'd be successful

advertising depends for

its

success

in business?

on persuading you

to accept

a subtle illusion: that you too can be like the person using the prod-

Few

uct in the ad or commercial.

people buy a product because

they consciously accept that illusion. Yet they have seen people they

admire

—

celebrities, athletes,

and such

—using the product, and they

have unconsciously bought the erroneous conclusion the commercial implied.

The

mentalist, too, uses illusion.

every concert exclusively to dience conditioning that

Your first

it,

makes

a party, will be to establish

we

what

literary

who

it

who I

call

stage or at

suspension of

it is.

We

put our

critical faculties

attempts to demonstrate unusual "psychic"

an obstacle that the novelist needn't deal with:

it,

our

Yet to enjoy the experience, we

is real.

wouldn't pick up the book in the to believe in

people

on

see a play or a film or read a novel,

us none of

mentalist

abilities faces

absolutely crucial to the au-

possible the later "telepathic" effects.

must allow ourselves to believe that on the shelf.

The

devote a significant portion of it is

challenge as an entertainer, whether

disbelief Every time intellect tells

I

and

first

place unless he

A reader

was ready

but people will show up in the mentalist's audience

project the thought, loud

and

clear, "I don't believe

any of

this.

dare you to convince me."

who responds to the with "Oh sure, sure it

They're like the patient in the dental chair dentist's assurances

about the whirring

drill

won't hurt!" Well,

when

I

very patient dentist

was a

child,

who took

I

was fortunate enough

to have a

the time to touch that low-speed

drill

to his finger and then to

first

with

He

it.

me

convinced

God,

The

at

my

teeth

was harmless and was an

didn't). It

it

course, but an effective one that earned

ous work

23

mine before approaching

that the drill

couldn't hurt (which, thank

The Art of Illusion

my

that

cooperation in the

hand.

As you

seri-

hand.

segment of

illusion

my

performances serves just that pur-

work

pose: to prepare the audience to cooperate with the serious at

You

should do the same with the illusions in

your

friends' conversion

from

this chapter.

and confidently,

learn to execute these effects smoothly

actually sense

you'll

skeptics to believers.

can hardly exaggerate the importance of a cooperative

I

it

of

illusion,

atti-

You cannot achieve the desired effects of extremely sensitive perception until your subjects are on your side. I learned that the hard— and expensive way some years ago when I performed at a tude.

—

high school in Connecticut.

It

was a fund-raising

benefit.

Half a doz-

en teachers and about the same number of students wanted to to

Aspen

to

go skiing

—in

fly

spite of the fact that they lived within

driving distance of the magnificent slopes of Massachusetts, Maine,

and Vermont. So they hired to

go to

this educational

me

to perform,

and the

profits

were

venture in Aspen.

Several of the teachers who, along with the school psychologist,

formed the sponsoring committee,

homes before

their

was very

first

to dinner at one of

it

was there that

I first felt

and warm, yet

I felt

ly unsettled. I finally left the table.

The

me

friendly

the concert, and

prehensive. Everyone

the kitchen.

invited

My

ap-

extreme-

road manager joined

me

in

thing he said was, "Kreskin, what's the matter

with you?"

him

couldn't

I

ended the program that night as

tell

of strangers to hide finding at

then, but later

I

all;

it.

my

I

understood. I

usually do, allowing a group

paycheck anywhere

in the auditorium,

and

But the people selected by the committee were not strangers

they were those

in the evening. I

who had been

at the

understood immediately

dinner with

why

I

me

earlier

had been troubled

during the dinner: these people had been thinking and perhaps planning about the final part of the evening, and in spite of the outward friendliness, there

had been an undercurrent of hostility.

24

Secrets

now

I

of the Amazing Kreskin

realize that

to insist

rium

on

in

my

pounding

Yet

total strangers.

believe I

test. I

I

was offered

—

it's

agreed and went through with the

must have covered every square inch of that audito-

mind, and

my

with

it

me my policy

was foolhardy and unprofessional of

it

to accept the check-hiding committee that

kept returning to the back door, finally

I

fist

in utter frustration

—but

couldn't be outside, for the rules stipulated that

knew

I

it

the check

had to be within

the auditorium. Finally, furious, feeling

an enormous amount of

to one of the subjects, catching

you

really thinking

of where

it's

him

off guard,

hostility, I

turned

and demanding, "Are

hidden?"'and he blurted, "No, Kreskin

—we all agreed to think of the wrong place." Hundreds of people

in the audience gasped.

IVe never been paid for that evening, and

and interference

when

there

imagine

uncol-

overcome a great deal of

in interpreting the thoughts of others is

my

keep the Aspen educational experience going

lected fee helped to

for perhaps an extra week. I can

but

I

hostility or

from

static

others,

a deliberate attempt to deceive, I'm

virtually helpless.

There are two postscripts to that is

that the committee

story, incidentally.

members had agreed

to think

The

first

—actually to en-

vision—the check as lying on the ground outside of the auditorium door. That's

second tee

is

why

It

panying

kept returning to the door in frustration. The

that several

member admit

paper.

I

members of

was not a very articles,

ceit in the

name

interviewed

made

large town,

and these

the front page.

commit-

An

letters,

with accom-

editorial declared that de-

of education was a disgrace to the town. Reporters

me by

telephone, the Board of Education called a special

press conference to explain

who

the audience, hearing the

to deceiving me, wrote letters to the local news-

its

side of the story,

and the psychologist,

apparently had been instrumental in the entire matter, dropped

out of sight for two weeks.

A cation

trusting, believing relationship

you hope to

establish with

matter in some detail

later,

but for

is

essential to

your audience.

now

might actually be a neurochemistry of

let

me

belief,

any communi-

Ill

return to this

simply say that there

a hormonal factor that

— The Art of Illusion affects the brain,

and perhaps the

rest

of the body as well, in a

that a skeptic does not experience. People in

seen the dramatic effects of

25

all

walks of

way have

life

belief:

• Athletes of ordinary ability whose belief in themselves

make

them champions. • Patients diagnosed as terminally

ill

who, believing they would

recover, did just that.

• The call

literally millions

what we commonly

in

are convinced they have

Two

thousand years ago Jesus said that even the

of pure faith could so, yet history

it is

who, believing

ESP,

To

had "extrasensory" experiences.

move mountains.

We

still

tiniest

grain

can't demonstrate

might be defmed as a chronicle of that

build belief, to suspend doubt, master

why

truth.

and use the following

illusions.

Punch the Potato Ask

the host for a

straws

not plastic

raw potato and a few ordinary paper drinking ones. (To be on the safe side, I usually bring

a few straws with me.)

Ask

for a volunteer, and say:

"Pick up any one of the straws and hold

Concentrate on making it

it

it

hard, as hard as metal.

into hardness, jab the lower

at the

upper end.

When youVe willed

end through the potato."

The straw will crumble on impact, of course. Ask the volunteer to return to his seat and select another

straw.

Say:

"Are you sure you didn't concentrate on hardening the potato? It's

the lower tip of the straw, which comes in contact with the potato,

that

must be hardened.

Let's all concentrate

on

it

together."

After a few seconds of silence say:

"Now!"

To

everyone's astonishment,

the potato.

you

drive the straw straight through

26

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

While everyone was

on the lower tip

over on

itself

and pinching

Now, when you

escape.

linder can't cave in

more compressed

—

it

tightly closed so that

it

no

air

could

give the straw a straight, hard jab, the cyfilled

it's

with a column of

air that

becomes

as the straw penetrates the potato.

Straighten the straw, crumbling

and pass

your words and concentrating

listening to

of the straw, you were casually bending the upper

tip

it

around for examination.

top part of the straw

is

a

If

bit to

hide the folded

line,

anyone comments that the

wrinkled, simply explain that you were not

concentrating on hardening the whole straw.

Matched Thought more

to build your

illusion I

can think of

This effect will do will

any other

simple and obvious that

Lay a nickel

nickel, a

own

sense of confidence than

— and justifiably

its

success depends

on you

so, for

it's

so

alone.

dime, and a penny on the table. Take another

from your pocket, allowing no one

to see

it,

and hold

it

in

your hand. Say:

"The coin

in

my hand

matches one of these on the

table. Ill

guide your thoughts in selecting the matching coin." In a rapid series of instructions, which roughly,

you do

just that. Let's

you have rehearsed

tho-

assume your friend picks the penny.

Say:

"Good! Now, take a second coin."

He

takes the dime. Say:

Do you

"Wonderful. of course, that

it's

see

the nickel.

what coin youVe

left?"

You open your hand

to

Hell

show

tell

you,

the match-

ing nickel.

OR Hell pick up the dime and the nickel. Extend your empty hand

toward him and

say:

"Good, now think about your choice. Try to concentrate. Give

The Art of Illusion

me

one of those coins."

YouVe done

ful!

you have held If

all

it.

he gives you the

"Wonder-

nickel, exclaim,

the coin!" Reveal the nickel

along.

he chooses to keep the nickel say:

"Extend your

do

If

YouVe matched

27

fist

with the coin in

Now

it.

open your

fist."

You

the same.

"WeVe matched thoughts and chosen the same coin." And of course if he picks the nickel first, perhaps you

really

have matched thoughts! Obviously, you should avoid attempting effect twice with the

this

same audience.

Magician's Choice This

effect, like

Matched Thought,

will

succeed only as you control

of your audience's thoughts. In mind games that's the most important single lesson you can learn. So practice these two ilthe direction

you can confidently and

lusions until

on the

table.

Announce

accomplish them.

effectively

Pick a card out of a deck, glance at

it,

and place

face

down

to your audience:

"I'm going to project into your thoughts the

on the

it

table. Please concentrate

on the

name

of the card

card."

After a few seconds ask the subject to

name one

color, either

black or red. Let's

assume the card on the

table

is

the four of clubs. If the sub-

ject

chooses black, go on to the next question.

left

with.

"Good, youVe chosen to discard

Do

Again,

If

he chooses red,

red, so black

say:

is

the color we're

If

he says spades,

you choose clubs or spades?"

if

the subject chooses clubs, go with

it.

smile brightly and announce:

"You're doing very well, better than most. the spades, which leaves us with clubs.

Now

number cards." The procedure continues. Let's assume number cards. Immediately say, "All right,

You

wish to discard

choose picture cards

or

ace to ten. Choose ace through

five,

the subject chooses the

the

numbers run from

or six through ten."

28

Secrets

of the Amazing Kreskin

Continue

this process

Ask him

cards. If

If

of elimination until you're

to three

to pick one of the three.

he picks the four, he has read your thoughts. he picks another, eliminate that card and ask him to pick

again. If he chooses the four, he has read If

down

he

still

your thoughts.

misses the four, eliminate the card he has picked and

ask what he's

left

When

with.

he announces

he has read your

it,

thoughts.

Casually turn the card over and watch his

The

Spirit

Ask your

amazement

Touch

subject to

in

sit

that he can be certain

a

chair, his

no one

is

head back against a wall so

behind him. Bring the forefingers

of each hand close to his eyes and say:

"You're going to close your eyes and I'm going to place

fmgers against them so that, through the power of youll be able to

call

up a

spirit

seconds, and the spirit will give

your eyes and just

close

relax.

from the

past.

you some

my concentration,

It'll

sign of

Keep them

my

take only a few

its

presence.

closed until

Now

I

withdraw

as

you urge

my fingers." The him

subject does as instructed,

and sure enough,

to concentrate, he feels a gentle touch

You remove your

fingers

from

on

arm or neck. holding them an inch

his

his eyes,

away, and say:

"Open your

eyes!"

He

does, and stares bewildered at your ex-

tended forefmgers while you calmly ask, "Did anything as

if

you

didn't

This

is

The

instant

know!

how to do

it:

your subject closes

his eyes,

with your two forefmgers but with the

Now

all

happen?"—

you need to do

is

to set the

first

touch

his eyelids

two fmgers of one hand.

mood,

the expectancy, leading

your subject to concentrate not on your fingers but on the he wishes to If

call

not

spirit

through your concentration.

you sense

resistance, explain that you're

having difficulty—

77ze

his

mood

isn't right,

he

concentrating.

isn't

Art of Illusion

When

you're satisfied

that he's in the "spirit" of things, lightly touch a few hairs

back of his

head or brush

his shoulder with

your

to.

Their

to pull their head backward, but

first instinct is

Withdraw the two

and simultane-

fingers

ously position the unused forefinger before the eye sedly covering.

Although assistant

who

Ask the I

subject to

open

it

was suppo-

his eyes.

prefer to perform this effect with

no

witnesses,

already understands the mystery can be helpful.

him of being party

subject will suspect

to the illusion,

of looking at your fingers, he will turn to the witness sitting

—

some open them even though youVe instructed

skeptical subjects will try to

the wall will prevent that.

on the

hand.

free

Quickly bring your free hand toward the subject's eyes

them not

29

an

The

and instead

—who remains

too far from the subject to have been involved.

The next two

illusions are favorites of

to work, so baffling for hours.

Each

—

mine because

they're so easy

and they can keep a stubborn party-goer busy

requires a simple prop.

The Spinning Egg Come

equipped with a dozen fresh eggs. Gather participants around

a table and explain that you're now going to teach them how to spin an egg like a top. Everyone, including you, picks an egg. Set your egg upright

of your

on

thumb and second

its

finger,

though you're snapping your twist.

Your egg spins smoothly

Removing your

large end, holding

To

between the

tips

both pointing downward. Now, as

fingers, give the

until

it

egg a quick, smooth

loses velocity

egg, invite the others to try.

giving advice, encouraging.

it

and

Go

rolls over.

around the table

the person apparently having the most

difficult time, say:

"Here, try

But

it

my egg. Maybe it will bring you luck."

wont. Say:

"It's really

quite simple.

Borrow someone

else's

Anyone can do egg and,

it."

after calling attention to an-

Secrets

30

of the Amazing Kreskin

other participant

again

how

frustration

The

it's

who seems

done. Then leave the participants to an evening of

—none of them

spin

almost to have succeeded, demonstrate

itself

will ever succeed.

takes practice, so be sure to rehearse beforehand.

But the major reason you succeed and they ning raw eggs and your egg

is

fail is

that they're spin-

hard-boiled.

Before the egg spinning begins, place your hard-boiled egg where

you

will easily find

it

among the eleven others, and when you invite make sure you get yours first. After your

everyone to take an egg, spin, casually substitute if

anyone asks to

you can

try

your egg for a raw one

your egg, convinced that

cheerfully assent.

they give yours a

When you

And

if

no one

in

your pocket. Then

it's

asks,

somehow

you can

special,

insist that

try.

take a fresh egg from the carton or from one of

the participants, simply direct the group's attention to the efforts of

he

moment switch eggs again. Some fellow who feels that his manhood is at stake because can't match your achievements just might demand to see you do

it,

and immediately pick up your egg to attempt the

another participant, and in that

Don't worry

—your accomplishment

matched. As

I

will

effect himself.

almost certainly remain un-

said earlier, spinning even the hard-boiled egg takes

practice, and he's not likely to do it in one or two attempts. Give him those chances, then take back your egg and say: "Here, let me show you one last time how it's done." Then keep

your egg and walk away.

Twist the Apple Bring a bag of apples to the entertainment area, explain that you're

going to give instructions on

and

cleanly, with

like to try.

As

how

to break

an apple

in half, neatly

your bare hands, and ask for volunteers

who would

the hands go up, reach into the bag and toss apples

to the volunteers.

While

still

facing the audience, withdraw

from the

bag an apple of your own. Explain the technique: "We're going to

split

the apple the hard

way—not

horizontally,

"

1

The Art of Illusion

but vertically—from the stem through the core. ple upright, place

and

one hand on the

Now, hold

3

the ap-

and one on the

left side,

right

twist.

As you

explain

you do it— but chances

it,

nobody

are

will

succeed.

You have

technique on your

thumb

opposite directions, one rections, as

you exert

though opening a

side.

Your

fingers are turned in

up, one down. Twist in opposite ditight-lidded jar. In that way,

when

pressure, you're using not merely forearm or wrist muscles

but also the powerful muscles of your chest.

But

there's

you reached bag

into the

originally

Here's

more

to

it

than that—you also have a gimmick.

bag for your own apple, you found

it

in

When

a smaller

hidden beneath the apples you threw to the audience.

what you must do before showtime:

Push a

long, thin needle through the apple at the stem into

and

through the core. Using the tough stem as a focal point, move the needle back and forth so that

You

it

cuts the apple in half at the core.

needn't cut particularly close to the skin

—the apple

will

break

anyway.

As a do

it if

finale,

explain to the frustrated volunteers that anyone can

he or she can simply concentrate with

sufficient intensity.

draw another prepared apple from the bag and lady of ordinary strength

who

tell

her to hold

in opposite directions, as

The apple

will

the most baffled of

Show

though opening a

snap

to any

young

in half,

way

to grip the

twist the

two halves

her the proper

in front of her chest

it

it

has not volunteered and therefore does

not have an apple of her own. apple,

give

With-

and

tight-lidded jar.

and the young lady

herself will be

all.

youVe been controlling the attendirecting it where you want it rather than

In accomplishing these illusions, tion of the participants,

would naturally wander. YouVe been the magnet, and their attention has been the compass needle. Under your influence the

where

it

needle no longer points to magnetic north, to wherever

you guide

its

natural direction, but

its

attention to

it.

Conditioning an audience to surrender

my

direc-

Secrets of the

32

tion

Amazing Kreskin

really the secret of

is

mance.

believe— and

I

much

that

my

will test

I

I

accomplish during a perfor-

belief

one of these days

—that

now so rivet the attention of an audience that at the right I moment a band could march, across the stage behind me and go can

unnoticed by the people.

It's

emphatically not mass hypnosis.

Ill

not

undertake a tirade against the entire concept of hypnosis here but reserve that for three chapters hence. Ill simply repeat that

the great secrets of

the illusions It's

a

I

in

is

conditioning the audience to accept

propose.

skill

that can be used in personal relationships as well

would hope not

I

my work

one of

for devious purposes but to

win

friends, succeed

job interviews, persuade organizations to see the benefits of your

proposals, and such.

Now

I'm going to

tell

you how

it's

youll succeed. Success depends on your

apply what you read, and your

own

done. That doesn't sensitivity,

instinct to

your

mean

ability to

empathize and

in-

terest.

Rapport Good I

rapport, as

I

use the term,

once knew a contractor

The zoning law

means being

who wanted

in tune, or in step.

to build a garage onto a house.

in the small northeastern

Pennsylvania community

where he operated prohibited any construction within ten property nine

feet.

line,

feet

of the

but his plan would have brought the garage to about

The building permit was

routinely rejected.

He

insisted

on

a hearing. That too was routine, and often exceptions were granted.

The contractor idiotic,

started his presentation

and those who voted for

warming words,

I

it

by saying, "This law

is

are morons." After those heart-

doubt that the Pope himself could have persuaded

the zoning board to grant a variance.

The contractor was out of tune with the board's thinking and He was out of step with them. The ideal rapport is a mirror image of those you're confront-

feelings.

ing.

Allow them to

see their best selves in you. If you're talking to

— A rt of Illusion

The

someone who's bombastic, be person

If the

petitive.

pleasantly

bombastic— but not com-

shy and soft-spoken,

is

Some people have earthy, open types. Some have been hurt by life;

33

tone in

reflect that

yourself.

natures; others are high-

society

others have gone through

it

unscathed. There's a

the challenge

and

reflect

is

of everyone else inside each of us, and

little

to find what in us

is

in tune with the other

person

it.

Each of us has a

particular

way

of speaking: a cadence, a speed,

a vocabulary. Most of us appreciate a particular kind of humor

we

don't necessarily laugh at the

same jokes

that our neighbor does.

Being in tune means reflecting these aspects of the other person.

Even your physical presence can enhance or detract from rapremove tie and jacket and roll up shirt sleeves the instant I sense that my audience is in a casual mood. Often when I'm with a small group of college students who prefer sitting on the port. I'm quick to

them there—towering above them would

floor, I join

apart. tures.

When

the relationship

Does he use

his

is

hands a

one-to-one,

lot? I

do

I

clearly set

me

study the person's ges-

too. If not,

I

won't

either.

Appreciation I

firmly believe there's

for

me

much

in every person to admire.

to spot the special characteristics in people

—

It's

easy

their talent for

decorating, selecting clothes, thinking through problems, raising fine children, even

making me

feel at ease.

thing worth complimenting, There's

no room

I

And when

I

recognize some-

compliment.

for phoniness or deceit in this business of ap-

preciation. There's nothing easier to recognize, at least

scious level,

you don't

On

than a compliment

believe

it,

don't say

the other hand,

that's

The of those

it.

reflecting

for

not merely

what

his mir-

self.

result: I've yet to

who

the uncon-

insincere. If

when you compliment someone

he already appreciates in himself, you're ror image, but his best

on

unwarranted or

meet the person who doesn't think highly

think highly of him.

34

of the Amazing Kre skin

Secrets

Agreement I

once accompanied a writer friend to a planning committee meeting

in order to discover

me

warned

that

how

most

writers interact with each other.

opinionated, sensitive, and temperamental.

A

friend

few, he said, are also

unduly egocentric. All these personality types would be

at the

meet-

where unity would be required to shape the direction of the

ing,

My friend expected chaos.

organization.

Instead, under his guiding touch as chairman,

my

masterful display of diplomacy in

my friend

on people from the would

ery statement he if

now,

there's

the

say,

some

made was

a

single motion.

floor to present their points of view,

part of every comment.

"Now who

most he could

even

own way.")

to the meeting with clear-cut ideas about the direction

agreeing with at least agreed, he

saw the most

(Diplomacy, according to

life.

the organization should take. Yet he proposed not called

I

"the art of letting other people have your

is,

He went He

My

writers, like other artists, are loners, highly

Where he

dis-

has another opinion on that?" Ev-

designed

first

to agree with the speaker,

own

offer in light of his

a point of view we hadn't considered.

plans was "Well

Good you

raised

that thought."

After two hours he rose and said, "Well, this has been incredible. There's not a person in this for

room

that can't take part of the credit

what we've accomplished today." He then proceeded to outline

on the blackboard the decisions

his colleagues

had reached— precisely

the plans he brought to the meeting!

My

writer friend followed the advice of an old song: "Accentu-

ate the positive, eliminate the negative,

Between."

I'd

inate the negative, I'd advise that I

knew a

and don't mess with Mr.

change only one word in that

real estate

you defuse

broker once

who

it.

Whenever he showed a property would invariably find a defect.

"But the sink

is

In-

rather than elim-

used that technique with

great success. the prospect

lyric:

to a potential buyer,

so old.

"Yup," the broker would respond,

"if I

bought the house

I'd

"

"

A rt

The

replace

bucks.

it, maybe even put in new cabinets. Be Then you'd have one sharp kitchen.

was the same with every

It

would agree

The

entirely,

When

defect the prospect

a thousand

saw—the

broker

the broker stressed the property's

And when

points, the buyer believed him.

buy

at least

35

even point out problems the buyer hadn't found.

was twofold.

effect

of Illusion

he

said, "It's

still

an

good

excellent

for the price," the prospect usually bought.

When you defuse

can agree with a negative comment, you can

Consider the boss who,

it.

after firing off

a

series

utterly

of insults,

concluded:

"And

besides that, you're wearing the ugliest

The employee, right

the

after

examining the

tie carefully,

ever saw!

responded, "You're

—

ugly."

What

could the boss do but laugh with him and realize that

it is

two of them were

One

final

in step together after all?

word about making

ration before every concert,

for one stroy I

tie I

moment

enter

I

illusions

work. In that hour of prepa-

bring myself to a point where

it

doesn't

my mind that anything can go wrong to dein my presentation. I go in so positive that

what I'm achieving

believe

no matter what happens

I

can harness some reaction from

the people I'm working with. I never think of the negative factors. It is

doing.

not only your audience that must believe in what you're

You must

sion, so simple

to teach effects this

why

believe, too. That's

and shallow on the

you confidence and

skill.

these experiments in

illu-

surface, are the very best ones I

promise you'll be performing

of quite dramatic proportions before youVe finished reading

book. But

if

you're to learn real confidence and

master these techniques

first.

skill,

you must

—

You Think

You're Stronger Than

People do not lack strength; they lack

will.

—Victor Hugo All of us have read newspaper

of ordinary persons

who

accounts— several of them, no doubt

exhibit

phenomenal strength

in emergen-

woman

in her fifties

cies.

The most

who

heard moans in her driveway, ran to investigate, and found

recent story

I recall

involved a

her son pinned under his car. He'd been working on the exhaust

system when the jack slipped.

Without giving

and

lifted

it

a thought, the

the vehicle, raising the

tire

woman

from her

him to crawl away. Amazing yet literally thousands of

for

—

verified: fragile

son's legs long

wives have carried heavy, unconscious husbands from

Ordinary

men

men

suffered heart at-

in ordinary physical condition

have run great

distances to prevent disaster or seek help in emergencies.

of "supernatural" strength appear

Danger and emergency either.

ly

Such

stories

regularly in the papers.

aren't the only source of

unusual strength,

A young man I know, of medium build and rather thin, recent-

moved with

their

enough

similar feats have been

burning homes, or from bathtubs after the tacks.

grabbed the bumper

wedding

his

gifts

young bride was a huge

to a third-floor apartment.

refrigerator.

Although he and

One his

of

two

burly helpers had no difficulty getting most of their scant belongings into the apartment, the refrigerator proved

an insurmountable prob-

of the

Secrets

38

The

lem.

steps

A mazing Kreskin

were narrow, the refrigerator was heavy, and there

was simply no way to

get a

good

grip

on the

After forty-five minutes of frustration, lost his

temper.

an end

in

get

it

He

sleek surface.

my young

threw a strap around the refrigerator, gripped

each hand, bent over in front of

up on

my

friend simply

back and keep

it

thought, he carried that refrigerator

and ordered,

it

"Now

balanced!" Without giving

up two

flights

of

stairs,

it

a

and the

only side effect was sore leg muscles the next day.

Notice that IVe used the expression without giving twice.

So many

expectations. are

is all

aspects of our lives are limited

We

we can

ing maturely

a thought

meekly pigeonhole ourselves, assume that what we be.

We

call

it

coming

to grips with reality, think-

—and certainly there are those who, to paraphrase Saint

Paul, "think of themselves I

it

by our own meager

more highy than they ought

to think.

don't doubt that an unrealistically inflated self-image can lead to

misery and failure, but in my experience it's far more common to fmd people expecting too little of themselves. Most of us do that because weVe let other people tell us what we can and can accomplish. For example: Until 1954 it was a universally accepted "fact" in track athletics that no human could break the four-minute mile. But 't

Roger Bannister refused to buy

that,

and that year he ran the mile

in 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds.

Bannister's record has been

today

it's

broken many times since then, and

almost routine for top athletes to run the mile in under

four minutes. But

it

not in strength but in

was Bannister who proved

that our limits were

will.

You're going to discover some fascinating things about strength in this chapter,

and

I

hope

you'll

keep in mind that the principles that

apply to these simple and entertaining mind games have important implications in everyday

mere

illusion

life.

A

on the same order

few of the

effects you'll learn are

we

learned in the previous

as those

chapter. Most, although not so dramatic as those mentioned earlier, are examples of strength

The following

you

didn't

know you

three effects rely not

on

had.

strength but

on the

illu-

You're Stronger Than

sion of

it.

You Think

39

Yet the illusion of strength can be a very useful and prag-

matic thing. Centuries ago Robert Houdin, the great French magician, was

approached by the French government to

settle

a disturbance in a

under French control in a distant province. The

tribe

tribe

would

submit only to a show of strength, and the French chose to use

army to make the point. Houdin's performwas basically magic. The concluding effect involved a small chest that had rested upon the stage all evening. Houdin first called to the stage several of the tribe's strongest young men. Then he gestured toward the chest and asked each of the men to try to pick it up by the handle. They were incapable of budging Houdin

rather than the

ance before the natives

it,

would.

try as they

Then Houdin himself lifted Again he challenged the for

the chest with one hand.

natives,

and again they

failed.

I

don't usually divulge the secrets of conjuring or stage illusions,

I

consider such activities unethical, but in this particular case

Robert Houdin was simply using an emerging science that was then only in the exploratory stages

—electromagnetism.

Under

the stage

was an electromagnet that when turned on forced the chest to ad-

when

here to the floor but lift.

The

shut off

made

the chest very easy to

Houdin power of the

illusion worked. In the minds of the natives Robert

was the great white magician who

reflected the great

French government.

my own TV show

In recent years on

show,

I

and on the Mike Douglas

duplicated the test using a small chair. While strong adults

could not

move

a small child

it,

lifted

it

over his head with one

hand. I

also

added a

twist.

At

my command,

held the chair over their heads until it

to

become so heavy

volunteers the

down

power of

with

that

it.

it fell

I

two or three volunteers

gestured at the chair, "forcing"

finally to the floor,

drawing the

Yet / never used electromagnetism.

I

used

suggestion, planted the idea of the chair's increasing

weight so convincingly in the minds of the subjects that they could not continue holding

An

it.

important point here, to which

111

return

later: just as it's

40

Secrets of the

Amazing Kreskin

possible to persuade others of the illusion of our strength,

own

be persuaded of false notions of our

we can

weakness.

The Withering Touch Choose tell

a rather

floor. (If you're

man who

can

—

After

I

lift

you'll

when

to

lift

in the

lift

you, perform this effect with two people, one at

struck,

first.)

easily lifted, say:

prizefighter

find that spot

arms and

have to rehearse a few times

youVe been

"As every which,

room and you from the heavy person yourself and can't fmd one

to put his hands beneath your

each side

man

your subject the biggest, strongest

as

him

knows,

there's

a nerve center near the chin

can render us paralyzed or unconscious.

and press

it,

you

will

When

become weak and be unable

me."

With your "sensitive" spot.

man's jaw for the

fingertips, studiously explore the

When you

find

you might add

it,

effect

by marking

the spot, at the lower edge of his chin, with a felt-tip pen. Gather

your fingers

at that point

and apply firm, steady pressure. Say:

"Now, try to lift me. You won't be able to." The subject will fmd that his strength isn't equal

to the task.

The harder he tries, the more difficult it becomes to raise your feet from the floor. Only when you stop pressing will his strength return. The frailest woman can accomplish as much, not because she's paralyzing the the

man

lifted

ders, chest,

man

but because she's forcing him off balance.

you the

first

time, he

was using muscles

When

in his shoul-

upper arms, and forearms, but by pushing against

chin and forcing his head back you're making

it

impossible for

his

him

to use those strong muscles without losing his balance. Instead he

must

rely only

cient to

lift

on the strength

in his forearms,

to apply against his chin,

balance.

that's insuffi-

you.

What's more, the harder he

you

and

lifts,

and

the

more

that pushes

pressure he forces

him even

further off

— You Think

You're Stronger Than

41

Finger Power Balance

is

Have your

the key to this effect, too.

skeptical friend seat

himself in a chair, fold his arms, stretch his legs, and lean well back. Say:

you must

"First,

keeping your arms folded.

able,

up

Now

drop your head back and look

at the ceiling."

With your find in

Lean back and make yourself comfort-

relax.

it

fingertips, search his

forehead for a "paralytic zone";

and press your forefinger firmly against the

spot. After

a pause

which you evidence deep concentration, command:

"Now try to rise. Keep your arms folded and get up from the You can't! Harder harder you can't rise!" And indeed he can't, as your finger continues to press firmly

chair.

.

.

.

.

.

.

against his forehead. After eight or ten seconds say:

"Now,

relax again. Let

all

Remove your finger from

tension drain his forehead

from your body."

and

tell

him:

"Your strength has returned. With your arms from the

He

folded, rise

still

chair."

does, with

suggestion that

it

no

difficulty.

And

if

was the contact with

you adequately planted the

his "paralytic

zone" that ren-

dered him helpless, hell never suspect what really happened

was simply that you kept him If you're sitting in first

motion

is

to

—which

off balance.

a chair right now, begin to

move your head and

your center of gravity over your

legs.

rise.

Your very

shoulders forward to bring

All the muscle strength in the

world won't get you out of that chair unless you get your head moving

first.

The

stronger your legs push against the floor, the

forcefully you'll thrust yourself right

your head forward depends almost

no match

back into the entirely

chair.

on the neck muscles

for the strength of a single finger against the forehead.

Requiring your subject to keep his arms folded makes easier for

more

And moving

you

since

it

prevents

him from

shifting his

life

a

bit

arm weight

forward. Yet unless there are arms on the chair that he can grasp, you'll

probably be able to keep him seated even

of his arms.

if

he has free use

42

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

Push It

Down

Perhaps

I've

never heard people laugh more heartily, actually to

tears,

than when watching four strong

hand

in this

the

memorable

time

struggle against

at

it

party. This

I

promise you

is

how

it

my

one

it'll

went the

be last

an informal party attended by several celeb-

a Manhattan penthouse:

rities in

my

At room.

any

highlight of

performed

I

men

supposed contest of strength.

I

broom

request, the hostess brought a

two volunteers, had them stand

selected

into the living

side

by

side

and

each grasp the broom handle palms up. Dropping a piece of paper

on the

asked them to touch the handle end of the broom

floor, I

end pointed to the

to the paper while the other

ceiling.

They did

so without effort.

"With one hand

I can keep you from doing it again," I chalThey responded with guffaws. I confess my heart always

lenged.

warms I

in anticipation at that point.

instructed the

and placed two

men to

hold the pole parallel with the floor again

fingers just inside the

hand

closest to the

end

in-

tended to touch the paper.

"When you're ready, gentlemen," I announced. The men thrust furiously in what they thought was a downward motion, but instead we proceeded to move about four feet across the room.

The Again

I

part,

laid

each grasping the pole in open hands, palms upward.

my

Again the men

open hand

thrust,

of downward. Each knees,

and now two additional

hostess brought us a longer pole,

men took

two

feet

man dropped

from the

of us struggling and

all

hand

just inside the

closest to the tip.

and again the pole traveled forward instead

floor

lower. Finally

we were on our

and two yards beyond the paper, each

the guests laughing until their sides ached.

Here's the secret: Instead of pressing

and the challengers assumed

I

was doing,

forward, parallel to the floor. In that

upward I

as the audience

actually forced the bar

way the strength of the challengers

was converted from downward to forward motion, and

moved

the pole

away from

since that

the target, they actually had to

combat

You're Stronger Than

own forward

their

efforts with

backward

You Think

43

keep the pole

efforts to

over the paper. After a few practice attempts to position your hand properly, you'll have great fun with this effect.

We

all

have physical strength of which we're not aware, as IVe

and the following four

based on

effects are

need for concentration, however. As

size the

Let

that.

said in chapter 2,

I

and for

virtually all successful effects require ability to concentrate,

those whose self-image

one of weakness, that self-image

is

an autosuggestion to produce weakness even when ally exist.

Anyone who

is

it

acts as

doesn't physic-

normal can produce the follow-

physically

you must concentrate on that knowledge and

ing effects, but

said,

me empha-

assur-

ance, envisioning the act completed (as outlined in chapter 2) and

eliminating all doubt.

Hands

Lift the

While standing, shape your hand the top of your head

contact" that that jerking

now

like

a claw, press the fingers against

and challenge anyone

keeps your fingers attached to your

and bending back individual

Someone

is

to break the "magnetic

comment

likely to

that,

fingers

is

skull.

Explain

not permitted.

with you in a standing posi-

tion,

he can't get the leverage needed to exert strong upward pres-

sure.

He

"To flat

on

has a good point. Agree with him and say: give

my

you some

head."

Do

help, 111

sit

in this chair

he pulls your wrist sideways, pitting weight, allow your head and entire that direction. Explain that he

—otherwise he As long

my hand

must

arm

his

body pull

strength against your

to follow your

hand

in

your arm straight upward

succeed only in pulling you off the chair. you concentrate on keeping your hand in contact

will

as

with your head, hell

Now

and place

so, instructing the challenger to try again. If

to

fail

you're ready to

overcome the "magnetic

make

force."

the ultimate challenge. Say:

"This fellow needs some help.

May

I

have another volunteer?"

While you remain seated, position a volunteer

at

each

side.

Lock

44

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

your fingers together and place your folded hands palms down against the top of your head. Challenge each

man

to

hand

the

lift

closest

to him.

men

If the

are strong, chances are theyll actually

chair—but they won

the

no

There's

separate your hands

trick at all involved.

down and

keep your elbows

can get the same

result

The muscles involved your

't

The

you from

way

easiest

to

do

is

to

no matter what

arms are

position his

in.

are sufficiently strong to hold the weight of tries to

separate your

from your head, the most that he or she can accomplish all

it

forward, but a person of average strength

body, and when a challenger

entire

lift

from your head.

hand to

is

lift

of you.

Fist

on Fist

Although simply cles

—

is

lenger's

it

won't be apparent to most of your audience, a strong push

illustrates that

more

arm

—using your

this effect

large chest

mus-

than a hard pull relying basically on a chal-

effective

strength.

Extend your arms

straight forward, close

your

fists,

and plant

one on top of the other. Say to the challenger:

"My

fists

are

and grasp one

down you

now

fist

sealed together. Stand directly in front of

in each hand.

them

try to pull

left

Now, and

while

right.

I

press

Your

me

them up and

pressure must be

steady— no jerking."

No

one

will

be able to dislodge your fists— and

suggestion properly, led

no one

will duplicate

your audience to believe that the key

gether vertically—up and

them together

strenuous up and

What

As

down

stop and say:

YouVe

in pressing the fists to-

major

effort

is

pushing

others try, simply emphasize the need for

Then casually separate their fists. on to the technique? Be alert to that

pressure.

someone catches As soon as you find

if

is

fact, the

you plant the either.

horizontally, as though the knuckles were touching

instead of fist-on-fist.

possibility.

down. In

if

your success

significant resistance to

your

efforts

You're Stronger Than You Think

"That's too easy. fists

I

like

What

a real challenge.

if 1

45

separate your

using just two fingers?"

When

the

mocking laughter

dies

down,

close

own

your

fists

and

point the forefinger straight at your challenger. Say:

"Like this!"

Sweeping your hands fists briskly,

ize

it,

forcing

that

is

them

in opposite directions, clip the challenger's

apart.

The

you broke your own

the audience's attention

on

key, although

no one

rule against jerking

the impossible task

youVe

will real-

by riveting your

set for

fingers.

On

occasion, a spoilsport will insist that he can separate your

with his fingers, too. That's a challenge you can't laugh

fists

nor can you permit yourself to be defeated, even to trickery

if

off,

you must stoop

—and you must.

Position your

fists

one above the other

as before

and

invite

whack as hard and as long as he likes. Hell from exhaustion or embarrassment long before your

the challenger to

col-

lapse

fists

separate.

The reason is that this time youVe secretly extended the thumb of your lower hand upward into the grip of your upper fist. Now the two hands are truly sealed.

FouivPerson Finger Lift Famous magicians have been performing years,

this feat

persuading audience and participants

through a mystic power imbued in the four himself. In fact,

it's

it

on

stage for

many

was accomplished

lifters

by the magician

simply another example of the unrealized strength

in all of us.

Choose a man or woman weighing no more than 130 pounds and four men of average

"Any one of

these

strength. Tell the audience:

men

could

lift

this

woman, and

once it would be no challenge. But what used only one finger? Could they do it?"

tried at

Doubt

will reign.

Yet the

lift is

easily

if

if

they

all

each of them

made. Position the strong-

46

Secrets

of the Amazing Kreskin

man behind the woman, an index finger under each of her arms. Two more volunteers kneel next to each foot and place a finger beThe final man stands in front of the woman and holds neath est

it.

a finger sideways beneath her chin.

Count at least

to three

and

command them

to

The woman

lift.

will rise

a foot from the floor.

The Rigid Body I'm not discussing this effect in order that you

you should

fact, it,

even when

it

not. Several people

was attempted by

here only because

it

may perform

In

it.

have been seriously injured by skilled performers.

illustrates so well the

I

explain

hidden strength

many

it

of

us possess.

A

few years ago,

I

performed

show— and Johnny Carson show

aired,

knows

that

time, but peat, I

it's

I

insisted

I

it

is

had

guest

that

we could

on "The Tonight Show"

rarely permitted that a guest see

Carson before

to be certain that he could handle the stress.

a potentially dangerous

had other guests

and another beneath

I

air-

I re-

test.

Johnny

lift

horizontal position while heels

on Johnny Carson's

on seeing Carson backstage so

Anyone who has been a

rehearse.

this effect

himself was the Rigid Body. Before the

off his feet

and hold him

in a

slipped one straight chair beneath his

his head, neck,

and shoulders. Not only

did he remain rigid in that position, but he actually supported the

weight of another guest,

who

stood with one foot on his chest, and

another on his lower abdomen. Since then I've performed the same test with Eddie Albert and

Mike Douglas and on no

trick involved.

Bill

Bogg's

The weight

is

New York

television show. There's

borne by the very strong muscles

of our shoulders, buttocks, back, and legs. If the muscles or skeleton are abnormally weak, however, very serious injuries

can occur.

— You're Stronger Than

You Think

47

The Rigid Arm With

and the following one, we're looking ahead to the

this effect

next chapter on suggestion. Not that strength it

is.

But unlike the muscles

important here

isn't

in the previous effects, the

ones you'll

now might feel particularly stressed, suggesting to you that they'll fail. You must counter that thought with a positive autosuggestion use

of success.

Ask a volunteer to stand beside you, the two of you facing in the same direction. Take a short step forward and extend the arm nearest the volunteer straight out in front of him so that it's level with your shoulder. Say:

my shoulder Now pump my

"Place your one hand, palm downward, just below

and your other, palm upward, on

my

lower arm.

arm up and down as though it were a pump handle." Allow your arm to move easily. When the volunteer has rehearsed the movements sufficiently, tell him: "Now, through sheer willpower, I'm going to freeze my arm, forcing it to become rigid. Please attempt to pump it again. Begin lightly, then hard harder ..." After a few seconds, when it be.

comes obvious to

.

.

all

that your

arm cannot be moved,

say, "That's

enough." Several physical factors have contributed to your success. strength in the volunteer's lower twisted wrist,

and

his

arm

upper hand

your arm and shoulder where

its

is

effect

is

at is

by

inhibited

a point

his

in the

The

upwardly

fulcrum of

drastically reduced.

What's

more, since you're a step in front of him, he's somewhat off balance. Yet

that

if

you use another

most people

though they

subject in place of yourself, youll find

can't prevent the

arm from being pumped,

strain

will.

The key of your arm

is

that

you must

and

actually create

utterly riveted in place. Envision

a

accept the image

steei

tinuous, solid, inflexible— bent at a right angle to stretched arm, shoulder,

and

side.

It is

I-beam

—con-

form your out-

no more capable of bend-

ing than if your whole being were formed of a

single block of granite.

48

Secrets

of the Amazing Kreskin

on the muscles, continue

In order to prevent excessive strain

only long enough to

this effect

Here's a bonus to the

on

Have

to another volunteer.

ing his strong

handed)

arm

make

the point.

RIGID ARM: you can pass your power the subject take your place, extend-

(usually left for lefthanded people, right for right-

in front of the

person doing the pumping. Then say:

"Your arm is becoming rigid. Close your eyes and imagine your arm extended. It is not flesh and bone but steel, a steel girder, bent at

your shoulder and continuing along your side into your

anchored in the its

it

then

legs,

your mind? Can you feel

in

many

inflexible steel,

is

man. You

cm

feel the firmness of

times stronger than the see

it,

it

in

your mind."

pumper to begin with minimal pressure and graduyou continue to comment, "strong, firm, hard

Instruct the ally increase

see

your body, in your shoulder, in the length of your

solidness in

arm? Your arm strongest

Can you

floor.

while

it

as steel."

When

it's

obvious that the arm won't bend, end the experiment.

Arm

The Rigid fits

limit or release

arm out

hold their

goes be-

it

which our own bene-

Most people "know" they

capabilities.

we "know"

render before putting up a fight

many

favorite tests, for

an awkward angle and

strength of another. Because

Sadly,

my

illustrate the extent to

our at

one of

is

yond entertainment to

it,

resist the

we

psychologically sur-

— and of course we're defeated.

people go through

life

declaring their defeat, and

there are always those who'll be glad to encourage the losers

them what they

ing

do

can't

can't

two-handed

in order to

make

—

tell-

themselves appear

superior or in control. I

was performing

ness in

and

my

since

I

in California recently

neck and shoulders.

was

in

lishment.

left

The

asked

to stand

arm forward. Somewhat puzzled,

downward,

happened to be a

practitioner, before getting to

me

when

I

developed

instructing

tall,

I

me

He

I

went to

holistic health estab-

work on

stare straight ahead,

obeyed.

stiff-

decided to get a quick massage,

a hurry to catch a plane (as usual),

the nearest facility— which

cles,

I

grasped

my

my

stiff

mus-

and extend

wrist, his

to resist the pressure, which

I

did.

my

palm

You're Stronger Than

"Now, keeping your head the extreme

again." This time the "Just as

I

straight forward, turn

he told me.

left,"

arm

You Think

"I

want you to

49

your eyes to

resist the

pressure

yielded to his strength.

suspected," he told me.

"You have some

serious block-

ages in the electrical, magnetic, and gravitational flow through your

Some major

body.

tsubos in the prime meridians are

up. Itll take us at least half a

Now

I

nomenon

He was using me that I was

understood.

to persuade

all

a natural psychological phe-

weaker than

really was. It

I

was an unconscionable dishonesty— by having me look the huckster

screwed

dozen sessions to get you balanced."

to the

left,

had broken the concentration required to keep mv arm

rigid.

told

I

ple thing,

arm

him

now

and of course

to repeat the diagnosis,

knew what he

that I

of invisible

steel.

He grew frustrated and

"Use both your hands," success. I turned

and

left

I virtually

the office

it

was a sim-

intended to do, to envision the puzzled.

ordered. Again he

had no

—and never did get a massage.

In a recent study college students, while listening to irritating

and noisy music, were asked to extend an arm forward and efforts

by experimenters to press

it

resist

downward. The young people

failed the challenge.

In the second half of the test the students listened to peaceful, relaxing music. this

Again they were asked to extend

time they were able to

IVe no doubt autosuggestion.

this

Some

resist

their arms,

the pressure.

effect

can be

offset

by suggestion, even

youngsters are able to study

while listening to acid rock than

when no music

more at all

and others work harder with that noise than without is

when your

this:

ability,

attention

and

is

distracted

it.

effectively is

playing,

My

from confidence

in

point

your

your strength wanes.

To reach your highest potential whether physical or mental you must actively concentrate on the strength you know you have.

The huckster the side, to

do

distracted

and because

I

my

did not

attention

know

by having me glance to

his intention,

I

allowed him

it.

How much

of your potential for achievement

is

destroyed be-

50

Secrets of the

cause

(1)

A mazing

Kreskin

you have a self-image of weakness and defeatism, or sidetracks your concentration

someone or something

on

(2)

the strengths

you know you have?

Have Confidence in Your Strength Robert Bahr, a professional writer for twenty years and a friend of

many

mine, has lectured to

of his colleagues on writer's block, a

condition in which the writer simply stares at a blank page, unable to write.

Bahr

is

an authority on the subject by virtue of the

that he has not once suffered "Writer's block

"Perhaps the

'I

don't feel

won't come.'

Bahr

nothing but a lack of self-confidence," he says.

is

mind

writer's

a cold and doesn't tion:

fact

from the problem.

feel

up

up

is

a

little

foggy that morning, or he has

to writing.

to writing,'

So he

becomes

'I

accepts an autosugges-

can

't

write

—the

words

"

tells

other writers to override the negative suggestion by

implanting a positive one. "Read the best stuff youVe written so that

you know how good you

are. Write fun letters to friends, make an Then sit down and get to work. It might not be your best at first (who was it that said, 'There's no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting'), but once you get involved, the work will improve."

entry in your journal.

In the business world

many

capable people

fail

to be

promoted

simply because they lack confidence. They have the ability to do

more complex and rewarding "I'm afraid

111 fail."

jobs, but

by

their attitudes they say,

Their lack of confidence

is

evidenced in their

limp handshakes, their unwillingness to confront superiors with a friendly yet steady, unfaltering gaze. Their

lack of self-assurance. other,

vidual

much.

We

all

whole demeanor suggests

instinctively read

such signs in each

and no boss can be blamed for concluding that such an isn't

quite right for the

job— the

person himself

is

indi-

saying as

You're Stronger Than

Be Committed Some

51

to Concentration

two

years ago

You Think

both veterans and consummate per-

actresses,

Broadway play

formers, were in the same

together.

As might be

expected, competitive tensions ran high, each competing for the

each attempting to upstage the other and reaching into

limelight,

their large bags of dirty tricks to

As would

break the other's concentration.

the story goes, one night actress

ring the telephone during her competitor's

mood and

A

planned the stroke that

She persuaded the prop man to

finally devastate actress B.

monologue, shattering the

how

leaving the actress at a loss as to

to respond to the

ringing phone. It

went almost according to plan. Alone on the

stage, actress

B was swept up in some important lines when the telephone rang. As the prankster came on stage beaming, the other woman, maintaining her composure, answered the phone. The veteran actresses' eyes met. "It's

on the

for you, darling,"

table

and walking

Another

actress,

Recently she

and berated a

off stage.

The woman

literally

woman

left

on

any challenges to her

ability to

all

concen-

stopped a play, turned to the audience

for taking flashbulb pictures during the show.

in tears.

for resting his feet

actress B, laying the receiver

Katharine Hepburn, perhaps the greatest of

time, simply won't tolerate trate.

announced

On

another occasion she scolded a

She

the stage.

the set as the audience viewed

it

said that

it

man

not only changed

but affected her whole perception

and concentration.

One

of the most

to be distracted

common ways is

ecutive in a hotel chain where "I

was doing a few jobs very

my

boss got jealous.

twice the workload

that people allow their concentration

by assuming too many

He

I

I've

The circumstances of our concentrate on our strengths.

performing told

As one

me

ex-

recently,

on them, and So he gave me

well, really concentrating

thought

— and now

was

I

responsibilities.

was

after his job.

more than

lives

I

can handle."

often fracture our ability to

Bills, children,

marital discord,

illness,

52

Secrets of the

Amazing Kreskin

a multitude of diverse responsibilities ness needed

if

we

shatter the single-minded-

are to develop our strengths to their

Although Thoreau explained

it

mind when he summarized word "Simplify! " I can offer no

in

all

differently, I think that's

his

approach to

better advice.

life

maximum.

what he had

with the single

Just a Suggestion

Belief

is

the natural possession of beings possessing minds.

—Martin D'Arcy, The Nature of Belief

Not long ago pills

I

read of a medical study in which placebos— sugar

containing no medication

—were found twice as

effective in curing

headaches and minor aches and pains as were real drugs. Of course there

was nothing

in the sugar pill that

yet placebos are frequently prescribed is

diagnosed as psychosomatic

lem but a are

state of

mind.

—resulting not from a physical prob-

Some

people convince themselves that they

and that autosuggestion

ill,

would cure any symptoms,

by doctors when an ailment

is

sufficient to

produce genuine and

often agonizing pain, physical crippling, and, in rare cases, death. (It is

that very principle that can

fatal to those

As

who

believe in

make

the curse of a witch doctor

it.)

the placebo study illustrates, illness caused by suggestion can

also be cured

by suggestion. That's why the placebo often can be it without a thought when

potent therapy indeed. Mothers often use their child rushes into the

knee. tion

A

Let for

you

and

bit

"It's all

it

of salve, a bandage, a kiss from better"

make

me show you in

house wailing and clutching a skinned

right

now how you

a simple experiment.

has been used by

Mom,

and the sugges-

the tears magically disappear.

I call it

the

can make suggestion work

HAND WARMING TEST,

physicians and psychologists in recent years

to reduce or eliminate the pain of migraine headaches, possibly

by

54

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

reducing bio ad flaw to the brain. Obviously you will not try this

when your hands must

warm from washing

are already

same temperature

feel the

and

Sit in a chair,

as the rest of

or hard work; they

your body.

you want proof

if

that the test works, hold

a sensitive thermometer in your hand for a few minutes. a reading.

Now- imagine that both of your hands

hot water.

When

say "imagine/

I

I

of the hot water on your hands?

You

gestion most effective.

you

are in hot water,

are

Do you remember

It is this

You

will

it

certainly

makes sug-

now

your hands

that

Shift the

thermometer

on

Now it.

warmer than

the other.

warmer hand and concentrate

you know that your hand what you know:

silently or aloud.

it

feels

your

all

it.

Tell yourself

peat

to the

No, you

hoi

soon notice that one hand

attention

Feel the

Visualize the

the water too hot to endure?

Is is

in

the feeling

are actually reliving the experience.

wrinkling of your fingertips.

take

vivid recall that

are not pretending

needlelike pangs of the hot water against your skin.

can stand it— but

Then

submerged

mean remember. Did you wash

Did you draw a bath?

dishes last night

test

getting warmer.

is

"My hand

Continue the

is

getting

You can

feel

warmer." Reminutes

test for at least five

so that the thermometer will have the time to register the change.

Although the temperature

will increase

by between one-half degree

and three degrees, your thermometer might not be to detect

it.

Whether

it

does or not, you certainly

sensitive will

have

enough the

felt

difference. If

you

are a football or

hockey

fan,

you know

that hardly a

season goes by without some outstanding player having a \iolent collision yet continuing

jur}

7 .

through the game with no indication of

Only when the game

is

over and he enters the dressing

does he become aware of the serious pain he lete

had been so eager

conscious suggestion: It's

to play

"I feel

this capacity to

is

suffering.

The

no pain and

am

not injured."

accept self-generated suggestion (autosugges-

who can endure

the pain

of overwhelming effort from those with equal physical capacity less.

ath-

and win that he gave himself an un-

tion) that separates outstanding athletes

accomplish far

in-

room

who

Just a Suggestion

Dont

55

confuse suggestion and autosuggestion with the mythical

"hypnotic trance." In spite of the soothing

as a hypnotic trance.

I still

and

talk, penetrating stares,

swinging chains employed by sideshow magicians, there

is

no such thing

have a standing offer to pay one hundred

who can

thousand dollars to anyone

prove otherwise.

ever to lose this money, since laboratory tests have

do not expect

I

shown

when

that

supposedly under hypnosis, subjects have precisely the same physiological responses as they

same

readings are the are fully alert

The

normally do. Even their electroencephalogram

—they are certainly not asleep in any

sense.

They

and know exactly what's going on.

was the same a hundred years ago and more when

story

hypnotism was called mesmerism, although the whole procedure was even more flamboyant than cape, the mesmerist

which supposedly sciousness.

merism

One

made

is

it

today. Often wearing a dramatic

long, flowing gestures before his subject,

an

lulled the individual into

altered state of con-

rather critical observer of the day dismissed mes-

as the product of the subject's active imagination.

The

critic

was Benjamin Franklin.

Today

if

someone were

you

to ask

to

lie

on a

table or

sit

in

a chair while he made exaggerated sweeping gestures over your body, face, arms, first

and

legs,

you might be tempted

to laugh, but

if

you were

conditioned to believe that these gestures were sending a mys-

terious magnetic force or fluid

to your

own

from the mesmerist's hands and eyes it quite seriously. And if you

body, you might take

were receptive to the mesmerist's suggestion, you might experience the convulsive response that

was the hallmark of the

state of

mes-

merism.

Today mesmerism has

given

way

to the fashionable trance through

which, according to Hollywood, a villainous hypnotist can cast highly

moral people into a zombielike stupor and force them to commit nous crimes. In

fact,

many

hei-

educators, entertainers, and physicians have

almost that naive a view of hypnosis.

Sideshow hypnotists sometimes talepsy, in

to hold

The

it

which a subject

is

like to

put into a

induce a state called ca-

difficult position

and told

longer than the average person would consider possible.

subject also might be told

it

is

impossible for

him

to

move,

56

Secrets

of the Amazing Kreskin

and he might accept the suggestion. To prove to you that no required,

trance

is

self in

an

me show you how you can use mind game.

catalepsy your-

let

interesting

special

Challenge a group of friends at a party with the announcement: "I'm ten times stronger than you are.

you couldn't even hold

Ill bet

a feather for twenty minutes."

When the

challenge

accepted

is

— and

small chicken feathers to go around and

it

will

be

—produce enough

each participant to hold

tell

one in each hand, arms outstretched in front of him with the palms

down,

for twenty mintues.

Few

will

minutes, not because the feather

is

be able to do

Actually, the muscles involved could

do

for even five

it

heavy but because

arms

their

are.

the job easily, but after a

few minutes pain develops that few people are trained to ignore.

Of

course, in

many

ample, the athletes

contexts

mentioned

I

men, and many others

the

difference

work

is

ignore the

pain—for

ex-

Painters, secretaries, mail-

muscle groups every day with-

stress limited

out noticing the pain that might

The

we do

earlier.

make you and me

up

give

the effort.

that they are not thinking about the pain but about

they're doing.

They endure by concentrating on something

other than the pain. That's

your

how you

will

prove that you're ten times stronger than

friends. After the last

one gives up, take a quarter from your

pocket and ask everyone to agree that the feather. If they

do

not,

your argument. Have someone you

you when to

it is

ten times heavier than

add another quarter to the

first

to clinch

trust take a wristwatch and

tell

At the command, extend your arm and proceed on something other than pain.

begin.

to concentrate

on reading a book.

Personally, I prefer to concentrate

It isn't

the easiest trick to turn the pages with one hand, but that too be-

comes an unusual of

my

effective subject of concentration. I

ability to concentrate

life

and

it is

book even when vince

me

that

my

—

after

all,

profession—so

friends are heckling

my arm

is

admit that

IVe been doing I

can keep

my

I

have an

this for

most

mind on the

and desperately trying to con-

growing weary.

I

have a friend

unable to concentrate on reading, but because he

is

who

is

a very opinion-

ated fellow, he uses the twenty minutes to give a soapbox lecture

57

Just a Suggestion

on

his latest gripe to his

volved that he grows

when

livid

now

captive audience.

with passion and

is

He becomes

so in-

thoroughly disappointed

the tinier announces that the twenty minutes have passed.

Incidentally,

birth (who, I

promoters of the Lamaze method of natural child-

am

delighted to

know, have

referred to

my work

in

a number of their educational films) recommend concentration on

women

another subject as one method of helping

in labor

through

childbirth.

The following gestion in action. chologists

are

all

tests are

You and your

and most

far

more

designed to

show you

the

friends will find

sensitive people

have

known

power of sug-

what some psy-

all

along: that

influenced by suggestion— from authority figures,

news media, our upbringing, and our own conditioning

would ever

The

we

—than

we

suspect.

Confetti Race

You'll need

two

players,

two spoons, two paper bags, two bowls

of confetti or paper shavings, and two good blindfolds for this

test.

Seat the players opposite each other at a table and give them a spoon

and a bowl of

confetti.

Show them

the paper bags, each with a line

drawn two-thirds up from the bottom. Explain that you will blindfold the competitors and that they will be required to fill the bags to the line but not beyond, testing their skills in judging weight.

a player thinks he has reached the

ment and then wait to is

remove the

line,

he

is

for the other player to

blindfold.

Whoever

is

to

do

make the

When

the announce-

same— he

is

not

closer to the line at the finish

the winner.

Assure the players that they

may

lift

the bags to weigh

them

as they go along to help them to guess when they have reached the

mark. Emphasize that confetti

is

very

light.

After carefully blindfolding the players (soft balls of cotton over the eyes held in place by a snug handkerchief usually prevents peeking),

open the

bags.

Be

sure to signal

as they discover that the bags have

all

observers to keep silent

no bottoms.

Secrets

58

of the Amazing Kreskin

and cheer the players on. As

Start the race

morning,

will rise in the

much

after

surely as the sun

one player and then the other

first

will,

weighing, conclude that he has reached the mark.

With blindfolds removed,- the

how

subjects will discover

uncri-

they accepted your suggestion that the weight was increasing

tically

in the bags.

Glued Eyelids You can perform Ask

this test

with a small group or a single person.

an atmosphere conducive to

the subject to be seated. Create

concentration. Tell the subjects:

"We to

sit

are going to try a test of simple concentration.

back

closed.

Now

imagine that you have a hole in the center of your head.

—you can see through

It's

rather large

it?

Keep your eyes

closed,

that imaginary hole.

.

.

.

and

You

you look higher

tually looking

.

through

looking upward

.

By studying nize

.

.

.

.

higher. it,

upward

.

.

it's

.

.

.

it,

Can you .

.

Try to see

.

because

you

.

.

.

Keep

see

it.

Now

on

You

.

it

you're ac.

.

.

Keep

the subjects' faces, you'll recoglevel of

concentration and are

and perhaps even the

ceiling

address individually those subjects

above

their

who do

seem to be concentrating deeply enough, or you might

who

.

.

visualizing

through the top of your head.

actually visualizing the hole

subject

too far

is

it

farther upward.

there.

picture

upward. ..."

the expressions

You might

.

Now

which ones have reached a deep

heads.

to the ceiling.

looking upward.

start

now. You know

it

it

can't quite see

back, but keep looking farther

can almost see as

want you

I

gaze straight ahead, and close your eyes. All eyes

easily,

not

select the

appears most receptive to the suggestion and work di-

him or her. Say: "While you are looking at the hole, you will not be able to open your eyes. They are glued tightly shut. Try to open your eyes you can't. Keep looking upward ... to the ceiling. Try to open your ." eyes. They are glued shut! Tightly shut. rectly with

.

.

.

Continue to repeat your statement

.

.

.

.

.

in a

normal volume but

in

Just a Suggestion

59

a commanding, authoritative tone as the subjects try to open their eyes. Then, easing your tone, tell them: u Now, relax. . . . Forget the image lax. ..

youVe

created.

.

.

.

Just re-

Don't worry about that hole in the top of your head ...

.

isnt there.

.

Don't try to look for

.

.

it,

just relax.

Now

it

open your

eyes."

Most

bewildered, convinced that

In

some blinking and you had some peculiar power over them.

subjects will indeed

open

their eyes,

they themselves were responsible for their "glued" eyelids,

fact,

for they accepted your suggestion that they could visualize a hole

and by

in their heads,

possible to

To

open

upward they made

help assure the success of this

best illusions

Do

subjects.

from chapter 3

it

physically im-

most

at

effect,

precede

it

with your

in order to gain the confidence of the

not try to prolong the

—eight or ten is

staring

their eyes.

—or you

effect

risk

more than a few seconds

having a subject analyze what

happening, reject the suggestion to continue staring at the hole

in his head,

and prematurely open

his eyes.

Clasped Hands Start

by

telling

thumbs and

each person to clasp

fingers interlocked.

his

own hands

together with

Demonstrate by folding your own

hands, and check to see that everyone has followed your instructions exactly.

As you

raise

your folded hands outward,

say:

"Keeping our fingers locked snugly, we're going to

raise

our arms

out in front of us. Keep your arms straight and raise them in front of you, turning palms outward so that you can see the backs of

your hands and fingers."

Demonstrate how fingers,

and check to

this

should be done with your

see that everyone

still

own

interlocked

has his fingers securely

interlocked. Say:

"Now, keeping your arms

perfectly straight

and your

fingers

interlocked, raise your arms straight upward, over your head.

Look

60

Secrets

of the Amazing Kreskin

backs of your fingers. Keep pressing firmly toward the

at the

ceil-

"

ing

When seconds,

all

have reached that position and maintained

you can announce, "Now

try to

for a few

it

draw your hands

apart.

You

They're locked together! Firmly locked! They cant separate them. ..." won't come apart. .

.

.

Keep an eye on each "unlocking,'' urge

them to

and

participant,

lift

if

one or two seem to be

their hands, "higher

.

.

.

higher

.

.

.

now

pull harder!"

Pushing the hands upward forces the fingers together and nulall efforts

lifies

The key

to pull the hands apart.

insistence that the

is

your persuasive

hands be pushed higher and higher. Only when the

subject rejects that suggestion can he succeed in separating his hands.

To conclude the Now, hold it .

them

straight

As

.

stop trying to pull your hands apart. Bring

downward. Keep your arms forward.

.

."

.

the participants reach that position, urge them: "Keep watch-

ing your hands as slowly.

.

test, say:

you turn palms toward you.

Now draw them apart,

Very slowly apart."

Here, as before, demonstrate the procedure and, by separating

your

own

hands, suggest that everyone's hands are

The reason you should demonstrate might

still

find their

the unlocking

that

unlocked.

some

subjects

hands locked simply on the basis of suggestion.

Use the opportunity to demonstrate how

Then emphasize the

is

now

order: "Slowly

.

.

.

effectively the test

slowly

.

.

.

relax.

.

.

worked. ."

Sooth-

ing words and touch will always bring the predicament to an end.

Tell-A-Card In chapter

3, I

explained that every successful illusion results from

a successful suggestion.

most achievements

Now

let

me go

a step further.

I

believe that

in the area of extremely sensitive perception are

related to (although not explained by) suggestion or imagination

suggestion

is

the gate that opens the subject's

"extremely sensitive" potential.

You

will

mind

to his or her

succeed in achieving com-

Just a Suggestion

61

plex effects to the degree that you master the art of giving authori-

and persuasive suggestions to your

tative

One is

the

of the best

subjects.

of your ability to implant a suggestion

tests

TELL-A-CARD game.

for the secret of the effect

It

depends

entirely

on the

suggestion,

so simple that your subjects, allowed

is

to consider the obvious, will catch on.

Have a

subject thoroughly shuffle a deck of cards

up so

the deck face

Gather the cards into a pack and place

it

face

down. Have a subject

cut the pack in the middle and place the top half face inches

beyond the bottom

nearest heap, study

it,

"This card will

Name

and spread

that everyone can see that they are well mixed.

and

tell

half. Lift the

down a few

card from the top of the

say:

me

the

name of

the card

on the

far heap."

and casually place the card you are holding on the

that card

top of the near heap.

Now

turn up the card on the far heap.

announced. Put

it

It will

be the card you

back in the pack, place the near heap on top

of the far one, and say: "Will

someone cut the pack and well

try

it

again.'"

Place the top half beyond the other as you did the

first

time

and examine the card on the near heap. Announce the card on the top of the far

You

pile.

could go on playing this

game

all

night,

and some subjects

never catch on as long as you keep them wondering

will

how

the

card you examine gives you the clue to the card on the far pack.

You must continue to reinforce that suggestion. Of course the card you look at doesn't tell you the card

heap

—

on the other heap

will be.

At

the outset,

they are shuffled, note the left

anything about

or right.

When

it tells you what the next card on that when you spread the cards face up to show

card in the pack, the one at the extreme

first

the pack

two heaps, place them so

is

placed face

that this card

down

again and cut into

becomes the top one of the

far heap.

Now

must

study the card on the top of the near heap for two reasons:

still

you know the card you

to suggest that the

you

game

the opportunity to

is

far

are going to identify, but

more complex than

it

really

is;

you

to give

memorize the card on the top of the near heap.

62

Secrets

of the Amazing Kreskin

When you

put the near heap on top of the far one, the card

you have examined

will

be on top.

No

matter where the deck

is

still make sure that card is on top of the far heap. As IVe said, some people will not catch on even if you continue this game all night, but others are not so suggestible, so I don't recommend repeating it more than half a dozen times. A good way

cut,

you can

to "cap the climax"

to

is

announce before the

to try to concentrate very hard this time,

both of these cards

—the

"I'm going

last play,

and perhaps

top one on each heap

can name

I

—without

looking

them." Place the fingers of both hands on the near heap

at either of

and appear deeply thoughtful. Say:

"We

have here

—

and name the card that you know

"

far heap. Lift the card off the top of the near

Of course it won't be "And the card on

it.

the card

you named. Then

the far heap

is

is

on

the

heap and glance at

— " Name

say:

the card in your

hand. Lift the card from the far heap, allowing no one to see

Examine

Fire

It

smile,

it,

and throw both cards face up on the

it.

table.

and Ice

has been reported that some people are so susceptible to sugges-

tion that, blindfolded

and told that they

will

be touched with a white

hot poker, they immediately develop a large blister are touched

—with an

ice cube.

principle but less violent

Tell

is

FIRE

An

their

arms

AND ICE.

your subject that you are going to blow out a match and

then touch his hand immediately with the

have done wish to

when

experiment based on the same

this before

test his reflexes.

and he won't be

Ask him

to

tell

Assure him that you

tip.

seriously burned, but

you

you when the pain becomes

too great to endure. Explain that he must put his hands behind his

back so that he cannot respond even before he has been touched. Light the match so that he can hear

Blow ice

it

it

and smell the

sulfur.

out and immediately touch his hand with the edge of an

cube. Chances are hell

tell

you

instantly that

it's

too hot.

Just a Suggestion

Let

me

you of a game a psychology instructor and I do not recommend unless it's germane

tell

played— one

that

lesson, since

some people

can become physically

When full

ill

his

to the

it.

had on

the class began, the instructor

desk a jar half

his

of clear liquid with the word "chloroform" printed on the

He began by removing

the

lid

watch because during the

thirty minutes.

above the

At

poll of

would be conducting a

re-

evaporate in

will

the back of the jar, about a quarter of an inch

liquid, the instructor applied

an informal

label.

and asking every student to check

class they

how much chloroform

search project to determine

once

I

open to suggestion and

are particularly

because of

63

a piece of tape.

how much chloroform the

—would do

so.

then took

students thought would

evaporate, confirming the suggestion that a certain half or three-quarters

He

amount— perhaps

Before starting the day's instruc-

tion he also pointed out that anyone feeling slightly uncomfortable

about the aroma should

Ten minutes

let

him know.

later the instructor

wrinkled his nose, indicating that

the evaporating chloroform bothered him.

He

show

line of tape

that the liquid

was already below the

The

to the back of the jar.

the jar slightly to

tilted

he had applied

angle at which he held the jar increased

the effect.

After about fifteen minutes the instructor asked, "Are any of

you becoming nodded,

At the

by the smell

as bothered

their faces reflecting

that

moment

rose

I

as

I

am?"

Several students

minor nausea.

from

my

chair,

walked to the front of

room, and took a good swallow from the jar

—

it

contained only

water.

Do

these experiments

show you how

easily

we

are disposed to

accept inaccurate and even negative suggestions? But here

wonderful thing about suggestion: just as we can use

it

is

the

to create

an unpleasant "aroma," we can produce pleasant and cheering

effects

as well.

Suggestion vation and

is

at the core of every successful

all effective

program

in moti-

guides to positive thinking.

Here are some ways you can use suggestion to improve and perhaps even change your

life.

64

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

Moods

Altering

Some

my many

time ago, during one of

appearances on the Mike

Douglas show, a well-known Broadway and film

my

to be

many

We

subject.

the subject

is

made

times she

is

did a test that

I call

to respond exactly the

"Obsession," in which

same way no matter how

given a choice and no matter

tives are available. I

remember the show

was absolutely baffled over her

actress volunteered

how many

alterna-

well because the actress

inability to

respond in any but the

predetermined fashion. Ill

as

now produce

you read

the

same

effect

with you.

You can

participate

along.

Pick up a pencil and

sit

at

a

table.

Every time you see the two

words "Tap, tap," tap the pencil on the table

twice. Let's practice.

"Tap, tap." (You should have tapped the pencil twice.)

"Now,

I

think of the

a cloudless of

want you to think about SUNSHINE. You can

word

as

it

summer sky

appears on the page, or better

yet, envision

SUNSHINE.

Feel the heat

filled

"Tap, tap," "Tap, tap,"

with brilliant

SUNSHINE. Every time you tap

the glory of dazzling

it,

envision as intensely as

either

the pencil,

you can SUNSHINE.

SUNSHINE. SUNSHINE.

As you read the next few sentences, every time you see "Tap, SUNSHINE. (Did you just do it?) Each time as I continue

tap," think

to write the

think it

words "Tap, tap," you should tap the pencil again and

SUNSHINE. "Tap,

tap."

Did you do

every time you saw "Tap, tap," then

it? If you have not done you should go back to the

beginning and start again.

"Tap, tap."

You might or perhaps

with

you

see the "Tap, tap" in the middle of the sentence,

see "Tap, tap" later.

Each time

associate "Tap, tap"

SUNSHINE.

Now when you

I'm going to ask you to try not to think of tap the pencil to the table. But the fact

not be able to keep the pencil tap.

SUNSHINE

As soon

as

out of your mind

you "Tap, tap" now, you

is

SUNSHINE

that

you

will

when you hear SUN-

will think

Just a Suggestion

SHINE.

I

65

no longer need to suggest SUNSHINE for you have condi-

tioned yourself to think of

how SUNSHINE You again by yourself. You see!

"Tap, tap." Notice

it.

pops into your mind? Try not to think of

SUNSHINE again! Try it Here's how to make use of the "Tap, envision SUNSHINE)? When the weather thought of

it,

just "Tap, tap."

tap" suggestion. (Did you is

unpleasant or you're in

a sour mood, simply tap your pencil on the table twice. You'll immediately envision

SUNSHINE.

Relax, enjoy

elevate. (It's certainly less expensive

why

mood

your

you already respond

fact,

by developing various moods. Some thoughts

invariably depress you.

avoid them,

let

than flying to the Bahamas!)

Although you might not recognize the to specific suggestions

and

it,

So do some people and

places. If

you

can't

not give yourself a countersuggestion response by

thinking of something pleasant whenever you encounter them?

Certain music, perhaps poetry, people, and places, always set

you in

a positive mood. Try to be conscious of the uplifting factors

in

your

life,

and when your

spirits

Preparing for

Tomorrow

In studying the

lives

found

at least

one

of

many

common

need boosting,

outstanding

utilize

them.

men and women

have practiced autosuggestion, although most probably didn't it.

If

you

I

have

characteristic: each person appears to

are the sort of person

who can

realize

lose yourself in a

good

book or movie, not only sympathize with others but almost feel that you're in their shoes, if you're moved by an idea, a song, a game, or a poem to the point that you forget where you are, then I have no doubt that you too can use autosuggestion

to obtain remarkable

results.

Whether you intend to be a professional

athlete,

a performer,

a successful businessman, or whatever, your ultimate success

is

merely

the top rung of a long, long ladder, and the advice I'm going to give

you must be applied on every single rung. There are many ways to use autosuggestion

chances for achievement, but the one

I

to increase

have found most

your

common

-:

Si

pecp.e

me

suggestion mat .ea

to

success:'.:;

;:

an examunation.. to .earn wiat

:s

Pre-experiencing a situation

Daydreams

wYr

can stare

tnem

at

their strengths

suppose,

now

takes piace. re-ally

that you're sizing

in-,

olved.

mere j.

v

are ,,-

ou

m

chapter

you now

their faces

.

tell

their posture?

2.

so

you

you

if

D: you

that one approach might

alive for

you

so that

it

aetuaih. it

going to happen.

it is

you

are deeply

recognize that the questions follow a pat-

will

on the

instructor's previous tests.

whole blocks

-_^.^v--sized

should have

ing, "I

::me

ur part.

are pre-experiencing an exam.. If ;.

tern simalar to those tnat

Do

them up.

i

see

can't

wish.

;•

the

is

ana negative

the scene unfold in the present tense. Let

let

precisely as

Suppose you en: ugh

m ;men:

tnas

Now

nappen

— they

you

as long as

pis:::-. e

ouclmec

as

and weaknesses? What about

make

Try to

a p re-experience

projection on

Begun by relaxing your body ana ran:

Study the other people involved

it.

not the same as daydreaming.

is

an occurrence, both

of

no "editing" or

aspects. with

expect ^na to otto ire tor

wishful thm/ang:

are fantasies.

pre-creation

detailed

::

in

known

of

mat

:n maienai

auestions

lectures.

You

You

miaio:

lino

will see

the

m-

vc

he would ask that essay question— it's

a natural." I

had a student

actually

crucial questions on n:s

Pernors you have

\

:

t:

tru

arself

me i

u:

y

to

after a

performance

una! exam.

into the script.

You

tuve already seen your

rre-exnenence

me

a leading role in a play.

weave your "save"

a. rector, far

come up

By pre-experiencing

can

make

suggestions

ideas played success:

ally

Just a Suggestion

The

who can watch

athlete

plays the

67

himself from the sidelines while he

game has an enormous

advantage. Notice the

cation that the pitch will be low and inside. Feel your

first

body

indi-

adjust-

ing naturally to a curve that will cross the plate; in the field, note

how you ball

adapt your motion naturally to get to where that high

Visualization, as

described in chapter

I

tance in helping you to achieve

many

all

A

Western hockey player

deep concentration,

on the benches,

way

room

to discover those players

moving along the

floor as they sat

their eyes closed, while they pre-experienced the

would soon take

taneous

their legs

Olympics has reported walk-

at the

ing into the Russian team's dressing

that

of utmost impor-

2, is

of your potential strength. For

years Russian athletes have been trained in the use of visuali-

zation.

in

fly

is.

game

place. This kind of rehearsal links in a spon-

the ideal and the real.

Jean-Claude

was unable to prepare for an im-

Killy, the skier,

portant event because of injury, so while he lay in bed immobile,

he rehearsed his performance mentally. Killy impossibly contest his

little

The

all

commenting

later

ping them.

that he

had been practicing

I

often

never attempt to in

my

in

along.

and

staring

down

at the weights before grip-

wondered what was going through

recently he answered the question for reporters.

it

with

great Russian weightlifter Vasily Alekseyev spends a great

deal of time standing

"I

his sickbed

time to prepare for competition. Yet he entered the

and won,

mind

left

hands,

In the

lift

lifting

up the weight

it,

same way,

and pressing

detail

by

questions an interviewer will ask

until I first it

over

He

his

mind, and

said, in effect,

watch myself taking

my head."

you can pre-experience the

detail,

when you apply

for a job,

and pre-

pare yourself for situations that you would otherwise not have expected.

You might pre-experience a date,

anticipating

awkward

situations

and skillfully manipulating matters to assure a pleasant, satisfying occasion.

Pre-experiencing art

is

not

difficult,

but

of giving and accepting suggestion.

it

If

does take practice in the

you have trouble

at first,

68

I

Secrets

of the Amazing Kreskin

recommend

the

that

you read

games and techniques

this

that

chapter a second time and master

make them work

That's just a suggestion ... but

take

it.

I

before proceeding.

wouldn't be surprised

if

you

The Hypnotic Trance

We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves. —Goethe

The concept of a "hypnotic

trance"

goings-on of the Greek gods on

around which a I

cult has formed,

is

a myth.

It's

as real as the

Mount Olympus. Yet

and that makes

it

a myth

it's

dangerous.

didn't always recognize that. In fact, for nineteen years I in-

cluded the sleeplike "hypnotic trance" in pearances,

and during

thousand people. But

my

concerts and

that time I "hypnotized" after

some

years I

more than

became

first

TV

ap-

thirty-five

curious and

then skeptical about what was really happening to produce the phe-

nomenon everyone was state? If so,

calling hypnotism.

what brought

it

about?

Was

And was

there really a trance

the trance necessary

to produce the results hypnotists claimed to achieve?

Dr. William Kroger, one of the leading medical researchers in

made this enlightening statement: "It is a wise hypnowho knows who is hypnotizing whom." Was it another case of emperor's new clothes the subjects unwittingly convincing the

the field, has tist

the

—

hypnotists that the hypnotic trance really exists, with no one willing to appear the fool I

began

notic trance"

my is

by challenging the myth?

investigation aware that, like

based in part on

fact.

all

myths, the "hyp-

Cave paintings

depict

humans

dabbling in trances five thousand years ago. Witch doctors and medicine

men

used the prolonged, rhythmic beating of drums, dancing,

70

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

and chanting to produce trancelike

In Greece the cult of Aes-

states.

culapius cured insomnia through apparently hypnotic trances.

Trances became significantly

popular in the Middle Ages,

less

however, when the authorities' decided they were evidence of witchcraft

and burned hypnotists

at the stake. It

that the Austrian physician Franz lief in

trances,

Anton Mesmer

which soon became known

Mesmer's stage was a mirrored flowing

silk robes,

cult following.

phenomenon ory around

little

as

hall,

resurrected a be-

mesmerism.

and

his

a cape, and garish trappings.

showman, but he used a large

wasn't until the late 1700s

costume included

He was

a

first-class

prey on the sick and create

his talents to

Like most cult leaders, he capitalized on a

understood

— magnetism— and

built

a grand the-

it.

Mesmer always performed with a

steel

magnetic forces controlled the health of the

by using the wand and

his

forces he could drain pain tients sat in

own power

He claimed human body, and

wand.

that

that

to control these magnetic

and disease from the

sick.

While

his pa-

a magnetized circular tub, he would wave his wand,

supposedly to affect the "magnetic fluids" in the ailing bodies. Within

minutes his subjects would begin to shake, sometimes violently, and often scream until the "crisis" took place. Later, because they believed in tified that

Then they would go

mesmerism, many subjects

tes-

they had experienced relief and apparent improvement.

Mesmer's

disciples carried his

work throughout Europe. WTien

the French physicians of Paris began losing large tients to

limp.

numbers of pa-

mesmerism, a French Royal Commission conducted an

vestigation.

Benjamin Franklin was among the

to the inquiry board,

scientists

which concluded that Mesmer's

purely the result of "imagination."

It

in-

appointed

effects

were

turned out to be a brilliantly

accurate conclusion.

Some

years later a student of Mesmer's, Alexander Bertrand,

confirmed the finding, saying that the success was due to "imagination

and suggestion." Another mesmerist was instrumental

in actually supplanting old-

fashioned mesmerism with today's "hypnotic trance."

One day

in the

1780s a peasant boy was brought to the mesmerist the Marquis de

The Hypnotic Trance

Puysegur

in

hopes of relieving the

child's severe

71

headaches. Since the

youngster was unschooled and untraveled, he had no idea what beha-

was expected of him in response to the flamboyant gestures and waving wand, so he took the opportunity, as the pain did indeed

vior

seem to

fade, to close his eyes, relax,

segur was astonished.

He

and apparently

Puy-

fall asleep.

decided that he had discovered a totally

new phenomenon.

Some

forty years later, the British physician

James Braid con-

tinued exploration into the "sleep trance," and gave

it

the

name

"hypnotism," from the Greek hypnos meaning "sleep."

When

Braid began his research, he announced his skepticism—

and indeed he showed that Mesmer's

frantic gestures, mirrors,

and

costume were so much hokum. What Braid did find was that simply

by asking

his subject to concentrate

on a

lancet or

any shiny object

he apparently could lead the person into a sleep state so profound that the subject actually could endure surgery without anesthesia.

We now some ly no

six

realize that the

thousand years

scientific

Chinese have been doing the same for

—through acupuncture.

We

have absolute-

evidence that the meridians and tsubos, the points

that are punctured, exist. Yet belief in acupuncture's effectiveness

universal

among

duces the

result.

people of the Orient, and

it's

Braid's "hypnotism" might have played role in

is

this faith that pro-

an equally important

Western medicine but for the coincidence that chloroform

was discovered simultaneously. Thereafter, hypnotism stage magicians

—which

is

became the

stock-in-trade of Mesmer-like

why, even today, cartoonists sometimes

depict magicians with magnetic waves emanating tips.

Many

physical or emotional well-being, humiliating

they were bility to

For

from

their finger-

of these entertainers had no concern for their subjects'

all

sorts of animals,

and proving

them by suggesting

that

their lack of suscepti-

pain by burning them and sticking pins in them. several decades, as the stage magicians' antics

outlandish, serious researchers withdrew

world wars kept

from the

field.

alive a flicker of medical interest;

discovered that such

symptoms of

shell

grew more

Only the two

army doctors

shock as amnesia and hys-

72

Secrets of the

could sometimes be relieved through hypnosis. So

terical paralysis

was

successful

Amazing Kreskin

this

approach during World

War

II that

an upsurge

in professional research resulted.

Everyone Buys the Emperor's By 1955 a valid the

the British Medical Association accepted hypnotherapy as

field

of practice, and the American Medical Association did

same soon

leges,

New Clothes

Today, 35 percent of American medical

after.

40 percent of graduate schools of

col-

psychology, and 30

clinical

on hypnotism. There

percent of dental schools offer courses or lectures are also several professional hypnosis societies.

Hypnosis has provided a

and quacks. Example:

A

heavily draped room,

and

ing hands.

He

leads

medium seats

day for con

artists,

glow

in

court jesters,

gathers the grieving into a dark,

them around a

in singing

hymns or

circular table, hold-

chants, then calls for

an atmosphere of high expectation.

silence, creating light begins to

them

field

An

ethereal blue

a distant corner of the room, and suddenly "It's my dead husband!" woman relaxes on a couch,

one of the participants whispers,

Example:

A

middle-aged

a well-

man sitting near her. The room is dim and quiet. now in the womb," the man continues, apparently guiding her to recall memories long forgotten. "Now we will go back farther, farther. What do you remember?" "I am in a great, open arena," the woman says in a monotone. "I see men and women, even children, huddling in the center. The

dressed, fatherly

"You

are

gate's opening.

My God— I see lions!"

Communication with the dead? Reincarnation? Not at all. These two examples of con men in action. That isn't to say that of them are insincere. History is replete with people who were

are just all

sincerely wrong,

Nor

and often the fust person we con

is

ourselves.

are they examples of hypnotic trance. There were

no shiny

baubles dangled before the subjects' eyes, no rhythmic, monotonous

murmurings. In

fact,

it's

precisely because these effects cannot be

— The Hypnotic Trance

73

explained as traditional hypnosis that they continue to lure so

many

people.

The court officials

to

elicit

who

jesters I referred to earlier are the

law enforcement

some years now have been using "hypnotic trances" information from those who had witnessed crimes but were

unable to

for

recall pertinent details.

more than

ing of witnesses in

too have assisted in the question-

I

eighty cases, so I'm certainly aware

of the benefits of helping a witness to recall details of a crime.

The

difference

notizing anyone.

is

that

Few

I

know what

I'm

doing— and I'm not hyp-

of the court jesters can say the same. Here's

what can happen when the utmost care

isn't

taken.

• Arizona housewife Janet Buell was hypnotized in December

number of

1980 and asked to give the license her husband.

killed

The

see the license clearly,

police hypnotist assured her that she could

and she provided the number. After the

sion Mrs. Buell told authorities that the

—she

false

there

cense of tice

someone

license plate.

number

she'd invented

ses-

was

all.

Her statement checked out

Had

she unwittingly given the

hadn't seen the car at

was no such

who had

the burglar

li-

in the neighborhood, a tragic miscarriage of jus-

might have occurred. •

A

California

man

under hypnosis accused

a two-and-one-half-year-old

In court

child.

it

his wife of killing

was proved

that he

himself was the murderer.

In 1982, restrictions

when

the

on hypnosis

the steps of the State strate

how

New

Supreme Court was considering courts, I held a press conference on

Jersey

in the

Supreme Court building

in

Trenton to demon-

inaccurate hypnosis can be. There were twenty-two re-

porters, representing

sociated Press,

interviewed a

CBS, Public Broadcasting

and newspapers from

girl

named Ginny,

just

Service,

deliberately leading her as

hypnotist might, she began trembling.

A

UPI, As-

about everywhere. As

I

any police

look of terror came across

her face.

Ginny told me that she was father

was by her

side.

Somehow

lying in a hospital bed,

a car

and her

had struck her while she

74

Secrets

was talking

of the Amazing Kreskin

to a friend.

No

childhood? ^So\

Ginny

to recall

it

A man who ly recalled

Had

she remembered an experience of her

such accident had ever occurred, but

I

headed the chemical lobbyists

in

New

led

Jersey clear-

being pinned against a wall by a teenage gang, and the

experience was so dramatic that he began hyperventilating.

him

had

vividly just the same.

If I

asked

to describe his attackers, he might well have identified inno-

cent people, and he

they were guilty

would have believed

although no such attack ever took place.

man told the reporters suggested to me was more vivid This

really

happened

Most

to his dying breath that

to

"The

later,

memory

false

Kreskin

than most of the things that have

me." The reporters were stunned.

police hypnotists

of a "hypnotic trance."

mean

but they

well,

They ignore

still

think in terms

the subtle yet profound influ-

ences they can have in shaping a witness's

recall.

Incidentally, criminals too

have learned to apply the techniques

own

ends by persuading themselves that

of the hypnotist to their they did not result

is

commit a crime of which they

that the polygraph (or

pressure, respiration,

lie

are, in fact, guilty.

The

which measures blood

detector),

and galvanic skin response, can sometimes

in-

dicate that they're innocent.

To lie under hypnosis, all one must do is want to lie. Simply make up your mind that you're going to lie and do it. Many courts are willing to accept anything said under hypnosis as gospel. Inno-

cent people can be found guilty, and the guilty can go free.

During the publicity surrounding the

New

Court inquiry into hypnosis in the courts

by organized crime figures on whether

it

Jersey State

would be

possible to hypno-

tize

a group of people so that they could provide an

nal

by

stating convincingly that the

midst for an entire evening. Certainly

alibi for

wrongdoer had been it

presence would be as real and vivid to

Supreme

was twice approached

I

a crimiin their

could be done. The man's

them

as their

own, and no

polygraph or law enforcement officer or psychiatrist in the world could prove that they were lying. (The only suggestion in

each case was that the gentlemen leave

my

I

hotel room.)

implanted

The Hypnotic Trance

"Hypnosis" also has invaded

You can

virtually every

receive a hypno-massage,

75

branch of health

go on a hypno-diet,

visit

care.

a hypno-

psychoanalyst, a hypno-gynecologist, a hypno-allergist, a hypno-chiropractor.

Perhaps the greatest sham in medicine today sis

At the turn of

in psychotherapy.

is

the use of hypno-

the century Freud, the founder

of psychoanalysis, developed a great interest in hypnosis and ex-

perimented with

it

in his practice.

But he dropped

it

like

a hot rock

because, he said, he discovered that his patients were vividly re-

membering

—unconsciously

Murphy accomplished

performing the same trick that Bridey

in her reincarnation of past

life

experiences.

His patients were unwittingly making up stories that seemed so real

Freud and

that both I

his patients

wonder how many

were hoodwinked.

patients, after years of psychotherapy cost-

ing thousands of dollars, have vividly misremembered brutally in-

cestuous relationships with father or mother, or being subjected to

some

horrible physical abuse. After such recall, the therapist often

persuades the patient that having discovered the source of the ness,

he or she

is

well. I suspect that

part of the therapist

is

ill-

quackery and deceit on the

not necessarily intentional, but until mental

health practitioners understand exactly what's taking place, they can't

hope

to guard against such mythical recall.

What's It All About? What Mesmer

did,

what Braid

what doctors and police are doing to

do

and

officers

calling hypnosis

in the previous chapter.

ject to accept It is

what the stage magician does,

and mediums and psychotherapists is

nothing more than you learned

"Hypnosis" is the persuasion of a sub-

your suggestion.

not a trance.

cepted suggestion. the extent that

we

It

is

If

a trance occurs,

not a

spell.

It

is

it

is

the result of an ac-

not a form of sleep.

respond to suggestion by others, we are

notized" every day of our full

did,

lives.

We

all

To

"hyp-

meet some people who are so

of enthusiasm that they inspire us, and

we

accept the sugges-

76

Secrets

of the Amazing Kreskin

tion that whenever we're

us feel

brilliant,

why

stand fools

—

feel inspired.

Others

make

and somehow when we're with them we do behave

make

Others

brilliantly.

around them well

and—we

us feel like failures,

don't under-

we stammer and make stupid remarks and behave

like

whenever we're with them. Unconsciously, weVe accepted those

suggestions.

In everyday conversation

we

use the

in the context of hypnosis, I use

a secure, unwavering, and unquestioning

The depth of conviction a

word suggestion synonym for

as a

it

lightly.

But

conviction:

belief.

subject can reach depends

on

the de-

gree to which he manifests three qualities:

• Imagination. At one point during or twenty volunteers to join

ones

will

make

me on the

my

the best subjects, and send

to their seats. Then, step

by

concerts I invite fifteen

stage, quickly all

determine which

but a handful back

more and more

step, I offer

incredible

suggestions: they are sweating, they're chilly, the chairs are moving,

on

they're talking to other (invisible) people if

the stage. Obviously,

these subjects are too limited in imagination to recall the sensa-

tions of sweating or shivering, they

would not be capable of accept-

Nor would they envision people who are not there. concentrate. Through many years of experience I

ing the suggestion.

• Ability to

can

now

detennine quickly which of the volunteers

to the stage are really paying attention to at the audience, fidgeting, analyzing or

A

good

all

of his attention

me and

So important

on

my suggestion my words.

is

bring

which are glancing

wandering in

subject, accepting

I initially

their thoughts.

as conviction, will focus

concentration that a study published in the April

1982 American Journal of Psychiatry showed that psychotically

ill

hospital patients are significantly less capable of accepting suggestion

—or being "hypnotized," to use the authors' term—than are normal people.

The

researchers concluded that "anxious preoccupation

may

well inhibit the concentration necessary to experience hypnosis."

•

Willingness.

make good is

An

estimated 15 percent of the population don't

subjects for suggestion,

and

I

believe the

main reason

that they're simply not willing to accept the influence of another

on

their thoughts

and behavior. That's not to say that an experi-

— The Hypnotic Trance

11

enced person can't lead even that 15 percent to accept suggestions, but ly

requires subtlety

it

and practice— and

make good subjects. Of the original fifteen

time. Unwilling people rare-

or twenty potential subjects

my

onstage at the beginning of

who join me

concerts, I usually select about six

who

are excellent subjects. These people will sweat genuine perspira-

tion

on

—and

cue. They'll shiver. Theyll believe themselves floating in space

they'll

enjoy the evening perhaps more than anyone.

Faith-Prestige

Here

is

the key to

all

and Kreskin: The faith-prestige.

Once

Put simply,

IVe said about con men, court jesters, quacks

essential quality that that's established, the

faith-prestige

is

makes suggestion work rest comes easy.

a conviction-like

based on the respect the subject feels for his

We

his patient at the hospital

and

encouragement by

have had no

ines the patient,

reassures

him

relatives

names the

illness,

The

and

authority.

elderly doctor visits

learns that drugs

and attempts

and should already begin

patient's face loses

its

at

The doctor exampatient's hand in his,

effect.

takes the

that he's healing rapidly

ing well again.

trust in the suggester

ability

An

see faith-prestige in action every day.

is

lines

feel-

of tension and with-

in minutes of the doctor's departure, the formerly anxiety-ridden,

emotionally tense patient relaxes in peaceful sleep.

woman

Late at night a young

walks along a dark

alley to her

home. Her mother asks why she wasn't frightened, and the assures her, "I saw a police officer on the way home, so it

was

I

knew

same

faith-

safe."

The

successful

prestige, partly

medium

directing a seance instills the

through the ambiance of the room, partly through

her reputation, primarily through her demeanor.

come

woman

to her in the

first

place

if

Few

clients

would

the faith-prestige relationship were

not already established. Faith-prestige can exist

one of Judy Garland's

last

on a very

concerts at

large scale. I recall attending

Madison Square Garden. She

78

Secrets

was

in

of the Amazing Kreskin

poor health

at the time

obviously dazed by medication. ficulty reaching

and arrived Still

forty-five

minutes

late,

a great performer, she had

high notes and controlling pitch. Afterward

I

dif-

over-

heard scores of people swearing she'd never sung more beautifully.

Through

their imagination they recalled the

Judy Garland of years

gone

They concentrated on

And

by.

to believe. But

was that

it

that image.

they were willing

incredible legend's ability to establish faith-

prestige in the face of almost impossible odds that sold the suggestion to virtually the entire audience.

most people are much more

Incidentally,

tion

when

and the

they're part of a

larger the crowd, the

ample of

this

is

comedy.

more

you

If

suggestible

at

theater

—the

same

cast

home on TV and you might

—

it

is.

A

perfect ex-

on Broadway, you might

see a play

well laugh until your sides ache, but

Broadway

susceptible to sugges-

crowd than they would be otherwise,

had you seen

it

a tiny

in

off-

Watch it As every

you'd merely chuckle.

never get beyond a smile.

performer knows, whether he's a stand-up comedian, actor, or preacher,

the toughest audience

is

the smallest one.

Part of the explanation

own

date our

too. If the masses

The

show we

critical analysis

and behavior

is

that the

crowd response seems to

feelings. If others laugh,

is

it's

usually impose

set aside

because

we

response

The

is

on our

it

as well.

feelings, decisions,

accept the suggestion

—

rein-

members—that a particu-

appropriate.

result is

sometimes amusing: teenagers too shy to be caught

with a pimple scream and gyrate at a thrust of Michael

in public

Jackson's hip; people

who fmd

nothing

at all

routine nonetheless laugh hysterically; people

of changing their find

vali-

right for us to laugh

anger, we're justified in showing

forced by hundreds or thousands of crowd lar

all

lives

funny

in

a comedy

who have no

intention

join hundreds of others at the altar call to

God.

The

hypersuggestibility of

tive results,

of course.

Some

crowds also can have

strikingly nega-

years ago, a job ad brought a

number

of people to the vestibule of a business office where interviews were to be conducted. to be interviewed

While quite a number of applicants

and a secretary worked

at her

sat waiting

desk some distance

The Hypnotic Trance

79

away, smoke began to seep into the room from a vent. Although

smoke was so obvious that it could hardly have been ignored by anyone in the room, no one reacted. No one, apparently, wanted the

mass suggestion that

to counter the implied

was inappropriate to

it

point out an irregularity. Fortunately, the entire project was a research experiment in hu-

man

psychology. It

was no lab experiment, though, when millions of Americans

mob

turned their backs on the

wounding of built

blacks. It

was

hysteria that led to the lynching

tragically real

millions of

Germans

a faith-prestige relationship with Adolf Hitler and followed him

to their nation's destruction. In

whether

tion,

one of hatred,

it's

gious zeal, or whatever,

but

when

and

accepted because

is

If

you would

isn't

it's

all

such cases the leader's sugges-

Jim Jones's

nationalistic pride,

reli-

subjected to the usual critical processes

confirmed by others.

identify the really

dangerous person

in

our

society,

mad scientist with his finger on the bomb, some who tosses his clothes into the crowd, or some writer philosopher who would lead us along a theoretical maze to em-

don't look for a

teenage idol

or

brace anarchy or ple,

one

in

And when

communism. Look

whom

the masses

lift

follow his leading blindly

In 1970

my

I

instead to the orator of the peo-

they have faith, one

began to use

who

has prestige

him up and proclaim him

among them.

their leader

and

—then begin to worry.

my

concerts as a research laboratory to test

theory that the hypnotic trance was simply a manifestation of

accepted suggestion and not a prerequisite to

a risk before

my

audiences, for

about twenty years, and

beginning, but eventually

I

As a

result, I

I

was taking

quite

had many

I

could

failures in the

my subjects more caremy subjects'

learned to choose

to modify and perfect the techniques of holding

attention, establishing faith-prestige

magic. Soon, at

ward

it.

had been including "trances" for

confess to lacking confidence that

I

succeed without the crutch.

fully,

I

my

through

illusion

suggestion, the subjects

would

positions, see things that weren't there, imitate

tainers, find their

and

traditional

freeze in

awk-

well-known enter-

hands spinning. After two years

I

perfected the

80

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

implant suggestions without either subject or audience

ability to

awareness

—and performed every

effect that

had previously required

a "trance."

Hypnosis and the Courts We're always accepting suggestion, usually for our long as the fee

is

reasonable,

who would

own

good. As

object to an elderly

widow

"communicating" with her deceased husband through a medium?

Who's lief

a terminally

to say that

from pain

ill

cancer victim doesn't receive re-

— and perhaps physical benefit in the bargain—through

acceptance of the suggestion that some quack drug will cure him?

And

if

thousands sleep more peacefully and lead better

they believe in Bridey Murphy's reincarnation

The

that?

of our

with the hocus

evil isn't

lives

—but

—we

because

lives

—what's wrong with

over hocus every day

trip

with the unscrupulous gouging of desperate vic-

tims. That's the intolerable thing.

When it comes to justice,

there's less

room for tolerance.

that the "hypnotic trance," lending itself as

it

I believe

does to Freud's "mis-

remembering," should never be permitted as courtroom testimony. I

do

believe that

it

might be used to break a case when

to evidence that in itself will result in conviction. that

some of

And

it

leads

I also believe

the techniques used in preparing a subject for sugges-

For

tion can safely be used in helping a witness to recall details.

example:

The witness

Jersey

first

was

time

I

assisted

a police department in questioning a

in the early 1960s.

treating

from

My

task

was

New

witnessed a

that she

similar to that of ther-

event. I led her to view the

a movie, to step back from

pen.

woman

—to

shell-shocked soldiers during the world wars

separate emotion as

young

bank robbery but was so upset by the experience

developed protective amnesia. apists

A

it

whole incident

emotionally and just watch

I helped her to relax— but did not suggest a She watched the man get into the getaway

it

hap-

single detail car.

She studied the

ABOVE:

ICreskin

began

performing publicly

in the

sixties. talis!

His fame as a men-

grew

steadily,

the seventies, he

had

TV show, "The

and by

his

own

Amazing

World of KreskiiC which ran for over five years.

RIGHT:

Kreskin makes a

clear distinction

between

latent natural abilities

the art of illusion.

and

Here he

demonstrates the "rigid

body* effect with a

willing

college student, proving that

"you're stronger than you

no trick The weight is

think.'* There's

involved.

borne by the strong muscles of the shoulders, buttocks, back, and

legs,

(photo

courtesy of the Courier Post,

Cherry

Hill,

NJ)

ABOVE: In Birmingham, Alabama, Kreskin was handcuffed to a police officer

and was challenged

to find the key to the cuffs

somewhere

in the city.

U$tng extremely sensitive perception

-

a heightened

awareness of subtle, even unconscious, clues—he

\ound the key and freed himself in under 15 minutes.

LEFT: A

scene from

Kreskins

TV

"Kreskin

s

special,

Quest," where he

investigated the widespread practice of

m New

voodoo

Orleans.

%

>,»

t

**

ABOVE:

Kreskin uses the power of

suggestion and a

common

superstition to

convince a group of people that they will be

unable to stand after walking under a lad-

This trick

der.

is

not the result of hypnosis,

which Kreskin has repeatedly shown does not

exist;

it is

tion at work.

simply the power of sugges-

"Hypnosis

is

the persuasion of

a subject to accept your suggestion."

RIGHT:

Kreskin with Robin Leach, host of

"Lifestyles of the

Rich and Famous." Dur-

ing a 1986 show, Kreskin successfully

met Mr. Leach, who was hiding somewhere in New York City another example of Kreskin's highly

the challenge to find

developed sense of extremely sensitive perception.

1

The Hypnotic Trance

license plate

and gave the

a couple of hours

later

police the

8

number. The car was found

and the suspects were

later arrested.

In 1976 an entire busload of children and the driver were ab-

ducted in California and buried in an underground container. Later the bus driver led the children to safety, but he was unable to de-

van used for the mass kidnapping. Under hypnosis he not only described the van but recalled the license number, scribe for police the

leading to the spectacular arrest of the kidnappers. Their convictions

on additional

relied

On

evidence, however.

July 23, 1980, halfway through a performance of Stravin-

a young

sky's Firebird at Lincoln Center

German

ballerina

Laura Cutler

to the dressing rooms.

When

at

woman

violinist

met the

an elevator and asked directions

man

Cutler couldn't help, the

behind

her offered to show the violinist the way.

The

violinist failed to return for the

ance and twelve hours of the

man who

later

was found dead, apparently the victim

offered her directions. Cutler could give only a very

vague description

until

a police hypnotist worked with

she vividly described for a police discovered,

found and

second half of the perform-

was a stagehand

artist

man who,

the

it

was

later

A

month later he was did not rely on testimony under

at the theater.

arrested. His conviction

Then

her.

hypnosis but on evidence uncovered independently. In none of these cases did the suspect's conviction rest in any

way on

material recalled while the witness was in a state of sugges-

although the

tion,

crucial,

initial

breakthrough came because of

That's

because under the faith-prestige relationship that leads to

effective recall,

"Did the suspect have brown eyes?" can be

brown

preted by the subject as "The subject did have

"Was ject,

it.

this the

man you saw?" can mean

tell

a witness she saw a

cooperate by describing one.

It's

eyes."

to the cooperating sub-

eager to please, "This was the person, wasn't

vestigator might

inter-

car,

it?"

An

eager in-

and the witness

not impossible that a subject

always "knew" that his neighbor was dishonest

will

will

who

unconsciously

persuade himself that he saw the neighbor commit a crime.

Some

of those problems can be avoided

if

the investigator will

simply stop thinking of himself as a hypnotist, charged with indue-

82

Secrets of the

Amazing Kreskin

ing trances or semisleep states, and recognize instead his function as

an interviewer. Using basic techniques of relaxation and concentrahe should try to release the subject from the tensions associ-

tion,

ated with the event.

Once

relaxation

is

established, he should help

the subject to visualize the scene. But he should contribute not a single detail.

For example, he should not stead he should say, "Listen,

say,

"Do you

In 1981 Arizona and Minnesota banned nosis.

In March

all

evidence obtained by hyp-

of 1982 the California Supreme Court also banned

virtually all witnesses

in court.

hear the horns? " In-

what sounds do you hear?"

who had been

The judges

hypnotized from giving evidence

ruled that hypnotized persons often produce

"pseudo memories or fantasies" that they U.S. Supreme Court has

now

testimony taken under hypnosis. rather a hundred guilty

later insist are true.

The

also ruled against the admissibility of

A

wise jurist once said, "I would

men go free than one innocent be condemned."

Human Nature

Nature and

All

knowledge must be

built

on our

intuitive beliefs

.

.

.

— Bertrand Russell, The Problems of Philosophy In the early days of television

Mike Wallace, now of "60 Minutes"

fame, launched his reputation as a hard-hitting inquisitor on a show called "Night Beat." sial figures, I

He

interviewed politicians and other controver-

questioning and often badgering them mercilessly.

doubt that Wallace's "Night Beat" "victims"

He

gan.

Wallace had the guest

school chair with a single

The

it,

show

but be-

arm

sit

figure.

The

a sense of confinement that physically

and verbally— restricted the But the

real clincher

to be

an old

form a writing

sur-

preme weaponry, it

smallness of the chair added

—and therefore

psychologic-

guest.

was a simple

writing surface a few inches

could send

what appeared

in

that flared to

chair itself suggested a child-teacher relationship, with

Wallace being the authority

ally

the

used subtle but profoundly effective techniques.

First,

face.

realized

them even before

the host stacked the cards against

glass of water placed

from the

guest. It

for the slightest careless gesture

on

was Wallace's

on

that su-

the guest's part

crashing to the floor, making him or her look like

a clumsy baboon. The result was that while Wallace could verbally slash the guest at will, the guest could not feel so free

and spontane-

ous with his emotions.

Without uttering a word Wallace

said to his guests: "I'm the

84

Secrets of the

Amazing Kreskin

authority figure; you're a virtual child. I'm free to attack; you're to

remain restrained."

Each of us deals with people every day on communication.

We make

hear wordless comments. voiceless language,

we can

of wordless

this level

wordless statements and commands.

And

we become adept

insofar as

anticipate another's behavior

even before the person himself decides on

it

—and

We

at this

—sometimes

we can adapt

accordingly.

For example, you can produce an an ordinary pad and

makes a statement,

ing

effect similar to Wallace's

Whenever the person you're scribble something on the pad.

pencil.

have anything to do with what's being said

—

you can

with

interviewIt

needn't

write the

word

elephant repeatedly. Whatever you write should be brief, giving the

impression that you have summarized several of your subject's sen-

Then return your gaze to the speaker. That must stimulate some incompletely formed questions in the subject's mind: Am I talking too much? Should I be more concise? Is she writing not about what I'm saying but the way I'm sitting or the way I'm dressed? Is she finding fault with my ideas? In a mat-

tences in just a few words.

ter

of minutes the subject can be so intimidated and self-conscious

as to

seem almost

In

fact,

foolish.

Freud recognized

his patients actually

jot

down a

cance. tient,

fixated

mind Freud's

pad and

his

pencil.

He might

writing gave whatever statement the

happened to have made It's

on

note having nothing to do with what a patient said, but

in the patient's

patient

became

days of his practice that

in the early

moment enormous signifinow sits behind the pa-

at the

for that reason that the analyst

where he

can't be seen.

Demian, the

title

Hermann Hesse

character in the

novel,

had

mastered the ability to "read" people to the amazement of his friend,

who

asked him,

"Can you

actually

He answered "No," he

someone very

make someone

think what you want

readily in his quiet, factual

said,

"I can't

closely

do

that.

.

.

.

him

to?"

and adult manner.

However, one can study

and then one can often know almost exactly

— Human

Nature and

what he thinks or

feels

85

and then one can also anticipate what he

do the next moment. It's simple enough, only people Of course you need practice."

will it.

Nature

don't

know

In this chapter we're going to follow Demian's example and

study each other very closely

—both some little-known functions of

our minds and also those of our bodies.

We

a few

will learn just

we have with each other every without speaking a word. And well learn how we can utilize

of the thousands of conversations

day

—

rooms and

these effects to entertain in our living

to improve our

daily lives. First,

to a

allow

me

to dash your hopes

if

you're looking forward

of subtle keys to reading people's minds: one raised eyebrow

list

doubt; two raised eyebrows

—

surprise;

both eyebrows lowered

distrust.

That popular approach may appeal as scientific as measuring the

superficially,

bumps on a

but

about

it's

person's head in the field

of phrenology to determine intelligence. Just as oral communica-

—

is more than mere words inflection, pauses, volume, and much more are essential to verbal communication so wordless language is more than translating a series of gestures. Analyzing one or two won't give you the answer and will probably produce a mistaken

tion

—

conclusion. Just such a mistake almost lost years ago. in

I

me

several thousand dollars

New York

City,

secretary ushered

and

me

it

was an important opportunity for me. His

into the largest office I'd ever seen, yet

almost barren of furniture. At the far end of the sat

some

had an appointment with a well-known show producer

room

it

was

the producer

behind an elevated and imposing desk. At his back, as well as

to the

left,

floor-to-ceiling

windows displayed a

the glaring afternoon sun.

He

stood,

to the chair in front of his desk.

I

had come to

talk

it

lost in

and

hand, and gestured

had to peer over the

shadow.

money, and there was quite a gap be-

tween what he had offered and what tion got underway,

my

practically

desk to see his head. His features were

We

shook

brilliant skyline

I

became apparent

wanted. Yet as the conversathat he

was

in control. Sud-

86

Secrets

denly

I

of the Amazing Kreskin

understood why. The sun, glaring in

me just

as

bright lights. in

I

face,

had distracted

had been put on the defensive, and the difference

our physical positions

tress

my

does a crime suspect when he's being questioned under

it

of his desk

—he towering over me from behind the for-

—

"Forgive me,

didn't help matters.

my

legs are stiff

and

I

prefer to stand,"

walking casually toward the windows to

his

left.

told him,

I

Turning to face

my back to the window, I said, "Please go on." folded my arms — my own fortress— and tightened my show my resolve. him,

I

The poor

fellow actually stammered.

his foot, not so cool after

floor to his hands.

We my

Now

all.

resolved the question with a

and

noticed he began shaking

His eyes darted from

the sun behind

original asking price

I

me was

my

face to the

blinding him.

compromise not much below

precisely the

to settle for long before the meeting.

only the obvious wordless messages

Had

amount I

I'd

determined

been content to read

—the strength of

his

handshake,

the coolness of his voice, his apparent unassailable position

have cost

me

lips to

—

it

would

a bundle.

Listening Tests

The

all-time

thur

Conan

of Identity"

master of wordless communication

is

probably Sir Ar-

"A Case

Doyle's fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. In

Holmes watches while an

elaborately dressed

"peeped up in a nervous, hesitating fashion

at

woman

our windows, while

her body oscillated backward and forward, and her fingers fidgeted

with her glove buttons. Suddenly, with a plunge, as of a

who

leaves the bank, she hurried across the road

sharp clang of the "

4

I

bell.

have seen those symptoms before,' said Holmes, throwing

his cigarette into the fire. 'Oscillation

an

affaire

matter

may

is

swimmer

and we heard the

de coeur. She would

upon

the

like advice,

pavement always means but

not too delicate for communication.

discriminate.

When

a

woman

is

And

not sure that the yet even here

we

has been seriously wronged by

Human

Nature and

a man, she no longer

the

oscillates,

Here we may take

bell wire.

maiden

not so

is

The following

your friends

you and your will believe

87

a broken

is

a love matter, but that

is

as perplexed, or grieved.

1

"

won't lead to such an intricate understand-

human

ing of nature and will astonish

much angry

tests

and the usual symptom that there

it

Nature

you insights some are so amazing youVe read their minds.

nature, but they'll give

that

friends. Indeed,

that

—correctly—that

The Greedy Eye Ask a

volunteer to

sit

in

a straight-back chair while you

Show him

other facing him, your knees almost touching. sheets of paper or three-by-five cards.

in an-

sit

four small

Allow him to examine them

he wishes. Take back the cards and, while he and your audience

if

Hand them

watch, draw a large dollar sign on one of the cards.

back to the volunteer.

You must now subject's hands.

cushion.

A

erect a visual barrier

large serving tray

For a more dramatic

between your eyes and your

works

effect,

well, as

you and the

unteers hold a towel between

raised so high as to interfere with

does a small chair

you might have two more subject. It

your view of the

vol-

must not be

subject's face.

Now say: "I like to

want you to concentrate on the one thing you would most

own

you would

—something that money can buy. What like to

is

the one object

own? Don't answer—just envision

it.

Picture

it

clearly in every detail."

Give your subject ten or tions.

Then

fifteen

explain:

"We're going to pretend that the object

you

just envisioned

the dollar sign represents that I

seconds to follow your instruc-

all

the

money, and

and put them into any order you

When er

it it.

can be yours

if

buy

I

— unless

want you to

shuffle

like."

the cards are shuffled, explain that the order can

be changed;

to

can be yours tonight. The card with

can identify the card as you look upon

the cards

money you need

you think your volunteer has a shady

no long-

nature, ap-

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

88

point an observer to guarantee that your instructions are followed.

Now

say:

"Please study the

card carefully. Keep looking at

first

it.

Now

look at me." Tell

him

to put the top card

—now

number one

called card

on the bottom. Follow the same procedure with each of the four Perhaps you

cards.

ask the volunteer to reexamine one or two

will

of the cards, then to look up into your eyes Finally, is

sit

the third one

—quickly.

back and announce: "The card with the dollar sign

you

originally looked at."

(Or the

first,

second, or

fourth.)

have seen people turn white in astonishment at the thought

I

And

that IVe read their minds.

I— and you—have

what

listened to

done.

of course they're correct. That's just

Or

to be a bit

more

precise,

weVe

a wordless communication that told us what was in the

mind.

The key

is

the pupil

of the

if

you had the money

real value to that

little

As

it's

like

most to own

a method of giving

becomes the gateway, through

it.

To

his imagina-

a lifelong dream. the volunteer peers

into your eyes, you'll note

of his eye.

When

ever, youTI see late as

—

card with the dollar sign scrawled on

the volunteer that card tion, to

you would

not polite chit-chat

is

That introductory

volunteer's eye.

business about imagining the object

a

first at little if

one of the three blank cards, then

any change

in the size of the pupil

he gazes at the card with the dollar

much more

he looks at the card

sign,

how-

noticeable change. His pupil will di-

—but you won't notice

that, for

he

will

be glancing downward, and his pupils will be covered by his eyelids.

As he

lifts

his

head and looks into your eyes, the overhead

light— which should be no brighter than necessary for you to see his

pupils— might cause the pupils to grow momentarily smaller, but

even that movement adjust, they will

grow

tells

The change occurs sensitivity.

you

that they

had been

larger.

As they

large again.

to varying degrees, depending

But any change

is

a good indicator.

If

you

on

individual

aren't certain

of the reading, ask the volunteer to reexamine the cards you suspect.

Nature and

Here are two points to keep

Human

Nature

89

in mind:

Continue to reinforce the importance of the dollar sign as the volunteer views each card.

Allow him to gaze

at

each card for only a few seconds so that

you can observe the pupil the response

The

is

as

it

begins to dilate. In

some

subjects

relatively brief.

pupil dilation

phenomenon was once

study that offers interesting

possibilities.

tested in

a

scientific

Researchers discovered that

when subjects were shown ordinary photographs of landscapes, houses, and other nonemotional they were

shown

subjects, their pupils did not change.

sexually oriented photographs involving

When

members

of the opposite gender, however, their pupils dilated dramatically.

The next time you want to know if an attractive individual is ina more intimate relationship, you might study the person's pupils as you make subtly suggestive remarks. Most professional card players already know that pupils can tip off even the most "poker faced" opponent's hand. When the pro

terested in

sees dramatically dilated pupils across the table,

he

will seriously

consider throwing in his cards. If the pupils remain small, yet the

opponent continues to

raise the bid,

it's

probably a

bluff.

Oriental dealers of expensive merchandise are often trained to

watch a customer's eyes to see when he

is

object to risk asking a very high price.

The salesman today might

sufficiently excited

by an

take a lesson from his Oriental counterparts.

Spotting the Lie I

make

always

sible in

my

it

much as posway toward estab-

a point to involve the audience as

concerts, for

it

not only goes a long

lishing the faith-prestige relationship, but also creates

mosphere

that's

much more fun

of the most popular audience participation efforts LIE. Here's

how

it's

small,

at-

One SPOTTING THE

is

done:

from among your party guests. (If the group choose three.) If there are enough guests, try to select vol-

Select five people is

a partylike

for the audience and myself.

Amazing Kreskin

Secrets of the

90

—the sort who laugh

unteers that are hyperresponsive est,

and long-

first

applaud enthusiastically, gasp in surprise.

Announce

to the guests, including the subjects:

As you can see, four of them are white, one is black. I'm going to wrap each marble in aluminum foil and drop it into this brown bag. Each volunteer will take a marble from the bag and unwrap it privately— only he will know the have here

"I

five marbles.

color of the marble he has selected. "Ill question

on who If

is

each volunteer.

When

I'm through, we'll

all

vote

holding the black marble in his or her hand."

you don't have

five marbles,

you can use coins just work well. After the

four quarters and one half dollar will

as

well-

selections

have been made and each subject has had a chance to examine

his

marble or coin, say:

"Now,

I

have given the white marbles [or quarters] to four of

these people, but

marble was dence

is

did not give the black marble away.

I

One

stolen.

of these five people

in that person's

jects please

hand

at this

is

a

thief,

moment. Will

The black

and the

evi-

the five sub-

be seated."

After they've taken their seats facing the party guests, stare into

each

face.

Then begin

the questioning with the

your own questions, along these

"Do you didn't

for the

find black marbles attractive? If

you buy

it?

You

stole

it,

first

suspect. Invent

lines:

didn't

you?

you wanted

Why

didn't

it,

why

just ask

it— why did you feel you had to steal it? You have it there palm of your hand right now, don't you— the black marble?" (Incidentally, all subjects should be instructed to

the black marble,

volunteer has

it,

deny having

except the guilty person.)

After you've interviewed

the five volunteers are sitting.

one of the

in

and no one, including you, should know which

all

the subjects thoroughly, put the

question to a vote according to the

cast

you

guests, or the vote

your own vote

in writing,

It

number of

the chair in which

can be a paper ballot tabulated by

can be by raised hands.

You

should

but keep your choice secret until the

audience has voted.

Chances

are, the guilty suspect will

be convicted unanimously.

1

Nature and

The nature of but

ject,

it

Human

Nature

9

the wordless confession will vary from subject to sub-

be so obvious that even those untrained in the

will

will recognize the signs

when they

field

appear: excessive shifting of pos-

nervous fidgeting, clenching of the hand holding the marble,

ture,

an exaggerated giggling,

effort to

appear casual contradicted by vocal

stress,

a tapping foot, and so forth. Although most of us do

we

unconsciously,

all listen

day

to this silent language every

ciding whether or not to trust and believe other people,

it

in de-

from news-

casters to salesclerks.

The Noisy Handshake When

I

shake a person's hand,

Mike Douglas

said

do so with such enthusiasm

I

reminded him of someone milking a cow.

it

to convey several messages with that handshake

understand that the messages,

ous and are as natural to to realize that

but

I

it's

consider

that I'm "up"

it

on

me

like the

I

really exciting experience. I

many

of

them

ders and elbows I

are spontane-

we

I

meet

say so often,

want them

to realize

and that I'm energetic and that energy can be

life

contagious. Millions of people feel exactly as

think

itself,

want the people

not just "good" to meet them, as

a

try

—although you must

handshake

as breathing.

that I

are constrained

—the enthusiasm

I

do, I'm sure, but

somewhere between

I

their shoul-

never flows into their handshakes.

allow the wordless communication to flow. Unless the other fellow

has a painful wrist or

stiff

arm, the

result

is

always positive.

I'm talking here about listening to the others,

and you can hear a

lot in

silent

communication of

a handshake. In

fact,

simply by

shaking the hands of guests at a party or volunteers on the stage,

you can go a long way toward determining which people

will

make

the best subjects later.

The Cooperative Handshake Usually, the ideal subject will grip

she

is

my

hand

firmly.

often momentarily surprised by the energy of

Although he or

my own

shake,

92

Secrets

the

good

of the Amazing Kreskin

and match

subject will relax

want to cooperate; you lead and that they're not passive.

The unspoken message: "I The firmness indicates

can expect them to participate in an ac-

I

imaginative way. That

tive,

it.

follow."

111

will,

make

more

the effect

entertaining.

The Resisting Handshake There are those

who

simply "put on the brakes" before the hand-

shake even gets underway. The message actually ship."

spoken

it:

"Let's

keep

is

as clear as

resist

suggestion

—although

If

his frustration will

when he fails some Stronger Than You Think."

be very obvious, and

Dynamo Handshake

The

Occasionally

I

come

confident of their

who

across people

They're usually strong, burly

own

men I

challenging skeptic, depending

handshake

is

and fond of

it

done and get done

end.

1

'

upon how

and

I

Subtle, but not false, flattery

the allegiance of the

him

in tests

I

room

dynamo.

where people

If

deal with the person.

The

me

that things

enjoy cooperating toward that

can be very

you want

will

know

or the most

one getting the attention here.

also says, "It's important to right,

their fel-

receive such a handshake, I

saying, "I should be the

I'm the leader." But

even me.

or highly successful women, people

yet outgoing

abilities,

low human beings. Whenever

try to outshake

that I'm meeting either the best subject in the

use

he does agree, hell

of the tests in the chapter "You're

entertaining,

get

they had

Such a person has no intention of going with the flow and

probably simply refuse to be a subject.

will

if

a formal, nonemotional relation-

this

effective in

winning

his cooperation later, don't

laugh at his

failure.

The Limp Handshake

A lifeless handshake can have several meanings, and you must go beyond the handshake itself to determine which is the correct one. It

might mean that the individual

is ill,

depressed, or distracted,

all

Nature and

of which

make

the subject less than ideal.

and an excessively self-conscious subject

It

Human

And

a good one.

of course

it

required but with

enthusiasm or

little

It

might

you personally could indicate

that the person has a genuinely passive nature willing to is

93

might indicate shyness,

isn't

indicate a lack of interest or even a surly distaste for

or the effects you'll later perform.

Nature

do whatever

interest.

Youll need some way to determine exactly what a particular limp handshake means, since you might want a passive, coopera-

and get stuck with a

tive volunteer

One approach Folded arms,

is

to listen to additional

a raised chin

tight lips,

one

hostile

When

you're not careful.

unspoken communication.

all

suggest that you're being

shut out or rejected. Taken together, they

ment.

if

make

a pretty loud state-

only one condition exists, there can be so

possible reasons for

it

that

you shouldn't put much

many

other

faith in that

interpretation.

You can

also use a direct question to clarify the handshake's

meaning: "Have you ever performed professionally?" Here are some self-explanatory responses

"My goodness, "Where would talk

later

broadcast what

The

tests

get:

performers are rather immature."

"I think

Ill

you might

no! " (with giggles and falling gaze.)

we

I

much

get so

energy?"

about some additional behavior patterns that are thinking.

IVe discussed

now are listening tests in which you know they were telling you. But there's

until

"hear" things people didn't

another side to every conversation, including the

silent ones,

and

it's

possible to have people respond without their knowledge to your silent

commands. Here's an example:

In October of 1982

I

was performing

in

Boca Raton,

Florida,

when I met a reporter who had just written a fine story about my work for the local paper. I invited him, his wife, and daughter backstage after a concert one night, and we talked about my views on the myth of the hypnotic trance, the role of suggestion, and finally of implanting a suggestion that he

was

skeptical.

—giving a command—wordlessly.

I

saw

94

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

"I

wonder

—

your newspaper part of the Gannett chain?"

is

asked. "I write a weekly

New

column

Jersey."

"No," he began, "we Ye with

As he spoke, I

I

Camden,

for a Gannett paper in

." .

.

slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "With what?"

I

asked.

"With

pany

that

"It's

.

.

with ..."

.

owned

on the

couldn't recall the

name

of the

com-

own newspaper!

his

of

tip

He

my

tongue," he stammered, a look of absolute

bafflement on his face. "Yes, but

about

you

amnesia continued for

just can't think of it." His

and daughter looked on incred-

thirty seconds, while his wife

ulously. I

my fingers — and the name came illustrated my point: that people can be

snapped

I

had

a

command

to

him immediately.

influenced to accept

given without words.

That particular

feat, incidentally, is

and luck must be on your

There

side.

very difficult to accomplish is

an

usually just

instant as

you ask a question when the responder has not yet formulated an answer. That instant might actually be before you have finished asking the question, for

per minute, but

we

we speak

listen

at

only one hundred twenty words

and think

in excess of five

hundred words

per minute. During that instant between the time your listener understands where the question

is

going and the formulation of his

re-

My

tap

sponse, any unexpected event can leave his

on

the shoulder did the trick.

I

followed

mind a

it

up

blank.

instantly with the

suggestion that he could not, in fact, recall the name. the suggestion, and his

son to

mind remained blank

until I

He

accepted

gave him rea-

feel released.

While that

effect

is

pretty difficult, requiring several years of prac-

you can achieve some very impressive effects yourself through silent commands and a knowledge of human nature.

tice,

—

T

Nature and

Human

Nature

95

Choose the Object Although you

will

speak during

not produce success.

your words alone

this effect,

command

the unspoken

It's

will

that will convince

both subject and audience that youVe actually entered into people's

minds and programmed

And

that's exactly

their response.

what you

will do.

Pass out a pencil and small piece of paper to each of three volunteers. Say:

"I'm going to place five objects on

Take a coin from your pocket and place is

this

on the

table.

is

a coin."

"The second

pen." Take a gold or silver pen from your pocket, and before

placing

it

on the

are pointing

it,

table, point

Add

each of the subjects. While you

at

pen next to the

three other objects

As you

it

want you to concentrate on each of these

say: "I

objects." Casually lay the

do.

One

this table. it

coin.

—a matchbook,

tie clip,

and wallet

will

place the objects, continue to talk about the need for

emptying the mind of outside influence

—but don't mention the word

concentrate.

Pick up the coin and show

them

to observe

it

it

carefully. Place

to the volunteers, again urging

on the

it

table

and pick up the

pen. Say: "Please concentrate. the pen

on the

The

table. Lift

entire

key

is

that

up the remaining

your subjects to examine them

carefully.

you concentrate." Place

objects

one by one, asking

Now give these instructions;

"Please take three steps back. Raise the paper and be prepared to write immediately.

comes

the table that

At At

the

same

least

I

to your mind.

time,

you

two out of

will write the

want you to write the very

three

youVe chosen

written.

selected

to impress

issued a subtle silent

concentrate,

you

on

When

of paper.

slip

of the volunteers

each of the guests it's

the

same

their minds, everyone, includ-

ing the participants, will be astonished.

you

all

and you show that

on

object

Concentrate

word pen on a

—and probably

same word youVe

shows the object they have object

Now!

write the

first

The

key, of course,

is

that

command. Every time you used the word

casually lifted the

pen and pointed

it

at the sub-

96

Secrets of the

jects.

When you

Amazing Kreskin

ordered them to write immediately without thinkas

much

which you might apply that basic principle of the

silent

ing, using the

word concentrate again immediately, you were to write the word pen.

them

as telling

The ways

in

command

are innumerable. Greet

hand upraised

as

your acquaintance

will

come

toward him in the same

to greet you. If

subject,

you turn your palm

unconsciously recognize that com-

even glancing repeatedly

special significance in the

can sometimes subtly tling effects. Here's

Some

what

I

became

my

We

road manager.

Roy

were dining

Clark's orat

a restau-

man, a promoter, when

in arranging a series of important appearances.

the key figure

We

all

grew very

There was just one small problem—Jeff couldnt remember

excited.

name!

the man's

We

We

quizzed him.

more and more

prompted him.

it

aside," I said finally. "It will

Finally, I

took

will

seem

a

but

I

my hand from

silly

would prefer

if

request,

and

I

come

to

talked about

you

how

effort to recall forgotten details,

toyed with that glass of milk, keeping

like

begged him. Jeff grew

was a drinker of milk, and while

was to make a conscious

it

We

forlorn.

"All right, Jeff, put later on." Jeff

I

will give

mean:

knew someone who could prove

realized that Jeff

it,

another factor with star-

rant during a tour one evening with a third

useless

at

minds of those who observe you. You

relate that object to

years ago Jeff Carpenter, formerly with

ganization,

we

with your

things being equal,

all

merely return the greeting but not approach.

Handling any it

at the party

and,

air,

salute, the police officer's classic stop sig-

nal, there's every likelihood hell

mand and

someone

though cutting the

I

my eyes

on

it.

the glass and said, "Jeff, this don't wish to explain

you don't touch

it

now,

that glass of milk until after

dessert." Jeff

is

a quiet, friendly

man who

to

my

a

moment somewhere between

at the time

was quite used

antics. He smiled, shrugged, and said, "Okay, Kreskin." Nothing more was said of either the name or the milk, but

at

the tossed salad and rack of lamb,

Human

Nature and

Jeff, it

without giving

to his

Nature

97

a thought, reached for the milk and brought

it

lips.

"What's the name of that person we need for

this deal?" I

asked

him.

And

with no more fanfare than

if I

had asked him

own

his

name, he told me.

What

My silent command

happened?

really

was one of Jeffs unconscious any other conscious need.

came

the milk

young

habits, dictated

When

to the surface,

it

I

knew

I

knew just

by neither

thirst

nor

the unconscious urge to reach for

brought the name with

college graduate once told

year thinking vinced

to asso-

milk with the name. Sipping the milk throughout the meal

ciate the

A

was

to Jeff

everything, and

me, I

"I started

finished

my

it.

my

freshman

senior year con-

about nothing. That fellow received a fine

education.

As the proverb has it, "He who knows knows nothing, knows much."

Much all

of our society today

the answers.

know

We

think

is

in the

we know

there

the truth about man's origins.

We

nothing, and

freshman is

the truth about

man himself—that

he

We

have

We think we know what's right And of course we

no God

surely

and wrong with the way our neighbors behave.

know

class.

knows he

a mechanistic func-

is

tioning of interrelated molecules, the responses of which are predictable through

Well,

I

an understanding of genetic components.

know

don't

all that,

even admire the doubter patience with the fellow

and while

I

can understand and

who seriously seeks the truth, IVe little who knows the answers to questions few

people can even ask properly. I

suppose that

this headstrong, self-satisfied

for a society contemplating

new information one

am

daily as

growing weary of

new thoughts and

phase

is

as natural

learning astonishing

for that college freshman, but

I

for

it

is

it

and look with eagerness toward gradu-

ation day.

The

origin of

nia, schizophrenia,

man!

We

don't even

manic depression.

know

We

don't

the origin of insom-

know

the difference,

98

Secrets

of the Amazing Kreskin

in measurable, chemical terms,

between anger and

that only freshmen are prepared to

make

final

ecstasy. I suspect

pronouncements

re-

garding ultimate questions. In these pages

man

to think it's

and

nature,

I

weVe hope

learned a few little-known facts about huit's

been a source of good fun. But

been a humbling experience, too, as

it's

a mere suggestion of

that

all

is

I'd like

for me, for

we do not know about

other. Let's continue with

and each

it

ourselves

one of the world's best-known

"supernatural" phenomena.

The Tilting Table IVe placed "supernatural"

quotes because the

in

medium

at

whose

seances this spectacular effect sometimes occurs tends to explain as a manifestation of spirits

whatever).

Nor

the trickery of a scheming con

it

(or thereafter, or

no such metaphysical sideshow.

It is

is

from the hereafter

it

artist.

There are no

hidden wires, magnets or springs. In

duce

fact,

it's

right

it

ny Carson's

Use a

a perfectly natural occurrence, and you can repro-

now

light

and

I

have on the "David Frost Show," John-

my own

television

show.

but sturdy card table, with one volunteer

each of the four floor

just as

stage,

The

sides.

table

sitting at

must be on a wood or linoleum

—

definitely not carpet. Instruct the volunteers as follows:

"Place your hands palms facing

you and

close

enough

fingers are touching the

little

down about

six inches

to the outer edges so that your fingers of the people to

Be sure that you maintain this contact, for dynamic force field that is essential. left.

"Now,

press firmly

on

from the edge

it

little

your right and establishes the

the table and concentrate."

Don't expect immediate results

if this is

your

first

attempt

—

it

takes a great deal of practice to select the best volunteers and implant the subtle suggestion that leads to the immediate responses

produced

when you

at

my

try

it

concerts.

Perhaps

it

will take

only a few minutes

with a few seriously interested friends (don't waste

Nature and

time with those not interested, since

it

might take as

worth waiting

The

inches— and when

pect of a performance.

stand

—the

was

it

has often been the most entertaining as-

more

results are

(On

pit.

stage,

I

aside,

a table

always have participants

dramatic.) Another plunged against the

rear curtain backdrop with the volunteers

standing around

still

Another card table seemed to have a mind of to

as thirty

slide across

know

does, you'll

it

With one volunteer stepping

into an orchestra

fell

much

99

for.

table-tilting effect

once

Nature

move— actually

minutes to get a response). The table will the floor for a few

Human

its

own.

It

it

refused

move—just kept collapsing. I

used four tables on the "David Frost Show," and two of them

actually flipped over. Frost himself

my

tended

was so intrigued

that their hands went

the table," and a

A man

numb.

girl said

In fact, table tilting

said that "electricity was in moving water on the table top." an entirely natural phenomenon (akin,

she is

"felt

incidentally, to that of the Ouija board,

chapter).

It's

but

is

and muscle

111 discuss in

fatigue. Suggestion

definitely not essential.

one individual to move the table self is

which

is

Muscular

later

can speed the

effort required of

effect.

four men who lifted a woman using just two combined response of the volunteers can have dramatic

no one

Lighter

is

more

startled

effects.

than the participants themselves.

Than Air

Here's another effect based on a natural function of our bodies. test

But

fingers each,

Usually,

can

re-

any

so minimal that the person him-

not aware of his involuntary contribution to the

like the

the

a

caused by a combination of neuromuscular responses

to concentration, sults,

that he ex-

segment to question the participants. Several explained

You

yourself right now.

it

Stand

in a

narrow doorway, your arms

at

your

sides.

Now,

keep-

ing your arms straight, press the backs of your hands against the

door frame with

all

your strength, as though you're Samson

try-

1

00

Secrets

of the Amazing Kreskin

Looking

ing to collapse the columns of the temple.

count slowly to yourself from one to

At

ten.

the final count, step forward into the room,

and furniture, and youll find your arms haps to shoulder

level, entirely

If the effect is all

straight ahead,

away from an

rising like

walls

elevator, per-

without asking your permission!

only minimal, you probably weren't pressing with

your strength, or you counted too

fast.

This makes an amusing parlor game, particularly with a suggesthe volunteer to stand erect in the

tible subject. Instruct

doorway

and press both hands outward against the frame while watching your hands

carefully. Say:

"Keep pressing out er. "

While

slightly

.

.

talking, tense

.

outward

your

.

.

outward

.

.

.

harder, hard-

.

own arms and hands and

raise

them

upward. Say:

"Keep watching

my hands

.

.

.

watch

.

.

.

watch

.

.

."

After at least ten seconds have passed, instruct the volunteer to step forward.

As he

does, raise your arms slowly toward shoul-

der level and observe:

"Your arms

are lighter than air, aren't they?"

The volunteer barrassment his

arms

as,

float

will

probably giggle with surprise and minor em-

without the slightest conscious effort on his part,

upward.

You can perform

this effect

with as

many

as four people at the

same time by having them stand with one side facing a heavy table. Have each press the back of one hand against the side of the table as

you repeat the word above. After ten seconds, ask them

and face the opposite direction as you sweep your own hands upward. Make sure you position them so that when they turn around,

to turn

they can

all

Some

see

your arms

rising.

years ago a well-known stage hypnotist used this effect

to prove that his subjects were "hypnotized." step

He would have them his own arms up-

away from a door frame and, by sweeping

ward, persuade both subject and audience that the volunteer was

obeying in robot-fashion his silent command. In fact, the subject's muscles were simply continuing to contract as they had been when

Human

Nature and

pressing the hands against the door

ory" of nervous stimulation to the

frame— a

Nature

101

brief, lingering

"mem-

cells.

The following effects illustrate a few of the many limitations nature places on us, limitations few of us are aware of. Once again, they illustrate just how much we don't know, even about ourselves, and the perfect patsy for these effects

he knows everything.

On

want to wager that you

A

and

fool

his

is

who

the individual

still

thinks

occasion a volunteer will go so far as to

can't fool him.

money

are soon parted, as Benjamin Franklin

observed.

Clicking Coins

Many

people are quick to be skeptical

tual or emotional truths, yet they'll vest senses.

WeVe

found repeatedly

when

dealing with instinc-

unwavering

faith in the five

in these pages that the senses can't

always be trusted, and here's another effect to prove the point. Bring your volunteer to the middle of the

and your guests two coins— quarters silent

will do.

room and show him Ask everyone to be

and tap one coin against the other so that

all

can hear the

sound. Say to the volunteer: "I

want you to close your

in various areas

around you.

you think the sound Proceed to do in back. After

the

sound

is

is

I

eyes. I'm

going to tap these coins

want you to point

to the direction

coming from."

that, standing first beside

him, then in front, then

each tap of the coins, have him

coming from; then open

his eyes

first

point to where

and check

his

own

accuracy. Hell probably prove rather accurate during this phase, so

announce, "Some guests might think that you're peeking just a tle,

lit-

so to prove them wrong I'm going to blindfold you." While one

person

is

applying the blindfold, explain that the volunteer will

have to make a greater

effort to tell

whether the sound

is

now

in front

of him, on either side, or behind him. While you're talking, reach for a nearby chair

and bring

it

close to the volunteer.

It

must be

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

102

a sturdy one that

him so

not creak. As you continue to walk around

will

from

that he gets used to hearing your voice

all

four direc-

tions, explain:

"From now

on,

won't speak to you.

I

and youll respond by

telling

me

Ill

merely tap the coins,

that I'm to your

left, right,

in front,

or behind. Youll respond after each click of the coins."

Now, above

quietly

mount

the chair

his head. If he doesn't

and have an

and

respond

assistant instruct

him

to

about two

click the coins

after

a few seconds,

name

feet

click again

the direction the

sound

came from. Chances are hell point to every direction

at least

once but never

point above him. The louder the guests laugh, the more baffled hell become. To conclude, you might ask him to point in the direction he believes the final click came from and to continue pointing while the blindfold

is

removed.

The Immovable Knee Your

success with this effect will rely

tal principles

of nature

on one of

—gravity— and on your

the

most fundamen-

ability to successfully

persuade your subject to believe otherwise. Ask your volunteer to

move

stand with his feet about ten inches apart and not to until

you

tell

to brush his

him

left

to.

Standing

his feet

him

at his right side, reach across

knee with your hand. Explain:

"There are certain delicate nerves extending from your upper thigh muscles, the quadriceps, into the kneecap. Although

widely known, these nerves can freeze the knee joint."

massage the tendons above the kneecap, squeezing that the volunteer feels the pressure

you say

is

true.

"Now,

slowly, try to

is

As you

not talk,

sufficiently so

and begins to wonder

Continue to explain that you're

those nerves and the knee joint

it's

now

if

what

stimulating

actually locked. Say:

bend your knee and

lift

your

left

foot

from

the floor."

He Tell

won't be able to do

him

to cease

it!

all efforts,

reach across

him

to brush the ten-

Nature and

Human

dons

in the opposite direction, step in front of

to

the foot

lift

from the

floor.

he had to transfer the center of

means

foot. This

you

most against

When

To

lift

his left

his body's gravity over his right

However, you make

you

are calling attention to his knee,

you prevent him from

are standing so close to his right hip that

ing his weight.

him and order him

of course.

it,

shifting his hip to the right.

that impossible, for while

103

This time hell succeed.

His knee had nothing to do with foot,

Nature

taking your position, place your

his right foot. After

youVe "frozen"

left

shift-

foot

al-

with

his knee, stand

your hip and shoulder almost touching him. As long as you keep his attention

To

on

his knee, hell never guess what's actually

prepare for this

effect,

rehearse

alone

it

first

happening.

by standing

sideways with your right foot against the baseboard of a wall, your

Then

feet ten inches apart.

try to

lift

your

left foot.

You

won't suc-

ceed because the wall prevents you from shifting your hip to the right.

You

can also use the wall instead of your body with a volunteer,

persuading him that that's

causing

To me ties

of

him

it's

that nerve in his knee rather than the wall

the problem.

the most fascinating thing about understanding the subtle-

human

nature

is

in being able to

tion within the conversation." Every els

—the verbal and

we

say and what

the functional

we

understand the "conversa-

one of us converses on two levcommunicate by both what

We

do. Sometimes our gestures and expressions

amplify and complement our words. Sometimes they deny or contradict

them. In

modern

ability to

to teach people I

society

no

survival tool

how

Every day we make statements,

and

insist

We

would

find

it

this

easier

them wordless communication. raise questions,

propose

alter-

tighten our lips to express anger, use ges-

tures in speech that include part of a

show

I

on our point of view thousands of times without

ever speaking a word.

part,

more important than

to express themselves fluently in Chinese (which

don't speak, incidentally) than to teach

natives,

is

read wordless communication. Yet

group while

decisiveness with chopping motions,

rejecting another

magnanimity with

Secrets

104

of the Amazing Kreskin

We

open arms, palms outward.

on the subway we're

strangers

tell

not interested in conversing by crossing the leg nearest to them over the opposite one

by dropping our

and turning our backs.

and we show

eyes,

We

avoid confrontation

and respect by gazing

interest

eyeball to eyeball.

We clothes

you

announce what we want other people to think of us by the

we

wear.

to think of

old sport,"

A

me

dark three-piece as dignified."

and an expensive one

himself as a playboy, a

man

by someone who can afford

A is

suit

obviously means "I want

casual blazer says, "I'm a the property of a

is

skirt: "I

want you to think I'm sexually

lored but basically shapeless outfit: "I

son

is

is

no other way a continuing

—

of statements.

says something.

And

When you From you

Neatly

and tai-

How

about another per-

that's true

you

sit,

smile, frown, are all part of the eloquent language

silent

neckline

am first of all intelligent."

realize first that everything

series

What you wear

well.

Low

attractive."

you would learn wordless communication for yourself— and

If

there

sees

worn

a neon sign saying, "I have

the courage to reject the establishment's values."

high

man who

of the world. Tattered clothes better

good

realize that,

that point

statements

you it's

will

begin looking for

it,

of you as

walk, gesture,

beyond words.

listening to

it.

a small step to consciously framing those

you make to

that are in your best interest

others,

forming the opinions about

and perhaps

theirs as well.

8

The Educated Guess

To know a to me,

is

little less

and to understand a

little

more:

that,

it

seems

our greatest need.

—James Ramsey Ullman, The White Tower

On

April

1965, I

2,

made

I

was a "seer" or prophet.

four predictions that gained widespread

my

coverage, and in spite of

I

denials, they led

was appearing

at the

some

to claim that

Weldwood Lounge,

a nightclub near Scranton, Pennsylvania, and for publicity purposes I told

a gathering of newspaper, radio, and

TV

what

reporters

I

thought the front page story would be in the Scranton Tribune exactly

a week

later

Actually, I

—on April

made

bow had any one

9.

three predictions and

would have taken

The

first:

"Collision Kills Driver, Demolishes Car.

year-old

man

or

The The I

my

of them proved accurate.

woman will

be involved."

Gun

Battle with Police."

third: "Eighteen-year-old

Negro Terrorized."

second: "Robber in

added one

off the front page

qualifier:

"The car-crash tragedy may be pushed

by the Health- Welfare-Bill

of Representatives will pass

A twenty-two-

it

vote. If so, the

by approximately two hundred

House

votes."

The following week the headline on page one read, "City Man Dies in Car Crash." Beneath that: "Small Foreign Car Demolished." The victim was a twenty-two-year-old man.

Secrets

106

of the Amazing Kreskin

Another story on the front page was

"Robber

titled,

in Store

Holds Off Police Three Hours."

The main Finally

story was: "Arrest 2

Cops

for Terrorizing Negro."

— also on page one—the news that the House had passed

the Health- Welfare measure by 198 votes. I

many

have made similar "prophecies"

times in the almost twen-

ty years since then, often before millions of

most astonished witnesses I

On

the air a

viewers.

One

of the

can remember was Joey Bishop, when

I

would appear

predicted the stories that

TV

Los Angeles police

which the predictions had been

in the

detective

sealed.

My

Los Angeles Times.

opened the envelope prediction

in

was accurate

almost word for word. So was the subject matter of the editorial

We

page.

diction

—

were baffled when the story on nerve gas

final edition,

final pre-

two

and we found the nerve-gas story on page

confess that although

I

first

edi-

during a station break someone brought us the

tions. Fortunately,

Times

—my

could not be located in either of the paper's

my

five.

batting average through the years

Dixon and other well-known "seers," have failed. The public tends to remember

has surpassed that of Jeane

a

number of my

predictions

the accurate forecasts

and forget the

failures, partly

because those

who make them promote their successes exhaustively. The difference between many of them and me is that I make no claims to mystical powers. I'm entirely willing to confess that

more than educated

my predictions

guesses.

Take those predictions

in Scranton, Pennsylvania, for

In a city that size fatal accidents are, tragically, I

hedged

Scranton

my

—

it

bet

are nothing

by not

commonplace. Yet

stating that the accident

might have happened

example.

would occur

in

in Wilkes-Barre, or the victim

might have been a Scranton resident

killed in

an accident anywhere.

Giving the victim's age was a shot in the dark based on the fact that

most accident victims are young.

nored; as

A it's

it

was, the bull's-eye

robber in a gun battle with police

the sort of thing that might

even

if

A

make

the event occurred in Houston.

The

riskiest prediction

miss would have been

made me look

was the

is

ig-

very good indeed.

not so

common.

In fact,

front page news in Scranton

Odds were with me. At the time racial

third one.

unrest

The Educated Guess

was widespread. Young blacks in prejudices come to an end. In fact, the

man

involved was not a teenager

Finally, almost

the

House

vote.

I

was mistaken about the age—

anyone could have made the prediction about

by approximately two hundred in time for headlines

on the

votes,

that

would be passed

it

and the voting was scheduled

ninth.

Should you wish to predict headlines

you

that

— but no one noticed.

was public knowledge

It

demanding

particular were

107

be warned that

yourself,

have to do a good deal of homework, and even then a

will

breaking news story of major import might push your predictions to the back pages. First, study for at least for which

own

its

you plan

two weeks the newspaper

to predict the headlines. Every

newspaper has

personality. It features particular types of stories;

what would

be a page one story in one newspaper might be covered in a single

paragraph on page writer's style. Will

six of another. I try to get the feel of the headline

he be

going on

long-winded, or "cute"?

brief,

Even more demanding, locally, nationally,

must have a good knowledge of what's

I

and

niques described in chapter 2, the major stories. it

Which

allow

my

Then, using the tech-

imagination to play out

be culminating in a week? Ultimately,

will

comes down to only a few

on a

internationally. I

possibilities. That's

when

I

climb out

limb.

Although you might not realize it, you make educated guesses every day of your life. You're late for work, and although you usually

you know that traffic increases on the main later. The scenic way is three miles longer, probably be able to breeze right along. So you act on

take the direct route,

road as the hour grows but you'll

that educated guess, risking the longer drive to avoid the traffic.

In fact, success in almost every lives, is it's

often the result of

field, as

well as in our personal

making accurate educated

as true of big business as of individuals. Large

millions of dollars to test the market for a

begin manufacturing

it.

But

analyzed, the final decision

make an educated

is

guesses.

new product

after all the research

is

before they

gathered and

rendered by high-priced executives

guess. Often

it's

a wise decision.

And

companies spend

who

Secrets

108

of the Amazing Kreskin

But not always. Ford had a magazine

that lived

its

ing in a sea of red ink.

Hollywood has made a

blockbuster movies that wouldn't

shown

And

free.

who

ing accurate educated guesses

dynamic and

I

they were

mak-

think goes into

and why so many people

successful decision making.

some fun making educated in

if

guessed wrong.

attempt. You'll be able to apply this both professionally ally for

of creating

life-style

draw an audience even

you some pointers on what

111 give

Families,

its

then there's Wall Street, the mass economic grave-

yard of an army of investors

Later

Edsel, Reader's Digest

through only a handful of issues before drown-

But

fail

in the

and person-

first, let's

guesses. (I'm going to cheat

have

and throw

a couple of illusions, too.)

Predictable Responses

No

doubt you're familiar with the psychiatric association

test.

The

examiner tosses out a word and the patient responds immediately with the

first

word

that

comes to

"top" might suggest "bottom."

most of us

will

The

mind. "Hat" might value

test's

elicit

"head,"

in the fact that

is

respond predictably, while those with emotional con-

might make

flicts

his

uncommon

associations.

phenomenon of predictable response can be great fun The game can be adapted to several formats. Here's one:

This

a party.

at

Before the party, write each of the following words on separate three-by-five cards:

ROSE, CHAIR, RED, POODLE, BOAT, SUN. (Later

you might want to conduct experiments effective

when you have twenty

to

add to

this

to twenty-five cards.)

list; it's

Now

most

memorize

the following six words: flower, furniture, color, dog, ocean, heat.

Learn them

At the

in that order.

party, try to select a volunteer

who

is

female, intelligent,

and not highly creative or imaginative. Ask someone to retary, writing

down

"I'm going to give you a word, and

with the

first

act as sec-

the volunteer's responses. Say:

thing that

comes

I

want you to respond

into your mind.

Do you

instantly

understand?"

The Educated Guess

Give the

first

word youVe memorized, and be

comes immediately. Allow

Then go on

answer.

are close friends

the secretary to write

and

As

like "bra."

As

some

inject

levity

the volunteer hesitates and

Now,

that.

the secretary responds, turn over the

the

list,

the volunteer's

secretary,

what was

response?"

through the the

down

you might

appropriate,

it's

stammers, laugh and say, "No, forget first

sure the response

to the next word, and so forth. If the guests

by ending with a word the

109

list,

and chances are

more impressive

Guess the

card. Continue

first

The longer

you'll hit every time.

the effect will be.

Number

Give a volunteer a large sheet of paper (eight by ten inches) and a

felt-tip

pen and ask her to write any number between 100 and

999 on the paper. Tell her that she

have to write additional

will

numbers above or below and she must leave room for

that.

Then

explain: "I if

want you to reverse that number

in

you wrote one hundred twenty-three,

hundred twenty-one. write

it

above the

If the reversed

first

is

Ask

same when

the

want you

I

number is

number from do

it

below. We're sim-

the other." (If the

reversed, another

the volunteer to

to think three

larger than the original,

number. Otherwise, write

ply going to subtract one

chosen

your mind. For example,

number must be

just that, writing her

number

chosen.)

answer

in large

numerals across the bottom of the page.

Although

no one

will

you'll

"mind reading" tip

pen as

be far enough away from the volunteer so that

accuse you of peeking, you can produce a remarkable

it

effect if

you can observe the movement of the

forms either the

first

or

last

number of

felt-

the answer.

Here's why:

The

solution to the subtraction problem,

no matter what num-

bers the volunteer uses, will always be one of nine choices. are: 99, 198, 297, 396, 495, 594, 693, 792,

two numerals

in the answer,

and

They

891. If there are only

you know immediately

that

it's

ninety-

1

you

nine. If

an

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

10

answer must be

eight, the If

see that the first

numeral

198.

And

is

a one or that the

so forth.

you cannot distinguish any part of the answer being

you can

achieve a powerful effect by resorting to a

still

last is

written,

little

play

acting. After appearing to concentrate with great effort for several

seconds, say:

"The difficulty

two numbers are very

Let's

is

495. Don't

when

extracted

number

A start

Almost

out."

on the page

is

third

was

I

as

me

I'm having

clear.

—

it

the last number."

You know

says, "Five."

announce

"You know

or chuckle and say, sils

tell

assume the volunteer

number

Very

clear.

number. For some reason, I'm blocking

last

going to ask you to

out. I'm

that the

first

with the

isn't

it

for certain

immediately. Instead, smile

that incredible!

five years old,

and

I

I

had

my

ton-

always block that

an afterthought, announce that the number

495.

approach

really

does involve an educated guess.

with the assumption that the answer

for although those

numbers are

is

You

neither 198 nor 891,

possible, they're rare.

You

simply

ask questions:

"Does the answer contain a four?"

From

"Does

it

there,

five?" If so,

you provide the number.

contain a six? Does

it

negative answers to each question,

and announce the number

"Does

end with a

If

you

On

contain a seven?" it's

it

receive

time to step out on the limb

as ninety-nine.

Turn Over Coins Here's an effect that only appears to be an educated guess.

your friends guessing

all

night, but for

can keep your mind on some simple

Lay for

three coins

example— and

you

a sure thing

if

keep

you

details.

on a table— a dime, a

start

it's

It'll

nickel,

and a quarter,

turning them over one by one. Call for

a volunteer to continue the process while your back plain that he can turn the

or ignore a coin entirely

same coin

if

is

turned. Ex-

twice, three times or more,

he wishes. But each time he turns a

—

—

1

The Educated Guess

1 1

coin over (and he must turn only one at a time), he must say:

"Turn." After the volunteer

that he has turned the coins

ask him to cover any one of them with his hand, leaving

sufficiently,

Turn around and examine

the others in full view.

Using your

coins.

satisfied

is

qualities of

may

two exposed

showmanship, examine the hand cov-

ering the coin, or "read" the volunteer's

"The coin under your hand

the

mind

to finally announce,

showing heads [or

is

tails,

as the case

be]."

Many to repeat

consider

will

it

it

an educated guess, so you

will

be required

time and again until the most hardened skeptic

beaten

is

into submission.

Your job, note

how many

ing with an

odd."

If

As you

odd number of heads. Make as the first coin

now none

one or

And

or two.

is

if

one that

Your

friend can

this

turned, the

mental note: "Heads

—even." number of heads

there were

By examining

none or two, there

is

all

When

afternoon.

will tell

an odd or even number of heads on the

you

will

now

change

vice versa.

go on turning the coins

the two,

auto-

is

— one or three—there

and covers the coin, the mental note

clearly that there's

is

three, you're start-

three. So, with the first turn-over, mentally note the

finally stops

If

one or

was an odd number

from heads-odd to heads-even or he

If

no heads or two, remember "Heads

As soon

yet

give to the volunteer the coin-turning

heads are showing.

matically changed. If there are

on a very simple system,

success depends

virtually never guessed.

know what

the third

you

table.

is.

any holdouts refuse to be impressed by your profound achieve-

ment, toss another coin onto the table, turn your back and flipping begin

after observing whether there

ber of heads on the table.

It will

work

is

let

the

an odd or even num-

as well as with three coins.

you can carry on some banter about the powers of the mind while keeping track of the heads-even, heads-odd business, you have a right If

to be

proud of

yourself. Banter

is

a sign of the professional, a mis-

direction that says to the audience (and they believe I

it):

"How

be paying attention to the coins? I'm talking to you, aren't I?"

can

1

Secrets of the

12

Amazing Kreskin

Count the Fingers I'm including this here because

it's

appears to be an educated guess. lusion,

if

Ask

effective

and

it's

fun—but

really fust-class deceit

It's

you

prefer.

for

two volunteers. Well assume you

Explain to everyone that while your back

each choose separately a number from one to

will

up that many

fingers.

A

closed

fist

five

and hold zero.

Bill

and Sue and announcing the

assume the number called out "Bill

is

is five.

After a

holding three fmgers and Sue

correct. You'll

is

someone

put your head in a paper bag; you'll

still

The audience might accuse ping you off, so allow the most

number

time.

can even replace

Bill.

the

to blindfold you. even

continue successfully every

of

caller

somehow

skeptical to call the numbers.

tip-

You

Here's the secret:

You and Sue have

a system so simple that

likely to detect

it.

it

can't miss, yet

when you

In the beginning,

the game, ask for a preliminary test while

during this preliminary

test.

Suppose that

explain

you watch. You and Sue

both make a mental note of the number of fingers that

When

And you're

watching the shadows and every other con-

ceivable explanation, so challenge

is

explain:

be accused of having mirrors on the sides of your

glasses, of peeking, of

no one

total. Let's

moment you

showing two."

A

number

third volunteer has the responsibility of silently adding the

of fingers displayed by

il-

and Sue

Bill

number

represents the

only

—or

and Sue.

select Bill

turned

is

it

Bill

extends

Bill

extends two fmgers.

game actually begins, you and Sue both know that she will extend the number of fingers that Bill did during the practice test—two. When the caller announces that the number is five, it's the

obvious that

Bill

has extended three fmgers.

Even with your head

you know

in a bag,

that

tending three fingers in the next test—the same

showed

in the previous

round.

If

the group

is

and

showed

alert

last.

enough

to

remember

the

will

number

be ex-

that Bill

large enough,

can even replace Sue, selecting another volunteer secret

Sue

who

is

in

number of fmgers

you

on the

that Bill

The Educated Guess

1

13

The Match Game Here's a classic illustration of the educated guess in action, although

some

players

who

achieve extraordinary success

may

suggest

dem-

it

onstrates telepathy.

Ask

hands out of

Both of you should be

yourself.

under the

sight

number of matches he wishes

table.

three matches

fist

on

with your

sitting

Ask your opponent

—or none—into

around them, and place the

his fist

him

for a volunteer to be your opponent. Give

and take three

his right

to put

any

hand, clench

You do

the tabletop.

the same.

Each

player, in turn, then calls

a number from zero to

he believes represents the total number of matches in the

six that fists

both players. After each of you has guessed, both open your

and whoever guessed correctly wins the game. it is

a

made

tie,

and the

steps are repeated.

now goes

the second guess

The

player

hand so

tip his

in his

first

hand to

is

learn the total.

he chooses

hands

six,

own hand

knows

For example, zero,

if

the

add

first

that he could not have

difficult;

three. If

he

he says

If

calls

two or

it

means

that

player guesses

If

he guesses

more than one

five

is

the total,

four, the guessing

with two, he could be holding zero, one, or

two— and with four, he could have one, two, or three. When you are the first player, the best number for

might well

the matches

he obviously has no matches him-

—perhaps he has none.

he must be holding two or

becomes more

his guess

he must be holding three himself.

one, the second player in his

is

who

first.

a disadvantage because

at

both are wrong,

If

or lose, the player

that the second player need only

that the total of both self. If

Win

of

fists,

to call

you might have any number of matches

is

three,

in

your

hand, or none.

The important

A

thing

is

not to lose the round in which you are

good enough, and you can

the

first

the

tie

by having no matches

five

or

six.

matches. it

will

player.

tie is

in

Your opponent has

When

be above the actual

you have two or

three

no matter what he

bids

to assume that

he adds that to total.

practically force

your hand and calmly announcing

his matches,

Or, you can use the tactic in reverse,

1 1

4

A mazing Kreskin

of the

Secrets

bidding zero while you hold three. Although your opponent

on

you do

if

too often,

this

you

will get

it

will

catch

round

into another

in

which you get to make the second guess.

MATCH GAME

The

many

can be played by as

as seven people,

but with some modifications. With three players, the possible totals range from zero to nine; with four players, zero to twelve; with

five

players, zero to fifteen; with six, zero to eighteen; with seven players,

zero to twenty-one. the

game and

by the

show

who

the others fight

it

calls

the correct total drops

out.

The game

I

was

flying

won,

lost

it's

from Los Angeles and the Johnny Carson

to Reno, Nevada, for a

The

first

leg of the trip

week of shows was a short

at Harrah's at

Lake Ta-

from Los Angeles

flight

San Francisco, which should have taken about ter

isn't

from

an Educated Guess

Not long ago hoe.

player

player in the game.

last

Life as

lets

Any

two hours

I

could sense the growing panic.

Af-

forty-five minutes.

an hour and a half everyone knew something was wrong, and

to

after

asked the stewardess

I

what was wrong. "They cant seem to lower the landing gear," she told me. "We're

up

trying to use

land."

"It will

A gers,

much

as

fuel as

we can

in case

we have

to crash-

could sense that she was bravely trying to hide her concern.

I

be

all right," I

few minutes

said without being at

later I noticed

a

settling

all

sure myself.

down among

the passen-

an atmosphere that seemed almost serene.

We

started in for the landing,

dropping

altitude.

heard the grinding sound as the landing gear

fell

Suddenly we

into place.

It

all

was

a perfectly normal landing.

As we were disembarking, sengers had suddenly

"Oh,

I

just

if it

asked the stewardess

went through the plane

there that Kreskin the mentalist

plaining that

I

grown so calm. She was

the pas-

smiled. telling

a few people here and

in the first-class cabin

you wouldn't have gotten on the plane

were going to crash."

why

and ex-

in the first place

The Educated Guess

She's right,

more than a

wouldn't have.

I

million miles in

my

And

didn't.

it

is

available

when

planes.

need to go, from jumbo

I

although the small planes sometimes

15

But although IVe flown

years as an entertainer,

had any clairvoyant experiences regarding

1

I

have never

I

take whatever plane

And

jet to Piper cub.

me, the large ones are an-

terrify

other example of the educated guess: large passenger airliners are the

form of transportation by

safest

the family car.

Ill

There are

make

take

virtually

in this uncertain

many

far,

times

my chances with planes no

life

actions

we can

that aren't based

dangerous than

less

any day.

take or decisions

ing the street to getting married, from raising children to

Hoping

vestments.

for the right result

far

more

When

likely to I

cross-

making

in-

as risky as spinning the wheel

Making an educated

or throwing the dice. is

is

we can

on guesswork, from

guess,

on

the other hand,

be successful.

talked about predicting newspaper headlines,

I

actually

gave you a four-point program for making accurate predictions in virtually all areas of

ever, that this

life. I

wont

waste time enumerating potential ap-

program, for they're

plications of this

all

but

infinite.

Remember, how-

not a method for influencing a particular outcome

is

but rather of understanding what will occur.

It's

you

true that once

have such an understanding, you have greater opportunity to

interfere

with the natural progress of things and change the outcome. For example,

following the program leads you to predict you'll be

if

you might undertake able to the future

is

responsibilities that

company. The

make you

less easily

fired,

dispens-

greatest reason for failure in "seeing" the

our refusal to face what we don't want to happen.

For example, with heart-rending frequency we hear of those who deny the serious of those

who

illness

they suffer until

build their houses

volcanoes, or flood plains

on

it's

beyond treatment.

We

hear

of mud, the slopes of active

hills

—and we read

regularly of the loss of

life

and property.

The

story

common sense, isn't

is

always the same: disregarding the facts of history,

or personal experience,

happening the way

The

it

seems;

it

we persuade

really

ourselves, "It really

won't happen that way."

successful practitioner of the educated guess goes to the facts

ruthlessly,

completely divorcing what

is

happening from what he wishes

1 1

6

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

were happening. Only then does he have an opportunity to influence the

outcome or

Step

One

at least

avoid being

share of failures in business

incomplete.

is

cellent chef. After

money, he

finally

ing in Chester, to rent at his

I

is

man

in the street has

Jersey,

his

man named Ed who was an

ex-

and saving

his

years of working for others

decided to open a restaurant.

New

more than

that his knowledge of the issues in-

once knew a

many

He found an

old build-

and made an agreement with the owner

lease. He modernized the building own carpentry, and bought thousands equipment. He opened with a fine menu, and

on a month-to-month

it

own

expense, doing his

of dollars' worth of the

it.

— Know the Facts

Probably the main reason the

volved

damaged by

most reasonable

prices anywhere.

Yet for several weeks he had

only a trickle of customers.

His tion.

mistake was in not thinking objectively about the loca-

first

The

building

itself

Although Chester

is

was

perfect,

but

a vacation area,

on the main highway and only taurant was located. Yet

Ed

it

was located on a

tourists travel to

rarely explore the

side road.

and from

road where the

it

res-

could have survived that mistake and even

prospered, for the food was so fine and the prices so low that the

by word of mouth among the

restaurant's reputation quickly spread locals,

who

in turn told the vacationers.

After a couple of months Ed's restaurant began to earn a profit.

When

the

owner saw Ed's

success,

good

he invoked his right under

the month-to-month lease to raise the rent. Actually, he tripled

Strapped with start-up loans and operational the increase

and

lost the business.

became the happy owner of a thriving

Ed knew

Ed

couldn't

pay

anticipated that

and

costs,

The landlord

it.

restaurant.

it well: how to cook. It know that destroyed his business. If you're a salesman, know your product inside out and know competition's product, too, and why it's not as good. If you're

was the

facts

only one

fact,

and he knew

he didn't

—

the

a businessman, understand the widget you're manufacturing but look

beyond that to the type of consumer

who

needs that product. Will

7

The Educated Guess

some other product

serve

make your product will

him

obsolete? If so, can

On

provoke that revolution?

going?

And when

it

becomes

1

a revolution in the market

you

build the product that

a larger scale, where

tight, will the public

still

economy

the

is

find

your wid-

can you broaden the company's income base

get necessary? If not,

by building an

better, or will

1

essential widget?

The same

sort of thinking should

go into any investment

stocks, too. That's called studying the fundamentals,

include not only the

company

and

it

in

should

you're interested in but competing

companies, the entire industry, and the overall direction of the

economy. Step

— Know the Psychology

Two

While many investors

low the technical

They study

details

and give a buy or

At

and are sometimes

the day-to-day zigzag

called the chart- watchers.

movement

of stock prices and other

and when they recognize a pattern, they make a prediction

factors,

tional

in stocks follow the fundamentals, others fol-

and

risky,

sell

least part of the

Enough

recommendation. That may seem rather

irra-

but the technical people have had some solid success. reason has to do with the psychology involved.

investors believe in the charts that

when they

indicate

it's

time to buy, these investors do buy. Sure enough, the market goes up.

The same thing happens with a

sell

recommendation.

You can make a great many accurate guesses simply by zeroon the way the people involved think. Anyone who had the

ing in

slightest

understanding of the nature of Margaret Thatcher and the

British people realized

from the

go to war for the Falklands.

It

first

was

moment

that

England would

predictable, given

knowledge of

the Russian tendency toward opportunism, that since the United States

when Iran took fifty-two Americans hostage, the Union would move aggressively as it did in the Afghanistan

reacted hesitantly

Soviet

invasion.

And

analyzing the

if

Muammar

Kaddafi of Libya had spent ten minutes

mind of Ronald Reagan, he would not have

lost

two

u

planes attempting to bluff the Americans out of his" gulf.

A

good salesman knows within a few seconds

after

meeting a

1 1

Secrets

8

A mazing

of the

customer whether he

must adapt if

he

is

his

Kreskin

have a

will

sale or not.

know how he

Hell

approach to the personality of the potential customer

to increase his chances.

The

journalist does the same, quickly

analyzing the personality of his subject and adapting his approach.

He

can guess from what IVe studied about

says, in effect, "I

person and what I'm learning about him right this

tack he won't

tell

me

now

that

anything worthwhile. But

approach, given his nature,

I

if I

this

take

if I

take that

should be more successful."

Corporate executives and show business personalities often voice the

same complaint:

you play golf and

it

it's

who

not what you can do that counts, but

(or whatever) with.

says simply that those

For

who

people they deal with are the ones

better or worse,

it's

often true,

understand the psychology of the

who

succeed.

If Ed had spent time trying to understand the mind of the man who owned the building, he might still have a thriving business.

Step Three

I

— Know the Outcome

won't repeat here what

imagination

full

personalities

said in chapter 2 about allowing

I

range of expression as you

you know and understand

interaction of those factors.

involvement

move from

to the likely

Be on your guard

—don't "write the

your

the facts

and

outcome of an

against intellectual

script" you'd like to see played out.

Allow the natural course of events to occur in your mind without input

from you.

Through about major

make good educated

this

process you can even

life

commitments. Given the

facts

and the personality you have, imagine yourself and play them through to success or marriage, do you

a guess in the al

know

first

harmony, mutual

the

place?

man

What

or

well

contemplating

enough to make

are the facts regarding intellectu-

interests, tastes,

does the marriage play out?

in various careers

failure. If you're

woman

guesses

you already know

and sexual compatibility?

How

9"

The Educated Guess

Four— Climb Out on

Step

"If I'd I felt

I

bought

IBM

Limb

(or Polaroid or Xerox) twenty years ago

so strongly about

can't

the

it,

I'd

1 1

when

be worth twenty million dollars today.

count the times IVe heard that sad lament, along with similar

ones: "I always

knew

he married her."

make a good wife, but while I knew I should have bought [or

she'd

"I just

vacillated,

sold] that

house [or stock or land]." Certainly there's danger in rushing into things, but there's also

danger in coming to a of those

who have

action, I

want you

full

stop

difficulty in

to

know

on the highway of

life.

If you're

one

making a commitment and taking

that I'm not talking here about a leap

of faith but an educated guess based on as sound a system as any

on

earth.

By

gathering

sonalities involved

circumstances

and

all

the facts

how

you can, by analyzing

the per-

they are likely to react under the given

—then, by playing events out

in

your imagination, you're

doing something no computer can do. You're "seeing" into the future with a high probability of accuracy.

You can

such a conclusion with confidence. You'll

—and should —act on

hit the bull's-eye far

often than not. I

know

that will be true for you. That's

my educated guess.

more

First Steps in

Some

"Telepathy"

years ago Rita Moreno, Alan King, and

on the Johnny Carson show. Rita had to

add to her

award

but she was not acting that night

talent,

showed her astonishment Rita, Alan,

after witnessing "telepathy" at

and Johnny Carson's

volunteers. I asked each of

on a card

table,

of the studio and

associate,

them

it

to

work.

Ed McMahon, were

wrote a statement on a

I

no one, placed

it

face

down

in full view

TV audience.

Someone placed a watch on earring.

the table,

someone

else

a

ring.

Rita

There were some coins. Alan King, always the

comedian, removed a shoe and placed

McMahon

her she

to put three or four objects

but before they did so

card and, showing

removed an

Tony and an Oscar for when

business including a

marvelous acting

my

appeared together

collection; she has received virtually every prestigious

show

in

I

won an Emmy award

just

it

on

the table. Finally,

Ed

and unfastened a on the table. "Rita, will you please pick any item from the table," I said. She paused thoughtfully, reached for Alan King's shoe, then stopped. (I would have stopped, too who wants to pick up Alan unbuttoned

his shirt, loosened his tie

necklace he had been wearing.

He

placed

it

—

King's shoe?) Again she pondered. She actually touched several items, shoving

them

Ed McMahon's

neckpiece.

I

aside, then reached into the pile

picked up the card on which

up to the

three volunteers.

The

I'd

and

lifted

written earlier and held

TV camera zoomed

in

on

it.

it

Millions

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

122

Moreno

of viewers around the country read, "Man's necklace." Rita

screamed.

Ed McMahon

gaped.

You would probably So would stand it's

I.

As IVe

how an

know how

like to

explained, frequently

that I

was accomplished.

myself do not under-

extraordinary effect like this occurs. But

do think some

I

unfair to arouse your curiosity without offering at least

possibilities.

Ed McMahon's chain was not visible made me aware of it in some way. Perhaps

although

First,

he must have

did get a glimpse of

without consciously realizing the

it

might have seen the shape of

McMahon

it

beneath

early on, I

Or I Ed

fact.

More

his collar.

actually

likely,

me He would have

himself communicated the thought of the necklace to

through subtle clues that

I

been very excited about

this "perfect" object, since I hadn't seen

unconsciously picked up.

and couldn't possibly write certain

is

that as

I

Alan King or Ed

Ed could have I

can't explain

to pick

was

it

up.

It

the card. All

I

can

I

knew

me a

on the

tell

would place a necklace on the

I

table.

few unsettling moments, however, by

table immediately!

might be that

certainly convinced

you for

that either

how, by concentrating on the necklace,

on the card, or Rita I

it

McMahon

spared

putting the necklace

on

picked up the card to write,

it

I

had some

assistance

I

led Rita

from Ed, who

could not have written "man's necklace"

herself might

have come to that conclusion.

believe that Rita, like thousands of others over the years,

was

influenced by extremely sensitive perception, which can be explained as the unconscious perception of extremely subtle messages.

By

far the greatest

formed on the stage and

number of

TV

so-called "telepathic feats" per-

are simply illusions

— a wonderful form

of entertainment and harmful to no one as long as they're not carried

beyond the theater and used to

bilk people out of their

money.

Here's a simple illusion of telepathy that Select a

you can practice yourself. young lady from among the partygoers and ask her

to stand near a table.

ing is

on the

Withdraw from an envelope

that remains ly-

table three ordinary three-by-five cards.

written a different man's

and Dick. Say:

name

—common

On

each card

ones such as Jim, Bob,

First Steps in " Telepathy "

1

23

"Without touching any of the cards, choose the name that has played the most significant part in your

those names has been important to you in the card or speak the

name

yet. Just

Someone with one of some way. Don't touch

life.

concentrate on

Stare at

it.

my

forehead and concentrate on the name." After several seconds, ask the volunteer to speak the she says, "Jim,"

If

the envelope slightly

lift

from the

name

aloud.

and

table

tell

her to reach inside. Ask:

"How many

cards are

in the envelope?"

still

She

will find one.

Say: "Just one card?

She is

will read:

And what

does

it

say?"

"The name of the person important

in

your

life

JIM." If the

hand

on

it

name

to her

And will

if

Bob, turn the envelope over and

is

and ask her to read the message

the underside.

Two

she announces

she chooses Dick?

Ask her

be blank, and the third

to turn

will say:

you

is

all

bases

—to the others,

it's

all

three cards over.

that

youVe covered

an astonishing example of "telepathy."

That was not telepathy, but illusion— and simple effective telepathic illusions

chapter will be on actual telepathic

later.

effects,

111

describe

But the emphasis

My own

some rudiyou have

to further develop this

ability.

interest in telepathy

In fourth grade pupil leaves the

When

in this

sensitive perception and, if

show you how

the necessary sensitivity, 111

some more

and how you can produce

yourself. Hopefully, you'll be able to demonstrate

mentary examples of extremely

extraordinary

BOB."

is

"The person important

DICK." Of course, only you know

to

them

that has been written

"The person important to you

It will say:

began when

I

was

eight years old.

4

we played the game "Hot n' Cold" in which one room while the others hide an eraser or beanbag.

the pupil returns, he begins searching for the hidden object

while the others shout, "Hotter! Colder!" It

occurred to

me

that I'd have a wonderful opportunity to

off before the entire class

bal coaching, simply

while

I

somehow

if I

show

could find the object without any ver-

by having everyone concentrate on

read their minds. First,

I

knew

I'd

its

location

have to practice.

1

24

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

For

my

weeks

several

mother and father humored me, but when

was absolutely no sign of

there

persuaded

success, they

grew bored. Then

I

my younger brother Joe to try — actually, I'm afraid I bullied

—

him into it and for about four months we worked at it. By then was having great success finding almost anything Joe would hide without his giving me any verbal clue. Since that time IVe come smiles and to suspect that he was directing me by facial expressions the quicker tests were completed, the frowns— since the sooner I'd permit him to go out and play. Still there were times when I refused to look in his direction, and I believe I first began to develop my I

—

extremely sensitive ability at that time.

began performing as a magician evenings and weekends the

I

following year, and tion in

—

this

my

But

act.

when it

I

was eleven years

wasn't until

time with a passion

I

old, I included sugges-

was about

fifteen that I returned

—to my experiments in telepathy. My sub-

were usually fellow students, and for the most part they were

jects

unaware that

was trying

I

to

communicate

my

thoughts to them

or to perceive the foremost thoughts in their minds. Quite often failed.

I

can think of

at least

had a long way to go

The second

tion.

in perfecting extremely sensitive

communica-

this

this

re-

is

extremely sensitive

level.

In such cases,

I

find

next to impossible to pick up cues to what they are thinking.

some people

born without

are

tremely sensitive

suppressed that

ability.

it is

for

sight or hearing, others

Or it might be all

tend to intellectualize

is

an

You

all

it

is

have no ex-

so completely

more

intelligent

than others,

aspects of their lives, including their

emo-

can't will extremely sensitive perception to function;

act of the unconscious

suppress the unconscious. to

that this sense

it

As

intents nonexistent. Usually, those lacking

in this capacity, while not necessarily

tions.

I

that I

is

—and you should keep in mind as you yourself — that some people are simply incapable of

experience failure

sponding on

two reasons. The obvious

At

mind, and the conscious least that's

my

theory,

and

intellect

111 get

it

can

back

later.

By my

last

ning to think

my When a

year in high school

me

often answer the

a bit strange.

phone

fellow students were beginclose friend called, I

would

with, "Hello, Nancy," or "Hi, Ralph," which

First Steps in " Telepathy "

was ing

particularly unsettling to

a thought.

it

D

about that

I'd

minus on the

He'd be astonished that

and when

At

I

that

test

in the hall

—

you'll

known

I'd

do

I'd

and

precisely

at all

do

it

25

without giv-

"Don't worry

say,

on the next one."

better

what was on

some thought, I'd be, too. pubescent age young people have a

gave

his

mind,

it

and

I

my

ability.

prefer to keep to themselves,

were not

Nancy or Ralph.

meet a friend

1

amused by

lot

discovered that

of thoughts they

some of my friends

They needn't have

worried.

From some people, as IVe said, I can gather no thoughts at all. And extremely sensitive communication can occur only when a particular thought is dominant and the sender is somehow open. IVe used extremely sensitive perception in

mances is

literally

since those high school years,

always in selecting subjects

who

will

communication but who are open and

For the following open or

not.

It's

pure

effect

and the most trying aspect

not embarrass

me by

blocking

sensitive.

doesn't matter

it

illusion.

thousands of perfor-

if

your subjects are

But when we reach actual telepathy

choose cooperative, helpful, believing people as subjects.

tests,

The Telepathic Message (An Illusion) The

great

effects

Dunninger

known."

fathom

It's

a

trick,

pure and simple, yet few people

spirit

will ever

it.

Begin by passing out

them

"one of the most mystifying

called this

slips

of paper to six or seven guests.

to write a question requiring advice

or someone they

on a

future decision they

know must make. The mediums who

at seances urge that the questions

Ask

use this trick

be directed to deceased loved ones

whose names be written above the question, but

I

consider this an

unconscionable sham.

Ask seen,

and

the writers to fold the papers so that the writing cant be collect

withdraw the in

each note in a hat or bag. Request

first

question and clutch the paper,

your hand. Concentrate. Then

say:

still

silence as

you

folded, tightly

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

126

"Someone

is

contemplating the purchase of automobile stocks

but doubts that this

a wise time for such an investment.

is

Who

has asked that question?"

While the writer read

it.

Then

discard

it

in

your pocket. Offer

ber-sounding but meaningless platitude such is

unfold the paper and

rises to identify himself,

in response

some som-

"For everything there

as,

a season, but fools rush in where angels fear to tread."

Proceed to the next

how

of the question writers

it's

this piece

will easily recognize

is

One method

it.

it's

feel the difference.

You must not

writes anything

it

in

folded so that, even without looking,

vent any question you

and

like.

No

identify

gist

you can

select this sheet until last. it

in

your hand,

in-

matter what the question, your conit

youVe supposedly just read

hand and memorize the

way

such a

to tear off a corner

is

After selecting the fust sheet and clenching

tion

He

a confederate.

of paper, then folds

of the paper after

federate will stand

"telepathic-

and offered comments.

done:

is

One you

you have

until

the writers* minds

all

This

— or nothing—on that

and continue

slip

on

ally" read the questions

as his

own.

To

telepathically,

"confirm" the ques-

open the sheet

When you

of that question.

in

your

stuff

it

in

your pocket, the audience believes you're discarding your confederate's question.

After pondering the second sheet of paper, held tightly in your fist,

announce the question written on the first

writer identifies himself, read the next question

And federate's.

so

it

sheet.

Again, as the

and discard

it.

continues until you withdraw the final paper, the con-

Although there might be no question

will "telepathically"

read the question

at all

on

you

it,

youVe memorized from

the

previous sheet, thus completing the performance.

The most that

difficult part

of the whole effect

is

preparing answers

sound profound without saying anything. (Perhaps your

local

politician will share his expertise in this area with you.)

That was pathic"

illusion,

tests.

First

but I

now

we're going to attempt a few real "tele-

want to give you advice on how to prepare

yourself for extremely sensitive communication.

i

First Steps in " Telepathy "

I'm not going to give you

my

theories here

might constitute the "telepathic" phenomenon chapter

11.

What you must understand

comparable to sensitivity to

that

is

we have

instincts,

on what

I

27

believe

111 reserve that for

it

operates at a level

has separated us from

instinct. Insofar as civilization

our

—

1

combook The

also lost our sensitivity to

munication without words. Henry deVere Stacpoole, in

his

Garden of God, goes so far as to propose that as man relies less and less on speech he becomes increasingly capable of communi-

The

step

first

judge, conclude

is

—to

intellectualize.

and a

and two high-ranking

accompanied by United Press Interna-

local television crew, along with the city officials,

somewhere

decal hidden

governor and the

them

and they cooperated

fully.

knew

Only the

and they served

location,

my

as

I

faced frustration.

My forehead

grew

with sweat as the elevator stopped at floor after floor and

thought

the messages

I

here/ it's not

on

some

I

was

receiving continued to be garbled, "It's

knew

this floor.'' Intellectually, I

was not

floor. It

we reached

until

returned to the lobby that to a dilemma.

I

its

governor

attempted to find a tiny paper

to think of nothing but the hiding place,

Yet, for fifty-five minutes

is it

I

in a twenty-five-story building.

officials

silent guides. I told

damp

he cares deeply.

mind of its compulsion to analyze, Whenever I fail to do that, I'm

to free your

in trouble. In Indianapolis,

tional reporters

whom

from

cating by thoughts with those

I

realized that I

had been forcing

I

on?" instead of

listening to the

had

on

to be

had reasoned myself

my own answer

raced back into the elevator, searched

it

the twenty-fifth floor and

it,

in-

"What floor not on any floor."

—

question, "It's

and found the decal be-

hind the inspection sign.

For the beginner tellectualize is

especially, controlling the

both the most

difficult

and most

compulsion to

in-

essential aspect of

extremely sensitive communication. Not only will reasoning force incorrect conclusions, as

but

it

also closes

many

sets,

tions that this

did in

my

search for the paper decal,

a great many doors that must be

are to receive input.

haps

it

The

intellect

but in the end

means

that.

it

left

open

if

you

follows a rigid set of rules, or perboils

down

to a series of assump-

1

28

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

When

the unconscious

permitted to exert an influence, the

is

more complex and subtle. I am not some have claimed, that every particle of experience throughout our entire lives is stored somewhere in our unconscious, but I do believe that the information and experience input

receives

it

is

infinitely

personally convinced, as

in

our unconscious exceeds that of our conscious

intellect as the

of the universe exceed that of our solar system.

And

allow the unconscious to speak, unblocked by the

bodies

insofar as

we

we

de-

intellect,

velop and use the extremely sensitive sense.

The Moving Hand Here

is

an excellent

test if

you

tremely sensitive perception. ly

someone with

need

six cards

whom

and a

It

are just beginning your efforts in exrequires only one other person, ideal-

you have

table.

Lay

real

harmony of

the six cards

—any

spirit.

You

will

six selected at

—

random from

the deck face up in a row on the table, about two Ask your assistant to select mentally just one of the and when he has done so he should announce that he is ready.

inches apart. cards,

Now

try to think of

blue space

I

nothing at

described in chapter

2.

inches above the outer edge of the it

slowly above each card until

all.

Try to envision the pale

Hold your hand at least three first card in the row and move

you have reached

the outer edge of

the last card in the row. Pause momentarily before returning in the

same fashion

to the starting point.

As you continue this process, your hand will have a tendency to dip at some portion of the row. Don't analyze this, or your intellect will either exaggerate it or create some rational explanation for it, either of which will interfere with your extremely sensitive communication. Simply slow the motion of your hand until you recognize the single card to

you is

which your hand

are certain of the card, pick

it

is

being drawn. The instant

up and ask your

assistant if that

the one he has chosen. Statistically,

one,

if it

you have one chance

in six

were simply a matter of guessing.

If

of choosing the right

you

are tapping

your

First Steps in " Telepathy "

extremely sensitive potential, you

much

will find

and much too high

better than this,

1

29

your batting average

to be explained as coin-

cidence.

Don't expect the

many

test for

fallibility.

bull's-eye every time.

and

years,

But

if

your

centrate very hard

on

admit that even today

I

first

choice

present, ask

him

can't boast in-

I

wrong, ask your friend to con-

is

if it

move your hand even more

try to

him

Ask him

blank.

to

your

remember

effort,

that

you are

still

it.

to concentrate. This

slowly. If there

hand while you

to watch your

make your mind

helps

is

another person

close

tell

you

your eyes and if

repeatedly dips, even slightly, over a particular card. If in

this

the card he's chosen, actually envisioning

Suggest that he close his eyes

time

IVe been performing

your hand

you succeed

well ahead of the law

of averages; you had one chance in five of choosing the right card.

ous

two reasons: The obvi-

If

you

is

that you're not in touch with your unconscious extremely

fail

beyond

sensitive ability.

tension of the

An

that,

—

is

—trying to

you

cards

good opportunity

such influence

is

that the

on you before you nave Under such

the proper choice.

an autosuggestion that one of the

on

the right one, and acting

is

A

make

actually give yourself

is

prove yourself to your assistant

forcing a decision

received the input necessary to stress

for one of

equally strong likelihood, however,

moment

and any witnesses

it is

it,

you make an

for practicing

how

incorrect choice.

to clear your

mind of

during a ride on a subway or in any noisy, con-

fused environment. In such a situation rehearse the total relaxation

method

I

give in chapter 2

and

see if

you

can't

make

the real world

momentarily vanish.

Around the Circle Gather four or

five friends

a couple of objects on out in a large if

circle.

two items are

it

around a table and have them each place

so that there are six to twelve items spread

Be sure they

similar

are not too close together, especially

—two pens, matchbooks, or whatever. Now

"I'm going to leave the room, and while I'm gone,

I

say:

want you

1

30

Secrets

of the

Kreskin

one item on the

to agree to choose only

all

you

concentrate on. Call

will all

When you of

A mazing

table, the object that

me when youVe

selected

it."

return to the table, remind your friends that each

them must concentrate complete

on the item

attention

that has

been chosen. After a pause begin moving your hand around the

circle

at least three inches above the items.

As you

continue, anticipate one of

two

reactions:

hand

magnetic

field,

or you will feel a subtle coolness in

the circle

and a

effect,

you

will

is

relative

You

will either

being repelled by some items, like a reverse

sense that your

warmth

in others.

Unlike the

some

areas of

MOVING HAND

probably not be drawn to the chosen item, but held

back from selecting the ones not chosen.

You must

therefore use the process of elimination, rejecting that

you or seems

part of the circle that repels

cool.

As fewer

main, you can eliminate them one by one. At this point difficult to distinguish

among

it

items re-

becomes

remove the ones already

the items, so

eliminated and spread the remaining ones in a

new

large circle.

Now,

without forcing a response, continue the process of elimination until

you

drawn

are

from

to a specific item or feel

Don't be discouraged ally.

If

it

slight

warmth

radiating

you pick the

if

right item only occasion-

were a simple spin of the wheel, you would make that

one out of twelve times, on average. In

right selection only will

a

it.

probably do

much

inate 50 percent or

better.

more of

More

important,

if

you

fact,

you

regularly elim-

the items not chosen, even though

you

might not zero in on the right one, youVe certainly demonstrated extremely sensitive

ability.

"Telepathy" in Motion The

ideal volunteer for this effect is one with a good sense of humor and a tendency to go along with the fun. With that sort of person youVe likely to have both a successful effect and plenty of laughs.

Ask

the volunteer to stand in the center of a circle

the other party guests

and

formed by

close his or her eyes. Explain that the

"

First Steps in " Telepathy "

guests are is

done

now

silently,

"Now

going to agree on a "target" person, and when that

by pointing,

we're

moments you

all

will

It

just as

say:

going to concentrate on

if

we

concentrate hard enough, the move-

be primarily in the direction of the

may you

few

'the target.' In a

[the volunteer in the center of the circle] will begin

leaning or swaying, and

ment

131

" 'target.'

take several minutes, but eventually the subject will predicted. If the subject

is

do

not extremely sensitive, you

might have to use suggestion to begin the swaying motion, but more times than not, once begun,

Sometimes the subject direction. Anticipate such

—

"That's nothing

he's

it

will

be in the direction of the "target."

actually loses his balance

remarks

There to

it

learn

is

she's

falls in

that

as:

been swaying since

"He's been leaning in her direction

"No,

and

all

his fifth martini."

night."

supposed to lean toward you.

much more

to be said about "telepathy." In fact, 111 return

at great length in chapter 12. First, in preparation,

more about how

the unconscious functions.

we must

10

Tapping the Unconscious

Immense hidden powers seem even the most

to lurk in the unconscious depths of

common men—indeed,

— Some months ago

I

was

of all people without exception.

Fritz Kimbel, Creation Continues

in the elevator of a hotel in

Milwaukee,

me in the crush of passengers going to the upper were a middle-aged man and woman who seemed quite agiI overheard the woman say, "What do you mean you dont

Wisconsin. Close to floors tated.

remember what floor we're on? Where's the key?" The man answered, "I got it here in my pocket someplace." As the elevator continued upward, he searched frantically through pockets in his trousers, jacket, coat, vest. I don't believe I ever

many pockets on one The

on the seventh

elevator stopped

and some passengers the "open" button

"This

is

saw so

person.

exited.

As

it

on the control

your floor,"

I

floor.

was about

The door opened

to close again,

I

pushed

panel.

told the couple.

The man and woman thanked me and stepped off the elevator. Just as the door closed, I saw them look at each other with a sudden

flush of astonishment.

Although the story would be perhaps funnier

on the seventh when I met them

that they were not staying teenth, the fact

day they

is

that

practically accosted

me

to

if I

floor at

could

all

tell

you

but the four-

in the lobby later in the

demand how

I'd

known

their

1

34

Secrets

of the

room was on theory— and

then and

it

it

in the

day

some point

believe that at

I

"Room

the bellboy,

you

me

expects

I

my

to atearlier

passed the

were checking in and overheard the clerk

registration desk as they tell

who

111 tell

was exposed to the information. Perhaps

I

remember

couldn't

now, but

can't

I

be disappointing to anyone

it'll

to the supernatural.

tribute

when even they

the seventh floor

couldn't explain

I

it.

A mazing Kreskin

700."

Or

might have been on the elevator

I

with them and seen them get off at the seventh floor. However gathered those

were held

facts,

my

in

they

made no

unconscious, and although

money

recalled that information for all the

out

when

it

My own see

—and

I

me

unconscious serves

my

friends

a confession

this is

At a

couldn't have willfully

I

in the world,

it

flowed

was needed.

dentally. It often puzzles

getful.

I

conscious impression. Yet they

party,

if I

take

—

my

in a very capricious way, inci-

and

am

I

subjects

me

to ridicule.

You

quite absent-minded and for-

glasses off

and put them on a

table,

might spend the remainder of the evening quietly trying to locate

them. I'm quite nearsighted, and

me

I

would not be able

scious

"knows" where the

if

they are four or five feet from

to identify them. I'm sure that glasses are, but

my

uncon-

whether I'm playing a game

with myself or simply giving myself another lesson in humility, usually have to ask

someone

David Brenner has a

to help

me

favorite story

I

find those glasses.

about a mentalist with

TV

he performed long before he was well-known as a

whom

and night-

club performer. Although he refuses to admit that the mentalist was Kreskin,

I

We'd

my

just finished

some obscure

had been

together in that long,

to

it

I

usually

do by

locating

my

place in the auditorium. After the

car.

We

my

car. I'd

and we

arrived at least

wandering through the

pus, to locate

after all these years, since

performing at a northeastern university, and

invited to a private party,

my

now

point.

ended the program as

in I

mind confessing

so well illustrates

it

I

don't

streets

check, hidden

show David and

decided to drive there

an hour late— it took us

and

alleys

simply forgotten where

I'd

around the camparked.

Tapping the Unconscious

The unconscious

is

sciously aware. Yet

135

a reservoir of thought of which we are not conit is like the undercurrents of an ocean, or like

the jet stream, profoundly influencing

that occurs

all

on the

surface.

That which shapes our motives and behavior, and contains the

meaning of what we do and who we

are, is

born

real

our unconscious.

in

The knowledge and understanding here is not easily accessible when we do have a sudden glimpse of it, the experience is so remarkable that we sometimes give it a

to our conscious selves, and

One

mystical or supernatural interpretation.

fascinating

example

is

deja vu, the conviction of having previously experienced something that

you know you must

actually be experiencing for the

first

time.

(The term comes from the French and means "already seen.")

Deja vu have been iar.

common. Most of us have felt that we must room before, since everything is so famil-

very

is

in a particular

Yet, logically,

before?" In tire

we

fact,

conversations

haven't.

knowing

Some

I

been intro-

met you somewhere

people have participated in en-

what they would say and how

precisely

would respond and what the

others

WeVe

would have been impossible.

it

duced to people and said impulsively, "Haven't

final

outcome would

So

be.

profound and vivid are some of these experiences that they Ve given rise to the

theory that

talking with these

few, led

minute I

weVe been

same people

in

here, in these

a previous

on by the suggestion of a "psychic

details of

life

same rooms and

—reincarnation.

A

researcher," have recalled

a previous existence.

have no more corner on the truth regarding reincarnation than

you or anyone really exists. I

else. I

don't

do know

know whether

that the evidence for

as a synthesizing, or joining together, of

stored in the unconscious

or not such a

and

rising to

it

phenomenon

can be explained

memories and information

our awareness through some

triggering factor. I

believe that instances of regression into a previous

tually the

suggestion

same phenomenon on a more complex is

scale.

life

are ac-

The auto-

prodded and reinforced by that of the "researcher,"

whether through active leading or passive encouragement. The is

a fantastic process of which not

ing together of bits

many

rest

of us are capable, a draw-

and pieces long buried

in that vast reservoir of

1

36

Secrets

of the Amazing Kreskin

the unconscious, details

my

like

we never

experience with that couple

which they were

and emerges

I

who had

That information

staying.

forgotten the floor culled

is

some claims

to previous

believe that in

and

on

collated,

life

regression have been pure

most cases both the subject and the

searcher" have been sincere.

I

believe they have

"re-

been sincerely mis-

taken in their claim to have regressed into a previous ly

—much

to the consciousness not merely as fact but as experience.

Certainly fraud, but

we had absorbed

realized

They mere-

life.

tapped the unfathomable depths of the unconscious.

The Kreskin Pendulum In the late 1960s

I

designed and popularized a device that was sold

as a Milton Bradley

game

called "Kreskin's

years of further development Basically, these

stal.

it

was reintroduced

after

as the Kreskin

some Kry-

were sophisticated versions of a simple pendu-

lum, a device that legitimately

tem

ESP," and

reflects

responses of the nervous sys-

—motor responses —to unconscious thought. Many thousands of

people have used the Kreskin pendulum to tap their scious beliefs, knowledge,

and emotions. In

own uncon-

fact, in hospitals all

over

the world expectant mothers have held a primitive version of the

pendulum— a fetus

needle dangling by a thread

was male or female.

mone

testosterone

It

by male

may

—to determine whether the

be that the production of the hor-

fetuses only

can be recognized by the

mother's unconscious and possibly be expressed through the pen-

dulum.

The Kreskin pendulum diameter suspended from a is

consists of a crystal ball

fine, flexible

chain eight inches long and

ideal for the tests 111 present in this chapter.

your

own

Or you can make

simple pendulum by tying an eight-inch length of string

around a key or lightly

one inch in

ring. If

you hold the unattached end of the chain

between your thumb and forefinger with the pendulum or

bob dangling tion will

freely,

your forearm extended and unsupported, a mo-

soon occur. Perhaps the pendulum

forth or to the

left

and

right,

or

it

will

swing back and

might make a circular motion,

Tapping the Unconscious

either clockwise or the opposite. will stay stock

Although

For a few people the pendulum

still.

it's

make the pendulum react to can be made to do so. Here's a simple

not our purpose to

suggestion in this chapter,

it

Lay an ordinary

experiment.

137

ruler

on a

and near

table,

it

place an

ordinary tumbler or drinking glass. The two should be separated by at least six inches.

Ask someone

pendulum

to hold the

directly over

the center of the ruler, above the six-inch mark. Instruct the per-

son to gaze steadily downward at the

an inch or two

right,

until

traversing

it is

it

with com-

begin to sway

left

and

and farther to each

side

will

at first, then farther

most of the

examining

ruler,

Soon, the pendulum

plete concentration.

ruler's length.

Stop the swinging pendulum and ask the friend to hold

on

the center of the glass and concentrate fully

After a few seconds the

and

left

as

will

begin to

its

orbit will extend far

beyond the

and the individual holding the pendulum for

over

move

—not

right

did along the ruler but this time in a circular motion.

it

Eventually,

pendulum

it

the tumbler's rim.

will

size

of the tumbler,

have no explanation

it.

At a party someone

will certainly declare

the volunteer deliberately cooperated. But tries

it,

the chances are

good

when

it

a fake and

insist

the skeptic himself

that hell have the

same

result.

The

shape of the ruler and the tumbler provide the suggestion, and without consciously intending to, the volunteer through motor reflexes creates the

movement.

some people do not respond as readily to suggestion as most do. One evening when I was performing at a dinner party, my volunteer was just such a fellow. The But as

skeptic

I

said in

an

earlier chapter,

happened to be overweight and had

he was on a diet and would eat very the chocolate eclairs for dessert.

For

little

earlier

—and

announced that

not even look at

three minutes he held the pen-

dulum over

the center line of the ruler, coolly smug. Finally, he de-

clared that

it

was

all

a hoax, for the pendulum hadn't moved in

I asked him if he wanted to make a wager that the pendulum would indeed move, and he agreed. I laid a five-dollar bill on the table and asked the hostess to

the least.

1

Secrets of the

38

one of the

get

move

—and

A mazing Kreskin

eclairs

from the

you

in sixty seconds,

on

laid the eclair

I

my

money,"

I

the -center of

it

pendulum

told him. "If

and moved

the table

pendulum hovered over

the

refrigerator. "If the

get

does"

hand so

his

—"youTI

doesn't it

that

have to aban-

don your diet for this evening and eat that eclair." I knew the five dollars didn't mean anything to him. He was wealthy, and I'd seen him leave that much as a tip for two cups of coffee. The eclair, on the other hand, meant a great deal. He

He wanted

loved them.

to eat

and although I'm sure he

He wanted

it.

do

didn't

the

pendulum

deliberately,

it

swing

to swing, it

did as

he allowed suggestion to take control. Suggestion might well play a crucial role in bringing unconscious

information to the conscious

which

I

In deva vu, for example, one detail,

level.

referred to earlier as a triggering factor

furniture in a

room

suggests the possibility of having been in that

place before, and as that suggestion is

—perhaps a piece of

accepted, supporting material

is

gathered from the unconscious. Although the wallpaper, clock, car-

pet, painting all

we merge them deja vu in the

might have been seen at different times and together because

we have

places,

accepted the suggestion of

first place.

That's not to say that the vast powers of the unconscious are

merely suggestion or autosuggestion.

If we're to

a creative and positive way, we must learn to

tap those powers in facilitate the

flow of

thoughts from one level to another by accepting the suggestion that

can happen. This

it

of

the unconscious.

tiniest it

is

amount of

is

the

It is

fundamental

true faith

It is

It is

not mystical;

a simple, pragmatic observa-

you do not open the door,

if

of tapping the power

can move mountains.

not even essentially religious.

tion that

truth

the key to the promise of Jesus that the

there can be

no passage of

information.

And

so, as

you delve

into

your friends in the pendulum if,

rarely,

lum

you

get

no response

can't be willed to

work

your

own

tests that follow, don't

at all for

be surprised

a few minutes. The pendu-

or consciously urged into action

results will

be synthetic and unreliable.

to function

and not

resisted.

unconscious and that of

It

—the

simply must be allowed

Tapping the Unconscious

139

The Answer Sheet you already have the Kreskin

If

answer

sheet. Otherwise,

in the center of line

draw another one write no.

and index If

finger,

vertical line

horizontally to

form a

word yes and

Now

cross.

at the right

At

the top of the

end of the horizon-

hold the chain tightly between your

in this position,

you can

try resting

your

until the

bob hangs

free-

one or two inches above the intersection of the two

no conscious

effort to cause the

Eventually the

Initial

thumb

your arm away from your body and unsupported.

your arm becomes weary

elbow on the table and bending your wrist ly

about two inches long

an S^-by-ll sheet of paper. In the center of that

vertical line write the tal

draw a

you needn't prepare the

Krystal,

bob

will

begin to

bob

to

move

move

—or to

lines.

resist

Make

the move.

erratically.

Responses

Whether you're using the pendulum yourself or demonstrating

it

at

some warm-up exercises first. Begin by positioning the pendulum and concentrating on the vertical, or yes, line. Allow your eyes to move a party,

it's

wise for you, or the volunteer you call on, to do

from one end of the

line to the

few seconds, the pendulum

will

other and back repeatedly. In a

move along

that line, indicating yes.

free hand and position it again. Now no line. With no conscious effort on your part, soon move to indicate no. because of individual idiosyncrasies, the bob will move

Stop the bob with your concentrate on the the

bob

will

Rarely,

in the horizontal direction to indicate yes

In such cases,

you must turn the paper

and the

vertical for no.

to coincide with the indi-

vidual response, which will be consistent thereafter.

Now concentrate on a clockwise circle, the indication for, "I don't know," The

final

—"I do not wish

response to practice

is

the counter-clockwise circle

to answer."

Finally, ask yourself or

with obvious answers. Even

your volunteer some simple questions if

you're alone, ask the questions aloud.

Secrets

140

Some

of the Amazing Kreskin

married? "

of March?"

"Am

I,

or are you,

"Are there twenty-two inches in one foot?"

The pendulum scious

month

examples: "Is this the

and helping

is it

own uncon-

a serious tool for prodding your

you

to serve

the key to great party fun

better in everyday

life,

but

—even among the always-present

it's

also

skeptics.

Here are some of my favorite pendulum games.

The Lie Detector

—

—

number from one to ten on a piece of paper, and showing it to no one, to slip it into his pocket. Say: "I'm going to ask you to answer no to every question I ask hereafter. Hold the pendulum in position and begin now to concentrate on your answer. Concentrate on ho." The pendulum will soon begin swinging horizontally, along the no line. When the motion is obvious, ask: "Did you write the number one on the sheet of paper in your pocket?" If your subject did not write the number one, the swing of the pendulum will agree with his words when he replies, "No." Otherwise, the pendulum will slowly change the direction of its swing until, while the volunteer insists "No," his unconscious motor reactions will force the pendulum to confess the truth. Be sure to give the pendulum time to respond before going on to inquire whether the number on the paper is two.

Ask

the volunteer to write a

Sometimes the volunteer

will

impose conscious control over the

pendulum. In that case the break from the horizontal plane only momentary, but ter

will

it

youVe gone through

nounce the number

You might teer write

name

of

try

all

be obvious nonetheless. Either way,

be af-

ten numbers, youll be prepared to an-

in the volunteer's pocket.

some

variations

on

this

theme, having the volun-

a color rather than a number on a

someone

will

in the

room, or even an

slip

of paper, or the

object.

A much more sophisticated and startling version is really an example of telepathy, or reading another's thoughts as they're made known

to

you through the

subtle

movement of the pendulum.

There's

Tapping the Unconscious

no

trick at all involved

—

you'll actually

141

be reading the unconscious

thoughts of another individual. IVe seen people speechless with wonder as a result Select

previously.

—and none more so than the volunteer.

someone who has had good

Dim

the lights

success with the

somewhat and ask

pendulum

for silence. Tell the

volunteer:

name

"I'm going to I

do not want you

this point.

You

number among them at number right now, as I men-

want you to think of the word no

later will I

vertically,

six very slowly.

to think of a particular

Ask the volunteer to moving

numbers one through

are not to think of a

tion them. Instead I

number. Only

the

ask you to

select one.

Do you

position the pendulum.

announce the

first

each

after

understand?"

When the bob begins

number. Since you must allow

time to elapse while you study the bob, you might say, "The

number

is

Number

one.

one. Everyone concentrate

on number one."

Continue to the next number, and so forth through number

What your

first

volunteer and the witnesses don't realize

is

six.

that,

the unconscious level, your subject already began selecting a

on

num-

him you would expect him to do so later. And number away when you name it. With some subjects it will change direction totally. With most there will be no more than an erratic warp as the bob begins to pull out of the no line for a few swings, then corrects. It's possible that no one else

ber

when you

the

bob

will

even notice, but you

told

will give that

When youVe

will.

finished

announcing the numbers, ask the volun-

any number he chooses from the ones you've

teer to write secretly

mentioned. Simultaneously, you write the number the bob has dicated.

Ask

number

up, while you

the subject to place the paper

on

in-

the table with the

do the same.

The Memory Test Chances

week ly,

are,

most of your friends

their last birthday fell

that information

is

on

can't

remember

—and perhaps you

probably

still

the day of the

can't either. Actual-

stored in the unconscious, and

1

42

the

Secrets

of the

A mazing Kreskin

pendulum can bring

it

to the surface. You'll need another piece

of white paper. Place a dot in the center of

of the

week

in a semicircular fashion

around

it,

it

and write the days

like this:

WEDNESDAY TUESDAY

THURSDAY

MONDAY FRIDAY

SUNDAY •

SATURDAY

Ask a volunteer to hold the pendulum over the dot. Say: "On what day of the week was your last birthday? " Eventually, the pendulum will begin to swing toward a particular day. The dramatic conclusion, of course, comes when you ask the person for his birthdate,

was

then produce a calendar to prove that the pendulum

correct.

Some

of the questions that the pendulum can answer:

"What

day were you born?" "What day were you married?"

Of course,

the

pendulum can be used

to answer simple questions

that the guests might have about themselves or others:

"Do I really want to change jobs?" "Do I feel safe where I live?" At one memorable party a young man handed the pendulum to a

k

he'd been dating for some time and asked her casually, "Do you want to marry me?" The bob practically burned the vertical line on the paper. He gave her the engagement ring that night. Then there was the fellow who asked the volunteer, "Does your wife know you robbed a bank?"

girl

Tapping the Unconscious

Calling

on the Unconscious

The pendulum can help you buried feelings ple,

assume you know

tally divide

warm-up

your

home

memories and

to get in touch with lost

—and sometimes that can be most

suppose youVe misplaced your car keys

car). Let's

in half,

exercises, hold the

and

(or, as in

somewhere

they're

useful.

my

case,

get the answer, continue:

"Are they

your

your home. Men-

in

after relaxing

pendulum over

For exam-

and practicing the

Ask

the yes/ no cross.

yourself aloud, "Are the keys in the front half of the house?"

you

143

in the

When

bedroom?" "Are they

in the study?"

When you

room, go there

get a positive response regarding the

and begin the questioning again: "Are they on or

in the desk?"

"Are

they on the sofa?" "Are they on the floor?" If the

keys

out of your pocket without your knowledge, the

fell

pendulum might or might not be

useful

—

it is

possible that your con-

mind ignored the sound or sensation while it made an imon your unconscious. If you thoughtlessly put the keys some-

scious print

where, however, there's a very good chance that the pendulum will help

you

find them.

Perhaps the most important service the pendulum has rendered personally

is

to help

me

ular matter so that I can tunity that appears

make a

just doesn't feel right to

pendulum sion

is

assures

made.

wisdom of tion that

I

It

me

to be a wise

me. Yet

I

wisdom of

that

I

I really feel

move

can't understand

should not

I

professionally

why.

the unconscious, and

make

the move,

might be months or years before

the decision, before

about a partic-

wise decision. Sometimes an oppor-

on the surface

great confidence in the

how

understand

become aware of

I

I

have

when

my

the

deci-

understand the all

the informa-

was weighing and processing unconsciously. But those

decisions have always been wise

the conscious ones.

—

I

wish

I

could say as

much

for

—

11

ESP

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio

Than

dreamt of in your philosophy.

are

—Shakespeare, Hamlet Earlier I

mentioned Bob Kaytes, maitre

Embers near there,

Indianapolis, Indiana.

about halfway through. anything,

ly,

a nightclub called The

One evening

I

was performing

conducting an experiment with a lady from the audience, and

within minutes after working with her

if

d' at

I

since the

I

go overtime

I

abruptly ended the program

don't believe in cheating

—but

show was long

this

my

audience

was an emergency. Fortunate-

in the first place, the audience didn't

even notice.

The tract

is

waitresses, however, did

that there can be

waitresses

had

no

—one of the conditions in my con-

activity

during the concert.

Now

the

found themselves going back to work sooner than they

anticipated.

Bob Kaytes also noticed. He rushed into my dressing room a moment after I got there and asked me what had happened. "Bob,"

I said,

that

woman—get

too.

And call I

an

a

I

her back here.

And

priest

had sensed

was working with

"the last person

it

get

in the audience,

your wife to come back,

or a minister. The lady plans to commit suicide."

almost the

way one

feels sick to one's

actual, physical sensation of queasiness that

consciously associated in

my mind with death.

stomach,

was immediately and

146

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

Today

Perhaps there

help.

but

ings,

woman came to the nightclub as a cry for was no one with whom she could share her feel-

believe that

I

could "read them, "maybe.

if Kreskin

.

.

.

That was about nineteen years ago, and recently raising

had

program

just

in

New

Rahway,

found a medal hidden in a grandfather clock

niture store,

me, and

an old theater

to save

I

did a fund-

I

in a

Jersey.

huge

I

fur-

and people were gathering around me. Someone touched an unusual sensation.

felt

I

turned and saw a

woman who

looked vaguely familiar. "Kreskin,

want to thank you," she

I

that I'm here." It

My

brother Joe and his wife Karla

try to visit

trick.

live in Florida,

and

it

I

usually

gifts.

My

a fun-loving person, always ready with a joke or

is

One Christmas

my name on in the

because of you

suicide.

them during the Christmas season, loaded with

brother's wife

a

said. "It's

was the lady who had planned

I

found a most strangely shaped present with

beneath the Christmas

tree.

The package was

actually

shape of a large U.

"Kreskin, this

one

is

gift

you won't ever guess," Karla

chal-

lenged, laughing. I

in

it

laughed too. "You're right,"

a million years, unless

She screamed.

was

I

I

said, "I don't think

I

could guess

a clock."

it's

as surprised as she was. It

was a grandfa-

ther clock, with great clumps of newspaper to give the package peculiar shape.

No

why

I

A

I

said

what

one had spoken of a clock. I'm

still

its

not sure

did.

few years ago

I

porter interviewed

was

me

in Dallas, Texas,

as part of a local

where a lovely lady

news program.

It

gave

re-

me

promote appearances in the area. Afterward, the two of us were walking through the lobby, and she said she was very happy with the way the discussion had gone.

the opportunity to

In the vestibule of the studio, she turned and said, "Kreskin, 1

want

to ask

"I'm

you one more

Roman

Catholic,"

thing." I

told her.

ESP Her jaw dropped. Her

eyes widened. "That's what

147

was going

I

to ask," she said. "I I

know,"

know some

The

I

told her.

three incidents

traditionally

But

and not

things

know how

don't

I

why

knew, or

described are examples of several phenomena,

I

known

I

others.

— or

as extrasensory perception

ESP

ESP.

in-

cludes the following experiences:

Telepathy. telepathic

Two

who had a

reporter

of the experiences

I

telepathic, since I

—and

question to ask.

The

tion of telepathy

suicide

might have received Karla's thoughts. The

word

the communication of one

is

Clairvoyance. In the fmal example

known

knowledge of an

is

to me.

The

I

tra-

—

traditional

defini-

mind with another

by means other than perception through the normal have become

likely

and that of the

might have been

third also

notice that I'm stressing the

ditional

were most

related

—that of the woman who planned

senses.

gave, the clock

itself

might

traditional definition of clairvoyance

object, person, or event acquired without the

use of the normal senses. Precognition. This ets

claim to exercise

events

is

is

the gift that fortune-tellers, seers, and proph-

—knowledge of the

future.

Knowledge of

future

called precognitive clairvoyance; that of future thoughts

is

precognitive telepathy.

Psychokinesis. This

is

the ability to

move

objects or affect the

course of events through mental rather than physical power.

I

have emphasized that the above definition of telepathy and

voyance held.

clair-

— and, by implication, precognition—are those traditionally

They

are not held

by me. Neither

is

the traditional definition

of ESP.

What

are

my

definitions? Ill

experience not withstanding, this it

doesn't satisfy even

thought, but First

I

let's

me

fully.

tell is

merely one man's theory.

Perhaps

hope you don't swallow establish this: a

you, but understand that,

it

it

will

my

And

provide food for

whole.

phenomenon

that at least resembles

Secrets

148

of the Amazing Kreskin

extrasensory perception certainly exists. Every culture for which

have records at every point in history has included members

have demonstrated or claimed

And

now

abilities

called

we

who

ESP.

they were taken seriously. In Medieval Europe and pre-

who demonstrated

Revolutionary America people

psychic powers

were considered in league with the devil and burned at the stake. In the nineteenth century Psychics were no longer evil

became more

critics

—merely insane.

Today

sophisticated. they're usually

dismissed as frauds. I

have deep respect for those

ESP and

examined

more than

remain

who have

skeptical,

sincerely

and

but nothing arouses

carefully

my

anger

the arrogance of a cavalier dismissal of any subject, in-

cluding ESP, simply because the teachings of Socrates

can't

"it

be true." Thus were dismissed

and Jesus, the observations of

Galileo, the

genius of Kierkegaard and van Gogh.

There

human

is

shameful

is

me gan

is

in the history of the race for

what has

path of years

died

much

is

resulted

from our haughty

cluttered with examples.

that of the

forty-eight years old.

delivering babies, the mortality

The deaths

percent.

One

self-assurance.

When Semmelweis

by

bacteria then.

bacterial infection, but

Through a chance

Semmelweis concluded that indeed there was some

substance being carried from

ill

obser-

invisible

people to healthy ones and caus-

ing sickness and death. Thereafter he insisted that everyone

—entering

be-

among mothers was almost 20

usually were caused

no one knew anything about

dent or physician

The

that has long haunted

Hungarian obstetrician Ignaz Semmelweis, who

when he was only

vation,

which we of the

family can be ashamed, but perhaps the most tragic and

his obstetric

oughly with an antiseptic solution.

He

—

stu-

ward wash

his

hands thor-

washed

all

instruments

also

thoroughly.

The

results

were astonishing. The mortality rate dropped to a

record low. Later he taught thousands of students the technique of antisepsis

and performed major surgery

successfully in a sanitary en-

vironment.

But the medical establishment of

and continued

to deliver babies

all

Europe

rejected his views

and perform operations with hands

ESP unwashed,

sults hurled at

Each of us wears truth,

Our

that.

it is

among

our

us,

vitriolic

were the criticisms and

in-

Semmelweis for suggesting that unseen substances ex-

mind

the man's spirit and

ist,

So

thousands.

killing

149

finally shattered

blinders. If this

vision

and he died

book has

we were

to rely

unconscious, that would expand our understanding limitations.

its

a single

limited because, even for the Einsteins

is

intellects are limited. If

unconscious has

insane.

illustrated

more on our

—but

The wise man or woman

even the

recognizes

consciously and continuously the shortcomings of his or her intellect

and

There

is

is

quite loathe to give snap answers to

room

always

doubt

to

facts that

complex questions.

everyone "knows," and

to consider the "impossible."

ESP Defined I

am

a conservative

in

become obvious from

an extravagant

my

field.

definition of the

To my way

to extrasensory perception.

That

of thinking,

Sensitive Perception. I explained this in

will

term ESP.

some

I

ESP

detail in

have already

do not is

refer

Extremely

an interview

with Psychic magazine in response to the question: "Are you psychic?"

If you're

asking

being psychic,

I

if I

manifest

would say

prefer to say that

what

I

phenomena

yes,

do

is

that

fit

in the category of

under certain conditions. But

I

would

hypersensitive or hypernormal, rather

than extrasensitive.

phenomena in the field of parapsychology is related to the senses in terms weVe never been able to compartmentalize. We have blurred it by saying it's ESP. I

think a great deal of

If It

a person thinks about

suggests that

How

it,

ESP

is

an abortive contradiction.

ability to perceive

beyond our

senses.

can we have a sense beyond our senses? Maybe we should just

expand the

So we

we have an

call

five senses to six

in this light,

ESP. But

my conditions.

I

I

or seven or even 22.

would say

don't

do

it

that

I

do manifest some of what

under any conditions;

I

have to control

1

50

Secrets

I

of the

A mazing

extreme

call this

Kreskin

sensitivity hyperesthesia. I

must explain

that,

when used as a medical term, hyperesthesia means abnormally extreme, even painful, sensitivity to touch, heat, and cold. I'm defining the

word

as

—extremely

it

was used by the

sensitive

an unconscious

level

ESP may be

British Society of Psychical

Research

development of the ordinary senses, usually on

among

relatively rare individuals.

nothing more or

less

than

that.

That means that the whole debate over whether or not really exists is

a comedy

ESP. Each has spent a great deal of time and money fifty

in the last

years in efforts to prove or disprove the existence of

question remains unresolved the

first place.

The question

ESP

both skeptics and proponents of

starring

—because

it

is

the

that needs studying

ESP. The

wrong question is:

"What

in

actually

happens to produce an 'extrasensory' phenomenon?"

Hyperesthesia and

ESP

Recently, twelve mothers lined T-shirts.

up

to face twenty-four slightly used

Each of the mothers had two

children, each of

whom

had

worn one of those shirts to bed the previous three nights. At a signal the mothers examined the shirts carefully. There were no identifying marks. Yet through some extraordinary means, eight of the twelve mothers identified the shirts belonging to their children.

Then

later the children

themselves took part, and nineteen of

the twenty-four were able to identify their brother's or

sister's shirt.

Smell

A

classic

example of clairvoyance? Yes, but not steeped

supernatural or extrasensory.

in

the

The study was undertaken by

psychologist Richard H. Porter of Vanderbilt University Medical

Center and was designed to show

how

Both mothers and children

really

is.

shirts.

Previously, the mothers

sensitive

relied

our sense of smell

on odor

to identify the

had probably not even been conscious

ESP

151

of their children's body odors, but the fact was retained in the

unconsciousness of at least two-thirds of them.

The

old-time mesmerists often produced a similar

effect.

"mesmerizing'' a subject, the performer would present

with an object belonging to a teer

would examine the

member

object, hold

it

of this

effect, for

it

him or her

of the audience. The volun-

move who owned

close to his or her face,

out into the audience, and eventually find the person the object. Suggestion

After

was probably very important

allowed the volunteer to

to the success

set aside the intellect

and become aware of information usually held

in the unconscious.

In this case the information was the odor of the object, so subtle

most of us would not consciously recognize

that

either

it,

on the

who owned it. Yet the mesmerist's subject You can produce virtually the same effect yourself at a

subject or the person

Have

party. set

—

small

the guests contribute one personal item each at the out-

earrings, pipe, tie clip,

identify the

did.

and such

—and explain that you

will later

owners of some of the items. (Of course you must not

look while the objects are being contributed. Although that would

make ly

it

much

easier for you, the partygoers

impressed with your

When

would not be

skill.)

the items have been gathered, inspect

ticularly for odor. Earrings will

Pipes, cigars,

and

particular-

them

carefully, par-

probably carry a faint perfume

cigarettes will

have a

distinct odor.

Coins might

carry a delicate trace of aftershave lotion or cologne, since ally

scent.

men

usu-

apply those substances with their hands. Later, milling with the guest, link the smells

the guests

who produced

you remember with

them. The more information you retrieve

from your unconscious, the more successful

you'll be.

Touch

I

have a friend

who

lives

alone on a small, secluded farm in the

country, and since his retirement

more or

less

some

perpetual state of undress.

years ago he has been in a

As a

result,

my

friend says

he can "hear" and "see" more than he ever imagined possible. IVe

1

52

Secrets

of the Amazing Kreskin

him reach back

actually seen

to pet his dog, without looking, al-

though the animal hadn't been there a few seconds

on

my

he explains. Yet the dog had been three

feet

"I feel the heat of his breath

earlier.

leg when it's cool away from his leg.

out,"

IVe seen him turn to look at a bird that had landed ten away, behind him. The hair on his body had been

IVe seen him

slight breeze.

were

sitting here

—the

and

sit

chair's

rise again, saying,

warm." And

still

people were moving in an adjacent

room

—a

feet

by the

stirred

"Sorry, you

he's noticed

when

slight breeze fluttered

across his body.

Acute awareness of "hear" more, too

—and

sensation can help

tactile

here's

a good way to conclude the clairvoyance

smell,

which

After

I

to "see"

and

necessary to be undressed. In fact,

isn't

it

you

effect that relied

on

described above.

youVe

identified the

owners of the most obvious items

through olfactory hyperesthesia, ask someone whose contribution

you have not

"When

identified to step forward. Say:

turn

I

ing to you, hold

your

my it

back,

I

tightly in

want you to pick up the item belongyour

against your forehead.

fist

item, projecting to

my mind

what

I

and press the knuckles of

fist

want you to concentrate on the

it is

you're holding."

After the subject has followed your instructions for at least twenty-five seconds,

and while your back

is

still

toward her, ask

her to put the object back on the table and return to the group.

Now turn around Perhaps

where

it

and approach the

you'll notice

table.

immediately that one object

had been—visual

hyperesthesia.

Most

is

not precisely

intelligent volunteers

won't give you that advantage, however. Instead, youll have to pick

up each item and hold

it

in

your

fist,

concentrating. If

have rested on the table for several minutes, temperature

—or lower

conditioner.

The item

teer,

however,

will

if

youVe placed

they'll

all

the items

be at

room

the table in front of an air-

that has been held in the

palm of the volun-

be close to 98.6° F, rather than the typical room

temperature of 72°. That's a significant and noticeable difference,

making

it

easy for you to identify the item.

The

process can be con-

tinued with each guest until every item has been returned to

its

owner.

ESP There

is

no end to the ways

that a highly developed sense of

touch can be used. In the days before X-rays and blood

made

medical doctors routinely

and

patient's breath

skin

urine,

153

analysis,

accurate diagnoses by smelling the

examining the color of

his

tongue and

—and touching. Was the skin dry and leathery? Damp and sag-

warm? Each answer narrowed the potential diagnosis. Here's a game you and your friends can enjoy while improvyour tactile hyperesthesia. Have the game host fill one small plas-

ging? Cool or

ing

sandwich bag with

tic

wooden blocks fill

the

ice cubes,

same

and

stuff three additional bags with

(Lacking blocks, you can

size as the ice.

watertight bags with very hot

and very cold

water.)

Spread the bags across a table so that they're several inches

Have each player hold his hand at least three feet above the bags and move back and forth until he is ready to identify the bag apart.

containing the

have

all

When

system.

ice,

or cold water. If

the players

moving

becomes too confusing to

it

you can

together,

also use a timing

make the identification, he make the announcement

the player feels he can

stops and writes his answer, but doesn't aloud. If

The host

also records the length of time each player took.

no player can make an accurate guess

at three feet

from the bags,

the host should lower the distance gradually.

A

similar

game can be played with

bricks.

One

brick can be

put out in the sun for twenty minutes, or in the oven. The object is

to identify the heated brick.

It's

easier than

you might

think.

Hearing

People don't

listen to

ever did, but today

each other anymore. I'm not sure that they

it's

become almost a

basic fact of

life.

We

keep

We say to strangers, "How are you?" "Have a nice day," without caring in the least how they are or what their day turns out to be like. And the ultimate the television blaring but ignore

noncommunicative and the

talk

is

at

it.

a cocktail party.

It's

for this reason,

fact that they're extraordinarily boring, that

I

rarely attend

cocktail parties anymore.

In the past

I'd

keep myself awake

at

such events by conducting

1

54

a

Secrets of the

little

A mazing Kreskin

experiment that nobody but myself and one companion was

privy to.

I

would approach the welcoming

ticians, celebrities, executives,

ously,

and say something to

"Did you

much. to

or what have you, shake hands vigor-

performance? Well, thank you very

raped your wife earlier

I

Ill

The companion was

fession"

be back in

my

at

as clear

expect to hear what

this evening, this city in

111

be able

in fact."

my

"con-

articulate as anything else I'd said.

was speaking wasn't

I

I'd said, didn't

Most of us have no

and hope

two months,

side usually turned ashen, for

and

whom

the gentleman to

officials, poli-

this effect:

really enjoy the

meet you again.

of key

line

want to hear

trouble hearing

trating, separating the noise

from

He

didn't

and simply

didn't.

listening. it,

— our problem

is

no

the message. There's

to develop listening concentration than

But

in concen-

better place

on a crowded bus or subway,

where scores of conversations are taking place

once and

at

all

are

buried beneath the grinding and screeching of machinery. Allow yourself to relax, then concentrate passively

on the one conversation

you're attempting to distinguish.

Another way to develop auditory hyperesthesia radio

down lower and

to hear

it.

lower until you have to

is

by turning the

make

a real effort

After five or ten minutes, you'll find that you're hearing

more and more. Turn

down

it

again.

Now

you might hear nothing

for as long as twenty or twenty-five minutes.

Then

you'll notice that

As you continue become more acute.

you're indeed hearing certain words and phrases. practicing

day

You can

after day,

your hearing

will

use your wristwatch for the same purpose,

kind that makes a ticking sound. Hold ten for the ticking.

When

away. Or put the watch farthest point at

you're certain

it

in front of

you hear

it,

if it's

the

you and

lis-

move

it

farther

down and back away from it. Mark the still hear the watch. Make yourself

which you can

comfortable at that point and simply relax, concentrating. Chances are

good

that after a few minutes you'll begin picking

up the sounds

of the ticking again. If

who

loves to share in juicy gossip (I'm not),

sensitivity

might make cocktail parties fun for you

you're the kind

improved hearing

ESP after

all.

There's

no end

155

pour out of people when

to the tidbits that

they think no one else can hear them.

Sight

I

have spent

many

hours riding

in police cruisers

block of dangerous and squalid inner

has impressed

work

me

a great deal

these areas every day.

most of us would ignore

an

cities in

police discover leads in difficult cases.

And one

They recognize

—a door

to investigate.

recognized by as

One

had some vague

officer told

suspicion.

I

me

who

instantly tiny details that

a drawn shade, a nervous

ajar,

terrupts a crime in progress, he himself doesn't

said he

effort to help the

of the things that

the alertness of the officers

is

twitch in an otherwise emotionless face. Often

him

through block after

it

believe

was it

when an

officer in-

know what prompted just a hunch, another

was

visual hyperesthesia

the unconscious and rising to the consciousness only

an uneasy suspicion or hunch.

For

all

mumbo-jumbo and

their

merists produced

some

quite effective results.

tling effects involved several

cards were

all

incantations, those old mes-

of the same

blank cards size,

made

—

of

One

of the most star-

six, twelve,

stiff

or more.

The

cardboard and abso-

The mesmerist, through flamboyant gestures with his cape and wand, would lead a subject to deep concentration and suggestibility. He would then hold up one lutely identical to

of the cards and

the average observer.

tell

the subject that

it

was a photograph of some-

one that the subject loved dearly.

The volunteer would study

the card carefully, "seeing"

on the

blank card the photograph the mesmerist had suggested. The mesmerist

would then approach the audience and, out of

subject,

mark with an

X

sight of the

the back of the white card that supposedly

was the photograph.

The mesmerist would then shuffle the cards and spread them across a table. "Will you please pick up and hand to me the photograph of your beloved?" the mesmerist would request of the Invariably, usually without hesitation, the subject

subject.

would pick a card

1

56

Amazing Kreskin

Secrets of the

and hand

to the

it

It's

illusion,

mesmerist— who

would display

in turn

for the

X on the back of the card.

audience the

easy enough to perform this effect through old-fashioned

but that

seemed to be

is

not

how

identical, they

it

was done. While each of the cards

were not. There were natural, random

smudges—that made each subtly commanded the subject to concentrate

differences— wrinkles, rough edges, unique.

When

the mesmerists

those characteristics that set the "photograph" card apart from

fully,

the others were absorbed into the subject's unconscious. er

He was

nev-

aware that he'd seen them, but he had. They and the imaginary

photograph had become one, and

it

was a simple matter to

identify

the proper card. Here's an effect of visual hyperesthesia friends.

Have

you can perform

for your

three or four people stand near one side of a table. Place

a quarter on the table before them. Explain the following instructions

them

so that everyone understands and follows

"When

I

that one of in his

my

back,

I

want you to agree among yourselves

take that quarter in his hand, clench

will

press his knuckles firmly against his forehead

fist,

centrate

turn

you

precisely.

on

these words: "I have the coin in

The person with

my

the coin will keep his other

left

it

tightly

and con-

[or right] hand.'

hand

at his side, his

fingers open.

"The

of you will also keep your hands at your sides with

rest

your fingers open, while you concentrate on these words: 'My hands are

open and empty.

I

do not have the

that for twenty seconds,

When

I

want you

all

coin.'

When you

have done

to say: 'Now. Ready.'

"

the group announces that your instructions have been

followed and they're ready, direct them without turning around to

hold their hands in front of them, plain that

you

fists

clenched, at waist

them what hand

will tell

is

level.

Ex-

holding the coin. Turn

around, and proceed to do that immediately. Actually,

it

will

be quite simple.

one of the eight hands it

will

The

will

If

four people are playing, only

appear a lighter color than normal, and

probably be the only hand that does not have veins bulging.

others,

which were

signs of pooling blood.

all

hanging

at the sides, will

show obvious

— ESP To view ESP to reduce

its

as hypersensory rather than extrasensory

significance at

finally, serious

157

On

all.

the contrary,

it

makes

is

not

possible,

in-depth investigation. Just one example: For thou-

sands of years, some people have claimed to be able to predict earthquakes. Others have called

them

That was

fools, frauds, or maniacs.

the extent of the debate.

Helmut Tributsch, professor of

Recently, Dr.

at the Free University

published by the

ment

is

MIT

physical chemistry

the Snakes

Awake,

Press. Tributsch's carefully researched argu-

that oxen, sheep, dogs, geese,

including snakes

When

of Berlin, wrote

and many other animals

—sense certain prequake seismic events days or weeks

before the quake actually occurs and flee the area. If that's true,

humans could

certainly hyperesthetic

an area of extreme

practical importance,

idea what's really happening

quake,

I

we should

believe that

and now

most people can achieve a

It will

beyond

farther ahead than

all

lottery,

most people

we have some an earth-

ability.

ESP

(Extremely

As with any and

I

learn

and motivation

skill,

more

—although

is

will ever get.

—and you must be

realistic.

probably already tuned out

prays for miracles, and has

thing that he can

it,

It's

that IVe discussed thus far, you're already

be dedicated

eyed believer in magic

of

level

their expectations.

require time, attention,

you have practiced

You must

that

"sensitive" predicts

requires real effort. IVe spent a lifetime at

every day. if

when a

seek to develop and benefit by this

Sensitive Perception) far it

detect the indications, too.

no

The wide-

—he plays the

intention of working for any-

daydream about with equal

confidence in the open-minded skeptic, who,

satisfaction. I if

have more

he has come

with me, will be demonstrating

ESP

the experiments IVe presented.

The only enemy he must guard

this far

himself before long, even beyond against

He must learn to ask, in this and in all areas, not "Can it be so?" but "How can it be so?" Otherwise he is like an artist who is color-blind, a musician who is tone-deaf. In my experience those most likely to demonstrate ESP are nei-

is

narrow-mindedness.

ther skeptical nor gullible. ficulty

with

reality,

They

are simply open.

They have no

dif-

nor with fantasy or imagination. They can face

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

158

frustration

and even tragedy, analyze and solve problems, yet move

easily to the

realm of the imagination weVe explored in chapter

Such people

like

are not frightened of

what might

own

a curiosity about their themselves

2.

themselves and understand themselves, and they exist in the unconscious.

minds. They tend to be friends with

— and there are fewer people who

might guess. Exploring

and the time they

their

They have

own

unconscious

invest keeps the

feel that is

way than you

a pleasure for them,

communication

lines

open and

experience

ESP must

the information flowing.

In a nutshell,

I

think that those

recognize that there

mind

—than

open and

is

is

apparent.

willing

who would

—and in the Perhaps they do not believe — but they are

a great deal more in the world

and prepared to

believe.

12

Where Are We Going?

And now It is

here

is

my secret,

a very simple

secret:

only with the heart that one can see rightly:

What

is

essential

is

invisible to the eye.

—Saint-Exupery, The

Little

Prince

In recent years, while performing at hundreds of colleges and universities all

over America, IVe discovered that young people today

are frightened. They're afraid of "the

economic and

political

bomb," of

irrational violence,

chaos around the world, their

own

futures

personally and professionally.

"Kreskin," they ask, "what

My first teller

or psychic.

have done 8.

—

is

to

I

the future going to be like?" is

that I'm not a fortune-

What

can't "see" into the future.

make

They're typically

known

is

response, as IVe already said,

the educated guesses

more accurate than

I

I

can do

— and

discussed in chapter

the predictions of the best-

"seer."

With

my

expectations for

significant

advances world-

that qualification, here are a few of

the future. It's

my

"guess" that

among

the

most

wide during the next twenty-five years

will

be not in computers or

genetics or space exploration but in developing

er of the

embryo. rial

human

We

and

utilizing the

mind. At present, the science of mind

is

pow-

but an

have been so busy with the physical sciences, with mate-

advancement,

that, to use

an unintentional pun, we haven't even

1

60

given the

A mazing Kreskin

of the

Secrets

mind a thought. The

much

to define the various emotional illnesses, in

an agreed upon,

cated.

—

At

scientific

community

psychiatric

manner

is

to treat

less

that can be verified

best the mental health profession

an

is

at pains

art, at

them

and dupli-

worst a fraud

certainly not a science. I

believe

We

field.

we

are at the threshold of change in the mental health

mind

are finally beginning to take the

ognize that there

is

seriously, to rec-

a virtually unexplored, virtually unutilized uni-

verse of

wonder and

and use

this potential,

potential there.

our

lives will

And

as

we begin

to learn about

change profoundly.

The Business of Living

A

few years ago on the "Mike Douglas Show,"

sports figures

and one police

peatedly and with no difficulty. I

you now

told

that tube, that

you could do and

that

you would it?"

A

asked several top

from a hang-

officer to stand eight feet

ing tire tube and throw a ball through

"If

I

Then

it.

Each of them did so

said to them:

I

you could not throw the

fail at

re-

so easy a task,

ball

through

do you think

few smiled and nodded, and the

rest

that

laughed

said, "Certainly." I

asked them to think of the most upsetting, distressing, and

traumatic experience of their

lives. It

took a few of them

onds to decide what to think about, but they had such an incident in mind.

I

thirty sec-

finally they all assured

me

asked each of them to continue

mind as they took turns throwing the ball. They obeyed and not one was able to get the ball through the tube. Most of them missed the tire by great distances, and one actu-

to keep the experience in

—

ally

threw the

The

ball

reaching and of fulfill

over his head and behind him.

implications of that tiny piece of entertainment are far critical

importance. Those

their potential because I forced

men

them to

miserably failed to

relive severe

emotional

trauma. Millions of live

up

young people today

to their potential, for the

are failing in the

same

reasons. Living

same way

to

on the wrong

Where Are

does not create failed

side of the tracks

deprivation or crowded homes.

emotional

trauma— then

lives.

When

We

Going?

161

Neither does economic

those factors lead to severe

they produce young people

who cannot

succeed in the world.

The

Bible speaks of the sin of the fathers visited onto the third

and fourth generation, and families today: fathers

by

who

their fathers passing

who trauma becomes a way to their children,

on

that's precisely

see in so

the heritage of abuse and

in turn brutalize

of

what we

many

themselves were abused and abandoned

life,

abandonment

and abandon. Emotional

short-circuiting the brilliant potential

of youth. I

predict that

by the

make harmony and

twenty-first century the social services will

young

tranquillity first priorities in

concept of the unfit parent will be reexamined in nal laws but the child's happiness.

youngsters will be permitted a

new

Both

lives.

The

light

not of exter-

foster children

and problem

sense of permanence and stability

rather than be subjected to the current practice of constant reloca-

and the emotional trauma that

tion

I

believe there will

entails.

be great upheaval in the educational system,

beginning almost immediately. The public

is

already rebelling against

the paradox of increased taxes and declining scholastic achievement.

Taxpayers sitting.

demand

will

They

will expect the schools to

pose, ignite spirit role in society.

to a failed

life.

From

the

ing about his

Many

first

people have already

intellect linked to

day a

child enters

own marvelous

And

repeat something

I

if

come

a sick

this:

instill

pur-

to realize that the

spirit usually

a classroom he

will

amounts

begin hear-

how

to infuse

young minds with

that sounds like Big Brother to you,

let

said in an earlier chapter: every one of us

accepts subtle suggestions every day of our

simply

character,

potential to succeed. Teachers will learn

to plant positive suggestion,

values and goals.

me

mold

—in short, to prepare youngsters to play a positive

most highly trained

how

educational objectives that go beyond baby-

lives.

The question

is

should the suggestion be the invidious, propagandists,

destructive distortions of a subculture, too subtle to be identified

and

162

of the Amazing Kreskin

Secrets

exposed, or socially positive influences offered in the classroom. believe

I

we

will

not only prefer but

demand

believe there will be a fascinating

lives.

Anyone

we

type

effect to

but

it

will

will rapidly

that a change

thought

go on, or by extension

light to

take place.

The technology

gifts,

knows

either conscious or unconscious

I

—can cause

virtually

any

believe that within a score of years

many mechanical

processes largely

be marketed

as simple curiosity-

be controlling a great

will

thought.

change in the gadgetry of our

—

a buzzer to sound, a mechanical

the latter.

familiar with biofeedback research

in brain waves

I

first

by

be applied in emergency auto safety de-

vices to provide instant braking.

As

Gallup, Harris, Presidential candidate Dewey, and political

around the world have discovered, polling and surveying,

parties

sophisticated as they have become, are

reason

is

we dont always

that

tell

imperfect sciences.

still

an interviewer what we

The

really think.

Perhaps the interviewer doesn't even ask us the right question. Or perhaps we don't

Sometime

know how we

feel

"deep down."

in the next century survey takers will ask

our permis-

sion to tap into a very limited area of our thoughts, those pertaining to the survey subject. will gather

Through

a printout that

particular issues but

how

bioelectronic

will explain

means

not only

strongly and to

the interviewer

how we

feel

what extent we are

about likely

to change our minds.

There

is

great negative potential to technology that allows access

to even unconscious thoughts.

Some

will seek to

apply

patients

and convicts to learn whether or not they are

and can

safely

it

be released into society. Others

will

it

to mental

rehabilitated

vehemently oppose

as utterly destroying privacy. Rigid federal regulations will be es-

tablished before the technology

is

licensed.

In professional sports every team will have a "mind coach." His

primary responsibility

will

be to teach players the art of imagery in

daily pre-experiencing sessions of the forthcoming game. will this

of

prove in actual competition that

all athletic

it

will

So

effective

be an integral part

training.

Business counselors will have a similar function, guiding execu-

Where Are We Going?

tives in using

163

imagination and unconscious knowledge to find dy-

namic, creative solutions and ideas.

Mind and Health We

will see

a genuine revolution in mental health. The sun

even

is

now setting on psychoanalysis as a form of psychotherapy. I dont know any psychologists today who honestly believe in Freudian psychoanalysis. Freud's greatest

work was

in describing

and categorizing

neuroses, a contribution that will always be considered classic; his therapeutic theories were not particularly successful even

when he

applied them.

What's more, psychotherapy

is

a luxury that fewer and fewer

can afford. Therapists typically charge $100 to $200 a

session,

and

therapy frequently continues for years. I'm not sure whether the

economic hardship

this thrusts

upon most patients increases the sethem to get well more quickly,

verity of their illness or motivates

but

I

am

sure that the fees are unconscionably high for a treatment

modality based on no more

scientific

evidence than palm reading

or a seance. Here's a fact that might surprise you. Studies have

no matter what type of therapy

dream

is

used

—

shown

what

analysis, persuasion therapy, transactional analysis, or

have you

—about

bilitation.

that

psychoanalysis, hypnosis,

one third of the patients achieve complete reha-

Another third improve moderately, and the

final third

show

no improvement. Anecdotal evidence suggests that

—perhaps

higher

—can

a minister, or the tell

at least as

woman down

the street to

their troubles in confidence. It isn't the

works, I

it's

high a success rate

be achieved by a voodoo doctor, a witch,

the mental dynamics of

two people

believe that psychotherapy will

whom

mode

everyone can

of therapy that

interacting.

become much more

directive,

dealing specifically with the emotional complaint, and emotional

problems

The

will

now

are.

in the use of autosuggestion

and

be dealt with as decisively as bodily ailments

great advances will be

made

164

Secrets

of the Amazing Kreskin

visual imagery.

The

effective psychotherapist will lead his patient to

phobic or neurotic

vividly pre-live aspects of his life that cause

from the

actions and, distanced

reality

re-

of them, learn ways to cope

with them. Hell help his patient to accept positive, healthy suggestion for improving

mood,

Dramatic advances

self-image,

will

be

and such.

made

in the area of neurochemistry.

Already pioneering researchers are treating some forms of mental illness

by reestablishing the normal biochemistry of the brain to elim-

and

inate bizarre behavior

restore normalcy. Findings in this area

in the future will far surpass the expectations of

even the most opti-

mistic researchers of today.

WeVe seventies,

seen the end of the "me" generation of the sixties and

and the narcissism of the

publishers wealthy,

it

and

although

made many

it

simply didn't work. Putting the spotlight on

ourselves, with all our frailties piness, security,

eighties;

and

defects

is

no way

self-confidence. Instead, in the

ture the emphasis will be

on helping

others,

to find hap-

immediate fu-

and psychotherapy

will

involve to an increasing extent not only the patient but also his family,

in

I

friends,

and colleagues— all of

whom

will voluntarily participate

an intensive behavioral/ thought-conditioning program.

anticipate that quite

Rome needed will

will find their facilities

be dimly

soon the Sleep Temples of ancient Greece and

way

lit,

private

for privacy, relaxation,

sounds

modern culture, providing muchnumber of people very wealthy. They

into our

while making a

rooms where the weary traveler can sleep. The user will select any of

and

—mystic chanting, music, wind,

total darkness,

sea.

Or

silence.

He

will

retreat

several

choose

a pastoral scene, or a pendulum on which to focus

his attention while

he grows progressively more relaxed and finally

sleeps.

Sleep Temples will be located at airports, in city centers, even

along highways. Only one individual will be permitted per room, and the fee will be very moderate, perhaps ten dollars per hour.

Attitude-based medicine will specialization.

Today many

become a recognized

authorities

field

around the world

of medical

feel strongly

Where Are We Going?

that a negative

mood can

significantly extend recovery periods

even make the difference in a death.

Soon

165

and

between survival and

critical situation

practitioners will determine the patient's attitude through

carefully designed profiles before allowing surgeons to operate. Patients

who

are excessively frightened, depressed, or apathetic will

undergo emotional

rehabilitation, including positive suggestion

imagery integration before surgery

Some

is

and

permitted.

so-called physical ailments will

very intensive mind conditioning. There

be routinely treated through

now

exists, for

example, a

psychological profile of cancer victims, including depression, a lack

of sense of humor, and a defeatist attitude. Treatment

will

aim

at

changing negative emotional factors in order to stimulate the defense

mechanisms that prevent or

arrest cancer.

Within the next century

it

will

be possible for some people to

tune in to their inner selves and inner feelings so profoundly that they will be able to monitor subtle functions of their bodies. They will recognize

and disease fore

—and actually be able to diagnose physical maladies be-

symptoms become obvious.

We our

a sense of inner health and strength, or inner weakness

will learn to use color to influence positively all aspects of

lives.

We

will use light blue, gray,

and pale green rooms for

personal relaxation and tranquillity; bright-colored rooms to stimulate imagination, create beauty,

to induce concentration.

By

and passion; beige and yellow rooms

use of lighting

we

will instantly

—

moods or theraboredom and create positive

the color of our living areas to coincide with our peutically, to eliminate depression or

change

feelings. It's

conceivable that in the next century pain will be a rare phe-

nomenon, whether the problem is a toothache or a ravaging ulcer. The relief will result not from drugs but from a deeper understanding of what actually occurs in acupuncture, hypnoanesthesia, and the "spell" of the witch doctor. Millions of people will learn the simple art

of autosuggesting pain away.

166

I

Secrets

of the Amazing Kreskin

and Thou

On in

human history we will see efforts to human mind. Appeals to the unconscious will be used

a scale unprecedented in

manipulate the

TV

commercials and magazine advertisements, and by Jim Jones-

type preachers, politicians, and governments. Corporations will at-

tempt to persuade the public to accept unconscionably high

profits

and pollution of the environment

By

as essential to prosperity.

us-

ing mass-suggestion techniques they will succeed with many.

A

free press

will strive to

and

citizens alert to the techniques of suggestion

keep the masses informed of the truth through a vivid

and dynamic presentation of deceit of

all

sorts will

understand his tion will

and

make

facts.

own mind and lying,

But the ultimate weapon against

be the growing potential of every person to the

minds of

others.

Thought percep-

scheming, and cheating as obsolete as the horse

carriage.

Openness and the only possible

integrity will

be not only the ideal but ultimately

means of dealing with one another. Recognizing

the essential unity, the basic oneness of

human

consciousness, will

lead the Western world to a renewed balance of the material and spiritual realms that has

For too long

it

been lacking for more than a century.

has been the hallmark of intellectualism to see

the world as plunging headlong toward destruction. expectation, one in which

we

I

hold a far brighter

share a humility and openness towards

Nature. I

believe that such a world exists in our future,

ing the uncharted reaches of the

mind—we

will find

and that it.

—search-

17

1 or over three decades

the

Amazing Kreskin has been astounding

audiences with extraordinary mental feats. In Secrets of the ing Kreskin the world's foremost mentalist reveals their

own

latent

Amaz-

readers can use

mental powers to accomplish effects that resemble telep-

athy, clairvoyance,

Kreskin

how

and hypnosis— through completely natural means.

insists that there is

nothing supernatural about such mental

He even discounts so-called "extrasensory perception" and reESP as "extremely sensitive perception"— a heightened aware-

abilities.

defines

ness of subtle clues which everyone

You about your

will be

own

is

capable of developing.

amazed and amused by what Kreskin can teach you

potential.,

Learn how to raise your

unknown

increase your powers of concentration, discover

power of suggestion, influence

lize the

level of

attitudes

awareness,

strengths, uti-

and behavior, produce

"hypnotic" effects, predict with educated guesses, locate

lost objects,

and "read" the thoughts of others by becoming attuned to the subtle clues of

body language and

According tion of

to Kreskin,

"few of us have tapped more than a frac-

our mental potential." In this book he reveals

condition ties

facial expression.

mind and body

how anyone can

release the extraordinary strengths

and

of the unconscious.

ISBN-13: ISBN-10:

T7fl-Q-fl7^75-b7b-5 0-fi7T75-b7b-M

90000

9'780879"756765

Prometheus Books 59 John Glenn Drive

•

Amherst

•

New

York 14228-2119

www.prometheusbooks.com Cover design by Kathleen Sarazin

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