Home Counties Magical Society

Three of us headed up to London this weekend for the third meeting of PSYCRETS - The British Society of Mystery Entertainers. The event, Tabula Mentis was held in the cellar space of a building in Mallow Street.

About 51 people attended the meeting on Saturday, and we started with a mingling session as people started to arrive. Fresh tea, coffee and biscuits were on hand as the room started to fill up, and the buzz of the event started. It was nice to see excellent names in the mentalism and mind reading area join the meeting, Marc Paul, Doug Segal, Roni Shachnaey, Paul Brook, David Berglas and others all made an appearance during the day.

The event started at about 10am with Dr Todd Landman welcoming the guests and talking about how much PYSCRETS had grown over the last year. He said that the society had generated great interest in the USA, as well as what seems to be the current mentalism capital of the world, Israel. He also commented on the fact that plans were already afoot for Tabula Mentis IV, hopefully to be held sometime in November 2008, with the possibility of a publicly attended show of Mentalism, Mind Reading and Mystery Entertainment.

Todd then opened the days proceedings by performing his effect 'Luna' an excellent effect based about the lunatic asylum, Colney Hatch. With a truly convincing back story on how he found an old shoe box in an antiques shop, for the first part I didn't actually realise he was performing an effect!! The effect itself was based around a freely selected number, indicating a room in the asylum, leading to a very nice revelation of the traits of that 'in mate' their name, and history, as recorded in a very well made, and convincing looking 'antique' notebook, assumed to be the property of one of the nurses at the hospital.

Todd then made way for Enrique Enriquez, a tarot reader from New York, also well known for his Blindfolded Portraits that can be seen on YouTube. This lecture was actually quite long, and solely based around the art of Tarot readings. He spoke about story telling in the readings, and how he uses the Tarot of Marseilles.

The talk itself was interesting a number of ways, but it also brought up a huge number of questions about the ethics, practices and reasoning behind tarot reading, and other readings themselves. This did prove an excellent point that I think Dr Todd Landman and Roni Schachnaey have managed to capture in this event. 'Free speech and open discussion', there are very few, in any events and lectures where the session is not so much a demonstration, but more a discussion around the subject. People have huge input, and views, that are discussed, enhanced, and shared, and for that, this event is probably the single best event of that kind. Enrique also talked about other methods of creating a basis for readings, such as using a feather that is dropped by a client.

We had managed to sit ourselves in the front row, so we ended up being the unwitting volunteers for a number of effects during the meeting. Ian was first up and had the difficult task of dropping a feather for Enrique, he executed it perfectly.

Although I've liked some of Enrique's previous work, I wasn't a great fan of the Tarot session, possibly had it been a little shorter, but this was clearly aimed at the Readers in the audience and not the mentalists among us.

Enrique finished right on time for lunch to arrive, again something you rarely get at conventions, a huge range of sandwiches and crisps for all (on top of the free tea and coffee all day!!) another massive tick for the meeting in it's favor!!

Lunch was spent mingling and talking with others, a good hour or so, which was great for catching up with old friends and also making a few new ones. Directly after lunch was one of the sessions I was very much looking forward to, Paul Brook.

Paul is a real fresh breath of air in the mentalism world. I don't want to compare him to the other well know slightly bearded mentalists out there, but his style is very good, and material very strong. Paul actually used to be a psychologist before changing career direction and becoming a mentalist. This has given Paul some wonderful insights into our behavior, thinking and general predictability!!

Paul started with merely asking someone to name a card, the named card being the only card in his top pocket (which I can assure you it was as I took it from there!). It was a great mix of careful thinking, probability, and also something that Paul talked about to some length, the process of 'being close', one of the things he talks about in his new book 'The Alchemical Tools'. This theory is as we've heard before, that being almost right, is actually in some cases more amazing than being exactly right! Paul also had some good advice and updates on the use of that favorite of effects, The Invisible Deck.

Paul continued with strong mentalism with minimal props, of three glasses on a table, a spectator chose a number, one, two, or three. They were placed into a hypnotic state, awoke and a pen placed on the top of each glass. Concentrating on the glasses, the pen on the selected number glass dropped off onto the table. Again Paul showed how simple items that we all probably have, dressed up and presented well, could create an excellent and strong mental effect.

The next effect Paul demonstrated and explained involved 10 business cards, each with a number on them one through to ten. The spectator was 'profiled' by asking them a number of questions, and asked the mix the business cards into a random order. Paul then adjusted the order based on the spectators answers before dealing the cards onto the table. However the spectator was given the chance to either deal, or switch each card as it was dealt down, seemingly randomising the order on the table. However when the cards were turned up, they were again in numerical order one through to ten.

Paul's final effect involved a spectator holding a ladies finger ring. The HCMS volunteer team in the front row were given an envelope to hold, and a pad to record the spectators answers to the questions Paul was about to ask regarding the ring. Paul asked the volunteer about the owner of the ring, where they dead, or alive, how did they die, and so on. The answers correctly matched a newspaper report in the sealed envelope that we had been holding, reporting a lady, Wendy, having been murdered, with an Axe, even down to the number of blows that finally killed her.

The effect was very very strong, but again used one of those well known methods many of us are just too scared to use (which again is talked about in Pauls book, 'The Gift'). Paul finished by talking about some other subjects in his latest book, this one strangely but obviously named 'Reverse Laundry', the method of making things dirty.. to aid the effect. Paul really did a great session, and it was again enhanced with the interaction with the group, sharing and expanding on the subjects Paul was discussing.

The next session was Marc Paul, I'd forgotten what a commanding voice and personallity Marc has. He started to talk, almost in direct contrast to Pauls view of making things seem impossible. He spoke about Al Koran's view of how to make a great effect; "Tell The Audience It's Impossible, Tell Them Why It's Impossible, Then Do It". Marc based his talk around his experience of corporate mentalism, and his career as a Mind Reader. He spoke about the fact that we are entertainers, nothing more, and we shouldn't try to be more if we are in that space. I think this was very much trying to clear up some of the confusion from the earlier session on 'readings' by Enrique.

Mark really concreted this by talking about when Andy Nyman and himself tried to get into the physic fairs, doing Aura Readings. He said it quickly dawned on him how uncomfortable it made him, and how they both left the fair, 'going in a sinner and coming out a saint'.

Moving on from pure theory, Marc gave a great demonstration of his Triple A (any where, any time, any place) book test. Almost telling us to forget the method, the method wasn't important, this was a demonstration of presentation, indeed, once the method was known, the valuable information Marc was giving us here was about how to reveal the revelation. How to turn around a piece of paper with a predicted word on it, where to show it, and when. This was all information I'd not even thought about before.

He also spoke about the credibility, the thinking behind getting things close, but not spot on, sometimes builds more credibility that being 100% correct. Marcs last effect was a fantastic 'Truth or Lie' type effect, called 'True Lies'. Six business cards have truth or lie written onto them, three of each. They are shuffled, and one marked with a red cross from beneath, so neither Marc, or the spectator knew which was marked. The cards were then given to six spectators (cue the HCMS volunteers audience again!), and each could lie, or tell the truth, according to their card, except the one with the red cross, who could lie or tell the truth as they wished throughout the questioning.

Marc correctly eliminated each of the spectators, correctly stating if they were a truth teller, or a liar in each case, finally identifying the marked business card, which given that I was that person, quite amazing!!

There was a short break between Marc and the final session. Unfortunately I had to leave before David Berglas took to the floor, So I'm taking the rest of this report from those who were present, and witnessed David's performance.

David Berglas took to the floor, and demonstrated some good numerical mental effects, before moving onto what I think everyone in the room agreed was the highlight of the day.

The Berglas Effect (any card at any number) is an effect synonymous with David Berglas, everybody knows it. Everybody wants to see it, yet few are privileged enough to see David perform it. Yet to the room of almost 51 people, David performed a number of effects around that principal. Spectators used their own decks to merely peek a card, David reveled it in his own pack. People were asked to glance at a card in a fan, it was named. A number was called for, a card.. it was found...

Everyone in the magical world crave the method behind the mythical Berglas effect, and for those at Tabula Mentis, the truth behind the effect was clear. The Berglas Effect is.. quite simply, the man.. David Berglas.

Dr Todd Landman, and those organising the day, again should be very proud of a first class event, with a phenomenal line up of guests.