Mentalism has evolved over the years. What started as something you could only perform on stage with a captive audience eventually became possible in the fast-paced environment of the streets.
These days, you don’t even have to be in the same room to perform feats of mentalism. Distance is no longer a barrier — some mentalists even use it to enhance the overall effect of their shows.
You can perform mind-reading tricks while calling on the phone. And the fact that you’re able to do it can be considered a testament to your prowess.
Today, we’re going to teach you about mentalism on the phone: how to trick someone on call. We’re going to discuss 3 tricks that are sure to work.
So shall we?
3 Mentalism Tricks You Can Do Over the Phone
Although some of these tricks perform better when your spectator is right in front of you, you can still amaze them even over a phone call.
Now, because of the physical distance, mind-reading tricks are often your best option.
That said, you can achieve the mind-reading effect in various ways. We’ve broken down 3 tricks for you — some of these involve the use of cards, others require you to do mental math.
Take your pick and see which one you want to try out.
Trick 1: “Total” Control
This trick is perfect for an over-the-phone mentalism act. It involves you guessing a specific card, and you never touch or even see the deck at all!
You can achieve the mind-reading effect by giving a series of instructions that your spectator has to follow to the letter.
Just because you don’t have to handle the cards yourself doesn’t make it any easier. You’ll be surprised how challenging it is to ensure your instructions are accurate — to the level that they aren’t open to interpretation.
Here is how you do it.
Since you’re doing this with your spectator on the line, it’s ideal to begin by telling him to put you on speaker. It makes it easier for him to deal with the deck while listening to you.
Remember, you’re not with the spectator, so it helps to make him comfortable before you proceed with your trick.
Once you’re both ready, tell him to think of a card. Then have him take the deck and deal the cards face up one by one on a table. All the while, let him mention each card he places.
Your objective is to hear what card he mentions first; what card is on top. Let’s say it’s the Queen of Diamonds. Keep this in mind because it’ll be integral to your act.
Now, when he has dealt out around five or six cards, stop him and ask if he’s holding the deck face down and putting the cards face up. When he confirms, act like it’s a mistake. You can say that you’re not used to doing mentalism over the phone, so you’re still working out a couple of kinks.
Have him gather the cards and return them to the deck. Using the phrase, “Put them back the way they were before,” works wonders — it decreases the chance of them rebuilding the deck differently.
Remember, you can’t see how he’s going to do it, so stack the odds in your favor every way you can.
Next, ask your spectator to hold the deck face up, go through it, and find the card he first thought of. Have him take it out and place it on the table (also face up). Now have him set the rest of the cards on the table (face down).
Tell him to take his card and have him focus on it. He has to have a clear picture of the card in his head — that’s what you’re going to tap into.
Now tell him to place his card on top of the deck on the table. This means it’s right on top of the first card he mentioned when he dealt them earlier — the Queen of Diamonds.
Say that you want to shake things up a bit — having his card on top is too easy, so have him cut the deck.
This move puts your spectator’s card in the middle of the deck. Now say that you’re going to go full circle and have him deal out the cards again one by one, naming each card he places down.
What you’re listening for is the Queen of Diamonds. You know that the card right after it is your spectator’s card. When you hear it, don’t stop him immediately. Let several other cards pass before you call his attention and say you’re getting the impression that he’s seen his card already.
A little drama goes a long way when you’re only talking over the phone, so make sure you build the tension. This way, you’ll get the reaction you’re looking for when you do your reveal.
Trick 2: The Mental Math Mind-Reading Trick
One of the most effective over-the-phone tricks — not to mention easiest — is to do a mental math trick. You won’t even need any props for this, but your spectator will.
It doesn’t take much preparation. All the spectator needs is a sheet of paper and a pen to help him keep his computations straight.
Manage your spectator’s expectations early — tell him he can’t use a calculator as you go through the steps.
Step 1: Have him think of a number.
It can’t be just any number, however. It has to meet some parameters.
It must be 3-digits long, with the highest digit in the beginning. An example would be 523. Once your spectator has a number, have him write it down.
Step 2: Reverse the number
Have him reverse the number he chose (so 523 becomes 325) and write it directly underneath the first one.
Step 3: Subtract
Tell your spectator to subtract the second number from the first one. Have him write the answer underneath the first two numbers.
For our example, it’s 523 – 325 = 198. If he gets a 2-digit number (sometimes it happens), have him put 0 in front. So if he gets a 72, it becomes 072.
Step 4: The Mini-Reveal (Optional)
You can choose to do a bit of mind-reading at this point. Tell your spectator you’re getting an image of a number in your head — it’s the number 9.
Tell him that 9 is the middle digit of the last number he wrote down. And if he adds the first and the third digits, they’ll also come to 9.
This step is optional. If you feel it’ll give your spectator an idea of how the trick works, just skip it.
Step 5: The Second Reversal
Have your spectator reverse the last number on his list.
Since we stopped at 198, write 891 underneath.
Step 6: Add
The last step is to add the final two numbers together.
So it’s 198 + 891 = 1,089.
Step 7: The Reveal
1,089 is the magic number. All roads lead to this, which allows you to reveal it in several ways.
You can always do a straightforward reveal — just put in a bit of drama, but say you can see 1,089 in your head. If you want to be a little more tech-savvy, write it down on a piece of paper and then send him an image through his smartphone.
An interesting twist is to set it up as a prediction trick. If your spectator is with someone else, tell him that you’ll send an image to his phone or email. They’re not allowed to look at it, however, until you complete the trick.
Regardless of what manner you choose to use, the final number is always 1,089.
Trick 3: Special Dates
This trick requires your spectator to have a calendar with him. It would be great if he had one of those desk calendars that he could write on. If not, then a calendar on his phone will work.
Begin by having your spectator check out the calendar. Ask him to choose any three consecutive days of any month. It doesn’t matter what season or week. The only limitation is that all three dates must be on the same calendar page (or if he’s using a smartphone) it’s within the same screen.
If you want to be more accurate, all three consecutive dates must be from the same month. Once your spectator’s got the three dates in his mind, have him encircle them (this is why it’s better to have a wall or desk calendar).
Now have him add the three dates together and tell you what number he gets. Let’s say he tells you it added up to 54.
Tell him to hover his pen over the second of the three dates he chose. Work this into your patter. It works better if you reveal it conversationally — find the perfect moment to slip in that he’s pointing to the 18th.
The dates he chose are 17, 18, and 19.
What’s the secret?
Divide the number he comes up with by three — that automatically gives you his second date. Subtract one to get the first date and add one to get the third.
It’s guaranteed to work every time!
It might sound like a simple trick, but it will amaze your spectator still, especially when done over the phone.
The Wrap Up
As you can see, there are several mentalism tricks you can perform over the phone. Just because you aren’t in the same room as the spectator shouldn’t stop you from impressing them.
You must remember, however, that the lack of in-person interaction affects your performance. Although it may get a better reaction, in the end, you’ll have to practice delivering your instructions so that it’s precise and easy to understand.
Sometimes it’s surprising how difficult this is, especially if you’re not used to it. Giving clear instructions is a skill — and like all skills, you can develop it over time.
So which trick appeals to you? Go ahead and choose one of the three we’ve shared and start practicing!