LIFT

LIFT

EFFECT
A volunteer is chosen at random from the audience and joins you on the stage
where they are seated next to you behind a table in full view of the audience.
A second volunteer is also chosen from the audience and seated at the table as a
close up independent witness to the proceedings.
The first volunteer is then apparently placed into an instant trance state and their hand
is apparently glued to the table by "Hypnotic" suggestion. In this state with their eyes
closed, you seem to control their mind in some way, because as you point at their hand and
lift your own arm into the air, at the same time their arm rises into the air in a most uncanny
manner! You then pause for a short while in this position and when you then start to move your arm
downwards without saying a word, so the volunteer also moves their hand back down to the point where
it is once again glued to the table. The second volunteer is then asked to point their finger at the first volunteers hand
and told to say nothing but do the same as you just did when and only when they decide to. Sure enough despite
volunteer number one having his eyes closed, when volunteer two decides to lift his arm into the air, volunteer number
one does the same at exactly the same time. And when volunteer two decides to lower his arm again, amazingly so
does volunteer one, even though they cannot possibly see what is going on and nothing has been said to alert them to
what is happening. The first volunteer is then awoken from trance and both people are sent back to the audience to a
huge round of applause!
SPECIAL NOTES
The effect of this routine looks the same as the one performed by Top British Mentalist Derren Brown during his Live Shows
and also on one of his "Mind Control" TV Specials, however I have decided to include my performance method herein as mine
uses absolutely no Hypnotic Trance and indeed the Linguistic wording is different in order to achieve apparently the same
effect, without the volunteer needing to be placed into any form of actual Hypnotic Trance. Should you be able to find a copy for
sale on e-bay, then I'd recommend that you purchase at any price a copy of Derren's Excellent book "Pure Effect", but please
note it is only the original self-published spiral bound version which contains his own handling and method for the routine which
he has entitled "Lift" and as this edition is very rare, it is very hard to find to say the least, however the time and expense will
prove well worth your while, as will obtaining any of Derren's other excellent works from his site of www.derrenbrown.co.uk
EXPLANATION
This demonstration must either be performed seated at a table which has a tablecloth draped over it, which reaches to the floor
so that nobody can see either yours or volunteer number ones feet, or it can be performed whilst stood up at a bar in a pub, just
so long as the Landlord will allow you to go to the staff side of the bar so that once again the viewing public are unable to see
either your or volunteer number one's feet! If the audience could see your feet, this could give the secret of it all away as you
will be directing the volunteer on exactly when to lift their arm up or put it back down on the table by pressing down on their foot
with your foot to signal that they should lower their arm and by releasing the pressure on their foot to signal that they should lift
their arm up into the air. To apparently place the first volunteer into a trance I simply take hold of their right hand and place it
over their face as I say: "As I move your hands towards you, just let your eyes close, that's it just close your eyes and
relax, just so long as you keep your eyes tightly closed at all times then this experiment will have a very good chance
of working" I then remove their hand from their face and lower it to the table as I say: "And as I lower your arm down and
place your hand flat on the table, so you keep your eyes tightly closed at all times and allow yourself to relax
completely Don't say a word at any time, just let your eyes remain closed, allow yourself to relax and listen to every
suggestion that I give you! Noticing now that pressure (as you say this your foot presses down on their foot under the table
and remains there, whilst on top of the table you are apparently pressing their hand firmly to the tabletop)as your hand glues
itself to the table top and remains there at all times whilst you can still feel this pressure (as you say "this pressure" your
foot presses down firmly on theirs to signal to them in a non-verbal manner that it's the pressure on their foot that you are on
about!) Its almost as though your hand is locked, glued, welded and cemented to the table top at all times whilst you
can feel this pressure (again as you say "this pressure" above the table you are apparently pushing down on their hand to
reinforce things, but under the table you are pressing down firmly on their foot again to reinforce the fact that you mean the
pressure on their foot!") and whilst you can feel this pressure (repeat the foot pressure again under table as you appear to
press on hand) your hand will remain glued to the tabletop at all times, however when and only when you feel this
pressure (repeat the foot pressure as you appear to press on their hand) disappear, then and only then you will allow your
hand to rise up into the air, keeping your eyes tightly closed at all times! Just nod your head if you understand (when
they nod you know they have understood the foot cues) However you will also notice that whenever this pressure
reappears (again do foot signal as appear to press on their hand) that then and only then you will allow your hand to lower
down back to the table until it is glued back to the tabletop! Just nod your head if you understand! (Again when they
nod you know they have understood the meaning of the foot cues!) As I now remove my hand from yours, that pressure (do
foot signal) remains there and so your hand remains glued to the table top until that pressure (foot signal again)
disappears! At this point volunteer one is sat their with their eyes closed as if they have been placed into a trance and they
should now be at a point that they realise that whilst your foot is firmly pressing on theirs(as it is at this time) they must keep
their hand on the table top, however when you remove your foot from theirs so that the pressure is released they must them lift
their arm up into the air. You should be able to work the rest out now from the description I gave you of how things look to the
audience, in essence when you point at their
hand and lift your arm up, this is the same time
as you release the pressure on their foot so that the
volunteer lifts up their arm which looks very spooky indeed.
Then when you lower your arm is the same time as you replace your
foot onto their foot and press down which signals them to also
lower their arm and hand down back to the tabletop. When volunteer two
points at Volunteer one and apparently takes control of them the secret is exactly
the same, the moment you see volunteer two move their arm upwards you release
the pressure from number ones foot, and the moment you see them move their arm
back down you replace the pressure so that volunteer one places their hand back
down to the table. I am sure you now understand why the audience must not be able
to see either your foot or volunteer number ones foot at any time, hence the reason
for the draped table or standing behind a bar as detailed earlier. You then simply place
your hand on the apparently Hypnotised volunteers shoulder and say: "When I click my
fingers you will then open your eyes, you'll feel your normal self in every way and
you will forget to remember and remember to forget everything that has just happened!"
You then simply click your fingers and apparently awaken the subject before sending them both
back to the audience as you say something such as: "Thank you Sir, you've been a wonderful
volunteer and enabled us to witness the true power of the mind, you are a very special person indeed and as
such an experience is such a special and person one, I trust that you will keep the inner personal details of
your experience to yourself! "This seems innocent enough to the audience, however it's a nice way of telling the
volunteer not to tell anyone what has really gone on and by praising their ego in this manner, they will keep things to
themselves. One other important point is to pick two people who don't know each other and who are seated in different
areas of the room as that way they are less likely to talk to each other afterwards. Even if they do though, as volunteer
one had his eyes closed all the time, he will have been very disorientated and will not really have a clue what has gone on
as his version of events is a totally different one than from an audience perspective.