2023 Invisible Thoughts by Chris Rawlins [PDF]

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© Christopher Rawlins. Published, September 2020. Manchester, England.

INVISIBLE THOUGHTS An exploration of tools, routines and concepts to elevate the ‘Invisible Deck’.

WHY? This collection of approaches and ideas utilising the Invisible Deck has for me been long overdue. For many years previous to my stage work, I worked primarily as a strolling performer. This alone faces unique challenges. As we all know, whether it is a drinks reception, private party, networking event or any other type of gathering, performing to a new group every few minutes can be initially daunting and difficult. Here in the UK there is a large market for wedding entertainment, a market that I quickly discovered was not for my taste or enjoyment. Additionally, I realised very quickly that Mentalism, more specifically mind reading was the only area of close up performance that I was interested in performing professionally. These collective decisions once again made performances more challenging for some time. By removing any visible props or devices and committing to the premise of mind reading, I had unintentionally limited the material of my own and others that I was permitted to perform. Although not usually a demonstration of mind reading, the Invisible Deck has always been something I have performed in paid strolling environments and is something that to this day I use as a demonstration of mind reading. Though my days of being a strolling mind reader reduce each year with my focus and efforts primarily towards stage performance, the Invisible Deck has for me and many others, stood the test of time.

These notes are intended to tip and highlight approaches with the Invisible Deck that I have used for a long period. Though these are simple changes, the results are powerful. I urge you to play around with these concepts. I believe you will find great value in them. It should be pointed out that not all the taught details must be used in conjunction with each other. Although that is possible, I would suggest starting with one or two of the approaches and working from there to discover which combination works best for you. The devil really is in the details, and that is exactly what these notes are about. As always... LETS. PUSH. THINGS. FORWARD.

Manchester, 2020.

HISTORY What we now call the Invisible Deck was in fact a creation of Joe Berg published in 1936. It was originally titled the Ultra-Mental Deck. Over time and with the help of ideas, routines and published works of Don Allen and Eddie Fields, we have transitioned into calling it the ’Invisible Deck‘. Don Allen and Eddie Fields would present the routine using Joe Bergs deck combined with the premise of having invisible cards, which would ultimately manifest in the hands of the performer with the named card reversed. Dai Vernon published his Brainwave Deck in The Jinx in 1938, though it is understood to pre date that by some considerable time, though to me the exact date of creation is unknown. Vernons deck allows you to reveal any named card as the only card reversed and with the additional kicker that it is from a different coloured deck. It is truly superb, amazing and wonderful. A real benefi t of Dai Vernons Brainwave Deck is that it proves without any doubt the performer knew exactly which card would be called for and that it was not just simply secretly turned over. After Vernon & Joe Berg shared their creations with the magic world a flurry of interpretations, routines and variations began to be published. Some of which can be found in The Jinx and well worth searching out. It is also understood that Edward Bagshawe’s Reverso Deck, 1921 may have provided some of the foundational

thinking applied in both Joe Bergs Ultra-Mental Deck and Dai Vernons Brainwave Deck. I appreciate the Brainwave Deck and use it on occasion, though my first exposure was to the Ultra-Mental Deck which is the sole reason for me performing with it much more frequently. For clarity and ease throughout the contents of these notes I will refer to the Ultra-Mental Deck as an Invisible Deck. One thing is certain, whether you choose to use a Brainwave or Ultra-Mental, your audiences will stand in silence as you reveal their card to be the only one different from the rest, whether that is in orientation alone or also back design.

VARIATIONS & ENHANCEMENTS I have a relatively quick mind and working with digits, addition, memorisation and mental process is no problem for me. Though as with many other approaches of mine, I realised over time that if it is possible to make the performance of an effect easier without affecting the audiences experience, I should. “A ‘New’ Way To Pair” Though the mental process of locating a called for card in the standard Invisible Deck set up is not difficult, I did have a desire to streamline the search through a more logical (to me) arrangement. With some thought I realised that I could change the way the deck is paired to eliminate all counting and mental process. The simple and elegant solution I experimented with and can now swear by is: to arrange the deck so that all the Spades and Hearts are on one side. With all of the Diamonds and Clubs on the other. Additionally, you should pair the cards so that each pair contains one full set of that value. For example, the Six of Clubs should be paired with the Six of Spades. This rule should run true through all of the deck. By having all of the Hearts and Spades on one side and the Clubs and Diamonds on the other, the location of any necessary card could not be any more direct, quick and simple.

After using this approach for many years, and sharing it with various other professionals and with the passing of time I came across the superb booklet Invisible Secrets Revealed (1976) only to discover that the very same method for arranging the deck had been taught there. The booklet truly is excellent and comes with my highest recommendation (Within its pages you’ll learn a superb approach that allows you to perform a table spread display by Ed Marlo amongst many other golden nuggets that are worth seeking out). In the years since reading the Eddie Fields, Don Allen and Michael Schwartz’s compilation of approaches I have added what I believe to be valuable touches that take this simple and logical way of organising the deck, and elevate it. * I have always preferred to reveal and display the reversed card with the deck parallel to the ground, so please read the following with that in mind. With your deck arranged as discussed it is a simple matter of removing deck the right way up, which is in actuality the wrong way up. A simple way to think about it is as follows: whatever card is called for, bring out the deck so that its mate will face you. Remember, you are looking for “your mate”. A simple an elegant way to know which was is up with the cards in the box is to place your prepared deck into one of the ‘Standard Rider Back’ boxes. These boxes display a Ten of Hearts on one side of the box. Place the deck in the box so that when you remove the deck with that side up, the Hearts and Spades will be uppermost. (See Fig.1)

This simple memory aid and visual indicator, combined with the method of pairing will now eliminate the possibility of ever having to think about when performing the Invisible Deck. Below (Fig.2 & 3) are images of both sides of my deck, before reading, see if you can notice the other key features of the arrangement and how they might be useful and advantageous to the performer.

“Know Your Deck” Another detail that I have found to be of great value when using the aforementioned system of pairing is to know your deck more than the average performer, plan ahead. We have all experienced the situation whereby a spectator names a card that ‘happens’ to fall as the very last card and when this does happen, it is only logical for a spectator to imagine that you have the ability to turn that card over secretly. Luckily, you can change your own bad luck. In the last eight years I have made sure to know which cards are uppermost and lowermost in my deck and been certain to never state that the card is “reversed somewhere in the middle” before they name the card (I’ll talk more about my exact language later). For example, the Queen of Hearts is always my uppermost card in my deck on the Hearts/Spades side. The Nine of Clubs uppermost on the Club/Diamond side. Should those cards be called for (Either the Nine of Clubs of Queen of Hearts) instead of showing the card reversed as the last card in the spread I do the following: I place the box on my hand with the relevant card facing up (using the box’s natural indicator) and slowly open the tab. I then very slowly slide the deck out of the box, which in turn slowly reveals the named card. The reaction is huge. The perception of what has happened is that they card they named is INTENTIONALLY on the top of the deck. I then take that single card away from the top of the deck and flop it back face down onto the deck, a simple action that perfectly illustrates that the

card was indeed “Facing the wrong way” as in flopping over the named card they see the back of the card beneath it. Of course, the same is true for if the Nine of Clubs is called for. This approach flips a weakness into a strength and really does solve an issue that I always disliked. You can take this approach further by simply knowing your deck in more detail. By this I mean that you should place specific cards at specific locations within the deck. Those cards should be cards that come up often. So that after the card is named you can define roughly where they are about to see the named card reversed. The obvious option is to memorise the order of your deck on both sides. I have experimented with this and although it’s a fine option, it is not my preference. A much more practical solution for me, as someone who works less and less in strolling environments is to simply place commonly named cards in central locations within the deck. This is with two exceptions, as previously described (QH & 9C). Meaning that should one of your commonly named cards not be called for, you’ll know that it is not central and therefore be capable to make an accurate and true statement. These alterations to the usual approaches I see with the Invisible Deck give you the full power and confidence to always get the strongest reactions when using this tool in performance.

“Facing The Wrong Way” I have on more than one occasion seen performers using an Invisible Deck who make the claim that the card is “In the middle...and reversed.” Which I have seen be followed by the card being nowhere close to the middle, sometimes lowermost. Although this minor discrepancy will most likely go unnoticed, why take the chance? My language that I have used to great effect and for a very long time is that simply, “...there is one card facing the wrong way.” I recommend that you use the same. It means that should your spectator name one of the two cards on the decks faces, you can proceed as previously described and still meet your claim. It also means that you are making no commitment regarding the reversed cards location, which eliminates the possibility of any discrepancy. After all where it is is not as important as the identity of the card itself. Lastly, it is a clear and simple statement that needs no further clarification in performance or by me here, now.

“There is one card facing the wrong way.”

”Jokers In The Box” Before we move away from physical adjustments to the physical deck of cards, there is one final approach that you can add to your performances with the previous additions or in isolation. It comes with my highest recommendation and all it requires is two Jokers. It allows you to further imply the illusion that only one card is facing the wrong way, though without having to cut the deck. Although it is not a necessary implication, it can serve you well as an additional convincer should anyone see you perform multiple times. These Jokers are placed onto the deck facing the Queen of Hearts and the Nine of Clubs. So that if you removed everything and looked at all sides of the deck, you would see only backs. The deck is boxed. When removing the deck the orientation of the deck and the key to look for “your mate” still applies. However you will simply hold back one of the Jokers in the box and leave one on the back of the deck, furthest from you. Which Joker you hold back will depend on which side you want to display. If you are bringing out the deck to reveal a Diamond or Club you will of course bring the deck out with the Hearts and Spades uppermost, which means that you will hold back the uppermost Joker, leaving it in the box. The same is true for the other side of the deck. Simply, you hold back the Joker that is uppermost as you remove the deck. Why? The result of this is such that every visible card will be face up, except the card called for, and including the

Joker lowermost in the deck. What this allows for is for you to spread through, locate the called for and reversed card, out jog it (still face down) and spread through the rest of the deck. You are then able to square the deck but leave the called for and revered card protruding. Slowly, you are now able to lift the deck to display the called for reversed card. This will also display one full back (the Joker you left in place) and therefore subtly imply that the deck is exactly as normal as it should be. Additionally, if you do not remove the called for card but simply slide it back into the deck and then re-box the deck underneath the boxed Joker, you are reset for another performance automatically. The below image (Fig.4) shows you the display position from the audiences perspective.

”As Mind Reading” As I mentioned previously I perform with the Invisible Deck in strolling situations through the premise of mind reading, not prediction. The change is minimal but thinking about consistency with your performance claims is a valuable way to spend your time. Of course when I started to perform professionally and began using this exciting tool I performed it as a feat of prediction, without ever considering the premise. I was able to know, without doubt which card my spectators would name and the reversed card in my deck was simple but unquestionable proof of that claim. It was only as a spent more and more time focusing on being a mind reader that I realised how I was performing with the deck did not fit into place anymore. There are a number of truly great thinkers and performers that I’m lucky to call friends and mentors of mine, who have taught me this lesson and who continue to remind me to really think about how you are claiming to do what it is you are doing. It is a valuable lesson that I feel is worth thinking on. What I arrived at and have used frequently achieves two things. One: the demonstration stays true to the claim of mind reading. Two: it allows me to reveal an unspoken thought, which in turn further sells the claim. Both of which are achieved through simple language and implication. I’ll give an example performance script below, so that you can understand how it feels and then I’ll add commentary to the script for you to understand what is at play and why it is effective.

Performer: “On your hand is a common object, a deck of playing cards. In a moment I’m going to ask you to think of any playing card in the deck. Before you do please understand that in that deck of cards there is one card facing the wrong way. That’s the card I’m hoping we can work together to arrive at. So please, just think of one.” Spectator: “Okay...I have one.” Performer: “Let me tell you that is...not the card facing the wrong way. So please change your mind.” Spectator: “...okay, done.” Performer: “Please change your mind again.” Spectator: “Okay yes, I’m thinking of a new one.” Performer: “That’s SO close! Can you keep that card in mind but I’d like you to make some changes to it. So please take one away from the value and change the suit to the other one of the same colour.” Spectator: “Okay, done.” Performer: “Please say out loud the name of the new card you are now thinking of.” Spectator: “The Eight of Hearts.”

Performer: “And you were thinking of the Nine of Diamonds before the changes...but together we’ve arrived at the Eight of Hearts.” The spectator is shocked by the performers last statement and just as the dust settles the performer cleanly shows the only card in the deck that is facing the wrong way is exactly the Eight of Hearts! What this performance of the Invisible Deck becomes is two people working together through unspoken thoughts to arrive at a target. The spectator makes free choices and the performer sees and understands these thoughts and guides them to hit the bullseye. Below is the exact same script, although I have added annotations for extra clarification. These are in bold. Performer: “On your hand is a common object, a deck if playing cards. In a moment I’m going to ask you to think of any playing card in the deck. Before you do please understand that in that deck of cards there is one card facing the wrong way. That’s the card I’m hoping we can work together to arrive at. So please, just think of one.” The premise is set clearly with these simple words. Spectator: “Okay...I have one.” The spectator is likely to be surprised by how free this mental selection is and will be open to proceed.

Performer: “Let me tell you that is...not the card facing the wrong way. So please change your mind.” The slight pause here, shown by the ellipsis adds a little drama, the spectator is likely to be expecting to move from A to B and we just jumped sideways to S. Spectator: “...okay, done.” Performer: “Please change your mind again.” Spectator: “Okay yes, I’m thinking of a new one.” Performer: “That’s SO close! Can you keep that card in mind but I’d like you to make some changes to it. So please take one away from the value and change the suit to the other one of the same colour.” The tension builds and the instructions are clear. By asking them to make specific changes that are determined by their previous free thoughts the process retains a fairness and logic whilst still feeling impossible. You are also instructing the spectator make changes that in a moment you can backtrack quickly to reveal the last thought of card. Spectator: “Okay, done.” Performer: “Please say out loud the name of the new card you are now thinking of.” If asked why, you explain that it is for everybody else to understand. to involve the masses.

Spectator: “The Eight of Hearts.” Performer: “And you were thinking of the Nine of Diamonds before the changes....” Here you name out loud the card that they just had in their mind. As you asked them to “take one away from the value and change the suit to the other one of the same colour.” You can quickly calculate the other card they thought of. The final line should be delivered quickly as if you are clarifying a thought that you already understood. It should also be the last thing you say, the rest speaks for itself. A variation of this that is only slightly different is actually what I prefer to use whenever I feel in the groove. I will instruct them to “Take one away from the value and change it to what you would consider to be the opposite suit.” Now this does not guarantee that you’ll name the right card however, I usually feel confident that I can really understand what they will change too. If you don’t, use the bulletproof version above. Though understand that the extra layer of an actual free choice at the end can really elevate the verbal implication that you can hear or see their thoughts. When working backwards, you’ll be able to always be exact with the value as all you need to do is add one. With the suit, the use of the word opposite guides them to one of the other colour. So if they name the the Eight of Hearts at the end, you can be sure they were thinking of a nine and either a Club or Spade. Most likely a

Club. Diamonds tend to jump to Hearts. My understanding is that this is due to Diamonds beings angular and Clubs being rounded. Spades also angular, Hearts more rounded. This is of course all theory, it essentially comes down to a 50/50 guess. If you are comfortable taking that small risk, it can be worth the pay off. If not, the bulletproof way is still powerful (Other suit of the same colour). On paper it makes sense that you can backtrack and seems transparent but I assure you that with the right delivery, timing and confidence it can truly help to transform the claim of mind reading into something much more real. What I like most about this approach is that you are working together to reach a goal, it is no longer you demonstrating a skill as much as it becomes an experience you share together. All of that being said, I have used everything described previously to great surprise and success of my clients and will continue to do so.

“Invisible Safety Net” Usually when working the room in a strolling capacity I will also be set to perform on stage. It will come as no surprise that I had one particular event many years ago that when I arrived none of my technical requirements had been met. This was because back then I hadn’t realised the importance of specifying these things so clearly. As it turned out, that’s was the least of my problems. Before I was due to perform a short set from the platform and whilst I was strolling around with the guests, the band started. I love Music, I play Music but on that day, at that moment, however superb those musicians were...I HATED Music. I had just performed for my first group, the whole event was of a casual atmosphere. As soon as the Music started my ability to speak to anyone clearly and without shouting was stolen from me. I rushed over to one of the bars in the room and decide to make some cue cards, using blank billets and one of the few Sharpies I had on my person. I then spent the duration of my strolling performance time at the event silent and performing one effect. The performer approaches a group of people and extends his hand whilst looking at his own actions. The spectator quickly understand that they are to follow suit and they extend their hand. The boxed deck is placed on their extended hand. The performer then removes some small cue cards and displays each in turn, ending with the spectator naming a card, which is found to be the only one facing the wrong way in the deck. The performers leaves

without saying a word. The spectators are equally silent from shock, amazement and awe. This has since that time many years ago become something I have always had in mind and with me should those situations ever arise again, and believe me, they have. Here’s what the cue cards say, each new line is a new cue card. HI, I’M CHRIS! IT’S VERY LOUD IN HERE. IN THAT DECK OF CARDS... IS ONE CARD, FACING THE WRONG WAY... AND IT IS A CARD I CAN MAKE YOU THINK OF. SO NAME ONE... This order of cue cards is never mixed and by moving each to the back of the stack to display the next, you become instantly reset after each performance. The language shows that you understand the situation is not ideal and makes your spectators smile, relax and feel comfortable with you as a performer who is aware of their surroundings and audience. It also uses my language of facing the wrong way and makes a bold claim that you are able to back up with solid proof.

It is worth addressing that I am well aware that this is a change of claim and premise. However should you ever find yourself using this in such an emergency situation, it is very likely that you will not need to or be able to perform anything else, so although the claim changes it remains consistent throughout the evening. A friend, mentor and someone who I greatly respect Luke Jermay added two ideas to this approach that allow you to leave a business card in your spectators hands.I have applied both these approaches since he shared them to great success. The first suggestion is to have all these cue cards written or printed upon the reverse of your business cards and for you to print multiple extra cards that have SO NAME ONE... on the reverse so after each performance you can add a new business card to the back of the stack. the reason for this is that when taking back the deck from the spectators hands you can place the cue card on their hand and leave it with them. Lukes further idea was to perform as described and place a different business card on their hand with your details face up, and for the reverse printed with the words WE NEED TO TALK... this for me is the ultimate approach as it doesn’t disturb the stack and leaves them with a business card and a great way to generate future enquiries that is more thoughtful, interesting and unique than just giving someone your card. The website moo.com offer the ability to print business cards with multiple and different back designs, which is a great solution worth your consideration.

“Remember This Moment” I thought that to close out these notes I would shift from details with the Invisible Deck itself and explain a routine that I have had performed a substantial amount. This is especially when I’ve performed for repeat clients in a private party setting. This usually involves me in one fixed location with access to a table. The performer removes two decks of cards, one red and one blue. The red deck is placed aside and the blue deck is shuffled by a spectator and returned to the performer. Who then spreads the deck between his hands. The spectator removes a card sight unseen by the performer, remembers the card and then places it facing the wrong way back into the deck. The spectators is asked to remember the image of one card reversed. The performer removes the red deck from its box and spreads through the face up cards to reveal one card that is indeed facing the wrong way. Both these cards are revealed to be a perfect match! This routine was something that was born out of performance, for me it just seemed to self create naturally. Within Invisible Secrets Revealed Eddie Fields describes a similar routine, and though I was using this long before I came across the superb booklet, Eddie Fields of course gets the full credit. That being said I would not be including my version here if I didn’t believe the small changes to make a substantial difference. Eddie described an alternative to knowing the free selection of card that was and is smart and logical and very deceptive. He would have

a card removed from the face downed deck and replace into the face up deck. Through a subtle glimpse of the card he would know which card to reveal in the gimmicked deck. I have always had the spectator draw a card from the shuffled face up deck. After the shuffle I spread the cards between my hands and invite the spectator to remove any card. Just as I see which card they are heading towards I turn my head away. Simultaneously all focus and eye-lines are looking at the spectator choosing the card and their hands which are moving towards the deck. Only after the card is removed does everyone eyeline shift up to me, at which point my head is turned away. Once the card is face down I turn back as I ask them to place the card in facing the wrong way at which point I visually check if they did indeed take the card I thought they were heading towards, they always have. Of course you can just watch the whole process to be sure but the above choreography is tested and sound. At this point you are done, and they will be too after they see the perfect match. It should be noted that as we discussed previously, Eddies effect has another difference: he turns around and places one card reversed, which turns this effect into a coincidence. Mine is very much a prediction of a free choice. Additionally, should you frequently use marked cards, you can perform this by having a spectator remove a card from the face down deck and glimpse the marking of the card as they remove the card or as they replace it.

”Thank You!” I have been intending to write up these notes for a considerable time. Though on multiple occasions I have prioritised other projects instead. I truly believe that the contents of these notes are valuable to any working professional that uses any variation of this gaffes deck. My hope is that these notes inspire you to think about and examine something that you have performed for some time, and to really look at the claim you are making as you perform said routine. This will result in minor changes that will no doubt increase the impact that particular routine has in performance. I will not stop thinking about everything I perform, and when the time feels right, I’m sure I will be back again to share even more developments. for now, thank you for investing in my work and taking the performance of Magic and Mentalism seriously. I think we all need to. Till next time,

CREDITS Edward Bagshawe’s - Reverso Deck. 1921. Joe Berg - Ultra-Mental Deck. 1936. Dai Vernon - Brainwave Deck, The Jinx, Issue 49. 1938 Judson.S. Brown - A Super- Reverse Problem. 1937. Encyclopaedia of Card Tricks. John J. Crimmins Jr - Ill Read Your Mind, 1940. The Jinx, Issue 117. Eddie Fields & Don Allen - (Various tips, routines and handlings - including the use of paired mates, two decks and the well known ‘Invisible’ presentation), 1976. Invisible Secrets Revealed. Luke Jermay - Words. 2006. Vanishing Inc, Lawrence Turner & Harry Robson Roughing Stick - (giving you the ability to make an Invisible Deck / Ultra-Mental /Brainwave Deck with any deck of cards, any place, anytime!)

Sintija - For designing the cover and being incredible!