REPLACING THE PIN.
DEMONSTRATION IX. This is called "Replacing the Pin," and is very effective when properly performed. Have a member of the audience take a pin and insert it in the wall in a spot plainly visible to the audience, not too high up, however--about on the level of your shoulder is best.
Then have him withdraw the pin and hide it somewhere in the room. Then when you return to the room, and take the Transmitter"s hand, you should first find the pin, (in the manner heretofore described) and then find the place where it had been stuck; then circling your hand around in narrowing circles until you feel the proper impression push the pin home in the spot in which it formerly was driven. This final effort is really merely a modification of "finding the spot," and with a little practice may be easily performed.
THE THEFT DETECTED.
DEMONSTRATION X. This feat is called "The Theft." Have one of the audience play "the thief," and steal an article of jewelry, or similar small object from a second person called "the victim." Then the thief should hide his spoil in a safe place about the room. Returning you first find the thief; then the hidden article; then the person, according to the methods already given. This is a very effective feat, but is merely a combination of "Finding the Person," and "Finding an Object."
THE RECONSTRUCTED TABLEAU.
DEMONSTRATION XI. This feat is known as the "Reconstructed Tableau." It is performed by having several of the audience form a simple tableau group, and then retire to their seats. Returning to the room you are to find each person; lead him or her to the former spot; then reconstruct the group. This is somewhat difficult, but not nearly so much so as you might suppose. A little private practice will enable you to perform it with ease.
THE MURDER AND THE DETECTIVE.
DEMONSTRATION XII. This test is known as the "Murder and the Detective,"
and is very spectacular and sensational, and is accordingly one that is in great favor with the public performers. It is performed as follows: The audience selects one man to act as the "murderer"; another to act as "the victim"; and also some object to act as the dagger; and lastly a place in which the body is to be concealed. Then the "murderer" picks up the "dagger," and "kills" his "victim," afterward concealing the body in some part of the room (usually sitting in a chair) and the "dagger" in another place. Then when you return to the room you first find the "body"; then the "wound"; then the "dagger," and then the "murderer."
This is usually announced as a wonderful piece of "telepathic detective work," and is extremely effective, and may be reserved as the "princ.i.p.al effect" of your series of demonstrations.
You will notice that the feat is merely an elaborate combination of the simpler feats of "Finding the Person," "Finding the Object," etc.
THE RETURNED HATS.
DEMONSTRATION XIII. Have the hats of a number of men in the audience placed on a table or other place, and then returning to the room, blindfolded of course, you pick up the hats, one by one, and place them upon the heads of their proper owners, who are seated in different parts of the room. This is a simple feat although very effective. It is, of course, merely a variation of the feat of "finding the person." There is one point, however, that must be remembered in this feat, and that is that the Transmitter should know just whose hat is held in your hand--just who the owner of that particular hat is and where he is sitting or standing. Otherwise he cannot send you the mental impulses which will enable you to find the owner. It will be well for the Transmitter to hold the hat so that it can be seen by the audience, requesting the owner to rise in his seat so as to indicate his whereabouts--your back being turned to the audience while this is being done in order to avoid suspicion of your "peeping," etc.
THE LADY AND THE RING.
DEMONSTRATION XIV. This feat is performed by having a lady in the audience loan the Transmitter her ring. When you return to the room, you find the lady and replace the ring upon the finger from which she took it. The Transmitter must remember the lady, and the particular finger, of course--the rest is simply a combination of the "finding the person"
and "finding the spot" feats. It is very effective, if neatly performed.
GENERAL ADVICE.
I. We have given you a great variety of Demonstrations or Feats, but you must not attempt to produce all of them at an evening"s entertainment.
It will take some time to perform a few of them effectively, and impressively, and you should avoid any attempt to hurry through the feats. Nor should you spoil your good impression by cheapening the demonstrations in the direction of performing too many at one sitting.
II. Neither should you tire or fatigue yourself by too many feats. When your mind or body are tired, you do yourself an injury to perform these demonstrations, and besides, you cannot obtain the best results while fatigued. You should rest a little while after each feat, before attempting another one.
III. When the entertainment, or exercises are over, you should take a few strong deep breaths, swing your arm around a little to promote the circulation, and relieve the nervous tension. You may feel a little "dazed" at first after performing a few feats, but will soon learn to throw off the pa.s.sive condition, and engage in the laughing conversation that will follow the entertainment. Do not take yourself too seriously and remember that laughter and a little boyish or girlish spirits is a wonderful tonic.
IV. Do not become impatient if you do not progress as rapidly as you would desire. You are practically developing a sixth sense, and are like a baby learning to walk--it takes time, but practice will surely bring you success. Take things calmly. The feats that will be possible for you to perform, even from the start will be wonderful enough, without any necessity for your complaining about your slowness in learning to perform the more complicated ones.
ABOUT TRANSMITTERS.
I. If your Transmitter does not do his work properly, and you feel that he is not Concentrating properly, or using his Will effectively, do not hesitate to change him. You need not offend him, for you may say simply that the rapport conditions are not fully developed between you, and that these things sometimes happen, etc. Your new Transmitter will feel anxious to do better than his predecessor, and will be most likely to Concentrate and Will to the best of his ability.
II. The Transmitter should be in earnest, and no levity or trifling should be permitted. If you have the selection, pick out some earnest person, and avoid the trifling, feather-brained cla.s.s.
III. If your Transmitter does not seem to be Concentrating properly, you should speak to him firmly, but kindly, about it. Say to him: "Please _concentrate_ your _Mind_, and _Will_ earnestly--fix your Mind on the right _Spot_--make a determined Mental Effort that I move in the right direction--it is your Mind and Will that gives me the impression, remember--it all depends upon you," etc. This will often have the effect of bracing him up to renewed mental activity, and you will notice the improvement at once.
A WORD OF WARNING.
Beginning your entertainment, caution the audience about placing the hidden objects in places that you cannot conveniently touch--such as high up on the wall; under the strings of a piano, etc. Tell them that you can _find_ the article anywhere, but it must be placed so that you can get at it with only ordinary care and work. Some "Smart Alicks" may try to play pranks on you in this way, but discourage same vigorously at the start, informing the audience that this is a scientific test and not a circus. And, remember this, tell them that the article must never be hidden about the Transmitter, for the reason that he is seldom able to think as intently about his own location as about some place away from him. These are the only restrictions that you need make. Caution the Transmitter to guide you away from obstacles over which you might stumble, or which you might overturn. Tell him that you place yourself in his hands for protection, and then endeavor to think no more about the matter, for such thought tends to distract your pa.s.sivity.
The above feats or demonstrations are all performed along the same general lines as indicated a little further back, and all are capable of being accomplished by anyone of ordinary intelligence, with a little study, care and practice. Practice makes perfect, in Mind Reading as in everything else, remember, so keep at it until you have worn off the rough edges, and have polished up the details of the work. You may vary, improve, add to, the above feats, and may also insert many new ones for yourself as you proceed with your work. Use your inventive faculties.
THE WIRE CONTACT.
A sensational and effective method of performing some of the simpler feats is performed by some public performers, and consists in having a piece of thick wire, about one foot in length grasped by the Receiver"s left hand, and by the Transmitter"s right hand, instead of the ordinary contact. A little practice will surprise you in the facility in which the impressions are transferred over the wire from the Transmitter to the Receiver. The methods of operation in this case are identical with those employed in the ordinary methods. A wooden "ruler" may be subst.i.tuted for the wire. Some performers succeed even with a long walking-cane.
THIRD PERSON INTERPOSED.
Another variation is that in which a third person is interposed between the Transmitter and Receiver. Practice along these lines will enable the skilled Mind Reader to receive the impressions as usual, notwithstanding the interposition of the third person. Do not attempt to try these variations until you have thoroughly mastered the ordinary methods.
(The student is here advised to turn to the conclusion of Lesson VI, of this book, and acquaint himself with the "Simpler Method" there described. It may help him in this phase of his work.)
We shall now pa.s.s on to the consideration of some of the more complicated or difficult feats of Contact Mind Reading.
LESSON VI.
DIFFICULT DEMONSTRATIONS.
We shall now direct your attention to a cla.s.s of demonstrations of a rather more complicated order than those related in the last chapter.
But even these difficult feats may be rendered comparatively easy of accomplishment by careful practice, and development of receptivity.
PRELIMINARIES.
In these experiments or demonstrations the Transmitter stands by your left side, you grasping the fingers of his right hand in your left hand, and holding as in the case of the former experiments, i.e. either with his hand pressed against your head, or else held out and up, as before described. You receive the impressions in the same way. The following demonstrations may be performed after a little private practice, so as to be shown at a public performance almost as easily as the simpler feats heretofore described.
DISCOVERING THE CARD.
DEMONSTRATION I. Spread a number of cards over the table. Then retiring from the room, have the audience select one card of the number, which the Transmitter must be sure to remember distinctly--that is the Transmitter should remember just _where_ the card is, the _position_ being the important feature, rather than the name of the card. Then taking the Transmitter"s hand as above described, you should move your right hand to-and-fro over the table, moving it backward and forward, and in circles. You will soon find that this feat closely resembles the one of the last chapter in which you find small objects; the pin hole, etc. You will soon find that the impressions _tend to centre_ over a certain spot on the table. Begin to lessen your circles and hand movements until you gradually centre over this spot. Then slowly lower your fingers until you touch the card resting on the said spot, when you will be sure that you are right, when you must pick up the card and exhibit it to the audience. The same indications mentioned in the feats of the last chapter will be felt by you. You will feel the "No, no!"
impression when you are wrong, and the "That"s right" impression when you are moving in the right direction, until at last you will distinctly feel the relaxation of the mental urge, which you will have learned to translate into "Right you are!" when you finally touch the right card.
This feat is really no more difficult than the one in which the small object is found, and we have included it in the list of "Difficult Demonstrations" simply because it is practically a "connecting link"
between the two cla.s.ses of demonstration, as you will see as we proceed.