How To Find a Hidden Pin.
Request that some one produce an ordinary pin.
Allow yourself to be blindfolded and accompanied to a separate room by some person in the audience, in whom spectators place confidence. While you are thus voluntarily exiled, one person in the auditorium (whether it be parlor or theater) is to fix his mind upon some place, then slowly walk there and hide the pin. He then returns to his seat. The others who are present, of course know where the article is.
You are now taken into the auditorium. The person who hid the pin is requested to come and take your hand, you being blindfolded. Ask him to fix his right hand flatly upon yours, facing in the same direction, i. e., his fingers are placed against yours. You now place your hand upon the back of his, thus holding his hand in a sort of vice. In order to hold his hand as above described, it will be necessary for him to remain close to your side, yet he should not otherwise come in contact with you. Now tell him to fix his mind intently upon the spot where the pin is hidden, and that you will lead him to the locality. The secret of doing this seemingly supernatural feat is as follows:
Relax your vice-like position of hands, so that if he desired he could pull his hand away without much friction. Now, although you have not the remotest knowledge (and you should not have any idea) as to where the pin is hidden, start off suddenly in some direction and request that he follow you, but go so fast at first that you will pull away from his hand. By practice you will learn that if you have started in the proper direction, he will willingly accompany you, if you have started in another direction, he will unconsciously hold back. His resistance will be very slight, almost unperceptible, except to a practiced operator. Let us suppose that you have found that you are going in the right direction, move along fast. When it is time to turn, his mind being intently fixed upon the place he wants to go to, will unconsciously, but very naturally, control his muscles, so that he will at once show a slight resistance, and if you take immediate action upon this “hint” and turn, he will either “favor” you or show more resistance, according to whether you turn in correct or incorrect direction. When you have approached near to the spot, there will be more resistance or freedom in accompanying you. Then your fine work begins. Change the position of hands so that his forms the vice while your right hand is the one between. Your left hand is now extended as a “feeler.” Request that while he attentively watches your left hand, he also keep his mind more intently than ever upon the location of the object. Raise your left hand up, at the same time raising your right hand slightly upward. If his thoughts are upon a place that is above the usual level of your hands, he will willingly raise his hands (which are on your right hand flatly,) or if the article is hidden low, he will resist, but favor your hands when you begin to move them downward. Thus you can closely locate the article.
If you are not blindfolded tightly, you can quite easily see what is below your nose, and this may enable you to catch sight of the pin and pick it up more readily, otherwise follow your “cues.”
A well known gentleman who is now a professional mind reader once paid one hundred dollars for the foregoing.