THE BLURB:
We all want to believe that we are in control. We want to
believe that our decisions are our own. But maybe those are
just beliefs....
You begin by removing a small piece of paper from a cloth
bag and handing the bag to a helper. You explain that
you'd like their help in an experiment involving free will.
Your helper removes three wooden disks from the inside of
the bag. Each disk has a simple geometric shape on one
side. The helper mixes up the disks and then places them
face down on the table.
The helper now chooses one disk for himself, one for the
performer, and one to be put back in the bag. The choices
are always up to the helper and they may change their mind
before they commit to the selections.
You now ask one final question to the helper, "Did you feel
every choice you made was of your own free will?" The
helper responds, "Yes." The helper now opens the piece of
paper which has been on display before ANY choices were made
and it explains with complete accuracy where each of the
symbols is now located!
A terribly unnerving reminder that the choices we make may
not always be our own!
MY COMMENTS:
This is a terrific effect, however the principles are not
new and may be familiar to many mentalists. I first saw one
principle used with Stephen Tucker's Visa Cabaret. Later,
Andy Nyman used it in his effect, The Hidden. The other
principle involves the "prediction" and, sorry, I can't
remember where I saw that first, but I'm almost certain it's
not new. What's nice about Free Will is that, like the best
mentalism effects, there are no "gimmicks". Everything can
be examined. Everything is accomplished through the
presentation, which you must perform with a "direct and
confident manner," according to the instructions. You get
three wooden disks, a small burlap bag, a printed
prediction, and a single folded sheet for the instructions.
I immediately did it for my wife and, for what it's worth,
it passed the wife test. She liked it.
The last few lines of the instructions state that you can
actually do this effect with the symbols facing up. And
indeed you can. In fact, that may be the only downside to
this effect. Though I like this a lot, I believe that I
will soon be doing this exact effect using borrowed coins
and my business cards. All the included props will be
stored away. Still, the effect is not that pricey and
definitely well worth it, even if you are familiar with the
Tucker and Nyman effects.
