People visit psychics, palm readers, and fortune tellers because they are attracted to the ability to read minds. You can use this charm by learning a magic trick that shows you know what a volunteer is thinking. The three tricks described in this article will have you amazed in no time.
Step
Method 1 of 5: Saying the Name of a Dead Person
Step 1. Find three volunteers
This is a great trick to do in front of a large crowd because you will need three volunteers to get it right. Make sure to get exactly three people; this trick won't look good with just two people, and can't be done with four people. It's best to choose people you don't know so the audience won't think you planned this trick together before the show.
Step 2. Give a piece of paper to the three volunteers
This part of the trick is very important. Take a piece of paper and tear it into three pieces. Give the first paper, which has one straight side and one jagged side, to the first person. Give the second piece of paper, which has jagged edges on both sides, to the second person. Give the third piece of paper, which also has one straight side and one jagged side, to the third person.
- This trick doesn't work properly unless you tear a sheet of paper into thirds, so make sure you prepare it with a large sheet of paper.
- Think of a person who has jagged paper on both sides. This piece of paper is the key to the trick.
Step 3. Tell the three to write a name
The first person to write the name of the person who is still alive. The second person (with both jagged edges) must write down the name of the person who has died. The third person must write the name of the living person.
Step 4. Announce to the audience that you will be picking up a piece of paper with the name of the person who has died
Show that you leave the room or turn your back while the three volunteers write names on their respective papers. Then ask the three volunteers to put their paper in a hat or box.
Step 5. Take the paper with the names on it
Tell the volunteers to concentrate fully on the names they wrote down. Hold the hat or box over your head, or have someone hold it, so that it's clear that you won't be able to see inside. Tell the audience that you already know the name of the person who has died, and stare at the volunteer who wrote it (the second person), as if you were reading his mind. Finally, put your hand into the hat or box and look for paper that has both jagged edges by feeling it by hand. Take the paper by waving it and read the name on the paper that will amaze the audience.
Method 2 of 5: Guessing Who's the Luckiest
Step 1. Ask the audience to say their names
Announce that you will write each name, each on a different sheet of paper, and put them all in a hat. At the end of the trick, you will guess who the luckiest spectator will be, and you will write your guess on a small whiteboard. The name of the luckiest person will then be taken from the hat by a volunteer, and will match your guess. If you have a large audience, you can choose ten volunteers to name them. As for the small number of spectators, everyone can participate.
Step 2. Write the same name on each sheet of paper
When the first person says his or her name, write it down on a piece of paper. Write the same name on the next sheet of paper when the second person says his or her name. Keep writing the same name on subsequent sheets of paper even if everyone says a different name. Put all the sheets of paper on a hat when you have finished writing them all down.
- Make sure no volunteers get too close to you when you write names, or they'll be able to see what you're doing.
- If you're doing the trick at a birthday party or an event in honor of someone, you can also write that person's name on all the sheets of paper, to make sure that he or she is the "lucky" person there.
- Instead of saying that you are guessing who is the luckiest person, you can also say that you are guessing who will marry next, who is the most mysterious, or who is the most unlucky. Tailored to the event and the people.
Step 3. Write your guess on the small whiteboard
After everyone has said their name and all the sheets of paper are in their hats, write the special person's name in capital letters and show it to the audience. Announce that you know for certain that this person is the luckiest person in the room.
Step 4. Ask a volunteer to take a name from inside the hat
Hold the hat over the volunteer's head and ask him to take a piece of paper and read it to the audience. The audience will be amazed when they hear the name. Make sure you grab the sheets of paper right away so the audience doesn't know how you did the trick.
Method 3 of 5: Guessing the Cards
Step 1. Cut a small hole to peek through a card box
You just need a standard set of cards that come in a card box. Take all the cards from the box and use the scissors to make a small hole in one of the corners at the back of the box. Put the card back in the box and look at the hole. You should be able to see the top corner of the last card in the deck, which reveals what the card is.
- Come to your show with a prepared card box. Keep the side with the hole out of sight of the audience as you prepare to perform the trick.
- If you can get a card case that has the card image printed on the outside, like most card sets, that's even better. The hole will be barely visible.
Step 2. Ask a spectator to pick up a card
Start by telling the person to shuffle the cards a few times. Tell him to take a card and show it to the spectator while your back is to the spectator, then place the card at the bottom of the deck. Hold the card box, with the hole facing the palm of your hand, and ask him to place the card into the box.
He will almost certainly put the card in the box face down so you can't see the card he has selected. If he puts a card face up, tell him to do it again and choose a new card
Step 3. Act as if you are trying to read the volunteer's mind
Hold the card box, with the hole facing you, and say that you are reading the volunteer's mind to find out which card he or she has chosen. Look at the hole to see what the card is, then close your eyes and tilt your head toward the ceiling. Say, "I already knew it!" Say what the card is.
Step 4. Confirm your guess by showing the card
Take all the cards from the box, being careful not to show the hole, and hold them in front of the spectator so they can see the card.
Method 4 of 5: Using Dictionary Tricks
Step 1. Before performing this trick, look at the ninth word on page 108 in the dictionary
Write this word on paper and put it in an envelope. Next, put the envelope in the pocket.
This note is the most important part of the trick. Without doing this step, you will not be able to perform the trick
Step 2. When you get to the venue, ask two people to volunteer
Give a dictionary to one volunteer, and a calculator to another.
Step 3. Ask the volunteer holding the calculator to choose any number that consists of three digits
The condition is that no numbers can be repeated. For example, he may choose the number 365. The three numbers must be different. So, you can't choose numbers like 222.
Step 4. Ask him to reverse the number (eg to 563)
Then, ask him to subtract the larger number from the smaller number (eg 563-365=198). Finally, ask him to reverse the order of the numbers (for example to 891).
Step 5. Ask him to add up the two numbers
In this example it means 198+891= 1,089. The result will always be 1,089, regardless of the number chosen the first time.
Step 6. Now, ask for the first three digits in the number
The result will always be 108. Ask another volunteer to turn to the dictionary on page 108.
Step 7. Now, ask for the last digit in the number
The result will always be 9.
Step 8. Ask another volunteer to look up the ninth word in the opened dictionary
Look at him as if you were reading minds. Then, when you are ready, take out the envelope and show the writing on the paper you have prepared. Your audience will be surprised to see the same word as in the dictionary!
Method 5 of 5: Guessing the Volunteer's Mind
Step 1. Ask your audience to choose a number between 1 to 5
This trick exploits the tendencies of human psychology. Even though it's like you're giving your audience a lot of choices, most of them will guess the same thing. Thus, at the end of the show, your guess will surprise them. Now, start by asking your audience to pick a number between 1 and 5.
Step 2. Ask the audience to multiply the number by nine, then add up the two numbers
For example, if your audience chooses the number 6, it means 5x9=45, then 4+5=9. Ask the audience to count in their minds.
Step 3. Ask the audience to subtract the result in the previous step by 5
In this example, 9-5=4. Thus, your audience will get the number 4.
Step 4. Ask your audience to look for the letter that corresponds to the number
For example, the number 1 is A, 2 is B, and so on. That means, the number 4 is D.
Step 5. Ask viewers to choose a country name that starts with the letter
For the most part, people will vote for Denmark.
Step 6. Ask the audience to choose an animal name that starts with the last letter of the country's name
The last letter in the Danish name is K, and most people would associate it with the kangaroo.
Step 7. Ask the audience to choose a color name from the last letter of the animal's name
The last letter in a kangaroo is "U" and most people associate it with the color purple.
Step 8. Pretend like you're reading your audience's mind
Frown and press your finger to your head as if in deep thought. Let them know that you are trying to get into their minds.
Step 9. Pretend to be confused, and say you saw a purple kangaroo in Denmark
Your audience almost always reacts in awe. Even so, sometimes there are people who choose Koala or the country of Djibouti.
Tips
- Don't expect people over the age of three to be impressed by tricks like this.
- Don't tell anyone how to do this trick. Remember, a good magician never shows the secrets of his tricks.
- Speak with confidence. Your tricks will be more reliable.
- Don't do the same trick in front of the same audience. There will be people who know your magic tricks.
