Self Working Mental Magic by Karl Fulves
Let’s be dead straight here:
When you saw the title: Self Working Mental Magic by Karl Fulves,
your brain conjured up an image of a dusty old box
full of dusty old tricks, didn’t it?
Self working just sounds lazy.
It kind of feels like it should be a book of tricks for uncle Lester.
If you tossed this book aside because of its name,
you have committed a grave sin against the great gods of deception.
Because Self Working Mental Magic isn’t a book for sausages!
It’ a low key, humble, paperback grimoire of methods so effective
they will fool audiences, some magicians and your neighbour’s nosey cat.
All this without sleight of hand, marked decks
or sacrificing a Unicorn under a full moon.
Let’s open the cover and dig in.
Who is Karl Fulves?
Karl Fulves was a legendary figure who authored over 100 books on magic.
In Self Working Mental Magic, he presents 67 effects that use psychology,
logic and clever construction to make you look like a mind reading demi god.
They’re all self working, which frees you to focus on performance.
What’s actually in the book?
Imagine a book written by a secret society of puzzle makers
and telepaths who wanted to hand down their greatest creations
before retreating into a fog filled cave… That’s this book!
It’s split into several chapters, like Book Tests, Psychic Secrets,
Mind Reading With Cards and Predictions.
It gives you ready to perform material using normal objects,
no sleights and you wont even need an assistant named Crystal.
Some of the things you’ll find inside:
A book test you can do with nearly any book.
A card routine that appears completely hands off.
A psychic drawing duplication.
Number divinations that feel like ancient prophecies.
Prediction effects that land like thunderbolts on The Hill Valley Courthouse.
Why mentalists should read this
If you can’t make one of these routines hit hard
then no amount propless linguistic ballet will save you.
Self Working Mental Magic is a reminder that:
Method is nothing without mastery of the moment.
Karl Fulves gives you skeletons and it’s your job
to dress them up in robes of mystery and metaphor.
In the right hands, especially weird ones like yours and mine
these effects can become miracles.
3 of the most delightful things about this book:
1: No props? No problem!
You’ll be shocked how many routines require nothing
more than a pen and some trust.
This makes the book perfect for impromptu encounters, casual performances
or summoning spirits at Starbucks.
2: Deceptively deep.
Simple number tricks can have layers of deception.
Karl hides his real genius in plain sight.
3: Creativity.
Reading this book is like unlocking cheat codes, you start thinking:
What if I made this spooky?
Could this be done backwards, blindfolded and in Latin?
What if I framed this around a cursed object?
It’s the kind of book that mutates in your hands
and the routines are so flexible you’ll want to use them in everything.
Who should not get this book?
This book is not for performers who want their egos stroked
with fancy methods, bold gimmicks and a 49 step card flourish.
Or lunatics who eat plastic bottles.
Somehow I just don’t think this book will appeal to them!
Performance notes for mentalists
Karl Fulves doesn’t teach you presentations,
he just gives you a bunch of bones and it’s your job
to turn the trick into a mind reading miracle.
Use music, use silence, use staring, use storytelling.
Use just about anything except a robotic explanation of what’s happening.
Your tone, your pacing, your style. This is where the real magic lives.
This book is your workshop and you are the architect of awe.
Fragmented Thoughts
Self Working Mental Magic is a hidden treasure for mentalists
who value clarity, simplicity and strong effects.
It’s not a gimmick parade, it’s a library of dark arts
disguised as an innocent paperback.
The real power of Karl Fulves isn’t in the tricks,
it’s in how much you’ll grow as a performer
when you’re forced to focus on storytelling, tone and moment.
Stay weird
ЯYΛП MΣПƬIƧ
International Man of Mischief