The Genii Forum

Despite its potential to cripple the minds of non-believers, Brian Miller has posted a video of "The Choices We Can't See" (a.k.a. "Your Coins, Your Choice"), from the February, 2010 Magicana.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rqMPulmems

Seems awfully similar to the marketed effect, "Free Will". Compare and contrast,anyone?

Okay, I read the article, and I see the difference. The problem is that most audiences won't have that background. As clever as this is, I wonder whether the audience can be made to appreciate the difference without exposing too much?

Mr. Kam,

The effect, as the article should indicate, is an attempt on my part to emulate Deddy Corbuzier's brilliant Free Will effect but with a method that is conducive to close-up magicians.

Many magicians are not terribly comfortable with the mentalism technique(s) that Free Will's utilizes. This is my solution so that a magician may perform a terrific piece of close-up mindreading but without feeling nervous about executing a mentalism technique that he/she is uncomfortable with.

Incidentally, Deddy is well aware of my effect and has no qualms with its being published.

I hope you like!

Brian

Don't get me wrong, I like. As I said, I wonder if there's a way to make the audience appreciate the lack of equivocation without revealing that we utilize equivocation. (perhaps in an upcoming trick in the same set) If so, then your contribution to the trick will actually improve the effect on the audience, rather than just making the perfomer more comfortable.

So I'm intrigued, and thinking about this.

And wondering if your method can be combined with equivoque to allow for many more possible outcomes.

Ah, now I see your point. Sorry, didn't get that from the original post(s). That is something interesting to think about indeed.

It also bears an eerie resemblance to an impromptu effect by the late Jonathan Cooke, author of Psychological Possibilities. Jonathon gave a lecture at an SAM meeting in Portland about 1990 introducing us to the principle. I have his notes around here somewhere and if I find them Ill let you know about it.

GO

Why do I have the feeling that way back a couple of decades ago, somewhere, I published a similar effect - not mine - the name George Laing comes to mind. I've done a quick APOCALYPSE check, but no luck. Could be my imagination. Perhaps there's an historian here who can check/find it. HL.

Harry, are you thinking of "Just Imagine" by George Laing in Volume 16, No. 6 (June 1993)

Hi Joe: Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking of. Came to mind as I watched the video. Thanks for doing the research for me. The ideas seem pretty "close" - no? HL.

Yes, I can see why the above video reminded you of it.

For folks who don't have access to APOCALYPSE, Laing's version uses imaginary 3 boxes (red, yellow and green) and 3 imaginary keys (brass, copper and steel). The audience determines which box to pick and which key will "open" that box. A piece of paper that has been sitting on the table the whole time is read, which correctly predicts for example: "You will select the green box and the brass key will open it".

Sure does seem as if one idea "instigated" another. HL.

I have never heard of Laing's trick. My influence was, as written, Deddy Corbuzier's Free Will. I'd be interested to see the trick you are talking about though.

Joe researched it for us (and you). Just check it out in the June, 1993 issue of APOCALYPSE. HL. (PS: When did Deddy's thing see the light of day?)

Deddy's hit the market just a few years ago - Laing's is undoubtedly much older. I appreciate the reference and I'll check it out. I feel that this effect has much more potential, both in method and presentation, than it is as I currently perform it. However, after who knows how many performances of it, I can tell you that it is a truly killer piece.

I think it's important to add that the concept of using invisible coins for a prediction effect goes back to Larry Becker and was popularized by Max Maven in his Positive Negative effect (from Video Mind and published in Syzygy.)