Greg Webb - Extra Sensory Perception Shortcut

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file:///L:/Zaubern - Einzeltricks/Mentaltrick.htm
A perplexing mental mystery with

an effect that overshadows the
method.
EXTRA SENSORY PERCEPTION SHORTCUT

By Greg Webb
I always wanted to work up Annemann's 'Extra Sensory Perception' but never

got around to it. I planned to someday put it in a mentalism show. You'll find
the original, which depended on a crib list hidden in a great place, in a great
way, in 'Practical Mental Effects.' It is probably in other Annemann books also.
By waiting, though, I saved myself some work, because my style of working is
crystallizing and becoming clear in my mind. What is good for me might not be
good for someone else, but what I realized about myself is that I need my
mentalism to be easy in method or I get tense.
Even though someone else can do a lot of memory work or keep track of many
'outs,' I have to stick with things that are so easy that I can concentrate on
presentation. This means I'd rather act like it is difficult instead of really doing
something that is difficult.
The effect in question, Annemann's 'Extra Sensory Perception,' was not very
hard to begin with. There was a small problem with the crib but not for stage
work, which I was hoping to be doing, because it couldn't be seen from that
distance. As fate would have it, I'm finding myself working more intimate
settings at private parties and small corporate luncheons and dinners. Here the
same crib method would be seen, probably, which would make me nervous.
Then I got this idea which came from the adage 'simplify, simplify, simplify.'
I was able to get rid of the cribbing system altogether by making a list of objects
that would be in alphabetical order.
This is not as obvious as it might seem since many objects have several names
by which they are known, and don't forget, we're talking about line drawings of
each object, and the challenge will be to draw a freely selected image.
And it will be freely selected! The cards are not shown as freely in the beginning
as at the end. I give the cards with the drawings away after each show, to the
volunteer.
The setup is already destroyed, but, before giving them away, I thumb through
them so everyone can see that they are all different. The giving away feature
convinces everyone that there is nothing special about them. Also, they become
a conversation piece in that person's home, at least for a little while.
The Effect
A drawing is fairly selected from a group of different line drawings of everyday
objects that anyone can recognize. With virtually no procedure smacking of
trickery, the mentalist struggles to duplicate the drawing being concentrated
upon, on a chalk board, and finally arrives at a result that is deemed by
everyone present to be a 'hit.'
Requirements
Using 3x5 index cards, draw a simple line drawing of these items one to a card.
Use a dark pencil. There is usually a black in a color pencil set. This is darker
than regular lead. You can get these individually at art supply stores. Markers
are not good because they bleed through the index cards.
The list of objects that you must draw are, in order:
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Magic Show
Apple, Box, Cherries (like the

symbol in a slot machine), Door,
Envelope, Flag, Glove, Hat, Ice
cubes (four or five small cubes),
Jar (will look like a simple
cylinder), Kite, Light Bulb, Mask,
Nail, Octagon, Pail, Quill (as in
quill pen, in other words, a feather
but in your mnemonic you think of
'quill'), Ring, Sailboat (like a child's
toy boat ... simple), Table,
Umbrella, Vase and Watch for last.
I stop there and don't include X, Y,
or Z. I felt that if these showed up,
especially X or Z, that they might
remind someone of alphabet cards.
Index cards are cheap, and recognizable. Remember, I give each set away after
the effect. This is important. Keep the drawings simple to make them easy to
redraw before a show. You'll find the memory work on this to be almost nil,
especially after you've drawn the set once.
Performance
"When the term Extra-Sensory Perception was coined, it was as a result of this
test ... with drawings of everyday objects." (I don't know if this is true or not,
but it works.) "That's right, ESP."
Show several of the drawings, but show ones from different parts of the stack,
and not any in order. Next, engage in any number of Charlier shuffles. In
mental work it looks casual and unstudied. Practice to make this so, because
this is the convincer. Then execute a series of straight cuts. I always say, "If I
don't do this, people wonder why not." It calls just enough attention to it so that
they remember that the cards were 'mixed.'
Have a spectator cut the cards, complete the cut and take the top card. Keep
your eyes averted from the spectator and her card, and take this opportunity to
glimpse the face card of the stack, just before you set the cards down aside
Have the spectator concentrate on the card. Mentally count one letter of the
alphabet ahead from the one you glimpsed, and you will know the letter and
therefore the simple object that they chose.
Try to draw the image on a chalkboard, or lacking that, a piece of white
cardboard and a marker are fine.
To drag it out, since you want it to seem hard, blame the spectator for not
concentrating hard enough, ala Dunninger. Finally arrive at a crude (looking
like 'automatic writing') version of the image. Don't make it look exact or too
nice.
In other words, if it seems too easy, they'll realize that it has some simple
solution. I've given you a simple method so that you can concentrate on your
acting, which consists of making it look hard.
Practice, also, how far off or how sloppy your drawing should look so that they
still recognize it.
After being declared a 'hit,' give the drawing away if you worked on white
cardboard, or pass around the chalkboard. Finally, return to the cards, saying,
"They really are all different." Do a Hindu shuffle to destroy the setup, thumb
through them nonchalantly and give them away to the spectator that helped.
This simple act means a lot in terms of fairness.
Performance Notes
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One final note. When you introduced the drawings, instead of saying "I drew
these," say that you had an 'artist friend' draw them. If they know that you
drew them, it would suggest that you have a deep and intimate knowledge of
the drawings. If you say, "I had an artist friend draw simple line-drawings of
some common, everyday objects," you have distanced yourself slightly from the
drawings.
In conclusion, I defy anyone 'in the know' to notice the difference between the
original and this version. Nevertheless, I have eliminated the crib sheet idea,
which would show in close range, and substituted the simplest mnemonic I could
think of, the alphabet. It doesn't affect the effect in the least. Now it is
something I can identify with, a mental effect with almost no method, so I have
less trouble acting like there is no method.
There are those that will make up these cards in a fancy way, and they'll keep
them rather than giving them away, but they will have missed the point that
mentalism is not the same as magic. The lower tech method and materials are
better.
Extra Sensory Perception Shortcut and illustrations 2000, 2002 by Greg Webb.
Magic Show is 2002 by Robinson Wizard, Inc.
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Magic Show

A perplexing mental mystery with

EXTRA SENSORY PERCEPTION SHORTCUT

I always wanted to work up Annemann's 'Extra Sensory Perception' but never

Apple, Box, Cherries (like the

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