Sweet And Sour

Effect: You tell the difference between sweet and sour by means of an amazing mental ability.

Secret: On a sheet of card write the words "SWEET" and "SOUR" and tear the card into nine pieces as shown.The pieces are dropped into a bag and mixed up. When you reach in and take a card, you know immediately whether the word on it is "SWEET" or "SOUR". This is possible from the way the card is torn. The "SOUR" pieces have only one straight edge. The "SWEET" pieces have two straight edges, with one exception which has no straight edges whatsoever.

Dictionary Deception

Effect: You read someone's mind.

Secret: On the top right corner of each right hand page of the middle third of a dictionary write the word printed at the top of the left page. Hold the spine of the book in your left hand and ruffle the pages with the right. Ask someone to stop you anywhere. Make certain he stops you somewhere in the central section. Open the book wide and ask him to remember the word at the top of the left hand page. You look at the word you wrote on the opposite page then pretend to read the spectator's mind.

Numbered Thoughts

Effect: While you are out of the room a three-figure number is chosen. On your return, you read your assistant's mind and reveal the number.

Secret: When you return to the room after a number has been chosen, you place your hands on either side of your assistant's head. Your friend now tightens and loosens his jaw for the appropriate number of times to signal each number in turn, pausing between numbers.As your fingers are near his temples you can feel this muscular movement so it is easy for him to transmit numbers to you without saying a word.

That's It

Effect: You apparently read someone's mind to identify an object selected while you are out of the room.

Secret: You need a secret assistant. While you are out of the room someone selects any object in the room. When you return, your accomplice points to objects around the room but you have arranged that the fifth object he points to will be the chosen object. Identifying objects three times in succession (after arranging a different code number with your accomplice for each repeat performance) should be enough to convince the spectators that you possess amazing powers of mind reading.