Touches
on Spirit Touches
A few years ago,
I was thrilled not only to have attended but also participated onstage
in Todd Robbins' Dark Deceptions seance show as part of the New York
Fringe Festival. Todd is a unique performer of unmatched presence and,
although I do not perform any sideshow stunts for which Todd is known
for, I am a huge admirer of his talent. Watching him work is a pleasure
and a lesson in sheer showmanship.
For years prior, I had been attempting to develop a theatrical seance
show myself. If you have never endeavored to create such a show, I can
confidently say that it is one of the most difficult pursuits in the
field of magical entertainment. I think most who have created such programs
would agree. Seeing Todd's performance was a great inspiration in the
development of my current Seated Spirit Seance program.
One items from the Dark Deceptions show that struck me as brilliant
was the method he employed to produce spirit touches within the audience
during the 'dark portion' of his seance. I will not explain his method
here, but it is indeed very clever. The only drawback is that when the
lights come back, there is visible evidence remaining of what could
be attributed to spirit touches. Yet, through a clever presentation
this evidence is disguised as something else that most of the audience
do not give a second thought. I realize I am being rather ambiguous,
but those who have seen Todd's Dark Deceptions show should know precisely
what I am referring to.
Finally, this year, I have created a theatrical seance show that I am
very happy with. But, I wanted to create a method to produce spirit
touches during the darkened portion of my own seance; multiple spirit
touches throughout a small audience without being close enough to have
actually touched them! Todd Robbins' method inspired me to create the
following which I am now sharing for the first time with the dear readers
of Visions, just in time for Halloween. In all of my research to find
a method to duplicate spirit touches suitable to my needs, I have never
seen this method in print. Therefore, I am forced to believe that the
following idea is original to me. However, if anyone can state otherwise,
please notify me so that I may credit the proper creator if not myself.
Since the beginning of spiritualism, magicians and fake mediums have
used countless methods to create the impression that spectators are
being touched by unseen forces. Everything from hidden assistants, throwing
small objects, strings, porcelain hands, reaching rods, to the power
of suggestion or the mere act of blowing with one's breath have all
been utilized to instill the sensation of a ghostly touch in the minds
of spectators.
I wanted a method that did not rely only on suggestion but actually
created a physical touch, I could be several feet away - even tied to
a chair, I could talk continously throughout and my voice would eminate
from several feet away, it did not rely on stooges, there are no electronics
or mechanics involved. It had to be inexpensive, reproducable, and portable.
When in use, the method could not create a lot of suspiscious noise.
And, in the end, there would be no visible evidence left for the audience
to guess what they may have experienced if not the touch of death itself!
Those are the rigid restrictions I placed on myself. Sound like a pipe
dream? Well, I am very pleased to announce, after much thought and routining,
that I have developed a method that is all of these and more! My solution
is a simple one but a practical one. The secret to Michael Matson's
spirit touches is...bubbles!
Yes, that bottle of soapy liquid which comes with a little wand type
of instrument that can be found in almost any store anywhere in the
world or even made at home! When a bubble pops on your skin it creates
the definate sensation of a touch! Yet, once the bubble pops, there
is no visible evidence left. Please do not overlook the simplicity of
this! Imagine if you put a small group of people into a darkened room
where they could not even see each other and, although they know you
are a considerable distance from them, they begin to feel as thought
they are being tapped, touched, and poked.
Here are some finer points to consider. First, if this is performed
primarily for adults, it will kill! Adults may have played with bubbles
when they were children, but over time they forget what the feeling
of a bubble bursting on their skin is like. Therefore, it is fairly
easy to drive adults toward the explanation that what they have experienced
was the touch of a spirit. Also, I recommend putting the bottle of bubble
solution into the refridgerator prior to the show or into a cooler during
your performance to keep the bubble solution cold. Then, when the bubbles
hit the skin, they will feel cold creating a more sincere sense of spirit
touch. Most spiritualists believe that spirits have a cooler temperature
than the surrounding environment. Therefore, if the audience experiences
cold spirit touches it is just one more subtly to increase
the overall illusion.
You could start this demonstration off tied to a chair, meaning you
will need to escape from those restraints and get back into them at
a later time. However, this is the way I prefer to perform it. I remove
the bottle of bubble solution from it's frigid hiding place and secretly
secure it into one of my inner jacket pockets. You could simply leave
it in your performance case and find it once the room has become dark,
but I prefer having it readily available and on me to avoid fumbling
in my case later. The room is lit only by the flame of a few or one
single candle - depending on the size of the room. Everyone in the room
should still be visible to one another and the performer at this point.
I ask that everyone hold one another's hands. This may seem cliche'
but it serves two important purposes. First, it is a psychological trigger
as per the stereotypical seance procedure. When the audience holds hands,
they know something is going to happen, but they are not sure of what
exactly to expect. Therefore, anything they experience becomes amplified
and attributed to spirits. Secondly, it reinforces the idea that nobody
within the audience could be a stooge who simply gets up and walks around
the room touching people because not only can they feel each other's
hands, but they can also still see one another at this point.
Now, I start blowing out the candle(s) which often requires me to walk
around the room. While walking around the room, I begin the psychological
part of the performance where I speak about 'cold spots' and how spirits
reach out to get our attention and how many people feel a chill down
their spine when spirits are present. I continue to explain that as
the room becomes dark they may experience visions of something moving
out of the corner of their eyes, or they may hear voices. These manifestations
are strongest in complete darkness and I ask everyone to pay attention
to their own bodies to sense if they feel any physical sensation such
as a weight, tap, a caress, a poke or even a kiss from a dearly departed
loved one. This is an important psychological ploy that allows the performer
to use just one method, the bubbles, to create the impression of a multitude
of manifestations within the audience. I warn them that no matter what
they may experience, if anything, they should remain holding hands and
never break their grip. Finally, after my patter has sufficiently primed
the crowd, I walk back behind a table on which rests a single candle.
This table is only about 10 feet from the audience at most.
With the greatest amount of seriousness and sincerity I can muster,
I vow to the audience, "Once this flame has been extinguished,
I will not come out and grab you in a pathetic effort to scare you.
In fact, I will remain several feet away (indicating the space between
you and the audience at this point) with matches in hand (I display
a matchbox in my left hand and a match in my right hand) ready to light
the candle once again should the need arise. You will always be able
to hear my voice so you will know I am always here (indicating the spot
you are standing now). Please hold onto one another tightly and allow
yourselves just to feel for the moment." With that, I blow out
the candle and the room falls into darkness. You will notice the gestures
indicated above are used to emphasize the distance between myself and
the audience and anchor the idea that I will not move from behind the
table once the room goes dark, that I will always be there ready to
light the candle once again.
I continue giving instructions, "Please continue holding each others'
hands and breathe slowly. Inhale through your nose and then exhale from
your mouth. Be receptive to what you may experience at this time."
While I give these instructions, I slowly and quietly
move from my position behind the table to a spot approximately 4 - 5
feet in front of the audience. I walk the first two steps or so regularly,
then I turn around and start walking backwards so that my voice hits
the back wall of the room and makes it seem as though I were still a
considerable distance away. If the floor is solid, you may want to remove
your shoes behind the table so they do not make noise as you walk forward.
While moving closer to the audience, I obtain the bubble solution in
my jacket, open it, and prepare to make bubbles!
Once you have reached a spot in front of the audience where any bubbles
blown can reach them, stop. Due to your psychologically peppered patter
and the power of suggestion in a darkened room, the audience may have
already started experiencing sensations without you having to do anything.
This is always good. But, now, you're really going to freak them out!
Lead the audience through more breathing exercises, which is perfect
cover for you to place the bubble wand to your lips as you exhale and
blow. I try to give a small sweep from left to right as I blow the bubbles.
Aim the wand upward as you blow so that the bubbles start off high and
float down onto the audience. This will give you a little time to move
away from the audience a bit before they start to feel the bubbles fall
and hit their skin. Also, blow for a full breath, longer than you think
you need to. This will blow the bubbles already created further backward,
hitting some of the audience members a few rows back. If you have chilled
your bubble solution, the bubbles will feel cool to the touch and create
a fuller sensation of a solid tap. Some bubbles will hit the spectators'
arms feeling like a touch or poke. Others will pop in some peoples'
hair as though something had tapped their head. Some bubbles will even
pop on a spectator's cheek simulating the feeling of a cool, moist kiss.
And if you are really lucky, you may get one to pop right on a spectator's
nose giving the impression that something came right at their face!
While the audience is reacting, I make my way back to the table as quickly
and quietly as possible. Put the bubble wand and solution back into
my pocket. Obtain my matchbox and match and pause only until the reactions
start to die down - which actually feels like quite a long time during
performance. This extra time allows all of the bubbles created to hit
people and objects, pop, and disappear before the light comes back.
As soon as I feel it is time, I strike the match and light the candle
with an inquisitive look on my face and asking, "What? What happened?
Did you feel something? What did you experience?" What is nice
about this moment is that there is almost a psychological retention
of vision that has occurred in the minds of the spectators. The last
time the audience saw me, I was in the same position, holding the matchbox
and match in the same exact way that I am now. This gives the subtle
impression that my hands have always been occupied with the matchbox
and match throughout the entire time the room was dark, and with my
hands occupied it would be rather difficult to manipulate anything that
could have produced the spirit touches. Plus, the fact that a table
is directly in front of me is seen as an obstacle that I would have
to overcome in the dark in order to actually come out into the audience.
The table is easily manuevered in the dark if you keep one hand on the
edge of it while navigating yourself forward. Then, you can count your
steps in order to know your distance from the table or, just hurry back
in a way that makes you definately miss the table. And if you hit something
else along the way... it was the spirits!
The best part is that when the light is brought back, the spectators
are still holding hands, and everyone will be attempting to describe
and compare their experiences. The routining of this presentation is
structured to emphasize the impossibility of the performer coming into
the audience, navigating successfully in the dark, and touching that
many people in such a short amount of time. It couldn't have been anyone
in the audience; they were all holding hands. It couldn't have been
the performer; it happened to too many people too quickly for it to
have been done by one person. Who or what was it?
What if you light the candle too early and you or someone in the audience
notices a bubble or two floating about still? They're orbs!
Orbs are claimed spirit manifestations that occur most often in photographs
taken of haunted locations. If someone sees a bubble, you can get excited,
and "accidentally" blow out the candle placing the room back
into darkness. While frantically getting another match to light the
candle you can talk about spirit orbs and how rare they are, and how
people feel especially cold when they are present. But, when the candle
is lit, sadly the orb has vanished - ie popped!
If you are afraid that your talking and the audience's breathing is
not enough audible cover for the sound of you walking forward or the
sound of you opening the bubble solution, then you can combine this
presentation with a spirit bell or similar noise-making manifestation
as you walk forward and do the sneaky stuff.
During the routine, notice, I never ask for the audience to remain calm.
By doing so, you are telling them "It's OK. It's just a trick".
It's not OK. We don't know what these spirits are capable of! I want
my audience to react; especially with a performance like this. I want
them to express their experience verbally and physically. I want them
to live the moment. It is a unique experience, and I want them to fully
be there when it happens. Do not give the audience any reason not to
make their own assumptions as to the nature of the spirit touches. If
it's soothing to them - great! If it's horrifying - great! If someone
has a heart attack and dies while you perform it, it's just one more
ghost to add to the routine! No, seriously, if you're going to give
a shock like this to your audience, your show should come with some
kind of warning for people with heart problems and pregnant mothers.
I sincerely hope you enjoy this idea and use it! It is the easiest and
most practical method I have found to produce multiple spirit touches
for a darkened seance within an audience of 10 - 50 people. By combining
this idea with the power of suggestion and a chilling presentation,
you will have yourself a winner anytime you want the spirits to reach
out and touch someone!
If you have any additional ideas or comments please do not hesitate
to contact me: MagikMaker@msn.com
BONUS - SPIRIT PUSH
Toy technology has advanced to a degree that makes our jobs as magicians
significantly easier. If you would like to perform a dark-room spirit
touch routine and are opposed, for some reason, to using bubbles (maybe
you're allergic), I have one word for you: "Airzooka".
Go to any search engine right now and type in the word "Airzooka".
Purchase one. They're not that expensive. I recommend a smaller one
for easy transport. Then, you really can be 10 feet away or sometimes
more from the audience in a darkened room but they will feel a gush
of air hit them - a spirit push!
This can be especially effective after telling the very common haunted
tale of a ghost who has the tendency of pushing people down stairs.
If you really want to bamboozle the audience, just have a stooge in
the audience work the airzooka while a committee from the audience holds
your wrists, or even have both you and the stooge with airzookas and
watch the chaos ensue!
I'm sure, with a little creativity, you'll find a lot of ways to use
the airzooka in your magic!
Neil
Tobin was kind enough to contact me (and I believe you as well) to let
me know that the idea of using bubbles for spirit touches can be found
in T.A. Waters' Mind, Myth, & Magick book. I was unaware
of this fact at the time of my writing but I happily acknowledge this
and credit Mr. Waters with the concept.
