An Unusual Opening:
A Transition from Magic to Mentalism
by Kenton Knepper

“We have five bills representing our five senses. That’s 1 ,2, 3, 4, and 5… and , oh, uh, SIX.”

A sixth bill is now seen in the performers other hand.

“Well, some people believe in a sixth sense, so maybe that is what this sixth bill is. Personally, I have my doubts, so we’ll toss that idea aside.”

The performer tosses the sixth bill into a big glass head (really plastic).

“Now, let’s get back to reality. We have FIVE senses. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5…6

“Okay, sometimes the five senses give an illusion of a sixth sense. But it’s just an illusion. Let’s get rid of that and focus on known reality – that which is so obvious we cannot dispute it.”

Again the performer tosses away the sixth bill into the clear head.

“So we know, for a fact, in physical reality, there is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, … damn. This is getting ridiculous! I’ll toss this sixth one away. I don’t believe in such crap! Much better. Now, scientifically we know, that we all have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5… this isn’t going to change my mind! I deal with facts, with evidence, not silly old beliefs! I will throw again this sixth bill away!”

The performer now angrily tosses the bill into the clear head. Laughs abound.

“All together now! We know for absolute fact, shown to us plainly in evidence beyond dispute, we have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5… Oh, to hell with it!”

The performer tosses the sixth bill, and then all the rest too, into the head. Bills now fill the head.

“I’m not so sure belief in this sixth sense thing really pays off, but since it is so insistent, just for tonight, let’s pretend it might be possible, and see where our experiments lead us. A pragmatic person must be open-minded to all investigation.”

The perform launches into an evening of investigation and experiments around the notion of the possibility of a sixth sense; in other terms, a show of mentalism.

The physical working of the trick is of course a standard six bill (or six card) repeat.

The important point I wish to make here is not about suggestion, allusion, metaphor, symbolism, working mentalism into magic, or making a point more indirectly.

The real point of sharing this idea with you is to explain the power of association.

You see, I created this entire thing in four minutes from scratch. You could have done it too, only probably more quickly. I had a lot of distractions. I’m serious.

The principle of association took me an entire book to begin to explain and teach. You can learn more about it in my book “Mystery By Association” if this sort of thing interests you at all.

I cannot teach association in a paragraph or a sentence and do it justice.

But for those who have written and asked me why they might want or need “Mystery By Association”, here is one answer. You can add importance, interest and innovation to common tricks you already do. It doesn’t take a great deal of effort or time. You don’t have to be creative to do it. You associate things, one to another, daily. Learning how humans use association helps us to create nice transitions from one radical approach to a very different one, making routines flow together, allowing for statements of belief to be made in ways that are not offensive, freeing you to easily say things that matter to you – in fact, to make your magic or mentalism more of a true art.

Feel free to perform this little opening as an opening, a mid-point, a transition from magic to mentalism or simply as a single effect. It took me just a few minutes to arrive at it using association. You are welcome to perform it yourself as is.

If you care about learning how easy it is to do this for yourself, without paying a consultant a ton of money, invest in the book “Mystery By Association”.

Besides, there are more than a few good tricks in that book as well. I’m not selling the book as much as I want to sell you on examining the principle, you understand. I hope more and more amateurs learn about this amazingly simple yet powerful principle. That’s why I wrote about it – to help more people learn and apply it.

Politicians use this principle on you all of the time. So does the media. Films rely on association for deep impact – ask any film editor or historian.

Isn’t it about time you investigate it too?

Naw. Forget it. Just learn the patter and do it as I wrote it here. Ignore the rest. Don’t think. Don’t investigate. Just say what I told you to say. Don’t look past the surface. Do just what I told you to do. Unless you’re not that kind of person. If you’re different, then go right ahead and check it out. I’m like that too.

See? Isn’t association wonderful? ENJOY.

Kenton