Elementary

Citation preview

Elementary Drew Backenstoss

Elementary Drew Backenstoss

Dedication To Brynna, Taylor and Aria. You three are the best kind of magic.

Elementary

Written and designed by Drew Backenstoss Copyright © 2021 Andrew Backenstoss. No portion of this book or any of its contents may be reproduced, displayed, modified, distributed, taught or lectured by any means now known or yet to be invented without the express written permission from the copyright holder. Television, internet and conflicting first-person performance rights are reserved. For permission, please email [email protected].

First edition

Contents

Foreword by Michael Murray..................................... History......................................................................... Method Overview....................................................... Phase One: Generating the PIN................................ The Opening Script......................................... Script Examination......................................... Phase Two: Identifying the PIN................................ Performance Example.................................... How Do You Do It?.......................................... The Basic System............................................ Practice Session.............................................. Phase Three: Revealing the PIN................................. The Adjustment Ploy...................................... Overturning Ahead......................................... The Verbal Reveal...........................................

5 7 9 11 12 14 19 20 24 25 29 39 40 44 46

Alternative Handlings................................................. 49 Elementary Mathematics............................... 50 Practice Session.................................. 57 Silent Elementary VI....................................... 67 Practice Session.................................. 75 Silent Elementary V2....................................... 85 Practice Session.................................. 91 Elementary Expanded.................................... 99 Practice Session.................................. 107 International Studies.................................................. 117 Phase One: Generating the PIN................................. 119 The Opening Script......................................... 120 Script Examination......................................... 122

Phase Two: Identifying the PIN................................. 127 Performance Example..................................... 28 The Basic System........................................... 131 Practice Session................................. 135 Phase Three: Revealing the PIN................................ 145 The Adjustment Ploy..................................... 146 Overturning Ahead...................................... 150 The Verbal Reveal........................................ 152 The Jazz Reveal............................................ 1S3 Alternative Handlings................................................ 155 Elementary Mathematics............................ 156 Practice Session............................... 163 Silent Elementary VI.................................... 173 Practice Session............................... 181 Silent Elementary V2................................... 191 Practice Session............................... 197 Elementary Expanded................................. 205 Practice Session............................... 213 Bonus One: Additional Variations........................... 223 (Pre)Elementary........................................... 224 Reverse Elementary..................................... 226 Elementary for Two..................................... 232 Degrees of Elementary................................ 237 Elementary Collection................................. 243 Elementary KISSing..................................... 247 Bonus Two: Challenge Cards................................... 253 Bonus Three: The More Impressive Ploy................. 255 Bonus Four: Amalgamation.................................... 257 Hidden Thoughts......................................... 258 History.......................................................... 262 The Breakdown............................................ 263 Crossed Thoughts........................................ 270 Flashed Thoughts........................................ 274 Listed Thoughts........................................... 281 Acknowledgments & Appreciation........................... 287 Afterword by Thaddius Barker.................................. 289

Foreword By Michael Murray

Throughout the many years that I have been involved with the mentalism arts, I have studied countless effects, from a wide variety of performers, many of whom I feel blessed to call my friends. As a result, I often find myself in the highly privileged position of being able to preview their latest works prior to release. It was in this respect that I was first introduced to Elementary.

Despite having this luxury, it is very rare that I ever give a quote for any effect and even rarer still that I would offer to write a foreword for any book. The reason for this is quite simple, there are very few performers who consistently deliver high-quality material that I would put to good use myself. Those who have had the pleasure of witnessing Drew in action via his Penguin Live lecture or, perhaps, have worked their way through his first book Architect of the Mind, will no doubt understand why I recognise him as being part of this rare and exceptional group. And, if you have not yet had the opportunity to study his thinking, all is about to become abundantly clear. When it comes to Drew's work, it is always quality over quantity. Whilst it would be very easy for us to dismiss him as one of life's naturally gifted performers (which he is), we must also take into account the vast amount of time, thought and perseverance that goes into each and every one of his releases. Drew is both passionate and caring - he cares about his audience; he cares about the methods he employs; and he cares about every word that he says. Drew is far more than a creator. Drew is far more than a performer. Drew is a master craftsman. He understands the tools at his disposal and he knows how (and when) to use them for maximum impact.

It is for all the aforementioned reasons that I am truly proud to welcome you, the reader, to this body of work. Elementary truly is a superb effect. It is a shining example of prop­ less mentalism at its very best. Provided that you carefully study the scripts and actively engage with the practice sessions that have been so carefully laid out before you, you will be up and running with this in no time at all. I would like to close this foreword by offering my sincerest thanks to Drew, not only for his devotion to the art but also for the inspiration that he has provided to the community as a whole. Keep doing what you are doing and never change! In thoughts and friendship,

Michael Murray ••• 6

History

In August of 2017, while reading through Volume 12 of Peter Turner's Mentalism Masterclass, I came across a contribution by Thaddius Barker titled Sherlocked. It immediately struck me as an intriguing approach to a prop-less PIN guess but, at the time, I felt the system was a bit too complex and the necessary fishing a little too extensive. After just a day of consideration, I decided the effort-to-reward ratio was not in my favor and my attention moved elsewhere.

“You see, butyou do not observe. The distinction is dear." -Arthur Conan Doyle

Thankfully, a year and half later, I revisited Peter's series and read Sherlocked with fresh eyes. This time the immense potential of the idea excited me enough to disregard the "hard work" that I had feared months earlier. It took me only a few days to become comfortable with the system but I still had some reservations about performing it. Around that same time, Thaddius (in collaboration with 13 SouIs Productions) released Sherlocked 2.0. — a download that provided video instruction to accompany his write-up.

As 1 became more and more familiar with the routine's framework, I slowly began to develop a variety of approaches that played to my personal strengths and performing preferences. Wherever possible, I strive to limit the number of variables within a method. I also try to establish contingencies for every possible scenario so that I feel completely in control, during a performance. My objective was to replace the jazz-like pumping strategies found in Sherlocked with a standardized procedure to acquire the necessary information in the most efficient, convincing and direct manner possible. You are about t read many of my favorite developments and refinements on Thaddius's core concept.

。

Before diving in, I would be remiss not to express my deepest appreciation to Thaddius for allowing me to share these ideas with you. If you enjoy the thinking found within these pages know that none of it would be possible without Thaddius first opening the door to my journey. I both praise and curse him for introducing me to a "problem" that my obsessive mind could not relinquish for hours on end, day after day, for nearly a year. Even now, I find myself occasionally dreaming up new enhancements and novel touches. I view these approaches not as a replacement to Sherlocked but rather a companion to it. And if you have not yet taken a look at Thaddius's other work, I encourage you to do so. He has some beautiful ideas that are well worth your time and consideration. 8

Method Overview

The Illusion You offer to demonstrate how your skills might allow you to pull an ATM pin from someone's mind. Out of respect for the participant's privacy, and to ensure the number is easy to remember, you request that he substitute his banking PIN with a random date in the year. The only explicit stipulation is that the date must not contain any digits that appear more than once. You even invite the participant to change his mind several times before settling on the number that will act as his target PIN throughout the demonstration. This PIN is never written down or spoken aloud until the successful conclusion of the performance wherein you divine the number.

The Reality The routine consists of three phases.

Phase One: Generating the PIN. The process through which you guide the participant to think of a random date is not only motivated by consideration for his privacy, it also covertly restricts the possible substitute PINs from one in 10,000 to just one in 29 optimal dates. Phase Two: Identifying the PIN. These 29 dates contain patterns that allow you to determine the participants substitute PIN in an extremely efficient and deceptive manner. Phase Three: Revealing the PIN. Throughout the book I have detailed a variety of strategies to identify the PIN in Phase Two. Some will give you all four of the digits outright, others will only yield three, and some will narrow down the possibilities to two permutations. In almost every case, just one digit is the only unknown variable. I will share several methods typically relying on subtlety and/or bluff, to deal with these digits. The goal here is to work smarter, not harder. IMPORTANT NOTE TO INTERNA TIONAL READERS: If the dd/mm date format is most common to where you live and perform, tum now to the "International Studies"section on page 117. •• 10

The Opening Script Here is the full script I use to secretly guide the participant to one of the optimal PINs. I will examine each segment in detail shortly, but for now I want you to see it in its entirety to get a feel for how it flows. As you read, I invite you to actively follow along by creating a PIN of your own.

7 play with words and perception to create the illusion that I can read and influence thoughts.

Let me showyou what / mean by attempting to pull an A TM PIN out ofyour mind... No need to worry though, / don't want to jeopardize your actual PIN. You're going to make one up on the spot to act as the target

To make this easy to remember, / want you to substitute your PIN with a random date in the year. It'll be two digits for the month followed by two digits for the day and that gives you an easy to recall four-digit number. Does that make sense ?” The participant acknowledges that he understands. "Allow any date to enteryour mind."

I pause and await confirmation.

h my experience, a lot ofpeople go fora date that has personal significance. Just so there's no way for me to have researchedyour date, ifyou're thinking ofa month in the beginning or middle of the year, change to one near the end of the year otherwise, stay whereyou are. 〃

He thinks for a moment. "At this point, it's impossible for me to know whetheryoujust changedyour mind or stuck with your original month, correct?” The participant agrees.

••• 12

"Andjust like / offered a moment ago, you're welcome to change to a new day in your month or stick with your first choice. It's up to you.

The important thing is thatyour PIN has a good variety of digits from zero to nine

一 it's too easy ifyou're thinking ofsomething like 6464.

/ want to keep this interesting foryou and challenging for me, soyou may need to adjust the month or day A LITTLE to make sure there are four DIFFERENT digits in the date.” Following a brief moment ofthought, the participant says that he has settled on a number.

'Think about this, the PIN you just created ONLY exists in your thoughts. / even gave you several opportunities to change your mind, so it's not like / could've looked overyour shoulder while you typed it into your phone or an A TM. In a lot of ways, this number is even MORE secure than your actual PIN. ”

The participant wholeheartedly concurs. I then proceed to successfully divine his substitute PIN - despite the fact that he does not appear to give me any useful information to accomplish the feat. Speaking now directly to you, dear reader, if you played along with the above script, I am confident that I can tell you most (if not all) of the PIN you have in mind. It will match one of these five sequences: 091X, 092X, 102X, 120X, 1230. Correct?

Read on!

13

Script Examination When words are THE method, you need to think deeply about how every line of script is being interpreted by the participant. I am about to go into extensive detail about why I say things the way I do. My goal here is not to coerce you into parroting my script verbatim but to help you understand potential points of friction that I have experienced in performances over the last few years. Feel free to adjust the script so that it flows naturally from your lips - but if you do, please keep in mind my general observations. '7 play with words and perception to create the illusion that / can read and influence thoughts. .....

Let me showyou what I mean byattempting to pull an ATM PIN out ofyour mind... No need to worry though, / don't want tojeopardize your actual PIN. You're going make one up on the spot to act as the target. To make this easy to remember, / want you to substitute your PIN with a random date in theyear. Itfll be two digits for the month followed by two digits for the day and that givesyou an easy to recall four-digit number. Does that make sense?ff This quick preamble serves several purposes. The opening line introduces a bit of intrigue surrounding my alleged abilities-and, in the case of this particular routine, it is 100% true. I genuinely /oi/ethe fact that I am relying completely on words and perception to weave a convincing illusion of mind reading. If this statement does not suit you, I recommend you devise something that equally captures people's attention right at the outset of the routine.

The second paragraph contextualizes the potentially unnerving implications of what you, as a mind reader, could achieve with your abilities. Be aware though that there is a potential hazard in creating such tension. The success of a piece like Elementary depends almost entirely on the participant's cooperation. If someone feels challenged or hesitant, that might result in a failed performance. That is why just before the person might close himself off, you immediately ease his fears by recognizing the private nature of a PIN and suggest that he use a substitute number. He is now back on your side and willing to engage.

14

The final section helps justify the use of a date for this new substitute PIN. Chiefly, a date is quite easy to remember. It portrays you as a considerate person who wants to lessen the participants mental burden. Furthermore, in order to leverage the patterns found within the optimal dates, it is important that the participant thinks of the date in the appropriate format (mm/dd). This also nicely converts the thought-of-date into a four-digit number that mimics a PIN. Lastly, I recommend that you always take a moment to ask the participant if everything makes sense. If there are any questions it is always better to address them early. Misunderstandings later in the script can be problematic.

You then invited the participant to think of any date in the year.

"Allow any date to enteryour mind. ”

This is a completely free choice, though a bit of verbal jiu-jitsu occurs during the next line. uln my experience, a lot ofpeople go for a date that has personal significance. Just so there's no way for me to have researchedyour date, ifyou1re thinking ofa month in the beginning or middle of the year, change to one near the end of the year otherwise, stay whereyou are.”

This piece of script is the keyto Elementary. It steers the participant towards one of the optimal months (September through December). It is best if you slow down rate of speech slightly and clearly articulate this instruction. You do not want anyone to feel confused by it. I appreciate that this line might feel obvious in print but I can assure you that the participant will not feel that way - especially when you follow it immediately with the next line. liAt this point it's impossible for me to know whetheryoujust changedyour mind or stuck with your original month, correct?"

There really is no way for you to know if the participant just changed his mind (to a date near the end of the year) or if he remained on his original choice. This assertion will therefore ring true to him and plant the idea that you are unable to track his thoughts. ••• 15

aAndjust like / offered a moment ago, you're welcome to change to a new day in your month or stick with your first choice. It's up toyou."

This language mirrors the instruction you gave earlier regarding the month, but it allows near complete freedom on the day. The statement, HAndjust like / offered a moment ago..." is pure bluff, but it connects both steps and helps make each seem equally fair. If the participant previously felt pushed towards the end of the year, at this point he will likely think that he misunderstood the choice you gave him for the month. The structure of this linguistic manipulation is principally inspired by the work of Ross Tayler and Fraser Parker. Their joint DVD release Rapture is a wonderful resource if you would like to study these concepts further. Although there are several solid ideas explored throughout the project, I found the O Force and King's Force particularly noteworthy. If you are familiar with those routines you will no doubt recognize how I have applied the core concepts to this phase of Elementary. "The important thing is thatyour PIN has a good variety ofdigits from zero to nine -its too easy ifyou're thinking ofsomething like 6464. 〃

Interestingly, I have learned that some people do not regard zero as a digit. That perspective can cause problems during both the PIN creation and the Phase Two procedure. This piece of script clarifies that the date may contain a zero (without drawing undue attention to it). Tossing in the example of 6464 not only underscores the importance of "variety/1 it also helps to artificially enlarge the perceived scope of possible '7 want to keep this interesting foryou and challenging for me, soyou may need to adjust the month or day A LITTLE to make sure there are four DIFFERENT diaits in the date.” You want the participant to make a s//^/7f adjustment to his date, perhaps moving from 1118 to 1028 or from 1218 to 1208. The above wording works perfectly for me but you may need to play with the phrasing to suit your manner of speech and audiences. Just be sure that your language does not encourage the participant to jump outside of the optimal months. Additionally, try not to rush his thoughts at this step. It may even be helpful at times to say, “You're welcome to take some time to think it through. Let me know once you're ready."

16

“Think about this, the PIN you Just created ONLY exists in your thoughts. / even gave you several opportunities to change your mind, so it's not like / could've looked overyour shoulder whi/eyou typed it into your phone or an A TM. In a lot of ways, this number is even MORE secure than your actual PIN. ”

This recap allows you to emphasize the conditions you want the participant to most clearly recall. Commenting on the likelihood that he changed his mind several times throughout the procedure further cements the feeling of freedom that you are striving to create. The final line about the newly formed substitute PIN being more secure than his actual bank PIN seems plausible and helps to justify the entire date creation process. While it might read long and involved, the full script detailed above takes around a minute to deliver and is quite conversational in nature. It should not take much more time than if you were going to use a traditional peek method wherein the participant commits to a PIN in writing.

NOTE: Depending on my mood, / will sometimes streamline this Phase One script by removing the invitation to think ofa new day in their chosen month. Doing so only slightly diminishes the verbal deception made possible through the mirrored language between the month and day but it still works beautifully. Here is the simplified script after you invite the participant to think of any date in the year:

一

"In my experience, a lot ofpeople go for a date that has personal significance. Just so there's NO way for me to have researchedyour date, ifyou're thinking of one in the beginning or middle of the year, change to a date near the end of the year otherwise, stay whereyou are.”

一

Give him a moment to think.

tfAt this point it's impossible for me to know whetheryoujust changed your mind or stuck with your original date, correct?" The participant will agree.

"The important thing is thatyour PIN has a good variety of digits from zero to nine

一 it's too easy ifyou're thinking ofsomething like 6464." You then proceed as normal with the Phase One script

••• 17

AN ALTERNATIVE OPENING GAG When I am feeling a bit more playful, I use the following gag as lead-in to the routine.

"Do you think it's possible for me to look you in the eyes and extract a niece of persona! information from your mind? The PIN to your debit card, perhai£?n

M畿算需蒙既就 Participant. I stare intently into his eyes fora long moment. "4-2-0-1... yes?!"

篇楠岩薰X蒿 thathiS PIN has fined secure.! pause to aHow the failure “But that would have been good, right?!"

Everyone laughs as the awkward tension is released.

One of these days that's going to work! And man, it's going to hit HARD!

洗?ess，yind-to-mind communication isn't THAT easy. It's onlypossible

篇'E ^llin T6/ t succeed~ and that clearly wasn't the case with your PIN' If yyour mind.' Now to let me '成 though, / can showyou how I'd pull an ATM pin out of / don't want to targetyour actual bank details. I'll have you make up a substitute four-digit number instead. Areyou comfortable with that?"

I then proceed with the remainder of the Phase One script in order to generate the PIN.

NOTE: Ifyou get luckyandnail the PIN (a true l-in-10,000proposition)you have an absolute

。

— a，S° needt° murage the participant t update

18

佑

—

二^

Phose Two: Id^ntiAuino

三 PIN 二

Performance Example Before examining the various patterns found within the 29 optimal PINs, I will outline one possible presentation that you can use to conclude the performance. Keep in mind that this phase is extremely customizable to whatever upowersn suit your character.

The following script picks up after I have recapped the seemingly fair process used to generate the substitute PIN.

。

"T make sune thatyou don't forget the PIN, please repeat it over and over again in your mind. Take a fewseconds to really lock it in. ”

The participant thinks for a moment, then nods his head.

"Focus first on the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the first, second, third or fourth position?" "The first," he answers.

“And that was the truth, correct?"

Slightly bemused, the participant asserts he was being honest. "Great! Some people like to play hard-to-get so / just needed to make sure! Now focus on the highest digit in your PIN and where it is.”

I give him a moment.

'7/? order to readyou, / need to see the difference between a truth and a He.

一

Lie to me this time where is the highest digit?”

The participant replies, "It's the fourth digit." I pause to consider his answer and mannerisms.

20

“You're a very good Har when you need to be! / was really hoping that you fd be easier to read! rm not sure that I'll be successful with you... Please think of the first digit ofyour PIN. rd like you to recite the numbers zero to nine at a dear steady pace be sure not to give anything away when you come to the digityou have locked in your mind. ”

一

He counts aloud in a monotone voice as I keep a close eye on him. Smiling, I stop him just after he gets to the number five. 7 could be wrong here, but / believe you've already said the number... ”

He confesses through a laugh.

"Maybe / WILL be able to readyou!

「

In your mind, move to the second digit ofyour PIN. This time M going to count from zero to nine and yourjob is to give nothing away when / reach the correct number. 〃 After reciting the digits once through, my stare deepens and I count again from five to nine. I appear a bit hesitant but proceed regardless.

“Let's try something a little different with the third digit Imagine it floating in the air between us... see it as vividly asyour mind will allow. 〃

I study him intently. “You're imagining a 2, yes?,f

The participant shakes his head in disagreement.

"Hmm... let's go back to something less abstract. On the last digitJust imagine yourself repeating the number over and over again. Be sure not to move your Ups." Almost immediately, I grin with confidence. 21

"Perfect, that was the dearest one ofall! /'m not certain... but ril take a guess atyour PIN."

I grab a business card and, without showing the participant, jot four digits before placinq it writing side down on the table. "

，m committed. For the first time, please tell everyone... I stop mid-sentence.

瓮常make SUre that，，m °n the right track, what is the last digit ofyour The Participant answers, "Five." Upon hearing the answer, I light up with enthusiasm

"Yes! And the first digit is zero, right?!" He confirms it is.

I retake the business card, cross out the second digit and write a new guess just above it I then place the card back on the table.

"Okay, / feel better about that For the first time, whatsyour PIN?" “0-9-1-5,” he announces. “There are ten thousand permutations to a four-digit number... Wouldyou still be impressed if/'m dose ?”

11Absolutely!"

"Then its a good thing / didn't targetyour actual PIN!” I flip over the card and the participant is shocked to see that I am spot on with my guess. 22

NOTE: It may surprise you to learn that what /just outlined could be viewed as the worst­ case scenario. It really is that dean and direct While there was one small "miss" during the above description, most of the time the participant will never perceive a single error (unlessyou want to feign difficulty) along theJourney to successfully revealing his PIN.

23

How Do You Do It? That is the question you need to answer for yourself- before an audience member does. Like so many in and out of mentalism, I am a massive fan of Derren Brown. While his tremendous success is no doubt a combination of many factors, I believe that one specific attribute of his work, more than any other, caused him to captivate the public's imagination. When you watch Derren perform, you actually SEE how he apparently accomplishes his feats of mind reading and influence. He and his confidant Andy Nyman pioneered the term "fauxcess" to describe this show-and-tell style of presentation. A fauxcess, by their definition, simply means: a false process.

It is important to determine the fauxcess you will use during Phase Two. If you take the psychological approach to mentalism, are you relying on eye accessing cues? Subtle lip movement? Muscle Reading? A combination of those techniques? If your character is more intuitive/psychic, are you picking up on thoughts via a transference of energy? If so, HOW does that work? Do you have to make physical contact? Is there a particular state of mind that you and the participant must first enter in order to connect? Whatever false process you choose, define it and commit to it. A well-defined fauxcess is a kind of psychological misdirection that helps divert a participant s rnind away from the actual method. In the case of Elementary, you want to give people something more interesting to contemplate beyond the patterns inherent to the dates. You should aim to enthrall an audience with the journey, not just the destination.

Behaving like a mind reader also becomes significantly easier, and more authentic, when you have a clear fauxcess upon which you seemingly rely. Despite knowing (intellectually) that there is a mechanical system underpinning Elementary, I allow myself to be/ievexhat lam genuinely pulling the PIN out of the participant's mind. This suspension of belief, on MY part, goes a long way in helping the audience enter that same mindset. Throughout the various performance examples, I have depicted some of the fauxcess(es) that I typical use. Please take these as suggestions - not prescribed presentations that you have to follow. The system(s) detailed within the book are quite versatile and will accommodate all manner of performance styles.

24

The Basic System On the next page you will see the 29 optimal PINs broken up by the month to which they pertain. Only three months are possible September, October and December - because of the restriction that the date not have any repeating digits (thereby eliminating November). As you study the various permutations, you will see that all PINs relating to October are!02X and those for December are 120X (except 1230 for December 30th). In the case of PINs based on September, the first two digits will always be 09 and the third digit can only bel or 2. In all cases, the final digit is the most variable but because the PIN must be made up of four different digits, you already have some insight into what the fourth digit cannot be.

一

The most efficient way to begin identifying the substitute PIN is to locate the position of zero so you always start there. Instructing the participant to focus on the "lowest digit" somewhat disguises the fact that he can only be thinking of a zero at that point.

一

If zero is in the fourth position: The PIN is 1230 (December 30th).

It is as simple as that! Be sure to contain your excitement when this happens. No more work is needed to determine the entire PIN. If zero is in the third position: The PIN is 120X (a December date).

If zero is in the second position: The PIN is 102X (an October date).

When the zero resides in either the second or third position you will only need to identify the last digit of the PIN - which must be 3 to 9 inclusive. If zero is in the first position: The PIN will be 091X or 092X (a September date). A simple pump on the third digit is all that is needed to determine if it is 1 or 2. More on this in a moment.

In every instance, the second question you ask is merely for the sake of the presentation, it does not provide you with any truly useful information. After requesting that the participant focus on the highest digit, say, “In order to readyou, I need to see the difference ••• 25

The 29 Optimal PINs

26

(mm/dd)

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

DECEMBER

0912 0913 0914 0915 0916 0917 0918 0921 0923 0924 0925 0926 0927 0928

1023 1024 1025 1026 1027 1028 1029

1203 1204 1205 1206 1207 1208 1209 *1230*

A BIT OF ADVICE: Study these dates/PI Ns for several minutes but do not try to memorize them outright. Focus more energy on understanding the overall patterns - especially the position of zero. Also recognize that the first three digits of each date/PIN are extremely regimented, the fourth digit is the only true unknown variable in any permutation (except in the case of 1230).

between a truth and a He. Lie to me this time - where is the highest digit?” Again, it ma kes no difference what the response is.

The overt purpose of these two questions (first, a truth about the position of the lowest digit and second, a lie about the highest digit) is to let you compare and contrast the participants mannerisms in each context. You are apparently trying to determine his “tell." The questions feel rather innocent definitely not enough to determine 75% of the PIN so in the mind of the participant, he has not yet told you anything of consequence.

一

I always act as though the person is difficult to read and I recommend that you do the same. This has two main advantages: first, I find that participants (especially men) like to feel as though they are a bit of a challenge; but most importantly, by giving the impression thatyou didn't see his "tell”you diminish the importance of the questions. It makes it seem as though you are still in the dark despite the reality thatyou already know the majority of the PIN.

NOTE: If the psychological premise of He detection does not fit your character, you could instead say, “Focus on the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the first, second, third or fourth position?” Ifit is the first digit, say, “Great, we'll take these in order,..and move directly into your fauxcess. If the lowest digit (i.e., the zero) is in any other position, you can quickly add, almost as though you did not hear the answer, “Actually, / want to do this in order,., think of the first digit instead." This scripting streamlines the process almost to the point of it being negligible. My friend Madison Hagler deserves the thanks for this alternative approach. Since he first made the suggestion to me, I have used it many times and found it to be very effective. At this point you would continue with your preferred fauxcess to seemingly learn each of the digits. I will share several strategies to determine the fourth digit in the next section but before going through those options, we need to look at ways to pump between 091X and 092X. ~

During the fauxcess, you could ask the closed question, 'The third digit isnT even, is it?”K the participant affirms that it is, you add, 7 thought so!n If he says it is not, you would comment, 7 didn't think so.” Either way you now know what the third digit is. I recommend only using this question with those who you feel will understand it. I am constantly amazed by how many people struggle with the concept of even vs. odd numbers. Hopefully that is not just an American thing...

♦•• 27

源紧摆 ¥ confusion over even vs. odd, I prefer to just guess the digit outriqht thirddigitis2,yes? When you are correct you get credit for an extremX direct hit' emg wrong seems insignificant to the participant but tells you the third digit is 1 it is a win-win, so do not fear a miss here. uura aign is I. it is a

点h次 T °P!IOn IS tO completely forgo a pump on the third digit and move forward ^ th your fa咋rit匕strategy to determine the fourth digit. Once done, you can pick uo vour 黛 write 091X (where X equals the fourth digit), cross it out and write 092X he?比：writing is shown it looks like you were unsure on the third di藉# 泉黯炒 g to be 092X then you apparently adjusted to the correct nuXr iTthe /X?/岩滂眼 Can comment with mild frustration, "Oh! ! shouldn't have second guessed "〃 *an assure you that the participant will view either outcome as a success.

恃se do not be intimidated by this deep-dive look at the system. Once you qraso the "容肯'"ns"』。「he产 ptember through December dates-specifically t%ep*cement through^ 比 ^^。「辰 anything. The digits fall into piace P

° the nex]few pages, I have prepared a "practice session" to simulate an assortment of scenarios that you may encounter. You will find several such training exercises progress through the different variations that I teach (all of them built off the back of this a te^・ I encourage you to give these practice rounds a sincere effort-if you do I certain that you will quickly realize just how simple the various systems are Uttle bv httle, you will gam the confidence necessary to move towards live perforr^nces： '

葺;* 焉

••• 28

Practice Session

YOU: Focus on the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the first, second, third or fourth position?

PARTICIPANT: Third.

Can you identify the first three digits of the PIN? Turn the page when ready. ••• 29

120X

30

Practice Session

YOU: Focus on the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the first, second, third or fourth position?

PARTICIPANT: First. (Later, during the fauxcess.) YOU: The third digit is 2, yes?!

PARTICIPANT: It is!

Can you identify the first three digits of the PIN? Turn the page when ready. 31

X乙60

in

Practice Session

YOU: Focus on the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the first, second, third or fourth position?

PARTICIPANT: Fourth.

Can you identify the entire the PIN off of that? Turn the page when ready. 33

1230

34

Practice Session

YOU: Focus on the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the first, second, third or fourth position?

PARTICIPANT: First. (Later, during the fauxcess.) YOU: The third digit is 2, yes?!

PARTICIPANT: No, its not.

Can you identify the first three digits of the PIN? Turn the page when ready. 35

091X

36

Practice Session

YOU: Focus on the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the first, second, third or fourth position?

PARTICIPANT: Second.

Can you identify the first three digits of the PIN? Turn the page when ready. 37

102X

38

As you now know, the fourth digit is the only lingering variable in the system. If you used traditional fishing, it could require as many as three pumps: first, to determine if the digit is high or low; second, if it is even or odd; and third, a specific guess from the remaining possible options. The process might progress smoothly, but you also run the risk of missing at each step. Beyond that, the participant might feel like you are playing a game of “20 Questions/1 For those reasons, I prefer to take the path of least resistance and simply ask for the needed digit. That may sound too bold (and obvious) but in my experience it flows naturally, and deceptively, within the performance. Remember, in the eyes of the participant, he is only ever verbalizing one digit yet you somehow know the entire PIN. Additionally, as you will come to understand, he should believe that he is merely confirming what you a/reac//appear to know.

Here are four of my favorite techniques to handle the fourth digit and conclude the routine. With a bit of thought, I am certain that you will develop your own alternative strategies as well.

The Adjustment Ploy This was the tactic described earlier within the performance example on page 22. Imagine the following scenario: During Phase Two you learn that zero is in the second position, so the PIN is 102X. Progress through your fauxcess and appear to struggle with the third digit before pressing on. Act the most confident on the fourth digit so that later, when you ask about it directly, it seems to be merely for the sake of confirmation.

You then comment, 7 think / have your PIN...as you pick up a business cardjot a four­ digit number, and place the card back down on the table. In reality, you write 103 then a 2 above the 3 (see Image 1). Be sure to limit the motion of your hand and pen so that the participant cannot follow along with exactly what numbers you are writing. Right as the participant believes that you are going to display the writing, hesitate and say, "Actually, just to make sure that I'm on the right track, what is the last digit?”

40

，吓8 Image 2

Respond with excitement to whatever number the participant says as though confirming what you already committed to in writing. Quickly add, “Yes! And the first digit is 1, correct?!" This direct hit on a digit is a nice beat that finesses the fact that you just asked outright for the fourth digit. Michael Weber, the one and only, is the man to thank for this extremely effective addition to the script. It is a small touch, but it really helps sell the moment.

Now continue, "I'm still not certain about the third digit... the one I struggled with, ril kick myself if my first guess is correct, but rm going to change it.” Motivated by this decision to change your mind, the participant sees you pick up the business card, cross out the third digit and write a new guess just above it. Unknown to all watching, you cross out the third digit and actually write in the fourth digit you just learned (see Image 2). Once done, place the business card back on the table and state, “Okay, /'m fully committed. For the first time, what's your PIN?" After the participant divulges the number, smile and say, "There are ten thousand permutations to a four-digit number..,,f This helps blur the memory of the substitute PIN being based on a date (only a l-in-365 proposition) and broaden the perceived scope of the demonstration.

End with, "Then it's a good thing / didn't target your actual PIN!” On that punctuating note, flip over the business card to prove that you are spot on.

The placement of this final line, as a means to accent the moment of the reveal, is again thanks to Michael Weber. In my original script, during the preamble before guiding the person through the PIN creation, I would say, 7 don't want to jeopardize your actual PIN, so ril have you make one up on the spot. If I can get that, it proves / could getyour bank

41

PIN if / really wanted to.,r Michael rightly commented that saying such a thing at the start of the routine might cause the participant to feel uneasy about continuing - therefore lessening cooperation and engagement. It is far better to let the penny drop right before the reveal so that the implications of the feat resonate more deeply. While I am on the topic, Michael offered yet another wonderful suggestion - a slight tweak to the Adjustment Ploy. He liked the ruse but felt the ending visual of the written PIN was not as clear as it could be. Instead of crossing out only one digit, he recommended crossing out the entire first guess and writing the PIN anew below it. In order to achieve this, there is a minor change to the writing sequence. Once again, we will assume that you have determined the PIN is 102X.

Upon first picking up the business card, you write the first two digits, an incorrect third digit and the correct third digit below that (see Image 3).

Per the structure of the Adjustment Ploy, learn the fourth digit under the guise of confirming your suspicion and then follow that closely with correctly identifying the first digit. Say that you are still uncertain about the third digit and retrieve the business card to change your guess.

At this point you draw a line through the top three numbers (being sure to extend the line through the space that the fourth digit will soon occupy) and write the first two digits next to the third (already present). In one swift action, you also write in the correct fourth digit at the end of both sequences (see Image 4).

••• 42

Both the original Adjustment Ploy and the “Weber Variant” effectively convince the participant of the chronology that you are portraying - namely, thatyou committed to the fourth digit before it was stated aloud. This is a very subtle use of the venerable One Ahead Principle that will confound even those familiar with it.

Before concluding the explanation of this strategy, I want to briefly detail some of the finer points I recommend when dealing with the other PIN permutations. Forl20X: During the fauxcess I feign difficulty on the third digit I pick upthe business card and write 123, then place a zero above the 3. After learning the fourth digit under the pretense of confirming my suspicion, I say that I am second guessing myself on the third digit, so I am going to change it. J cross out the 3 and write the fourth digit in the empty space.

For 091X and 092X: During the fauxcess I feign difficulty on the second digit and also take a guess on the third digit to determine if it is 1 or 2. Regardless of whether the guess is correct or not, I pick up the business card and write 08, place a 9 above the 8 and then the correct third digit. After learning the fourth digit under the pretense of confirming my suspicion, I say that I am second guessing myself on the second digit, so I am going to change it. I then cross out the 8 and write the fourth digit in the empty space.

NOTE: Writing 081 or 082 (in preparation for the Adjustment Ploy) coversyou in the event that the participant thinks of an August date. This has only happened once, maybe twice, in the countless times / have performed the routine, but it's worth knowing that structuring the adjustment in this manner intentionally serves as an out All of the above considerations would apply when using the Weber Variant as well.

The detail I am trying to emphasize here is that in order for the Adjustment Ploy to be convincing, you must appear uncertain on at least one of the digits to motivate the apparent correction that covers boldly asking for, and then writing in, the fourth digit. This strategy is deceptive because it is not an isolated moment but rather weaved throughout Phase Two and Three. Acted well, people don't stand a chance to see through the ruse. I recommend that you pre-plan how you will handle every PIN permutation by taking a few minutes to think through the different scenarios. This may read a little complex in print but I am confident that you will find it all quite straightforward in execution.

43

Overturning Ahead This approach comes byway of my good friend Manos Kartsakis. It is based on Joshua Jay's strategy for learning the first letter of a force word in combination with Steve Thompson's Glance. Manos added an additional layer of subtlety to Joshua's idea, resulting in a brilliantly elegant method to acquire the final digit. Although Manos was not familiar with Phill Smith's44Left Brain, Write Brain,r (a routine found in Mitox), it is worth noting that Phill uses a similar strategy to cover a One Ahead. In order for this to work, you need to use a double blank card instead of a normal business card. An unlined index card could work, but you need to be careful that your writing implement does not bleed through. For that reason, I prefer to use thick, unprinted business card stock.

After you guide the participant through the creation of his PIN, pick up the card and draw four lines lengthwise through the middle to denote the positions of each digit. Use this to help the participant visualize his PIN during Phase Two - when you are asking about the placement of the lowest digit. We will imagine that zero is in the third position, so you know the PIN is 120X.

Hold the card, along with the pen, in preparation to begin writing. Explain, “Let's work from the outside in. Please focus on the fourth digit ofyour PIN..." and commence with your fauxcess. Act as though you picked up on his thought and apparently jot the fourth digit on the card. In truth, you write the first digit of the PIN upside down and underneath the line on the far RIGHT (see Image 5). The beauty here is that the placement of your writing looks congruent from the participanfs point of view. Because the first digit will only ever be 0 or 1, writing it upside down is extremely easy to do. Just like the Adjustment Ploy, do your best to limit the motion of your hand and pen so that the participant cannot follow along with exactly what number you are writing.

Once done, say, “Just to make sure that I'm on the right track, what is the last digit?” Respond with excitement to whatever the participant says as though you are confirming what you already wrote. Quickly add, "Now move your focus to the first digit,r Continue with your fauxcess and then write the fourth digit upside down and underneath the line 44

on the far LEFT (see Image 6). The participant should again believe that you are writing the digit in the appropriate position.

Place the card writing side down on the table by pivoting your wrist, and therefore the card, towards your body. Ask the participant to announce the first digit of his PIN. Upon hearing it become excited and state, “That's two for two!n Simultaneous to that pronouncement, pick up the card by the outside edge and hinge it away from you - thus orienting the numbers right-side up to the participant. This sequence makes it seem as though you committed to both digits before either were stated aloud. This is yet another updated application of the One Ahead Principle.

I recommend thatyou write the last two digits together, so that the final impression is that you committed to the PIN before the participant ever disclosed it in full. TIPS FOR WRITING UPSIDE DOWN: Here are some mental shortcuts that I used to become comfortable writing the digits 2 through 9 upside down:

• • • • • • • •

2 rotated 3 rotated 4 rotated 5 rotated angular 6 rotated 7 rotated 8 rotated 9 rotated

looks like a 7 with a hook at the bottom looks like a “bubbly” uppercase E looks like a lowercase h (if you do not close off the top) looks almost identical, but the top half is curved and the bottom half is is 9 looks like an uppercase L looks almost identical, but the top circle is bigger than the bottom circle is 6 ••• 45

The Verbal Reveal This strategy may not feel “clever” enough to some, but if you perform it with confidence, I can assure you that it will hit just as hard as the previous two options. It also allows you to perform Elementary 100% prop-free. While I do not view a business card and pen as props, I know that some do. For those individuals, or for those circumstances when you genuinely have nothing on you, this is the perfect strategy to employ.

Imagine the following scenario: During Phase Two you learn that zero is in the first position, so the PIN is 091X or 092X. While progressing through the fauxcess you appear uncertain about the second dig it but push on and correctly guess that the third digit is 1, leaving 091X. You then wrap up your fauxcess acting confident on the final digit. Announce, 7 think / haveyour PIN... butJust to make sure that /'m on the right track, what is the last digit?" The participant says, ‘S/ for example. React with excitement as though you are confirming your earlier suspicion, then quickly add, “Yes! And the first digit is zero, correct?!"

乂”

After the participant acknowledges the accuracy of your statement, continue, “I'm still not certain about the second digit... the one /struggled with. Can I haveyou focus on that digit again?" I recommend that you now use a different fauxcess than the one you first tried with the second digit. Changing tactics, especially to something that appeared to be effective with another digit, motivates success with this second attempt. After the fauxcess, announce, “Okay, /'m much more confident now. it's a good thing / didn't targetyour actual PIN! The PINyou ha ve locked a way in your mind is 0976!”

Remember, the participant only verbalizes one digit yet you are able to nail the other three. Believe in your alleged abilities and perform with confidence. If you do that, this ruse will go over beautifully.

Please give this a try just once to gauge the impact. It may become your favorite approach simply because it is so easy and bold.

••• 46

The Jazz Reveal

一

This tactic does not guarantee a perfect outcome every performance but there are times when I feel comfortable taking a bit of a (calculated) risk. Experience has demonstrated to me that people o/feothink of a PIN that has 5 or 8 as the fourth digit (with 5 being the most common). While you could take a guess in hopes of a direct and inexplicable hit, I prefer to cover myself in a subtle way. Before describing this simple idea, it will be helpful to remember how the restrictions in Phase One narrow down the possibilities for the PIN's fourth digit.

When the PIN is either 102X or 120X, the fourth digit must be 3 to 9 inclusive. When the PIN is 091X, the fourth digit must be 2 to 8 inclusive. And when the PIN is 092X, the fourth digit can only be 1 or 3 to 8 inclusive.

一

For explanation sake, we will imagine a situation where zero is in the second position so the PIN is 102X. Once you have determined that, proceed with your chosen fauxcess. Unlike the tactics that use a version of the Adjustment Ploy, act as though you are confident on the first three digits but struggling with the fourth.

Pick up the card and write 1028, then place it writing side down on the table. Just as the participant believes you are going to display it, say, "Actually, Km still not certain about the fourth digit... the one / struggled with. I'll kick myself if my first guess is correct, but Km going to change it： Retake the card, cross out the 8 and place a 5 above it.

This correction provides a multiple out that allows you to affirm success, to a greater or lesser degree, in the majority of performances (nearly 86% of the time to be specific). You can claim a directs if the fourth digit is 5 or 8. Alternatively, you get credit for a near hit when the fourth digit is 4, 6, 7 or 9.

In the rare instances when the PIN ends in 1, 2 or 3 ("rare” due to the likelihood that the PIN is based on an October or December date), you still accomplished something remarkable in the eyes of the audience by extracting three of the four digits. 47

"Excelten t!" [you] cried. "Elementary, "said [Drew]. "It is one of those instances where the reasoner can produce an effect which seems remarkable to his neighbour, because the latter has missed the one little point which is the basis of the deduction." -Arthur Conan Doyle The Adventure of the Crooked Man

••• 48

Elementary Mathematics This variation allows you to determine the fourth digit without the participant ever explicitly verbalizing it. I saved this strategy until now because it adds one process to the beginning of Phase Two and I did not want to clutter the earlier explanations. This additional procedure not only streamlines the pumping in Phase Two, it also gives vou the fourth digit outright. "

The following script is delivered immediately after the participant has generated a substitute PIN.

，t,n order to P* this PIN from your mind, / first need to observe how you send thoughts. Let's haveyou focus on a random number that may or may not exist in y°ur PN Co ahead and add up the four individual digits ofyour PIN. ” The participant thinks for a moment and then nods. Fat random number is what rd like you to transmit to someone else in the group. ”

I nominate a woman sitting on the opposite side of the table. The participant receives mv first instruction. ' "Imagine telling her the number... repeat it again and again in your mind. ”

I then turn my attention to the woman. “Look into his eyes and slowly let a number between 1 and 36 take form in vour thoughts. ”

Both individuals become playfully uncomfortable as they stare at each other.

°。the count of three, you'll both sayyour numbers out loud... one, two, three!” They speak simultaneously. The participant says, “74," and the woman guesses, “8. 〃

'7 mean you're not miles away from each other!”

••• 50

The group chuckles at the slight awkwardness of the failed attempt. aYou can see how difficult mind-to-mind communication can be. To be honest, /'m not sure I saw what / needed to readyou... Lets give this a try though. Please focus on the first digit of your PIN. This time, imagine telling ME that number."

After a moment of concentration, I smile knowingly.

一

“Now think of the second digit imagine saying it over and over again.”

I stare at the participants lips. "That was so dear! Try not to give yourself a way!f,

He laughs incredulously. “Move to the third digit -you know what to do.”

It is obvious that he is trying his best to keep an absolute poker face. As a result, I appear to struggle picking up on the number.

'You've learnedyour lesson and put up defenses. / may not be successful on this digit... Unless this digit is a 2?n The participant shakes his head. "Well... let's press on to the fourth digit Instead ofsaying the number in your mind try to visualize it floating in the air between us. ”

He earnestly follows my request and I immediately light up with confidence. “That was excellent! Visualize the entire PINjust like that, each and every digit."

Both the participant and I seemed transfixed on a single point in the air between us.

51

“It's all dear to me now!"

1 excitedly jot down four digits on my business card and place it sight unseen on the table. “I'm committed. For the first time, tell us all the PIN locked awayinyour mind." "0-9-1-4," he announces.

"There are ten thousand permutations to a four-digit number... It's a good thing / didn't target your actual PIN!" I motion for him to look at what, I wrote. He is shocked to see that I am spot on with mv guess.

THE BREAKDOWN The total stated by the participant at the start of the routine obviously is not "random"- it helps narrow down the possible permutations to just a few PINs.

On the rare occasions when the two participants say the same total, play up their success When their numbers do not match (a much more likely scenario), simply frame it as proof of how difficult "mind-to-mind communication" can be. This is merely a presentational ruse to justify the participant saying his total aloud. It goes without saying that you should only perform this variation with someone who seems competent with (albeit simple) mental arithmetic. If the participant announces an incorrect total you will be slightly off in your guess. Like any piece of this nature, proper audience selection is imperative to your success. When the total is 6 to 11 inclusive: The PIN will be based on a suitable date in October or December AND it will not include 9.

6= 7= 8= 9= 10 = 11 =

••• 52

1023 / 1203 / 1230 1024 / 1204 1025 / 1205 1026 / 1206 1027 / 1207 1028 / 1208

THE RULE: Subtract three from the total to learn the fourth digit. If the total is 6: You need to determine the position of zero. You do that by using the original pretense of contrasting a truth versus a lie to apparently discern the participants “tell.”

For totals 7 through 11 inclusive: While you could use the standard ploy to find zero, I prefer to simply pump on the second or third digit to identify the correct permutation.

When the total is 12: The PIN will be some permutation of the digits 0,1, 2 and 9.

12 =

0912 / 0921 / 1029 / 1209

Again, proceed with the normal Phase Two sequence to identify the location of zero. If you narrow down the possibilities to 0912 or 0921, you must pump on the third or fourth digit. As I have shared previously, I prefer to guess outright on a digit and either accept the miss or get a direct hit.

Alternatively, you could first write down 0912 and then say, ''Actually, /'m not sure about the last two digits... / may have swapped them around. /7/ kick myselfifI was right the first time, but /'m going to change my guess.n Cross out 0912 and write 0921 below it. Regardless which permutation ends up being correct, you will still receive credit for successfully discovering the PIN. When the total is 13 to 19 inclusive: The PIN can only be a suitable September date so there is no need to determine the placement of zero.

13 = 14 = 15 = 16 = 17 = 18 二 19 =

0913 0914 /0923 0915 /0924 0916 /0925 0917 /0926 0918 / 0927 0928

53

the RULE: The third and fourth digits of the PIN will either match the total OR the third digit will be 2 and the fourth digit will be one less than the total's ones place.

For totals 13 and 19: There is nothing more to do - only one PIN is possible for each total. This is a beautiful position in which to be! For totals 14 to 18 inclusive: This situation was depicted within the previous performance example. You only need to pump on the third digit to determine if it isl or 2. When it isl, the fourth digit will match the ones place of the total. When it is 2, the fourth digit will be one less than the total's ones place. Here again, you could also opt to write one of the two possibilities and then correct yourself to the other under the pretense of being uncertain about the final two digits.

ONE-ON-ONE ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS If you would like to use this approach in a one-on-one performance situation, you merely need to be the one guessing the participant's total at the start of the routine. Based on my experience, people typically settle on an October or December date. Furthermore, odds are high that the fourth digit will be 5. For those reasons, I always guess that the total is 8.

A hit on this number producesan extra moment of apparent mind reading. A miss is easily brushed off under the rationale of, "Right then, you're much harder to read that / thought you'd be! Let's change tactics..." At that point, I then switch to a fauxcess that feels quite different than the tactic I seemingly attempted to identify the total.

ATLAS BROOKINGS* PREFERRED HANDLING My esteemed friend likes to ask for the total not at the beginning of Phase Two (as I outlined) but rather at the end. This is yet another way to use Elementary Mathematics in a one-on-one context. One succinct performance example should suffice to help you understand the adjustment. This script picks up after the participant has generated a substitute PIN.

♦•• 54

"Focus first on the lowest digit in your PIN.

The participant thinks for a moment. % it in the first, second, third or fourth position?”

He answers, “Second." “And that was the truth correct?” Slightly bemused, the participant asserts he was telling the truth. "Great! Some people like to play hard-to-get so / just needed to make sure! Now focus on the highest digit in your PIN and where it is. 〃

Atlas pauses briefly. “In order to readyou, / need to see the difference between a truth and He. Lie to me this time... where is the highest digit?”

The participant replies, "It's the first digit.r, Atlas considers the answer. “You're a very good Har when you need to be... I'm not sure that /〃 be successful with you! / need to hear another truth, but / don't wantyou to tell me anything useful,.. ”

Atlas contemplates how best to continue.

一

“Let's do this go ahead and add up the four individual digits ofyour PIN.” The participant thinks for a few second and then nods.

"Tell me the truth again, what is the total?" “Eight.” “I'm still not one 100% certain... but I'll try... ” ••• 55

Because he already knows that the PIN is 1025, Atlas can then continue with whatever fauxcess he wishes to conclude the routine. Atlas motivates a third question (about the total) by acting uncertain about his ability to identify the participanfs non-verbal tell after the first two questions. By that point, he has already learned the first three digits of the PIN.

If there are any lingering possibilities (between 091X and 092X for example) you can zero in on the correct permutation during your fauxcess through a pump on the third digit. The total provided by the participant yields the fourth digit using the same math/logic already described.

56

Practice Session

The total is 16. (Later, during the fauxcess.) YOU: The third digit is 2, yes?

PARTICIPANT: Yes, it is!

Can you identify the entire PIN? Turn the page when ready. 57

0925

58

Practice Session

The total is 7. YOU: Focus on the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the first, second, third or fourth position?

PARTICIPANT: Third.

Can you identify the entire PIN? Turn the page when ready. 59

1204

60

Practice Session

The total is 12. YOU： Focus on the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the first, second, third or fourth position?

PARTICIPANT: First. (Later, during the fauxcess.) YOU: The third digit is 2, yes?!

PARTICIPANT: No, it's not.

Can you identify the entire PIN? Turn the page when ready. 61

0912

62

Practice Session

The total is 11. YOU: Focus on the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the first, second, third or fourth position?

PARTICIPANT: Second.

Can you identify the entire PIN? Turn the page when ready. 63

1028

64

Practice Session

The total is 19.

Can you identify the entire PIN? Turn the page when ready. 65

0928

66

Silent Elementary VI With a desire to push Elementary as far as conceivably possible, I set out to develop a system that did not require the participant to speak a single word. To accomplish that vision a few compromises had to be made, but I suspect some of you will really enjoy the two variations detailed next. Of all the approaches I am sharing, I will admit that these are the least intuitive (for you as the performer). That is because you are not interacting directly with the logic and patterns inherent to the optimal dates. These systems are still built on those patterns, but in performance your attention is on other matters. In order to become confident with these variations, you will likely need to memorize the sequences/formulas corresponding to each. Rest assured that the memory work is minimal compared to the powerful deception it yields.

As is customary, here is a performance example to give you a feel for how this appears to an audience. The following script begins after the participant has created a substitute PIN. uln order to pull this PIN out ofyour mind, / need to psychologically interrogate you... Don't worry though, / promise it'll be fun! Imagine the words YES and NO floating above my shoulders. Decide in your mind which word is over which shoulder."

He indicates that he is ready to continue. “Do you agree that it's impossible for me to know which side is YES and which is NO?” ''Absolutely,,r answers the participant.

“In a moment, /'m going to askyou a few simple YES or NO questions. Instead of answering out loud / wantyou to stare over the shoulder that corresponds toyour answer. Again, just think the answer and look over the correct shoulder - but don't say anything out loud. Nod if that makes sense.”

He nods. 67

“Think about the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the fourth position

The participants gaze shifts over my right shoulder. "Now focus on the highest digit... Is it in the second position 2"

His eyeline lingers over my right shoulder again. “Is the third digit a 2?”

This time, his vision turns to the space above my left shoulder. “You're doing great / think rve been able to tune into your thoughts. Please visualize the four digits ofyour PIN floating between us in the air."

I indicate four distinct spaces in the air with my finger and allow the participant to carry out my request. After studying him for a few seconds, I smile. 7 think / have it... Let me commit to my guess in writing.”

He observes that I writedown a four-digit number on my business card. Just as I am about to display it, I hesitate. "Actually... /'m not sure about the order of two digits. Just to confirm, what is the fourth digit ofyour PIN?”

He replies, "Six."

'Perfect! And the third digit is 2, correct?!” “Yes!” the participant exclaims. 7 think rve mixed up the first two digits. /7/ kick myself if Tm wrong, but I'm going to change my guess.”

I cross out the first number and write another four digits below it. Appearing satisfied, I then place the card on the table writing side down. 68

aFor the first time, please say the PIN that exists only in your mind. ” "7-0-2-6," he announces.

''There are ten thousand permutations to a four-digit number... Wouldyou still be impressed if I'm dose ?n “Absolutely!”

"Then it's a good thing / didn ft targetyour actual PIN!” I flip over the card and the participant is shocked to see that I am spot on with my guess.

THE BREAKDOWN This approach uses binary sorting. You track the participants eyes in response to three questions and the resultant sequence narrows down the PINs to just one or two options. The outward appearance of this strategy feels very congruent with the premise of mind reading because, even though it is extremely (for you) to discern the motion of the participants eyes, everyone else watching the demonstration simply observes two people staring at each other as though linked in thought. I was introduced to the concept of invisibly tracking a participants responses through eBooks by RedDevil and Matt Mello Operation Gemini and P.A.T.H.S. 2.0 respectively. Alexander Marsh's Silence is another great resource for ideas how to utilize silent cues to/from the participant to maximum effect. The three questions are always the same: 1. Think about the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the fourth position? 2. Now focus on the highest digit... Is it in the second position? 3. Is the third digit a 2? NOTE: In the explanation below, "Af, simply refers to whichever direction or shoulder the participant looks first; 〃 therefore, refers to the other direction or shoulder. It does not

69

matter where the participant imagines seeing the words YES and NO - the ensuing sequences are effective regardless.

If the sequence of the participants gaze is A-A-A: The PIN is 120X. Although there are a variety of paths you could now take to conclude the routine, my preference is to use the Weber Variant of the Adjustment Ploy (described on page 40).

As was depicted within the previous performance example, downplay the relevance of the three questions by stating that their purpose was merely to allow you to tune into his thoughts. Instruct the participant to visualize his PIN floating in the air between the two of you (or whatever suites your fauxcess). Ideally, everyone watching will believe that this is the moment you somehow extract the PIN from his mind. Act confident and say, 7 think / have it... Let me commit to my guess in writing." Pick up your business card and write 021, then place a second 2 directly under the first. Give the impression that you are about to display the guess but then hesitate and say, "Actually... I'm not sure about the order of two digits. Just to confirm, what is the fourth digit ofyour P!N?n Respond with excitement and quickly add, “Perfect! And the second digit is 2t correct?!" After the participant confirms your statement, say, 7 think I've mixed up the first and third digits. 17/ kick myself if Tm wrong, but /'m going to change my guess.n Cross out the top three numbers (extending the line over the space where the fourth digit will soon occupy) and write 1 and 0 on either side of the preexisting (lone) 2, followed by the numberjust identified as the fourth digit at the end of each PIN.

If the sequence of the participants gaze is A-A-B: The PIN is 102X. This was the exact situation described within the performance example. Again, use the Weber Variant of the Adjustment Ploy to bring the routine to a close.

70

In this instance, the first time you write on your business card jot down 012 and a second 2 under the first. Ask directly for the fourth digit and confirm that the third digit is 2. Say, 7 think Kve mixed up the first two digits, ril kick myselfif Tm wrong, but rm going to change my guess.,r Pick up the card and cross out the top three numbers (extending the line over the space where the fourth digit will soon occupy), write 10 in front of the preexisting (lone) 2, followed by the number just identified as the fourth digit at the end of each PIN.

If the sequence of the participants gaze is A-B-A: The PIN is 091X. Here I recommend that you use the basic structure of the Verbal Reveal (described on page 46) to determine the fourth digit. After instructing the participant to visualize his PIN in the air, appear as though you have it. Under the guise of wanting to confirm your suspicions, ask the participant what the fourth digit is. Act excited and then add, "And the first digit is a zero, correct?!” Once he agrees, announce, "Perfect! Let me commit to my guess in writing beforeyou say the PIN out loud." On your business card you then write 091 and the fourth digit just identified.

If the sequence of the participants gaze is A-B-B: The PIN is either 1230 or 092X. The Adjustment Ploy is not suitable for this circumstance because the two PINs are vastly different. Instead, I suggest that you dust off a classic tool in the prop-less arsenal... the Repeat It Ploy. NOTE: There is some debate among the cognoscenti regarding the origins of the Repeat It Ploy. Credit is typically given to Derren Brown but within Pure Effect he appears to cite Jerry Sadowitz as his inspiration (the wording here is a little ambiguous though). With a desire to lay all arguments to rest, / decided to communicate with Derren via remote telepathy. My goal was to enter his thoughts while he drifted sweetly into dreamland. / therefore began my meditation session at 4 pm MST to accommodate the 7-hour time difference. At first, / struggled to get my bearings within his elaborate, Victorian-inspired mind palace. / wandered for what seemed like hours through a maze of taxidermy, parrots and fan mail, until finally stumbling upon a faint trail ofpaint which guided me straight to his studio.

••• 71

He was dancing alone to the soundtrack ofFootloose as / approached. Upon seeing me, he stopped gyrating his twin peaches and said with a devilish smile, “I've been expecting you. 〃 / laughed, thinking it wasjust one of those lines he uses for comedic effect. Unshaken by my incredulity, he smugly rotated his canvas 180 degrees and / suddenly realized that what first appeared as indistinct scribbles actually spelled out, "Drew will find me at half past 2.,f Glancing at my watch, / saw that the prediction was spot on! Derren, being ever the showman, then pointed out that / was not even wearing a watch... / was, in the words of my British friends, gobsmacked! When / was finally able to utter a coherent thought, / questioned Derren about the true genesis of the Repeat It Ploy.

Although / sensed a mild level of annoyance in his voice, he proceeded to tell me that like all good ideas, it was a team effort. About 49% of the ploy came from him; he attributed another 49% to Jerry; and the remaining 2% was a mix of inspiration from the likes ofSenator Crandall, Henning Nelms, TA. Waters, and Annemann. It was particularly noteworthy how much he emphasized that Andy Nyman had NOTHING to do with it.

Just as / was about to thank Derren for such a thorough and academic answer, he slapped me across the face and exclaimed, "The power of McF/y compels you!” Next thing / knew, / awoke on the roof of my home in a cold sweat. The intense urge to push myself off the edge subsided after a few minutes but one (bizarrely useful) side effect remains - / instinctively know how many buttons are present in any room that / enter.

一

There you have it the DEFINITIVE answer to how the Repeat" Ploy came into existence. ADDENDUM TO THE NOTE: / am still waiting for Derren to walk through the door and explain that this was all part of his next elaborate TV special. Regrettably, I am uncertain what profound life-lesson he intended to teach me...

Now, back to something of relevance (and sanity).

72

After progressing through the three questions, say, “You're doing great. / think Tve been able to tune into your thoughts. Please visualize the four digits ofyour PIN floating between us in the air...f, Pause for a second or two and then add, like 1, 2, 3, 0...,f As you say each number, touch four distinct points in the air with your finger, as if to give the impression that you actually see the numbers occupying those spaces. If the participants PIN is 1230, he will react. You can then laugh and say, “That's not a very secure PIN now is it?!”

If he does not react upon hearing 1230, simply comment, ». or whatever your PIN is." This line should feel like a natural extension of the previous one - merely a completion of your thought. Pointing in the air with your finger will now be interpreted as a means to clarify where the participant should visualize each digit. No reaction tells you that the PIN is 092X. You can then use the Verbal Reveal to learn the fourth digit and conclude the routine. To assist you in the necessary memorization, on the next page I have prepared a concise summary of the possible eye movements and their associated PINs. Bear in mind, you can use other forms of signaling in place of the eye movements. One possibility is to ask the participant to place his hands on the table and visualize a button directly under each. In his mind, he can decide which button indicates YES and which one is NO. As the routine progresses, he answers your questions by pressing the appropriate button.

Alternatively, he could decide which hand means YES and which means NO and raise the corresponding hand in response to your questions. I imagine that with just a few minutes of thought, you can devise a myriad of visually interesting actions for the participant to do. Have fun with it!

73

Silent Elementary VI An Overview

THE THREE QUESTIONS： 1) Think about the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the fourth position?

2) Now focus on the highest digit... Is it in the second position? 3) Is the third digit a 2?

INTERPRETING THE SIGNALS:

74

A-A-A: 120X

A-B-A: 091X

A-A-B:102X

A-B-B:1230 092X

Practice Session

YOU: Think about the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the fourth position? (The participant looks over your left shoulder.)

YOU: Now focus on the highest digit... Is it in the second position? (The participant looks over your right shoulder.)

YOU: Is the third digit a 2? (The participant looks over your left shoulder.)

Can you identify the first three digits of the PIN? Turn the page when ready. ••• 75

091X

76

Practice Session

YOU: Think about the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the fourth position? (The participant looks over your right shoulder.)

YOU: Now focus on the highest digit... Is it in the second position?

(The participant looks over your left shoulder.)

YOU: Is the third digit a 2?

(The participant looks over your left shoulder.)

Can you identify the two PINs this could be? Turn the page when ready. ••• 77

1230 092X

78

Practice Session

YOU： Think about the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the fourth position?

(The participant looks over your left shoulder.) YOU: Now focus on the highest digit... Is it in the second position?

(The participant looks over your left shoulder.) YOU: Is the third digit a 2?

(The participant looks over your right shoulder.)

Can you identify the first three digits of the PIN? Turn the page when ready. 79

102X

80

Practice Session

YOU: Think about the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the fourth position?

(The participant looks over your left shoulder.) YOU: Now focus on the highest digit... Is it in the second position?

(The participant looks over your right shoulder.) YOU: Is the third digit a 2?

(The participant looks over your right shoulder.)

Can you identify the two PINs this could be? Turn the page when ready. ••• 81

1230 092X

82

Practice Session

YOU: Think about the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the fourth position? (The participant looks over your right shoulder.)

YOU: Now focus on the highest digit... Is it in the second position? (The participant looks over your right shoulder.)

YOU: Is the third digit a 2?

(The participant looks over your right shoulder.)

Can you identify the first three digits of the PIN? Turn the page when ready. 83

120X

84

Silent Elementary V2 This idea came about after Manos Kartsakis shared with me a fantastic routine that he had been developing. At one point in the piece, he had me merely think my answers to a few simple YES or NO questions. He then used an extremely clever ruse to determine what my answers had been. Although what you are about to read is quite a bit different from Manos's idea, it would not have entered my mind had it not been for him.

。

T Manos: Thank you my friend, you are always a source of such wonderful inspiration! As you read the following performance example, you will recognize how similar it is to the Silent Elementary VI approach. In fact, the three questions you ask the participant are identical and the underlying mechanism at work is the same. This variation simply gives a different aesthetic to the demonstration.

丁his script begins after the participant has generated a substitute PIN. %7 order to pull this PIN out of your mind, / need to engage you in some psychological interrogation... Don't worry though, /promise it'll be fun!

Although uncertain of what exactly is in store, the participant is happy to proceed. ‘7/? a moment /'m going to askyou a few simple YES or NO questions. Instead of responding out loud, / want you to only THINKyour answers. Do your best to keep a straight face and give nothing away. Nod if that makes sense."

He nods. "Think about the lowest digit ofyour PIN. Is it in the fourth position ?'

I carefully study the participant. Eventually, I begin to smile. "That was clearly a NO response! Nodyour head ifTm correct.” The participant laughs and confirms my assertion. “Now focus on the highest digit... Is it in the second position ?〃

••• 85

He tries harder this time to maintain an absolute poker face. After a few seconds of consideration, I seem quite certain. "Another NO! Nod if that's true. “

Incredulously, he nods again. "I'll ask one more question to make sure that rm able to read you properly. Remember to say nothing out loud. Is the third digit a 2?,f

The participant is determined this time and, consequently, I appear a little less sure of myself.

“Well done - nowyou're playing the game! Hmm... this is more ofa guess than anything... but / believe you just thought the answer YES. Nod if Cm right.”

He shakes his head, satisfied that he has finally evaded me. "Okay, two out of three isn't terrible. But / need to be sure...

Let's change tactics. / get the impression that you're more of a visual thinker. Imagine the four digits ofyour PIN floating between us in the air. Please give this a sincere effort. ” I indicate four distinct spaces in the air with my finger and allow the participant to carry out my request. After studying him for a few moments, I become excited.

"That was so much more obvious! I think I have it... Let me commit to my guess in writing. ”

He observes that I write down a four-digit number on my business card. Just as I am about to display it, I hesitate.

86

“Actually…/'m not sure about the order of two digits. Just to confirm, what is the fourth digit ofyour PIN?”

He replies, "Eight." "Yes! And the second digit is 2, correct?!'" “Yes!” the participant exclaims. 7 think rve mixed up the first and third digits. /'II kick myself if Tm wrong, but /'m going to change my guess.”

I cross out the first number and write another four digits below it. Acting more confident, I then place the card on the table writing side down. “For the first time, please say the PIN that exists only in your mind."

He announces, “7-2-0-8： “There are ten thousand permutations to a four-digit number... Wouldyou still be impressed if Tm close?”

“Absolutely!”

"Then it's a good thing / didn targetyour actual PIN!" I flip over the card and the participant is shocked to see that I am spot on with my guess.

THE BREAKDOWN Think of this as something akin to a progressive anagram applied to the optimal PIN permutations. The overview on the next page outlines how you progress through the system. When the participant thinks NO, you move down the line to the next question. A YES response kicks you out of the question flow (moving you across the diagram) and narrows down the options to one or two PIN possibilities.

••• 87

Silent Elementary V2 An Overview

Think about the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the fourth position?

------------ >

1230

YES

NO

V Now focus on the highest digit... Is it in the second position?

-------------------- >

091X 092X

YES NO

Is the third digit a 2?

-------------------------------- > YES

NO

120X

88

102X

The question is, how do you know what the participant is thinking in response to each question? The answer may come as a surprise... You do not know - that is, until you ask him for confirmation.

Again, if you think of this like a progressive anagram then the mindset you need to have during the performance should be clear. After asking each question, simply toss out a possible answer. When you guess correctly, take credit for being able to read the participant. When your guess is wrong, you cover the miss by explaining the need to change tactics. In the performance description, I used the rationale of the participant being more of a “visual thinker? For me to correctly read him, he needed to imagine seeing his PIN floating in the air. Strive to give the impression that the acft/a/mind reading occurs during your Plan B-thereby lessening the perceived importance of the questions that came before it.

Before I conclude this explanation, there are a few details left for me to share.

It is quite safe to assume that the participant is thinking NO after the first question. I recommend that you always make that assertion. The odds on the second question (although evenly split on paper) are biased towards an October or December date/PIN. For that reason, I prefer to throw out another NO here.

If you progress all the way to the third question, to me it feels more believable to claim a YES response - simply to break up the pattern of NO's. I also suggest that you feign difficulty in reading the participant as a way to preemptively lessen the impact of a miss at this point. REMEMBER： Whenyou "fail" to read the participant, pivot a way from the questions in favor of a secondary strategy (in which you seemingly find success).

If the PIN is either 102X or 120X use the Weber Variant of the Adjustment Ploy to end the routine as was described within Silent Elementary VI (refer back to pages 70 and 71). Ifthe PIN is 091X or 092X there is no need to pump on the third digit. Instead, I recommend using the Adjustment Ploy by writing 091 and then a 2 above the 1. Ask for the fourth digit under the pretense of confirming your suspicion and react positively to whatever number the participant says. Add, "Yes! And the first digit is zero, correct?!” Admit that you are 89

uncertain about the third digit and retrieve the card to apparently correct yourself. In actuality, you cross out the 1 and write the fourth digit just named. You will get credit for a direct hit regardless of the PIN being 091X or 092X.

NOTE:Asyou become more conversant with the different variations, you will see how they can actually be used in combination. Ifyou mix Elementary Mathematics with either Silent Elementary VI or V2,you can identify the fourth digit from the outset of the routine. Doing so would, in some cases, also allowyou to ask only two questions instead of all three. For example, in the event that the total is 6 to 11 inclusive you know right away that the PIN does not contain a 9. That means that you would not need to ask the second question (about the highest digit) during either of the "silent" variations.

90

Practice Session

YOU: Think about the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the fourth position?

(You state that the participant is thinking NO and he confirms it.) YOU: Now focus on the highest digit... Is it in the second position?

(You again claim he is thinking NO. This time, he denies it.) YOU: Let's change tactics...

Can you identify the two PINs this could be? Turn the page when ready. 91

091X 092X

92

Practice Session

YOU: Think about the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the fourth position?

(You state that the participant is thinking NO and he confirms it.) YOU: Now focus on the highest digit... Is it in the second position?

(You again claim he is thinking NO - he confirms it.) YOU: Is the third digit a 2?

(You appear to struggle and hesitantly guess that he is thinking YES. He once more confirms it.)

Can you identify the first three digits of the PIN? Turn the page when ready. ••• 93

102X

94

Practice Session

YOU: Think about the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the fourth position? (You claim that the participant is thinking NO but he denies it.)

YOU: Lefs change tactics...

Can you identify the entire PIN? Turn the page when ready. 95

1230

••• 96

Practice Session

YOU: Think about the lowest digit in your PIN. Is it in the fourth position? (You state that the participant is thinking NO and he confirms it.)

YOU: Now focus on the highest digit... Is it in the second position? (You again claim he is thinking NO - he confirms it.)

YOU: Is the third digit a 2?

(You appear to struggle and hesitantly guess that he is thinking YES. This time, he denies it.)

Can you identify the first three digits of the PIN? Turn the page when ready. ••• 97

120X

98

Elementary Expanded In the original Sherlocked, the only restriction that Thaddius places on the date/PIN is that it should have four different digits. Other than that, the participant has free rein of the calendar. This greater degree of freedom comes at a price though. It introduces the possibility of another variable digit in the second position.

As you have seen, the standard Elementary approach does not accommodate PINs based on the months January through August. It is possible to include them though and this is how you would accomplish it.

一

NOTE: The Phase One script is significantly streamlined in this variation because there are less restrictions regarding the date/PIN. 7 play with words and perception to create the illusion that / can read and influence thoughts.

Let me showyou what / mean by attempting to pulI an A TM PIN out ofyour mind... No need to worry though, / don't want tojeopardize your actual PIN. You're going to make one up on the spot to act as the target. To make this easy to remember, / want you to substitute your PIN with a random date in theyear. It'll be two digits for the month followed by two digits for the day and that givesyou an easy to recall four-digit number. Does that make sense?f,

The participant acknowledges that he understands. 7 want to keep this interesting foryou and challenging for me, so make sure your date has four DIFFERENT digits. It's too easy ifyou think ofsomething like 6464. ”

Following a brief moment of thought, the participant says that he has settled on a number. uJust to be dear, you've never written down this PIN - it only exists in your mind, correct? So, in a lot of ways, this number is even MORE secure than your actual PIN：'

He wholeheartedly agrees.

••• 99

“In order to pull this PIN from your mind, / first need to observe how you send thoughts. Let's have you focus on a random number that may or may not exist in your PIN. Co ahead and add up the four individual digits ofyour PIN."

The participant nods once he is ready. "That random number is what rd like you to transmit to someone else in the group." I nominate a woman sitting on the opposite side of the table. The participant receives my first instruction. ''Imagine telling her the number. Repeat it again and again in your mind. 〃

I then turn my attention to the woman.

"Look into his eyes and slowly let a number between 1 and 36 take form in your thoughts." Both individuals become playfully uncomfortable as they stare at each other. "On the count of three, you,H both sayyour numbers out loud... One, two, three!"

They speak simultaneously. The participant says, a13,r, while the woman guesses, 〃10： 7 mean you're not miles away from each other! That proves how difficult mind-tomind communication can be.

ril be honest though; / didn't see what / needed to be able to read you... Let's try something a little different

Focus first on the lowest digit in your PIN. 〃

The participant thinks for a moment.

% it in the first, second, third or fourth position?”

He answers, “First."

♦•• 100

"And that was the truth correct?" Slightly bemused, the participant asserts he was being honest.

"Great! Some people like to play hard-to-get so /just needed to make sure! Now focus on the highest digit in your PIN and where it is." I give him a few seconds. 7 need to see the difference between a truth and He. Lie to me this time... Where is the highest digit?"

"The second digit： he replies. I pause to consider his answer and mannerisms before smiling.

“You're a very good Har when you need to be... but / think / can readyou now. Please focus on the first digit of your PIN. This time, imagine telling ME that number... ” After a moment of concentration, I grin knowingly.

"Now think of the second digit - imagine saying it over and over again. 〃

I stare at the participants lips.

"That was very dear! Try not to give yourself a way!" He laughs incredulously. “Move to the third digit. You know what to do.”

It is obvious that he is trying his best to keep an absolute poker face. As a result, I appear to struggle picking up on the number. "You've learnedyour lesson and put up defenses. / may not be successful on this digit... unless it's a 2?n ••• 101

The participant shakes his head.

"Well, let's press on to the fourth digit. Instead ofsaying the number in your mind try to visualize it floating in the air between us. ” He earnestly follows my request and I immediately light up with confidence. “That was excellent! Visualize the entire PINjust like that, each and every digit” Both the participant and I seemed transfixed on a single point in the air between us.

7 think / have it... butJust to make sure that /'m on the right track, what is the last digit?” “Seven,” he answers.

“Yes! And the first digit is zero, correct?!” "Yes!” the participant exclaims. “Excellent! Let me commit to my guess in writing beforeyou say anything more.”

I write four digits on my business card and place it on the table.

"For the first time, please announce the PIN that exists only in your mind. ” He announces, "0-5-1-7.,r "There are ten thousand permutations to a four-digit number... It's a good thing / didn ft targetyour actual PIN!”

I flip over the card and the participant is shocked to see that I am spot on with my guess.

THE BREAKDOWN Essentially, this is an advanced version of Elementary Mathematics. Before diving into the finer details, it will be useful to step back and consider the larger patterns found in dates

••• 102

that span the months of January to September. Remember, the only restriction you place on the date is that it has four different digits. Each suitable PIN (in mm/dd format) from January to September will be one of the following three permutations: 0X1Y, 0X2Y or 0X31. These might include sequences like 0725, 0413, 0129, 0831, etc. Notice that, beyond the normal variability of the fourth digit (Y), there is a much wider range possible with the second digit (X). The first digit, though, will always be zero and the third digit will only ever be 1, 2 or (much less likely) 3.

NOTE: Unlike Elementary Mathematics, in this variation you must AL WA YS determine the position of zero regardless of the total given by the participant. You accomplish that using the original Phase Two strategy of contrasting a truth (about the position of the lowest digit) with a He (about the highest digit).

一

If zero is in position two, three or four: The PIN is 102X, 120X or 1230 respectively per the standard system. You simply subtract three from the total to learn the fourth digit (in all cases except 1230). If zero is in position one: The PIN is 0X1Y, 0X2Y or (again, much less likely) 0X31. This could be a suitable date from January through September. During the fauxcess, I recommend that you act confident about the first, second and fourth digits but appear to struggle on the third. I will detail how (and when) you pump for the possibility of a 3 in this third position, but it is much more likely that you only need to take a guess on the digit being 1 or 2. Hitting or missing on this digit is equally useful - you learn the needed information either way. There are only three suitable dates/PINs from January to September that could accommodate a 3 in the third position. That means these permutations are only possible if the total is one of the following: 9= 11 = 12 =

0531 0731 0831

103

When working with these totals, remember that other permutations exist which add upto 9,11, and 12 - so the third digit might also be 1 or 2. For example, a total of 9 might indicate 0216,0324,0423, or 0612 (among others). You will need to use your preferred strategy to pump between 1, 2 and 3. Here are some options:

A CLOSED QUESTION. After using your preferred fauxcess on the third digit, you could act as though the participant has improved his 4