Trinities by Michael Daniels

Trinities is a two-phase mind-reading routine. In the first phase, the mentalist correctly divines attributes (colour, suit, value) of playing cards which the spectator has shuffled, dealt and covered with his hands while the mentalist has turned away. In the second phase, which can be performed alone, the spectator forms a page number by combining the values of freely selected cards from the deck. Without the mentalist seeing, the spectator then opens up and freely examines an eBook (standard PDF) from a collection of classic literary works stored on a computer, eBook reader or smartphone. Turning to the chosen page, a word is selected which the mentalist exactly identifies.

Phase 1 – Trinities Card Divination

• Hands-off presentation – spectator shuffles the deck and deals the cards.
• Normal deck is used – no gaffs, duplicates or marked cards. The deck can be fully examined.
• Self-working – no sleights needed.
• No peeks, fishing, equivoque, or confederates.

Phase 2 – Trinities Book Test

• Ten eBooks are included in the PDF collection, comprising Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain), A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens), Dracula (Bram Stoker), Gulliver’s Travels (Jonathan Swift), Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen), Robinson Crusoe (Daniel Defoe), Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen), The House of the Seven Gables (Nathaniel Hawthorne), The Last of the Mohicans (James Fenimore Cooper) and Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte).
• Each eBook is at least 400 pages and has the ‘full text’ of the original literary works. If you wish, you can read the books right through! Each eBook will withstand the closest scrutiny.
• Spectator has a completely free choice of book.
• Mentalist does not know which book has been selected.
• The spectator chooses the page number, and can change his mind.
• No other props or gimmicks needed.
• Effect can immediately be repeated for the same audience with a different page and word.
• Nothing is ever written down.
• No peeks, fishing, equivoque, sleights or confederates. Totally self-working.
• Very simple memory work involved (an hour to master). Alternatively, the effect can be performed without the need for memory work.
• Can be performed using a standard computer, eBook reader (capable of viewing PDFs), or smartphone. The only software needed is a PDF reader (e.g., Adobe Reader, Repligo) that has a ‘Go To Page’ option (not supplied).
• Mentalist does not need to touch or see the computer, eBook reader or smartphone. It can all happen in the spectator’s hands!

3rd edition 2011; 27 pages.