Jerxian Quick-Start Guide
/One thing I've always struggled with a little is getting people "on board" regarding what to expect when they see a magic trick from me.
I don't want them thinking it's going to be some corny trick that their uncle would show them. I don't want them coming in with pre-conceived notions.
I want them to engage with the presentation. But I also want it to be clear that I know (and I expect them to know) this is all intended to be fiction.
I want people to know they don't have to fight against being fooled. Yet, I still want them to watch with a critical eye.as without that, you can never really fool people. The audience that "never questions" anything is the audience that can't really ever be seduced by the magic you're showing them. It will always be at an arm's distance from them because they were never really invested in the first place.
So I would spend a lot of time easing people into my style of performing, as I wrote about in this post. That works very well, but it's also very time-consuming.
I then had a breakthrough and realized I could just sort of tell people what to expect.
I want to update you on how I'm "onboarding" people these days. This is the quickest way I've found for people to "get it." To get people to embrace the aspects of performance that I want them to, while also keeping their critical eye.
Let's say I'm spending time with someone new, and I'm going to perform for them for the first time. At some point, it comes up that I have an interest in magic.
One thing to know is—at this stage of the game—people have no fucking clue what that means. You're into magic? What... you do card tricks? Do you dress up as a clown and do kid shows? Do you go into the woods naked with your Wiccan coven during Lughnasadh and let the light of the full moon soak into your anus like a solar cell, and then transmute that energy so you may unleash it later as genuine Warlock power?
Nobody knows. I will say that almost always people will have a less flattering idea of what it means to be "interested in magic" than I would like them to have.
So my first trick for them usually has a simple magician-centric premise that is somewhat believable. Usually some type of mind-reading. And I say "somewhat believable" not because most people believe in pure mind-reading (although some people do) but there are definitely a lot of people who see mindreading and give you some credit for—if not a supernatural power—a power that you possess that is incredible in how much it seems supernatural.
So I've accomplished my first goal.
Step One: Show them a strong piece of magic/mentalism that is unlike anything they are likely to have seen in person before.
At this point, some people are really into it and some people are a little put off by it. Not because they "hate magic." But because someone telling you what you're thinking or predicting something that is yet to happen can be unsettling for some people.
Step Two: I deflect the credit from myself with some clearly ridiculous explanation.
"No, I can't really read minds. But my neighbor's dog got struck by lightning, and ever since then he's been telling me things telepathically about people I'll meet later in the day. I guess it's kind of like a Son of Sam situation. But he's a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He's super chill."
The point here is to quickly make it clear that I'm not seeking their validation. I'm shifting the "power" off myself to something else. I'm also simultaneously giving an unbelievable explanation for what happened.
Step Three: I make it clear I'm kidding. That it was just a trick.
"I'm kidding. It’s just a trick."
This introduces the idea that there can be a "story" that goes along with the effect that I don't really expect them to believe.
Step Four: I thank them.
"Thanks for letting me show that to you. I've been wanting to try that out with someone."
I'm letting them know that I appreciate them watching along. I'm not looking for them to thank me or praise me.
Step Five: The recap.
"But yeah. I can't really read minds. And my neighbor's dog rarely speaks to me telepathically. It was just a trick."
I'm beating this into their head— “it’s just a trick” — now so I don't have to in future performances.
Step Six: The disclaimer.
I say something along the lines of…, “I'm sure I'll show you other stuff in the future. I'll tell you now… it's all a trick. No matter how much I tell you it's real—whatever story I lay out in front of you—it's just a trick. Even when it feels really real. It’s not.”
I put it out in the open as blatantly as possible.
I’m also planting a seed that sometimes it’s going to “feel real.” You don’t need to fight that feeling.
Step Seven: The turn.
After explaining to them that anything I show them is fake, I say something like:
"Oh... except this. This is 100% real. I swear. Did you know there's a way to get people to forget something just by tapping a specific rhythm on the table? Apparently it's a rhythm that mimics something that occurs in the womb during the pre-memory/pre-consciousness phase of development. And it makes people very forgetful. I'll show you. I'm going to draw something on my phone, I want you to remember every element."
This is a fun little turn to take. "Don't believe a word I say. It's all fake... Except this. This is real."
But more importantly, I'm immediately giving them practice in just enjoying the experience and the story.
They don't think I'm trying to take credit for having any “real” powers, because the story of the effect isn't about that.
And they don't think I'm trying to get them to really believe the fiction because I JUST TOLD THEM not to believe any of it.
This quickly indoctrinates them into the mindset that I want them to be in. Where they know I'm not doing this for myself, and they can just enjoy the experience.
This allows them to just go along with the premise like they would a movie or a play. And it allows me to do incredibly bizarre presentations in the future or ones that walk the line of believability, knowing that I’ve told them explicitly it’s never real.
Recap
To be clear, the idea here isn’t that this is the BEST way to present a trick. The idea is that this is the most efficient way for me to get them into the fold and understanding the basic principles that I want them to know for future performances.
Think of it like the pilot episode of a TV show. It’s not usually the best episode. But it’s there to introduce the elements you need to be familiar with going forward.
Feel free to use this if you’re shooting for a similar style for your performances. You’ll want to find your own wording that feels natural coming out of your mouth, but the basic structure is this:
Strong trick.
Deflect credit. Unbelievable story.
“Confess” it’s just a trick.
Thank them.
Recap.
Disclaimer.
The turn.
Follow-up trick.