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The
TRICK
BRAIN
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
A prediction effect is simply the correct foretelling of a subsequent event. There are not many fundamental ways in which this can be accomplished. Most certainly the average mortal simply cannot anticipate the future. But under certain circumstances he can seem to do so through natural magicians' methods.
He can seem to predict the future if he can find a way of influencing the spectator or the future happenings in such a manner that what subsequently takes place is actually the magician's desire. We call this forcing.
It will also seem that the future has been predicted if the performer gives the impression of having committed himself in advance but actually his "prediction" is made subsequent to the happening in question. In this case the actual prediction is delayed until after the event.
The third method is in the use of a confederate whose actions subsequent to the prediction have been prearranged.
That seems to be all.
Prominent among prediction tricks is the socalled Sixteen Digit Slate, also known as The Dunninger Slate or The Al Baker Slate. Four spectators write four rows of numbers of four digits each. A fifth spectator adds up the numbers and the predicted total is found to correspond to the correct total. This is a method made possible solely by forcing. The numbers given by the spectators are legitimate enough, but the slate provides a switch of these numbers to four different ones of the magician's choice. The total of the magician's numbers is known by him and is used for the prediction.
Any type of forcing deck, or even a sleight-of-hand force, supplies the means of accomplishing a prediction. The performer merely indicates in advance what he subsequently forces.
Lists of various events, or colors, or dates, or ideas may be made up of individual suggestions from the audience. These suggestions are each written upon a separate pellet and deposited in some type of device which will permit their being changed to a number of pellets each of which indicates the same thing—the magician's choice. As mentioned before, almost any type of device that provides two separate compartments, either of which can be utilized at the will of the performer, makes possible such a force. Naturally changing bags, changing trays, changing baskets, mirror glasses, changing canisters and other similarly arranged containers will accomplish this purpose.
But the idea of all of the possible "choices" being alike can be carried to unbelievable lengths. Consider the conventional forcing deck, the Svengali principle, the rough and smooth principle. Consider the same word appearing at the same location in a whole page of advertisements apparently different. Consider the book that has the same word at the same number on each page, as in T. Page Wright's Supreme Test. Or in The Stanley Collins Book Test wherein the same word appears at a number corresponding to the number of the title page preceding it.
These variations are but a mere smattering of the possibilities. Any of the methods of forcing cards may be adapted to other objects of approximately similar size and shape from numbers to photographs to labels. The all-alike idea may be adapted to the pages of books, magazines and even sheaves of currency. So also may be utilized the Svengali principle. There is also considerable variation possible in the types of objects to which the rough and smooth idea may be applied.
There are also many ways in which a free selection may be exchanged for one more suited to the magician's purposes.
A great many of the prediction tricks are based upon delaying the actual prediction until after the spectator has committed himself. It is necessary, however, that the performer seems to have committed himself in advance.
Such is the case with the prediction tricks employing the thumb or nail writer or the secret-of-the-swami type stylus. The performer apparently writes his prediction. If he is using the thumb stylus, this "prediction" is sealed in an envelope. But the inside of the envelope is prepared with a piece of carbon paper, corresponding in color to the pencil used, pasted to the inside in such a manner that when the stylus is used on the outside of the envelope a carbon copy will appear upon the card. But no prediction is actually written in advance. The performer merely pretends to write, leaving the card blank. After the spectator has made a choice or performed the action and after the performer knows what it is, he writes it with the stylus.
The procedure is similar with the nail or thumb writer. Both of these devices are really specially built pencils that may be attached to the fingers. After the performer pretends to write he holds the blank card in view until he knows what should have been predicted, then he secretly writes it.
This is also possible to accomplish in another way. A prediction is written and held. But while the event or selection is being made known, the magician industriously writes another "prediction" in his pocket. This second prediction is exchanged for the one first used.
Just a step removed from this is the use of some type of filing device, such as a card index, which contains all possible choices. When the future event has transpired the magician selects the proper prediction from the file and substitutes it for the first pellet.
The magician may remove a card from a deck in advance. He may place it in his pocket and ask a spectator call any card in the deck. Note that the first card's identity is not made known. After the choice is made known the performer brings forth the proper card, selected from a pocket index. Or he may quickly find the correct card in the pack, palm it, plunge his hand into his pocket and bring it forth.
Al Baker invented a prediction effect in which the identity of a card to be selected in the future was written upon one of the cards in the deck. Then the spectator was asked for his choice. The performer informed the audience upon which card he had written the prediction. And upon withdrawing the card the prediction was confirmed. Actually, every possible card was provided for. The spectator's choice determined the identity of the card upon which the magician stated he had written the prediction.
The Brain Wave Deck supplies a prediction effect accomplished by means of the same basic method. The magician informs the spectator that one card has been reversed in the pack. When the spectator's choice has been made known, it is revealed to have been reversed in the deck. But again the performer did not commit himself in advance. Any card called for could be shown as being reversed in the deck.
Several more elaborate versions of the prediction effect have been put on the market. In one particularly a locked chest is put on display several days in advance of the performance. The key to the chest is given to a prominent citizen. The chest itself is at all times under the jurisdiction of a disinterested person. Upon the night of the performance the chest's guardian brings it to the performer. Its custodian surrenders the key. The performer unlocks the chest. Inside is a second chest. This is unlocked and inside is found a prediction, giving in detail the happenings of the day.
The secret is in the key to the second chest. This is equipped with a mechanism to shoot the "prediction" into the inner chest as it is being unlocked. Of course, the prediction is written from the newspaper headlines just before the performance.
This idea is capable of considerable variation, A blank message, properly sealed and sent several days in advance, may be supplied with the vital information during the performance, just before it is opened. A sealed envelope reposes in a sealed jar that has been on display for several days. When the envelope is opened, a complete prediction of the day's happenings is found written on a card inside. The actual card, containing the prediction, never was in the envelope. Instead it was placed upon the back of a stand against which the envelope is propped in full view. Or it is placed beneath the cover of a magazine upon which the envelope is laid. Or it is placed in a convenient location where the performer may palm it. The prediction card is slipped behind the unopened envelope as it is picked up or taken. The end of the envelope is torn off. The first and second fingers go inside the envelope but the thumb pulls the card from the back. Apparently it is taken from the envelope.
Many of the stratagems utilized for the nest of envelopes, the nest of boxes, coin in ball of wool variations and other similar tricks may be shaped to this effect of miraculous prediction.
In combinations where two or more simultaneous predictions are made, frequently the effect is made possible by combining two basic principles.
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