No, not the semi hokey psuedo nlp dressings that are ever so popular these days...

I recently bought a book, one I shall keep secret for now, but it talks of verbal alternations...its a non-magic book...

a simple example would be for me to ask you now, to say outloud in an ever increasing speed/rate of repitition "SAY"

and you will hear yourself say that word, but it'll change into another word for a while, and then strange revert back to SAY again after a few moments or you slow back down...

so I'm thinking of messing about with the concept - this been used before in some mentalistic means?

Abraxus, that reminds me a bit of Diana Deutsch's "Phantom Word" illusion. You can find an example here.

For a few other auditory illusions, check out this article (and please try the Barber's Shop Illusion. It's fantastic!)

I wonder if you can make a list of words and try them out yourself. I then wonder if the new word that will pop up with each word is always the same. If so then you can have someone pick from the list and then repeat the word they have and you will know both words.

Greg

Oh! I think I missed the potential application the first time I read your post. Am I right to assume you'd use this particular "say" example in a card trick?

It's akin a game we'd played back in the days of first grade; you'd have someone repeat the letter "x" over as you would with "say" and giggle as a naughty word appeared.

The Barbarship Illusion is wonderful. Thanks, Andini!

Man, the barbershop illusion is amazing....


With the 'say' thing, If I'm getting the right word, I am thinking a dressing for a roulette type thing...

Cheers guys - try the word "rest"!

I was thinking of a bank of words on cards, two people take one each, one says their word, and inadvertantly says the other persons too...

Dressed.

Anthony

Yeah - or red dress, or stress...

hmmm...worth experimenting more with this I reckon...

Ok, so take your forefingers and put one in each side of your mouth and pull your cheeks apart (east and west) Now say: "I saw a ship in site".
My mother taught me this. An incredible sense of humour and very good with splinters and stuff like that. I was going to do this as a PDF but then I thought what the hell, we're family!

bobser

How can I pull my cheeks apart when my hands are in my mouth?

I think you'll find that saying "bucket" works better...

Try doing the same and saying 'I am a banker'....

Barbershop illusion is something I listened to about 10 years ago. They where called dummy head recordings. Try listening on headphones like these:
http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD580DS......0004SY4I

I can remember back to when I was a University undergraduate, having just started on my psychology degree, one of the 1st things our lecturer on 'perception' did was play us a tape of the word 'kettle' repeated over and over on a loop.

Just as Abraxus explained, after a while the word 'kettle' changed into a different word, then another, then maybe 2 words,and then after a bit longer whole sentences, that seemed inconceivably long to be generated by the word kettle, could be heard.

"Take a fish for a walk" is the one that sticks in my mind!

It would be interesting to know if you could guide someones perception to hear something specific.

Neal