5 Effects using only

a Pair of Hands and a Brain

by ran pink


Copyright 2014 Ran Pink
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The following 5 ideas are inspired by Jim Steinmeyers

Automatic Palmistry effect from his amazing book
Further Impuzzibilities, published by Hahne. I encourage
the reader to go out and get the Impuzzibilites series of
books if you like simple self-working magic principles.
Every book in the series is a source for inspiration. Im
grateful for his permission to share this simple idea with
you.
The participant is asked to hold both hands in front of
them and close one of their choosing. With one hand open
and the other made into a fist, they are guided through
random movements to select either the right or left hand.
In the end, the mind reader will know which hand is now
open and which one is closed.
Mr. Steinmeyer has an elegant, short and sweet, process
that leads up to the final selection. I urge you to check it
out! Due to the simplicity of this original effect, I was to
take it further.
The basic method: After alternating hands to the number
of letters in the participants secret thought, the mind
reader tells them to repeat the same process by spelling
out left if their left hand is now closed and vice versa for
the right.
Due to the right hand being spelled with an odd amount of
letters and the left with an even amount, the left hand will
always end up being closed. Different word combinations
like these will give you control over the circumstances.
How many categories could I make sense of?
The challenge here is to justify the procedure, so lets
begin with something basic.

Palm Prophet Cardistry

Put your hands behind your back and close one of your
fists. I will also turn around so I cant see anything. Now I
want you to alternate between hands. When one hand is
open the other hand is closed. Go back and forth until you
feel like stopping. Next, think of a number between 1 and 10
and alternate that many times. Keep the hand you land on
closed.
For that hand, spell out if it is your right or left (i.e. if your
right hand is closed spell "right") and alternate hands for
each letter. Keep the hand you land on closed. There is no
way for me to know which hand you have closed at this
point.
Now imagine holding a deck of playing cards in your closed
hand. The deck is split between red and black cards. If your
right hand is holding the deck I want you to think of Red,
and Black if the deck is in your left hand.
Spell the color by alternating hands closed and open.
Depending on that color, if the right hand is now closed I
want you to think of either Spades or Hearts, and Clubs or
Diamonds for your left.
Spell out the suit you are thinking of by alternating hands
one more time.
If your right hand is closed, think of a Picture card, and if
your left hand is closed, think of a number card. Attach this
to your suit and dont make an obvious choice.
Pull together the image of this card in your mind. And repeat
it over and over again: Queen, Queen, Queen, or whatever

card you are thinking of

It's a court card. You're not thinking of a Jack, are you. Jack
Of Spades?
That was just a basic fishing a bit because its either going
to be the Jack, Queen or King of Spades.
Most likely it will be the Jack Of Spades since you said,
dont make an obvious choice. A Queen is a fairly
obvious choice for a girl, as a King would be for a boy.
When you ask them to repeat the card over and over you
are going to gauge their reaction to Queen, Queen,
Queen. If they seem excited then complete the thought,
Queen of Spades. You could use King, King, King
instead since you may have eliminated the Queen by the
same obvious choice factor. Of course, you may find that a
woman or man will still go for the Queen or King
depending on their opinion of what is obvious.
To fish between King and Jack, I like to go for sounds.
Im getting a k sound.
If the participant gives off an expressive reaction then I
would go for the King. If the reaction is hesitant or
nonexistent then I would choose Jack.
Im still getting a k. Could it be at the end of the word? Are
you thinking of a Jack?
There is one other way to fish between the 3 court cards.
This idea, that I will be discussing later, uses a simple
branching anagram to reveal the playing card by reading
the lines on their palm.

Imagine the value of the playing card spelled out on your

palm. For example, if you thought of the 8 of Hearts, ignore
the suit and picture the letters E-I-G-H-T forming from the
lines and veins on your palm.
Focus on your card and imagine that now.
Interesting. I think Im seeing an I forming in your palm.
If Yes, then its the King. If not, continue.
Actually Im seeing some more lines forming. Could it be an
E?
If Yes, its a Queen. If No, its a Jack.
Remember I-E.
Stop reading the letters from their palm and act as if you
arent getting anything from that exercise. At this point, I
would reveal the thought telepathically or use my gut
instinct. If the latter I would find a pen and paper and
write it down before having them name their card.
Although this can be done without props, an effect that
involves cards might as well be done with real cards. If
you like the process you can easily setup multiple outs in
a borrowed deck of cards. A Queen of spades is palmed off
into my pocket, a King of spades is cut to the face, and the
Jack of Spades rests on the top. Put the cards in the box
and have the spectator pass the cards from hand to hand
behind their back for each letter spelled.
When they are finished, ask them to bring the deck
forward and name their card out-loud. You will now guide
them through a mental exercise where the participant
imagines moving their card to one of the three positions
youve setup, then you can guide them to the right

position because you know their card. Have them remove

the cards from the box to find their chosen card. For
example, it could be at the bottom of the deck, on top, or
you could have hidden it in your pocket.
In this last variation, have them spell out the name of
their card while their hands are still behind their back.
This would be a new step and a continuation of the earlier
process. For example youd say,
If youre thinking of the Three, spell it out by passing the
deck back and forth between your hands for each letter.
You know theyre going to spell either King, Queen, or
Jack. The cards will end up in the same hand as the
previous step (Right) if they picked one of the male cards
(King or Jack), and in the opposite hand (Left) if its the
Queen. Now ask the participant to bring out the hand that
is currently holding the deck. You will know right away if
its the Queen. If not, ask them to name their card
BEFORE they imagine placing it at the face or the top. For
the version without props, all thats left is to fish between
the king and jack.
If it is the Queen, its a pretty clean effect. You can have
them just think of their card as they deal through the
deck, only to find that its not there. Then you can remove
the card from your pocket, proving you knew the entire
time.
Another option is to carry the King, Queen, and Jack of
Spades in your wallet or 3-way envelope, which can be
used as the item being passed between their hands.
Now lets take this idea into another realm.

Palm Prophet Palmistry

In a moment I will read your palm, but, before I begin, let me
guide you through a process that will allow your
subconscious to express its concerns.
First I'd like you to place your hands behind your back or
where I can't see them. Alternate your hands open and
closed and repeat this process until you feel like stopping.
Now, spell your first name by alternating hands, open and
closed, for each letter of your name.
Now that one of your hands is closed, let me remind you
that 1) I have no idea which one it is and 2) you had no
preconceived notion of what hand youd land on from the
beginning. Weve basically let fate decide.
If your left hand is closed, your subconscious will reveal a
message for the future and if your right hand is closed, it
will be a message of the present. Based on that, I'd like you
to spell out either "present" or "future" by alternating hands
open and closed like we did before.
Keep the hand you land on closed and remember this as
your starting point.
I'm going to call out popular pairs of topics that people are
concerned about. Choose the topic that makes the most
sense for you most at the moment and keep it to yourself.
Lets start with Love or Sex. Choose one and spell out each
letter by alternating hands.
Now that one of your hands is closed again, is it the same
hand as before or have the hands switched?
If, They switched (Different)

Keep your fist locked tight. It seems as if your reading will

have a bit of both the present and future.
If, Its the same hand (Same)
Ok. Keep your fist locked tight. This tells me that your
reading will be more focused in one particular area.
Now choose either Money or Career and spell out the letters
like before.
Bring forward the palm that is open so I can read it.
Now the mentalist can give a palm reading, using the
knowledge of the topics of interest to the participant so
they can focus the reading.
If they answer, "the same hand, it means their left hand
is closed and the topic theyre thinking about is LOVE. If
they answered "different hand, it means their right hand
is now closed and the topic theyre thinking about is SEX.
When they bring out the OPEN hand at the end, you'll
immediately know which hand was closed. Therefore,
you'll know whether they chose MONEY or CAREER. The
chart below will illustrate.

After "Future" and "Present" the left hand will be closed.

You will not know if they chose Present Or Future, but by
stating that the reading will involve either present or
future, in 3 out of 4 cases, they will switch hands at some
point. You can then blur the lines within the reading.
It tells you something about the participant when they
choose sex over love. They could be wearing a wedding
ring, have a tan line of a ring, or show no sign of ever
being married. Combined with the age of the participant,
youre able to gain some insight into their world.
These same principals can apply to Career vs. Money. If
they choose Career, Im obliged to think theyre interested
in or currently earning a satisfactory living. Money, on the
other hand, could mean theyre undergoing some fiscal
issues or are more interested in instant gratification rather
than focusing on a long-term solution. Of course there are
many factors that can apply while making these sorts of
judgment calls, so always take into consideration the
appearance and energy of the participant.
If youre performing this over the phone, youll need to find
out which of their hands remains open in the end. You

can ask either by using the present and future ploy or

by asking if the same hand is closed from the last step.
Either way, you should ask for this information instead of
telling them to bring their hand forward so you can read
it. In a video chat this is not a problem.
Palm Prophet Variation Force
Another solution is to force the outcome like in the playing
card version.
You guide them to think of specific concerns based on
which hand is now closed. After the initial spelling of
future and present the participants left hand will be
closed. If the next options are spelled with an even
number of letters, the same hand will be closed as before.
If their chosen concern is spelled with an odd number of
letters, the opposite hand will closed. This way, you can
design the outcome and give a scripted reading based on
each of the forced concerns.
I like both versions, but the original presentation offers
the participants a free choice between two concerns.
That freedom can give you true insight into the subjects
state of mind.

Palm Prophet Zodiac

This uses an introduction similar to the playing card
version. The participant is asked to open and close their
hands until they feel like stopping. This time you can ask
them to spell out something meaningful with their hands,
such as their mothers name.
In a moment I'm going to read one of your palms. Right now
you have one of your hands in a fist - I don't know which
one. This has been left up to fate. If your right hand is in a
fist, then the reading will be in regard to your present life.
If your left hand is in a fist, the reading will concern the
future. Whichever one it is I want you to spell out either
'future' or 'present.
Remember which hand is in a fist now. This will be
important in a moment.
Now spell out the month you were born in using the same
method.
Now that you've done that, is the hand that you have closed
now the same as before or did your hands switched?
If, They switched (Different)
Keep your fist locked tight. It appears as if your reading will
have a bit of both the present and future.
If, Its the same hand (Same)
Ok. Keep your fist locked tight. This tells me that your
reading will be more focused in one particular area.

Now spell out your zodiac sign using the same procedure.
Bring out the hand that is now closed. I want you to squeeze
your fist tightly before you open it to increase the blood flow.
Its easier for me to read your palm that way.
There is something that youre doing right now. Its slowly
developing into something that is going to change your life. It
might be a seed of an idea, or it might be something that
you've been working at for years. If you continue to work
hard and work smart, you will be able to handle the positive
change this will bring.
Focus on your zodiac sign. Imagine the lines of your hand
moving around, making letters. Now picture it spelling your
zodiac sign and let me see if I can read into your
imagination.
I think I'm seeing an O no sorry thats an A. Hmmm,
you are difficult to read so I would say youre an Aries.
---This was a basic walkthrough of what the effect would be
like in person if the participants hands were behind their
back. One could just as well use a pendulum or amulet in
the hands of the spectator and let them pass it from hand
to hand instead of closing and opening their fists.
This means one could also use technology or magnets that
sense where the object is without needing to ask if they've
switched hands or have the same hand closed. My goal
here is to be able to do this effect without a prop. No
electronics or gimmicks. I'd rather use the participants
imagination by having them imagine a glowing sphere of
energy in the hand thats closed. When appropriate, you
could even have the participant use a ring theyre wearing

or some other small personal item.

Ultimately these effects are most impressive over the
phone, considering that the participant, using
speakerphone, will have the freedom to look at their hands
without trying to hide them from you. At the end of the
process the mentalist will ask the participant one more
time if they've either switched hands or have the same
hand closed (unless this is being performed live via video
chat).
Over a standard phone call the participant is asked to
stare at their palms and act as the "sender" as the tiny
branching anagram letters are called out. They can first
imagine the "sphere of energy" jumping into the cellular
transmissions. The long distance will cover up any fuzzy
"no's."
In a video chat you can determine which hand they bring
forward. Have them put their hand directly in front of the
camera as you reveal the letters.
See the chart below for the basic branching anagram
system. The first letter in on the list is called out. If the
response is negative then the zodiac sign next to the letter
is the one being thought of. If the response is "yes" then
move on to the next letter. If all the responses are yes then
its the zodiac sign listed in bold.

In the outcome, Different-Different, youll have to

eliminate Libra from the branching anagram. You can use
the ploy made popular by Derren Brown, having them
repeat their sign over and over. As if giving an example
repeat, Libra, Libra, Libra or whatever sign youre
thinking of.
The idea here is to get a response - like a smile - if the
person is a Libra. Otherwise the person will just confirm
that theyre following your directions and are waiting for
the next step.
Another approach is to comment on the fact that they
keep changing hands.
Its balanced like the scales of justice, youre not a Libra are
you?
If not, you could respond with, I didnt think so or,
Good, Libras are hard for me to read. You may want to
take a chance with this fishing question to eliminate Libra
at the beginning while they are alternating hands.
Something worth taking into account is the length of the
names of the Zodiac. If it takes them longer to spell out

the sign, its safe to assume its one of Capricorn,

Sagittarius, or Aquarius. These each reside within
different groups, so if you sensed a long spelling, and you
know which group, you may want to take a shot at it.
R and L stand for Right and Left hand. If youre
performing this for someone in person you don't have to
ask if its the same hand again. Take into account the first
answer and then have them bring out the open hand in
the end. As soon as you see which hand is closed youll
know which branching anagram to use.
When you ask over the phone a second time, disguise it as
a gauge of how much future or present information may
appear in the reading. Then use your cold reading skills
and knowledge of the Zodiac sign to give a positive
reading. Id suggest finding a book on Palmistry or how to
give readings.

Palm Prophet Animal Totem

Native Americans, and many other cultures use animal totems
as an aid in self-discovery, giving them incredible avenues of
self-expression and awareness. They believe animal totems can
reveal pieces of the past and glimpses of our future.
Webster's Dictionary defines a totem as: "A natural object,
usually an animal that serves as a distinctive, often venerated
emblem or symbol. A means of personal or spiritual identity."
Im going to have you create your own Animal Totem and well
let the hands of fate decide.
Now you will go through the explanation of the hand
alternating process as in the previous effects, but this time
well use some different words to force the left hand.
If your left hand is closed spell Mind and if your right hand is
closed spell Heart.
Their left hand will be closed.
For the Animal Totem, were going to force the outcome by
predicting something that has been in view or in play the
entire time.
We will create an Animal Totem with a different animal for each
aspect starting with the legs (Action), followed by the body
(Spirit), and lastly the head (Mind).
If your left hand is closed your legs will be those of a Bear and if
your right hand is closed your legs will be those of a Raven.
Now spell the one you chose by alternating your hands open
and closed as before.

Now lets choose the body. If your left hand is closed youll have
the body of a Tiger and if your right hand is closed youll have
the body of an Eagle.
Spell out your choice with your hands as before.
Lastly, lets make the head. If your left hand is closed youll have
the head of Fox and if your right hand is closed youll have the
head of an Owl.
Theyll end up with the legs of a Bear, body of a Tiger, and the
head of an Owl.
There are a few ways you could reveal this. You could
Photoshop an image of the combined animals parts or even
make a little wood carving of them. If the object is small
enough to fit in a little pouch, it could be used as the object
passing in their hands rather than making fists. This way the
prediction is in play the entire time. A folded printout would
work just as well.
Keep in mind that you can use any combination of animals as
long as you can map out where each fist will end up. Feel free
to customize it.
The other option is to reveal the meanings of the animal parts
they chose by tying them into a personality reading. You can
eventually describe the animal creation with a mind-to-mind
visualization exercise. If you search for Animal Totem on the
Internet you can find the symbolism behind each animal.

Palm Prophet Lie Detector

This is an obvious idea if you like which hand effects.
Follow the playing card process until they spell left or
right and you force the left hand. In this case theyre
going to be passing a coin from hand to hand for the
count.
You will give them a choice to be a Liar or tell the Truth.
We are going to play a lie detector game. I want you to
choose between the role of a liar or someone who tells the
truth.
The liar must say the opposite of the truth and the truthteller must always tell the truth.
Spell out either liar or truth by passing the coin from hand to
hand for each letter.
Now if you are the truth-teller keep the coin where it is. If
you are lying, pass the coin to the other hand.
Im going to ask a simple yes or no question and you must
answer in character. Is the coin in this hand?
Point to each hand and ask the same question to show the
inconclusiveness of their response. However, you know the
coin is in their right hand.
Based on their answer youll know if theyre lying or telling
the truth. If they say no when you point to their right
hand, theyre lying. If they say yes then theyre telling the
truth.

You can use the one-ahead principle to predict which role

they would play and which hand the coin would end up in
before they make those choices. The presentation can be
about psychic detectives or something based on the movie
Minority Report. In this film, strange beings know when
a crime is going to happen before it does and citizens are
arrested before they commit the crime.
For this youll need a pair of business cards each with a
blank side. Before they make their choice of character, liar
or truth-teller, you will write, Right Hand.
They will then spell it out and end up with both hands
forward. Youll ask if its in this hand or that hand and
find out whether they lied or told the truth. As youre
writing which hand you think the coin is in on the second
card, you actually write, in this example, liar. Dont let
them see this.
Have them open the hand with the coin as you take the
card thats in your hand and perform the Monte move:
using the card in your hand to scoop up the card on the
table. As you flip the cards over, the thumb pulls the card
that was on the table towards yourself as you display both
cards. Its a quick displacement switch - it looks as if the
card in your hand said, Right Hand and the card on the
table said, Liar the entire time.

Final Thoughts
I wanted to present you with a variety of concepts to make
it a bit easier to find whats most suitable for your needs.
Create something new! Id love to see what you come up
with.
See the last page for a cheat sheet for the two effects that
need them. Feel free to print it out on photopaper or
cardstock to keep in your wallet and study or look at in
secret during your presentation.
Id also suggest printing out the strange Totem creature a
few pages back to use as the object that gets passed from
hand to hand.

Thank yous
Jim Steinmeyer for writing the Impuzzibilities series
(published by Hahne). He was kind enough to allow me to
work with his self-working magical concepts and share
them here..
My friend Colin McLeod who also uses which hand
techniques to force names of celebrities and other noncoin is in this hand concepts. He uses a completely
different method than explained in this eBook. Thank you
Colin for expanding on presentations for these types of
effects.

Check out other Ran Pink Mentalism Effects at WorldWideMagic.com