Bob Cassidy - Mentalism - Tricks - Compleat Principia Mentalia.pdf

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The Compleat
Principia Mentalia
Robert E Cassidy
M
Not authentic without this mark
2
Robert E Cassidy
In memory of Stu Scott, Dennis Mead, Joe Haller, Don Garnett, Yvonne Moray, and, of
course, “The Forty Thieves.”
“You’ll Never Know…”
Table of Contents
The Compleat Principia Mentalia
3
Part One - Fire
5
Prologue
5
Principium 1
7
Riding the Web -
8
Remote Viewing
10
Principium 3
12
Extra Sensory Switch
14
Principium 3
17
Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust
17
Principium 4
18
The Triple Prediction
19
Principium 5
22
The Phantom’s Thought Foretold
23
Principium 6
24
The Erisian Force
24
How I Found the Holy Grail
26
The M.C.A.M.N. Test
27
Part Two - Earth
30
Introduction
30
Principium 7
31
The Journey Continues
31
Principium 8
32
Messing Around
34
The Microphone Switch
36
Principium 9
37
The Telepathic Diary
37
Take your Pick
40
Upside down and Backwards
41
Principium 10-
42
The Monserrat/Cassidy Booktest
42
Return to the Web
44
The Synchronistic Crossword
45
Tossing things around, and other ruminations
48
on things psychic
48
Principium 11
50
Business Card Telepathy
50
The Jaxian Phone Book Test
52
Part Three - Air
54
Introduction
54
Principium 12
55
Blind Man’s Bluff
56
Principium 13
57
The Die and the Canisters
58
A Vibration from the WEB
60
The UFO
60
Black and White, and Red All Over
62
ESP Card Divination
65
The Options Force and a Murder Mystery
67
Part Four- Water
70
Introduction
70
Principium 14
70
4
Robert E Cassidy
On Originality
70
The Weird Revelation
71
The Writer's Ditch
72
Principium 15
72
Spellbilleted
73
Principium 16
75
Jazz Mentalism
76
Principium 17
81
Rip It Up
82
Principium 18
83
Conclusion
84
Principium X
84
Copyright © 1995, 2002 by Robert E Cassidy
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be
reproduced by any means. Violators will be
subject to some very serious stuff, the least of
which will be forfeiture of the offender's soul
and repossesion of same by Pazuzu. So watch out!
The Compleat Principia Mentalia
5
Part One - Fire
Prologue
Mentalism is often viewed as a branch of conjuring- an "adult form of magic," as Annemann put it, but a
definite subcategory of conjuring nonetheless. It is, in fact, quite a different art form. This is probably why
many otherwise talented magicians, relying on conjuring ploys, presentations, and psychology, are
unable to present mentalism effectively.
A brief look at the history of modern mentalism reveals that its roots lie not in magic, but in charlatanism.
Mentalism evolved in response to public belief in spiritualism and second sight. While their
performances occasionally included homage to such beliefs, the fathers of mentalism weren't Robert
Houdin, Alexander Hermann or Harry Kellar. They were performers such as the Davenports,
Washington Irving Bishop, Anna Eva Fay and Eric Hanussen. The exploits of such notorious and noted
mediums as Henry Slade, Daniel Dunglas Home and Arthur Ford created the backdrop before which the
art grew. Men such as the Comte Saint Germain, Cagliostro and Rasputin provided the legend. They
were the godfathers of our art. (Which would, I suppose, make Madam Blavatsky the fairy godmother.)
The decline of spiritualism, and the exposure of fraudulent mediums by Harry Houdini and others, led to
the "scientific" presentation popularized by Joseph Dunninger and, more recently, Kreskin. It is still
characteristic of most present-day performers. Fundamental methodologies, however, such as
nailwriting, billet switching, and cold reading, remained those devised by the mediums and seers.
With the revelation of the mediums' secrets, an interesting assumption was made by magicians. Here,
they reasoned, were new magic effects that could be incorporated into their programs. Careful reading of
Theodore Annemann's JINX, the leading source of so-called "mental magic" in the 1930's and early 40's,
reveals that most contributors practiced an almost ironic approach to mentalism, cloaking their
presentations with the same patter stories and obvious props used by conjurors. The original methods of
the "charlatans" were thoroughly appropriated, modified, and, in a few cases, improved upon by
ingenious innovators.
The marriage of the two art forms hasn't always been a happy one. Since the premise and methods of
mentalism are claimed by magicians to be the property of the conjuring fraternity, they expect its
presentation to conform to the accepted model of magical entertainment. That model requires that
performers don't pretend to be anything other than clever tricksters. To claim or imply paranormal
abilities often results in censure, or, occasionally, the public defamation and exposure of the offender.
It is purportedly a question of ethics. Conjuring is seen as "honest" deception intended for entertainment
purposes only. The public expect magicians to lie and deceive to create harmless illusions. Many magicians
seem to feel duty bound, as protectors of a gullible public, to condemn those who use magical methods for
any other purpose. Mentalism, lacking the glitzy props and slick patter that would clearly brand the
practitioner a trickster, is seen by many magicians to be unethical. Mental effects, however, presented in a
traditional magic act, or preceded by a disclaimer of psychic abilities, are considered acceptable.
Since many practitioners believe that the very essence of effective mentalism is the simulation of psychic
ability, they have dissociated themselves from magic and magicians. Some mentalists, however, deny
psychic ability and claim instead that their effects are accomplished through "purely scientific means for
entertainment purposes only." This generally keeps crusading magicians and CSICOPS off their backs. As

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