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Kenton Knepper's Krystal Visions

Words, Mentality, and Their Power in Magic
by Kenton Knepper

Editor's note: A month doesn't go by someone doesn't ask me about Kenton's "Wonder Words" and what it is. Here, in Kenton's own words, is a primer of sorts on the work behind "Wonder Words", a bit of a glimpse into the power of the principles Kenton has made a science. -S

Here is an excerpt from an interview I did for Japan Broadcasting with added detailed examples for you, my performing friends.

Words are symbols. As symbols, they are representative only. Words are not of course the actual things they represent. Yet, we speak as though what is said is a literal, and therefore physical, fact. Words have within them the essence of illusion. Magical performers understand the need to apply these word illusions from everyday life to their performances.

People often recall as truth something that has been said even after physical evidence of the opposite. Many politicians have proved this out - they depend on the public following their words, even when they are fragrantly opposite of the physical facts. But can magicians prove such deceit valuable to them? Sure, it works in matters of life and death, but what about card tricks?

A magician may pick up a deck of cards and palm a card away. But as he sets the deck back down on the table he might say, "I do not want to touch the cards at all. I won't even come near the cards". A few minutes later when the performer produces this palmed card, the audience will be stunned. They will insist that the performer NEVER touched the cards AT ALL.

The illusion in the words spoken override the physical reality everyone has seen.

A wise performer will repeat the words several times; to be sure this idea is firmly implanted as truth in the minds of his or her audience.

Another example of magic words is when a word is used to seemingly cancel out what has already taken place. This may be seen as an action that is excused as an "example". Some languages have specific words for this, such as the word "but" in American English. The word "but" tends to cancel out whatever precedes it.

For instance, a performer may palm a card and reach into his outer jacket pocket, secretly leaving the card there, but this would be obvious. Instead, the performer may say to a spectator, "Go ahead. Reach into my pocket …" as he mimes this action and leaves the card behind. He continues on saying, "But I don't want to do it - YOU do it! Reach inside… what is really in there"?

In the moment, some audience members may recall the performer reached into the pocket first, but later - due to the power of words - they soon believe that an audience member alone found a signed card in the performer's pocket. "He never touched the cards or his pocket at all. They held the cards the entire time and the person that picked the card reached into his pocket".

The words "BUT I don't want to do it" tends to minimize that the performer did this very thing. By combining the word-power with a natural action, the maneuvers appear fair and above board.

Another example of the word "but" is as follows: A spectator believes the performer has his card secretly controlled to the top of the deck. The spectator yells out to the performer that this is the case, and that the performer should let the spectator shuffle the deck. This would be an embarrassing moment except for those well studied in mystery linguistics. The performer uses the word "but" and replies, "I would let you shuffle, but you see your card is long gone!" and reaches into his pocket to remove the chosen card. The truth is the card actually was on top of the deck as the spectator insisted. The performer did NOT argue with the spectator about his charge. Rather, he began agreeing that the spectator could do as he wished. He said as much remarking, "I would let you shuffle". This took the spectator off his guard. This did not end the performer's statement however. He continued on adding the word "but" to cancel out this option saying "…but you see your card is long gone"! Then he reached into his pocket and produced the card.

It completely throws skeptical people to tell them they can do as they wish. Saying this allows just enough time for the performer to palm away the card from the top of the deck. The act of reaching into his pocket and producing the card seems to punctuate the end of his statement.

A horrible situation becomes proof of the performer's remarkable ability.

These are bold and simple examples, but they illustrate how words change the reality viewed by an audience at any given moment.

Association is another mental trait mystery performers must use to their advantage as well. People do not comprehend an item or event in a void. We must bring our personal experiences and history to bear on that which we experience. We experience not so much with the ears or the eyes, but through the mind. Our experiences make for profound illusions. Our associations, while useful, are also the foundation of incorrect perceptions.

A performer may walk out on stage with a ceramic cup. Smoke rises from it and he sips from the cup as he speaks calmly and intimately. In nearly an instant our mind begins to wonder if he is merely chatting, or if the performer is about to do something with his cup of tea, sake or coffee. Suddenly the performer remarks he would prefer a smoke rather than a drink. In a flash, the cup is gone and the performer holds a lit cigarette. Without exposing how the performer has made the cup vanish, we can still examine closely what really has us amazed. It is only natural that a cup with smoke rising from it be seen as a hot liquid given our personal experiences and associations in everyday living. Yet the truth is far from this. The cup was empty save for a bit of glue that held a lit cigarette inside of the cup. The smoke rising seemed to be steam from a liquid. Especially is this true as the performer keeps the cup in motion a little as he speaks, dispersing any smoke that appears too dense. This combined with the performer putting his lips to the cup helps reinforce the associations we have made in our minds. The vanish of the glass of steaming liquid is now easier to understand. Only the cup need be hidden away. The liquid never was and the lit cigarette was awaiting production the entire time. Our mental associations make wild leaps to assumptions about what we see, hear or feel.

A hot poker shown and placed against the neck of an audience member will make them scream - although in truth a performer would rarely do such a thing. In this case, the mystery performer touched the back of the person's neck with a bit of ice. The freezing sensation seemed to be extreme heat, due to the person's mental association. It is now an easy matter of the person to be "healed" by supposed mental powers.

The bottom line is this: It is how we perceive that deceives.

The public has been made aware of what they know as "misdirection" but few know the real secret mystery performers call "indirection". As I have been a pioneer in this too, I can give you a simple taste of how this psychological tool is applied. Mentally we know that any direct statement, verbal or nonverbal, is apt to be challenged. If not outwardly, then in the mind only of the audience will such things be debated.

A performer holds an object between his hands. He asks a spectator to hold their hands palm up to receive it. As the performer approaches the spectator, the object vanishes. The spectator is startled and the performer shakes his hand thanking him for his help. Everyone is amazed. But what if this same thing happened and the performer did not shake the spectator's hand?

In a second or two, attention would have focused on the hand that concealed the small object. One of the performer's hands is clearly seen empty, yet we see the back only of his other hand. This hand would be suspicious and the vanish of the object obvious, save for the use of indirection. Shaking the spectator's hand with a possible suspicious hand indirectly says this suspicious hand is empty. It would be absurd to vocalize or directly claim this hand is empty. But by shaking hands with the spectator, the audience is indirectly being told the other hand is empty too, and so the vanish impresses all who see it.

A bow with hands in an honoring or "prayer" position may be used in a similar manner. The secret transfer of the object from one hand to another is performed as the hands are brought together. This transfer is made back and forth twice. In the process, the audience happens to see out of their periphery view each hand empty. The hands are not directly shown empty, as this would cause direct attention and possible suspicion. But as the hands are seen empty from time to time as the performer bows, the hands are indirectly perceived to be empty.

I have used this bowing transfer to fool many well-known magicians and mentalists.

Due to such principles as indirection, suggestion, linguistics and mental influence, mystery performers create what appears to be everything from magic to mind reading. Those of us on the cutting edge have made these once obscure principles the new mark of excellence in any mystery performer's act. Less honest types apply these means to guide others into debt, war, defeat and ruin. Mystery performers however use the power of their principles to bring wonder and hope back to the world of man.

Kenton

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ALL CONCEPT, THEORY AND EXAMPLE RIGHTS RETAINED BY KENTON KNEPPER AND JAPAN BROADCASTING