Do a Mind Reading Magic Number Trick

Have you always wanted to be a magician? Are you fascinated by how the mind works? Learn the art of mind reading magic tricks using a few basic tricks. Whether using an accomplice, applying psychology, or knowing how the body works, delight curious friends and family with some easy mind reading magic.

Steps

Using Math

  1. Choose a volunteer from a crowd. Ask your volunteer to think of a positive number and square it. Make sure the number is an integer. Asking them to square the number will keep the number small.[1]
    • An integer is any whole non-fractional number. Ask your volunteer to choose a smaller number in order for the trick to work.
  2. Ask your volunteer to divide the new number by the original number. Give your volunteer time to do the math in his head. Once you know he has the answer, move on to the next step.[1]
  3. Ask the volunteer to add a random number to the new number. You can be theatrical and ask the volunteer’s age or favorite number.[1]
  4. Ask the volunteer to subtract the original number from the new number. Using high school algebra, where the variable X is the volunteer’s number, subtracting the original number eliminates X from the equation.[1]
  5. Ask your volunteer to divide the new number by 6. You can be theatrical and give time for the volunteer to do the math. After a dramatic pause, read the volunteer’s mind and give the answer 3.[1]

Reading Minds Through Statistics

  1. Choose a volunteer. You are basing this trick in the probability of your volunteer’s answers. There is no manipulation. Be prepared because it does not work all the time but does work the majority of the time you attempt these tricks.[2]
  2. Keep in mind that tricks that rely on statistics may not be 100% accurate. Statistics gives you the most probable answer your volunteer may give; however, there is also the less likely probability that your volunteer may give another answer. In this case, do not get flustered. Play it off as part of the trick.
    • For example, when your volunteer does not give you the answer you are looking for, say something similar to, "Of course that's not the number you're thinking about because it's the number that she's thinking about," and point to another person in the crowd.
    • Alternately, you can also joke and say that your volunteer mind may be blank and say you'll try to help with another suggestion. Then, move on to another magic trick that you're confident will work 100%.
  3. Ask the volunteer to choose a number between 50 - 100. Most people will answer 68. Add theatrics to make it seem as if you are truly concentrating on reading the mind of your volunteer. You can add a dramatic pause before guessing 68.[2]
  4. Ask your volunteer to think of a two-digit number below 50 where each digit is odd and different. Most people will answer 37. Add theatrics to make it seem as if you are truly concentrating on reading the mind of your volunteer. You can add a dramatic pause before guessing 37.[2]
  5. Ask the volunteer to think of a number between 1 and 1000. Most people will answer 333 or 999. Add theatrics to make it seem as if you are truly concentrating on reading the mind of your volunteer. You can add a dramatic pause before guessing 333 or 999.[2]

Maximizing Memory

  1. Choose a volunteer from a crowd. Tell the crowd that you will be able to increase your volunteer’s memory through telepathy or the power of your mind. Interact with the crowd and let them know that most people can only remember 5 or 9 letters but you can increase it all the way to 14.[2]
  2. Ask your volunteer to remember four letters: "B Z T K". Choose these four letters and read them aloud at a natural rate. Read one letter for every second and drop your voice after the “K”. Do not repeat the letters.[2]
    • The average person should easily be able to remember these letters.
    • Don’t say the letters too slowly or the crowd will expect you to use the same rate throughout the trick.
  3. Ask your volunteer to remember six letters: "D J R N Q P". Again, say these letters at a rate about one letter per second and do not repeat the sequence. Depending on your volunteer, he may or may not be able to remember these 6 letters.[2]
  4. Ask your volunteer to remember ten letters: "M T X H V L F C S V". The majority of people won’t be able to remember this sequence. Again, read these letters at a rate of a letter per second without repeating the sequence.[2]
  5. Stop and make the crowd acknowledge that the volunteer can’t remember 10 letters. It is important to emphasize the limits of human memory. The trick works because it seems almost impossible to memorize more than 10 letters but now you'll use magic to allow a random person to increase his capacity to 14 letters.
  6. Tell your volunteer to remember 14 letters: "F R O G B A T P I G D U C K." This trick works because the 14 letters spell out FROG-BAT-PIG-DUCK. The trick uses the principle of memory chunking. By breaking up large units of information into chunks between 5 and 9 items, we are able to increase the capacity of our memories. The 14 letters is actually divided into 4 chunks, the words frog, bat, pig, and duck.[2]
    • If the volunteer gets it wrong, ask the audience if someone thinks that they have got it and get them to shout it out.

Tips

  • Practice to avoid any timing issues.
  • Make sure to choose your volunteer wisely.
  • Make sure you don’t do a trick to a lot of people at a time unless they are all in front of you and are not in an angle to see your accomplice or line of sight.
  • Add layers to your trick once you’ve mastered the initial theory.

Warnings

  • Don’t show any trick too many times to a single person because they will be able to figure it out eventually.
  • These tricks should only be done for entertainment and not done to exploit or make fun of anyone.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 https://www.math.hmc.edu/funfacts/ffiles/10004.1.shtml
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201201/5-amazing-psychology-magic-tricks
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