Ghost Image

EFFECT:

The Mentalist opens a small cardboard box and removes a pack of blank cards. He shows both sides of the cards to be totally devoid of printing. Just plain white cards. As a matter of fact, they are 52 unprinted playing cards. The Mentalist states that when he turns his head away, the spectator should cut off as much of the pack as he wishes and place the portion he cut off in the card box. Then, the mentalist continues, the spectator should close the flap of the card box and hold it out of sight behind his back. The spectator does as directed. Note, that the Mentalist positively does not see how much of the pack the spectator cuts off. In fact, when queried, even the spectator does not know how many cards he cut off and placed in the box. The Mentalist immediately discards the balance of the pack in his coat pocket.

A second spectator is asked to participate in the experiment. The Mentalist removes one blank card and holds it up for the spectator to look at. Imagine that you can cause this blank card to transform itself into ANY card you wish. Any card in a standard pack of 52 playing cards, states the Mentalist. Now, picture the card you are thinking of as if it were actually printed on the blank card…but for now, do not tell us which card it is. The blank card is placed aside. Removing a small pad of paper, the mentalist proceeds to write something on the top sheet, which he then tears off, crumples into a ball and drops into a clear glass tumbler sitting on the table. For the record, the mentalist asks, which card did you see in your mind’s eye as you gazed at the blank card?  The spectator replies and the card he calls out is recorded on a large piece of cardboard by the Mentalist. Ladies and Gentlemen, the mentalist continues, I have just attempted an experiment in Telepathy. Before we see how successful or unsuccessful I was, I would like to attempt an even more difficult phenomena…extra sensory perception.

The mentalist asks the spectator with the cardboard box to hold it between his cupped hands. Moving his finger tips in an arc around the spectator’s hands, the mentalist closes his eyes and appears to concentrate intently. I think I have got it! Exclaims the mentalist. He quickly jots something on another sheet of paper and after crumpling into a ball…drops it into the glass tumbler along side his first impression. Now the mentalist removes the cards from the box and hands them to the spectator to count. When the spectator has finished the mentalist notes the total number of cards on the sheet of cardboard containing the first spectator’s mentally selected card.

A spectator is then asked to remove and read what the mentalist wrote on the 2 slips of paper in the glass tumbler. Believe it or not…the mentalist correctly ascertained both the name of the card merely thought of…and the exact number of cards secretly cut off the deck and sealed in the box.

Everything Supplied Except a Drinking Glass.