Knowledge

Muscle reading

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216:"The unwitting translation of thoughts into muscular action is one of the most firmly established facts of psychology. In individuals particularly prone to it, it is responsible for such "occult" phenomena as the movement of a Ouija board, table tipping, and automatic writing. It is the basis of a type of mind reading known in the magic profession as "muscle reading." Someone hides a pin in a room, and the performer finds it quickly by having a spectator take hold of his hand. The spectator thinks he is being led by the magician, but actually the performer permits the spectator to lead him by unconscious muscular tensions. Many famous muscle readers are able to dispense with bodily contact altogether, finding the hidden object merely by observing the reactions of spectators in the room." 511: 20: 300:"Washington Irving Bishop could drive blindfolded through city streets, guided by the involuntary muscle reactions of a passenger who placed his hand on Bishop. In addition, Bishop could drive to a location anywhere in the city where his passenger had hidden an object and, still through reading his guide's muscle reactions, would locate the object in its hiding place." 128:
phenomenon, where the audience will be told that by creating physical contact with the subject, a better psychic connection can be formed. In fact, the contact allows the performer to read more subtle reactions in the subject's motor functions that may not be apparent without contact, such as muscle
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Kreskin, one of the most accomplished performers of muscle reading in modern times, can tell a driver where to go in a car while a subject holds his wrist (or vice versa). In one of his books he relates the technique to the children's game within which a hidden object is located by feedback of "hot"
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Performers often instruct the subject to imagine voicing instructions, which presumably amplifies the reactions of the subject, thus promoting the idea that the trick involves genuine thought transference or mind-reading. However the subject who is "thinking directions" has a physical, kinaesthetic
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The technique relies on the assertion that the subject will subconsciously reveal their thoughts through very slight involuntary physical reactions, also known as ideomotor responses. The performer can determine what the subject is thinking by recognising and interpreting those responses. Muscle
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Because muscle reading relies so heavily on the subject's subconscious reactions to their environment and situation, this technique is used commonly when performing stunts dealing with locating objects in an auditorium or on stage, and as such, it can be done 'clean' by the magician skilled in
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noted that "mind-reading is nothing but muscle-reading. In all the cases where the mind-reader is supposed to lead a person to a hidden object, the spectator is guided entirely by an involuntary movement of the subject's muscles." The mentalist
46:, whereby subtle movements made without conscious awareness reflect a physical movement, action or direction which the subject is thinking about. The term "muscle reading" was coined in the 1870s by American neurologist 144:
Knowledge of muscle reading is a technique that is also reportedly used by poker players to hide their reactions to the game, as well as to read the other players for potential bluffs and/or better hands.
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reaction that guides the performer so that he or she can, for example, locate a specific place on a wall on which to place a pin, without prior knowledge of where the pin should go.
42:. The performer can determine many things about the mental state of a subject by observing subtle, involuntary responses to speech or any other stimuli. It is closely related to the 457: 695: 204: 807: 115:
had studied the practice of muscle reading from a psychological perspective. She has been described as an expert on the subject of muscle reading.
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Muscle reading is also known by the names of those who have used it in popular performances. The success of one early performer,
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to determine the thoughts or knowledge of a subject, the effect of which tends to be perceived as a form of
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Muscle-Reading: A Method of Investigating Involuntary Movements and Mental Types
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Technique used by mentalists to determine the thoughts or knowledge of a subject
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The Study of Trance, Muscle-Reading and Allied Phenomena in Europe and America
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Leaves from Conjurers' Scrap books: Or, Modern Magicians and Their Works
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Paranormal and Transcendental Experience: A Psychological Examination
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could drive a carriage blindfolded by muscle reading techniques.
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led to it widely being called Hellstromism. Performers such as
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have also used muscle reading successfully in their acts.
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Modern Enchantments: The Cultural Power of Secular Magic
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http://www.randi.org/encyclopedia/muscle%20reading.html
370:. Chicago: Donohue, Henneberry & Co. pp. 108-127 841: 795: 714: 647: 609: 518: 473: 202:. (2012 edition, originally published in 1957). 124:reading may be billed by some entertainers as a 451: 8: 458: 444: 436: 205:Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science 311:Imagery in Psychology: A Reference Guide 176: 696:Mark Wilson's Complete Course In Magic 332:. Society for the Psychology of Women. 425:http://dict.die.net/muscle%20reading/ 379:Automatic Phenomena of Muscle-Reading 50:to describe the actions of mentalist 7: 256:. Harvard University Press. p. 162. 190:. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 389 279:. Hutchinson & Company. p. 277 14: 54:, an early proponent of the art. 509: 232:Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women 188:The Illustrated History of Magic 330:"June Etta Downey (1875-1932)" 1: 363:Mind-Readers and Their Tricks 292:. Dover Publications. p. 33. 23:An example of muscle reading. 672:The Expert at the Card Table 656:The Discoverie of Witchcraft 688:Thirteen Steps to Mentalism 309:Roeckelein, Jon E. (2004). 896: 507: 385:The Journal of Philosophy 277:A Modern Mystery Merchant 129:control and heart rate. 103:Washington Irving Bishop 427:- dictionary definition 288:Neher, Andrew. (2011). 737:Hugard's Magic Monthly 208:. Dover Publications. 184:Christopher, Milbourne 24: 808:Films about magicians 135:reading body language 22: 401:Psychological Review 854:Midnight ghost show 779:Smoke & Mirrors 431:Marom mor mentalist 313:. Praeger. p. 238. 467:Magic and illusion 96:In 1924, magician 25: 862: 861: 235:. New York City: 79:Erik Jan Hanussen 64:Stuart Cumberland 30:, also known as " 887: 849:Indian magicians 751:The Linking Ring 513: 460: 453: 446: 437: 358:H. J. Burlingame 333: 327: 321: 307: 301: 286: 280: 270: 264: 247: 241: 240: 223: 217: 197: 191: 181: 165:Ideomotor effect 75:J. Randall Brown 52:J. Randall Brown 44:ideomotor effect 895: 894: 890: 889: 888: 886: 885: 884: 865: 864: 863: 858: 837: 803:Conjuring terms 791: 710: 643: 634:Sleight of hand 611: 605: 514: 505: 469: 464: 411: 346:George M. Beard 342: 340:Further reading 337: 336: 328: 324: 308: 304: 287: 283: 271: 267: 248: 244: 225: 224: 220: 198: 194: 182: 178: 173: 151: 121: 60: 48:George M. Beard 17: 12: 11: 5: 893: 891: 883: 882: 877: 867: 866: 860: 859: 857: 856: 851: 845: 843: 839: 838: 836: 835: 830: 825: 820: 815: 810: 805: 799: 797: 793: 792: 790: 789: 782: 775: 768: 761: 754: 747: 740: 733: 726: 718: 716: 712: 711: 709: 708: 700: 692: 684: 680:Tarbell Course 676: 668: 660: 651: 649: 645: 644: 642: 641: 639:Pepper's ghost 636: 631: 626: 621: 615: 613: 607: 606: 604: 603: 598: 593: 588: 583: 578: 573: 568: 563: 558: 556:Close-up magic 553: 548: 538: 528: 522: 520: 516: 515: 508: 506: 504: 503: 498: 493: 488: 483: 477: 475: 471: 470: 465: 463: 462: 455: 448: 440: 434: 433: 428: 422: 421:on the subject 410: 409:External links 407: 406: 405: 389: 371: 355: 341: 338: 335: 334: 322: 302: 281: 265: 262:978-0674013711 242: 239:. p. 175. 218: 200:Gardner Martin 192: 175: 174: 172: 169: 168: 167: 162: 157: 155:Billet reading 150: 147: 120: 117: 71:Axel Hellstrom 59: 56: 28:Muscle reading 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 892: 881: 878: 876: 873: 872: 870: 855: 852: 850: 847: 846: 844: 840: 834: 831: 829: 826: 824: 821: 819: 816: 814: 811: 809: 806: 804: 801: 800: 798: 794: 788: 787: 783: 781: 780: 776: 774: 773: 769: 767: 766: 762: 760: 759: 755: 753: 752: 748: 746: 745: 741: 739: 738: 734: 732: 731: 727: 725: 724: 720: 719: 717: 713: 706: 705: 701: 698: 697: 693: 690: 689: 685: 682: 681: 677: 674: 673: 669: 666: 665: 661: 658: 657: 653: 652: 650: 646: 640: 637: 635: 632: 630: 627: 625: 622: 620: 617: 616: 614: 608: 602: 599: 597: 594: 592: 589: 587: 584: 582: 579: 577: 574: 572: 569: 567: 564: 562: 559: 557: 554: 552: 549: 546: 542: 539: 536: 532: 529: 527: 524: 523: 521: 517: 512: 502: 499: 497: 494: 492: 489: 487: 484: 482: 479: 478: 476: 472: 468: 461: 456: 454: 449: 447: 442: 441: 438: 432: 429: 426: 423: 420: 416: 413: 412: 408: 403: 402: 397: 393: 390: 387: 386: 381: 380: 375: 372: 369: 365: 364: 359: 356: 353: 352: 347: 344: 343: 339: 331: 326: 323: 320: 319:0-313-32197-3 316: 312: 306: 303: 299: 298:0-486-26167-0 295: 291: 285: 282: 278: 274: 269: 266: 263: 259: 255: 251: 250:During, Simon 246: 243: 238: 237:Villard Books 234: 233: 228: 222: 219: 215: 214:0-486-20394-8 211: 207: 206: 201: 196: 193: 189: 185: 180: 177: 170: 166: 163: 161: 158: 156: 153: 152: 148: 146: 142: 138: 136: 130: 127: 118: 116: 114: 110: 106: 104: 99: 94: 92: 88: 84: 80: 76: 72: 69: 65: 57: 55: 53: 49: 45: 41: 37: 33: 29: 21: 875:Magic tricks 823:Publications 784: 777: 770: 763: 756: 749: 742: 735: 728: 721: 702: 694: 686: 678: 670: 664:Modern Magic 662: 654: 629:Misdirection 624:Equivocation 404:16: 257-301. 399: 395: 383: 378: 367: 362: 350: 325: 310: 305: 289: 284: 276: 268: 253: 245: 231: 221: 203: 195: 187: 179: 160:Cold reading 143: 139: 131: 122: 111: 107: 95: 83:Franz Polgar 61: 40:mind reading 32:Hellstromism 27: 26: 723:Abracadabra 715:Periodicals 491:Conventions 419:James Randi 392:June Downey 388:5: 650-658. 374:June Downey 354:. New York. 273:Hertz, Carl 113:June Downey 109:or "cold". 91:Nader Hanna 869:Categories 786:The Sphinx 648:Guidebooks 619:Levitation 612:techniques 610:Tricks and 576:Mathemagic 566:Escapology 551:Children's 535:techniques 481:Assistants 394:. (1909). 376:. (1908). 360:. (1891). 348:. (1882). 275:. (1924). 252:. (2004). 227:Jay, Ricky 186:. (1996). 171:References 98:Carl Hertz 36:mentalists 880:Mentalism 813:Magicians 704:Conjuring 541:Cardistry 119:Technique 68:mentalist 828:Timeline 765:Magigram 744:The Jinx 586:Platform 496:Exposure 229:(1986). 149:See also 842:Related 818:Museums 772:Mahatma 683:(1928–) 545:history 526:Bizarre 474:General 126:psychic 87:Kreskin 58:History 833:Tricks 707:(1992) 699:(1975) 691:(1961) 675:(1902) 667:(1876) 659:(1584) 601:Street 591:Séance 581:Mental 571:Gospel 519:Genres 501:Stores 317:  296:  260:  212:  89:, and 796:Lists 758:Magic 730:Genii 596:Stage 486:Clubs 366:. 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Index


Hellstromism
mentalists
mind reading
ideomotor effect
George M. Beard
J. Randall Brown
Stuart Cumberland
mentalist
Axel Hellstrom
J. Randall Brown
Erik Jan Hanussen
Franz Polgar
Kreskin
Nader Hanna
Carl Hertz
Washington Irving Bishop
June Downey
psychic
reading body language
Billet reading
Cold reading
Ideomotor effect
Christopher, Milbourne
Gardner Martin
Fads and Fallacies in the Name of Science
ISBN
0-486-20394-8
Jay, Ricky
Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women

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