Corinda and Mike Caveney both worked up routines "powers of darkness" that were very interesting spectacles where the audience knew exactly what was happening as the spectator was being fooled. Their routines involved rings and coat hangers. This effect is also a bit like "flight of the paper balls" per Slydini--paper balls tossed over the helpers head while others see them piling up across the room.



Along the same order, is another trick I first saw by Wally Reid.He called it Telle-vision.



The magician talks about ESP and how some people believe in it. He even shows a few newspaper clipping or articles on ESP and puts them on the table. The magician then has a card picked by a spectator--I use an esp card. The idea is to see if, in this setting, ESP really works.



The "sender" clearly needs some equipment to make it work, so he is given a large pizza pan (satellite type dish supposedly) to hold up and point at a person who is selected as the "receiver". The receiver is not allowed to guess, if he or she does not get a clear vision of the thought of card, they are to just say it is hazy.



It is hazy, so you have to go on to the next step. Here is what I do:I put a baseball cap on the person's head and attach an alligator clip with a six foot string of yarn from the button on the cap to the tray. "This improves the psychic connection to the dish". That still does not work.



Then you go the final step: unhook the clip from the hat, hook an eggbeater on the center of the yarn, then rehook the clip. This is necessary so the person can, like a powerplant, generate additional psychic energy. They shuffle their feet as they furiously work the egg beater. The magi points the dish at the spectator, who is holding a fork up as a receiving antenna.



Lo and Behold...this time it works...flawlessly: the receiver gets the vision and names the thought of symbol. The audience loves it and the "sender" is totally amazed that it worked.



This plays great every time, with adults at least, as a little comedy bit. Many other bits can be added, including putting a funny wig on the person's head along the way. After performing this, usually the helper is laughing as hard or harder than the audience, but one must be careful to keep the humor at such a level the person does not have his feelings hurt.



quack

Duck,

This is similar to the Thought Transmitter by Bill Spooner that appeared in the Linking Ring magazine of March, 1987.

It was based on an idea from the ’20s by author and magician Clayton Rawson.

I performed, and marketed, yet another version that combined the Insurance Policy gag with a rubber duck (in place of the egg beater).

It’s always a winner and you can really tear up a room with a version of this routine.

cheers,

Peter Marucci

Thanks for the great info.

Speaking of Bill Spooner -have you seen his newest wand coin wand) Wow!