Hypnosthesia

Removing from his finger an odd appearing ring, the performer states that it has a peculiar occult power and originally was a valued possession of the famed Merlin. It seems that after looking at the ring, a person sees the last object with which the ring came in contact, no matter what actually is held before him. The performer offers to demonstrate this uncanny situation.

A spectator is asked forward to act as a custodian of the truth. A pack of cards is mixed, spread across the table faces down and the spectator freely pushes out any one. The performer then touches the back of this card with the ring for a second, whereupon the card, without its face being seen, is dropped into a silver box and held by the assistant.

The performer now advances upon the audience and has a person gaze at the ring for a moment. This person then selects a card from the fanned pack, notes it, and replaces it.

A second spectator is approached and allowed to look at the ring. The deck is then riffled, he says “Stop”, and notes the card at that place.

The third person looks at the ring, and then cuts the deck at any place. He looks at the card and the performer puts it directly into his own pocket.

The performer now returns and gives the deck to the assistant holding the box. Each of the three audience spectators is asked to stand and name the card he selected and looked at. ALL THREE SAY THE THREE OF SPADES.

Calling attention to the fact that it could hardly be a coincidence that all three should look at the three of spades, and that they actually didn’t, the performer explains that the ring has caused them to think they did.

The performer lets the third man reach into his (performer’s) pocket and remove the card which proves to be a totally different one. Then he tells them that if all three men thought they saw the three of spades, that must have been the last thing that was touched by the ring. And the last object touched by the ring was the card that was put in the silver box and has been guarded by the custodian of the truth. This assistant looks over the deck and states that there is not three of spades in it. He opens the box and takes out the card for all to see. The three of spades.

A P&L card box and one duplicate of any card to match the deck is needed. Empty the side pants pocket and place any indifferent card in same with its face to body. Put the duplicate card face down in regular compartment of the card box and have the box open to the false compartment. (It might be a good idea to carry the ring in this compartment of the box which will keep it from closing and be a good excuse for the presence of the container. Ed.) The card to match is on top of the deck. After the patter, riffle shuffle leaving the card on top. Spread the deck face down. One is pushed out, touched with ring, and dropped into the card box which is closed and given to the assistant.

You now have to force the three of spades on three spectators. For the first person, I make the pass and use a straight fan force. If, by chance I miss I have him pick three or four cards and lay them down for the old elimination force.

For the second, I use the riffle at end of the deck and then slip the top card to center. And for the third, absolutely the best force to use is the one hand forced described in a previous issue of the Jinx. The cards are held face down in left hand with the three of spades on top. The spectator cuts anywhere he pleases and reverses this cut off portion on top of the lower portion. With the deck in left hand, you spread the cards on the table and spectator notes the top card of the lower portion. What really happens though is that the left hand has turned the whole pack over in the mere action of putting them on the table for the spread, and what the spectator thinks is the top card of lower portion is really the original top card of the deck.

The spectator notes this card and hands it to performer who deliberately puts it in trouser pocket, palming it right back out again to top of the deck. Returning to the assistant who has the box, you hand him the deck, palming off the top card and reaching into right coat pocket for the ring which you have left there.

Continue the patter and have the three spectators in audience stand in turn and name their noted cards. Then have the third man reach into your pocket and remove the indifferent card. Lastly the assistant looks through the deck, and finally opens the box (which has done its work) to find that the three of spades has been there all of the time (?). This effect can be given a real mysterious form of presentation, and taken completely away from the ordinary status of a mere card trick. What’s more, it does hold attention.