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Mentalism Explained |
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Mentalism Explained |
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General
Ashes on Arm
Bank Night
Blindfolded Vision
Book Test
Business Card
Coin Bending
Cold Reading
Contact Reading
Driving Blindfolded
Key Bending
Moving Pen
Q & A
Seven Keys
Spoon Bending
Stigmata
Stopping Watch
Super Book Test
Superbowl
Time Prediction
Effect
A spectator writes something secret (such as a chosen card, a loved one's name, or a confession) on a piece of paper, tears it up, puts it in an ashtray, and sets it on fire. The magician takes the ashes and wipes them on his arm, and the secret that was written on the paper appears written in ashes.
Secret
There are two parts to this trick: Finding out what was written on the piece of paper, and making the message appear.
Finding out what the spectator wrote is the hardest part. The secret to this is the magician's knowledge that paper that has been written on will not burn at the same speed as paper that is clean. If the magician pays close attention to the flaming paper, the message will easily be seen written in unburnt paper for a fraction of a second before combustion is complete. Because the paper was torn up, it will take a little mental gymnastics for the magician to reassemble the thing in the mind's eye, but it's not even half as impossible as it sounds.
The ash writing is simplicity itself. When the magician's fingers are covered in ash, a little verbal misdirection is used while the magician boldly writes message on forearm with fingertip. Nobody expects this, so nobody notices.
The information on this site is intended for use only by those with a sincere desire to learn nothing about magic and is for entertainment purposes only (in other words, don't try this stuff, particularly the dangerous parts). The Magicians Assistance Collective (MAC) frowns upon the use of magic in the formation of religions or to attract a cult following.
Magic is not real. Reality is not magic.
Contents ©2004-2009, Mallusionist