Strange Objects Strong Reactions

Strang Objects – Strong Reactions

Mentalism with forgotten things

Take a moment and look inside your mentalist case/drawer.

What do you see? Decks of cards, sharpies, billets?

Maybe even a fancy wallet or two?

Now ask yourself this:

When was the last time an object in your set made someone feel something, before they even touched it? Welcome to the realm of forgotten things.

Precious Things!

Those weird, worn and strange looking objects that feel like they’ve lived longer than you ever will. In this post, I’m looking at how strange objects can get strong reactions and how you can use them to transform your mentalism from a cool trick to a weird freaky ritual that people will remember for years to come.

Why forgotten things feel magical

Your audience doesn’t believe in trick decks but they do believe in weird old objects. Why? Because strange, aged, personal things carry memories, mystery, emotional weight and the illusion of history.

A well worn tarot card feels like it’s seen things.

A cracked compass feels like it’s taken people places.

A hat pin from the 1960s feels like it remembers secrets.

Don’t just think of these as props. They can become characters in your act.

What makes an object strange?

I’m not suggesting you grab an empty Starbucks cup and tell stories about the ghost of a drunken sailor who hides coffee beans up his nose!

I’m talking about props with story potential baked in.

we’re looking for stuff that seems out of place, like a rusty old key.

Things that feel old or personal, like an old diary page, a locket or even a worn out matchbox. Anything with texture, scratches, dents or faded ink.

Unusual objects that spark curiosity. 

These objects feel like they’ve lived longer than you, they’re begging to be explained and that’s your opportunity.

How to use these strange objects in mentalism

In the words of The Great Grave Caller General:

Relax ya’ botty!

I’m not asking you to change your methods… Just the wrapper.

Let me show you what I mean:

The key that doesn’t belong anywhere.

You bring out the key with an old tag that reads:

“Hotel Tartarus” on one side and “Room 666” on the other.

You say: “I found this inside an old jewellery box I picked up at a car boot sale. I’ve tried googling the hotel name but the only thing that comes up is an opera and a short film from 1921. Sometimes people recognise the key and it freaks them out.”

You’ve just made the key important and created an atmosphere.

The key is now the mystic glue for your effect.

The matchbox of lost wishes

You present an old tattered matchbox with some matches inside, each of the matches has a wish written on it.

You say: “It is said that if you write a wish on a match and burn it, then it will travel through the ether. One of these was yours.”

You could have your participant choose one of the matches with a wish written on it and it somehow matches (no pun intended) a previously written prediction or secret.

This tale feels like folklore and your participant becomes part of the myth.

The haunted diary page

You show a crumpled old diary page, that’s been aged and scribbled in pencil.

You say: “I don’t know who wrote this but it mentions a name and that name only appears when it needs to be heard.”

The participant thinks of a name, you open the page and that name is written on it circled in red.

Leave the page with them, it will act as a spooky reminder and allow the story continue long after you’re gone.

I’ve given you just a few examples here but you can use just about anything

as long as it looks like it has a back story.

It’s then up to you to come up with an interesting presentation for it.

How to build your own collection of forgotten things

Visit antique shops and charity shops, ask grandparents for old watches, coins or relics. Look in old books, boxes, attics and collect things with stories and scars.

The trick is to collect objects that look like they have secrets.

Even if they don’t have a method yet, they’ll give one to you eventually.

Tips for presenting with forgotten objects

Don’t explain everything, allow the mystery to breathe.

See: The Haunted Pause. Strange things don’t shout.

Invent backstories, even if they’re 99% fiction.

Handle the object with respect, let the audience see your belief in it.

Let them touch it and when they do, they become part of the story.

Why this works so well

Strange objects bypass scepticism and taps into something primal.

People are used to trick decks and magic boxes but when someone brings out a burnt envelope tied with string, the audience immediately become curious, they want to know the story and they want to feel the weird.

When you finally reveal their thought, their word or memory.

It no longer feel like a trick, it feels like something spooky just happened

and they were chosen to witness it.

Fragmented Thoughts

Build Your Legacy Out of Junk.

Find a drawer and start filling it with old, forgotten things.

Each one is a doorway, a conversation starter or a memory waiting to be conjured.

A well timed peek is clever but a dusty locket from a stranger’s dream?

That’s unforgettable!

Stay Weird 

ЯYΛП MΣПƬIƧ

International Man of Mischief