Introduction

Welcome to the fabulous world of pendulums. It’s a world that

unleashes the power of the subconscious and opens you to
amazing new experiences.

Pendulums have been employed for centuries in dowsing and

divining “secret” information, for hypnosis, learning the gender
of a baby andother uses. Entertainers have used them for nearly
as long.

This document provides an introduction to how to use a

pendulum, along with the basics in how the pendulum works,
and how you can apply it to your life…and your performances.

Pendulums areconstructed in 3
basic parts. Holder, Chord and
Bob. You typically employ it
holding the “holder.”

(Some pendulums don’t use

holders, but they greatly enhance
the beauty and functionality of a
pendulum.)
How Does a Pendulum Work?

A pendulum is basically an amplifier. It’s a tool that helps you to

access the subconscious mind, the part of your mind that keeps
all of your memories, and feeds imagination and creativity.
Many users believe that a pendulum opens up new levels in
imagination and mental development.

When you let your conscious mind (the rational and logical part
of your mind) relax, your subconscious mind can go to work and
that’s what literally allows the pendulum to move.

If someone can focus, they can use a pendulum.

The pendulum experience needs conscious attention to create a

subconscious response.

Give this little exercise a try and see for yourself.

Rest your elbow on the table to keep your hand and arm steady.

Keeping your arm and hand steady, think of your pendulum

moving back and forth, back and forth, up and down, along a
straight vertical line. If you think in this in a focused way, your
subconscious will make it happen.
It is as close to real magic as you can get, it’s amazing how this
works. You’ll completely “get” what we mean, when we say the
pendulum is an amplifier for your subconscious.

It’s proof positive, showing how powerful simple thoughts can

be. The principal for the magic that is happening in your hand is
called is called “Ideomotor Response”. Simply put: your mind
thinks it and your body makes it happen without any conscious
effort.

If doesn’t happen the first time, relax. Try again, and allow your
conscious mind to just do nothing and let your subconscious to
create response.

In order to understand how to use a pendulum in your

performances, you need to understand how it is used by those
who use their pendulums every day in their “real” lives.

What follows is a basic primer in what they will do to connect

with their subconscious through the conduit of their pendulums.
The YES-NO Exercise

Pendulum owners believe each pendulum has its own

“personality.” And it’s true: each pendulum as its own, balance,
quirks and construction.

YES

NO NO

YES

For this exercise you can use a pendulum chart or just create

a conscious binary decision of YES and NO like the graphic on

the right.

Normally YES are vertical movements and NO are horizontal

movements, but each pendulum is different.

Find a comfortable place. Take your pendulum in your dominant

hand and just think the following question.

Am I a woman?
Let the pendulum answer your question. Does it move up or
down? Side to side? Clockwise? Counterclockwise? This is how
you tell a “yes” response from a “no” response.

Try other questions that are clearly right or wrong:

Am I over 100 years old?

Do I live in (name your city)?

You will find that within a few moments, you “know” the
responses you will get from the pendulum. You will know which
is YES and which is NO.

Take it a step further…and ask questions to which the answer

will me “maybe” or “Not yet” – an d you may find that there’s a
whole new set of responses that come consistently to you
through the movement of the pendulum..

The nice thing about working with pendulums is that you can
even ask question in where apparently you don’t know the
answer. (Did I leave my car keys in the kitchen?)

If your subconscious knows the answer, it can communicate it to

you through the pendulum.
We don’t know a lot about the subconscious. An interesting
point to mention: sometimes the pendulum doesn’t respond at
all.

If the pendulum stays motionless, is may be a signal that your

subconscious mind either doesn’t know the answer or isn’t
feeling cooperative at that moment.

That’s what pendulum users believe.

Next, let’s talk about using the pendulum in your performance.

Using the Pendulum in Performances

Every performer asks this question: “What happens if the

pendulum doesn’t move when I am performing?”

Let me be completely honest. In all my performances less than

2% of the time I get no movement at all from my pendulum.

Maybe my suggestion wasn’t good enough; maybe my

performance was weak that day or the participant´s conscious
mind was too critical and their resistance too high.

The movement of the pendulum comes from a lot of factors:

1. “Physics” (the weight of the bob, length of the cord, material of

the cord, etc.)

2. Hand position of the participant.

3. Openness from the participant.

4. Your suggestions (verbal and non-verbal)

There are other factors as well, but simply put: your instructions
have to be clear.
Your work has to be polished and well-constructed.

But what happens if the pendulum still doesn’t move even when
you are trying with your whole mind and heart to create the
experience?

You have to be creative, flexible and open to other possibilities.

As Milton Erickson said:

“If something doesn’t work, TRY SOMETHING ELSE.”

By that I don’t mean you should take the pendulum from the
participant´s hands and do a card trick. You need to use other
techniques and approaches to get your goal.

Focused attention is very important in properly using a

pendulum. You have to center the attention of your participant
to a specific point on the pendulum. What follows is an
interesting technique called a “double bind”.
 “Focus your attention in one point of the pendulum. It can be a point
on the bob (point to the bob) or any point on the cord (point other
one), anywhere.

And as you are looking there, your unconscious mind starts to go to

work.”

The “double bind” is a powerful technique. Don’t underestimate

it. You not only focus your participant’s attention on the
pendulum, but you’ve also used IMPLICATIONS to create an
ambiguous message to reduce resistance and to create
internalization of the meanings of your words.

I promise you: using the double bind, 98% of the times the
pendulum DOES move and that itself is a magical, amazing, and
powerful experience for anyone.

Here are some great tips to ensure the pendulum responds to

your spectator:

1. You want to create mild hand and arm fatigue for the
participant. If I feel that the participant to be a little resistant, ask
for an arm position that creates fatigue in his part. Have him
hold his arm straight out in front of him, instead of comfortably
resting his elbow on the table. This way, there will be a natural
shake to the hand which, in turn, will create subtle movement
which you can use to create the Ideomotor Response you’re after.

2. Take a LOT of attention in your verbal finesses. You’re your

script carefully so your participant knows what is expected to
happen. Use embedded commands, presuppositions, pacing and
leading, etc.

Here is a classic line I use when introducing the pendulum to a

spectator:

“Put your hand like this, and watch the pendulum work. (Moving the
hand and arm in a specific location).Great”

There’s a lot going on in this line.

You are saying in an embedded way “IF you put the hand like this,
the pendulum will work. Because I’m moving your hand you are
obeying me, the pendulum will work.”
Other tip is clearly direct the idea that the pendulum movement
and experience comes from the unconscious/subconscious mind
and NOT from the conscious mind. You can even ask to the
participant:

“Move the pendulum with your conscious mind now. By that I mean
move your hand and allow the pendulum to move.

That’s right. Now with your mind, not your conscious mind rather
your unconscious mind tell the pendulum to STOP…”

After that the participant will start to believe that the pendulum
CAN be commanded to stop, to start, to move in straight lines –
or back and forth. They will believe these things, and the instant
they do, your job is done because the pendulum WILL stop, start,
circle upon their command. It’s not just an Ideomotor Response;
it’s now for natural physics.

Before your participant thinks too hard upon this, you need to
add:
“Now, as you see, the pendulum slowly stops upon your command. It is
the simple power of your thought, blended with your subconscious that
is doing that.”

Is this a truth…or a lie? Does it matter? The bottom line is that

this statement creates a belief that the pendulum will move, so it
will. From that point on, your participant will “close” his
conscious mind.

3. Experiment with pendulums a LOT yourself. This is how you

will learn to direct the movement more quickly and easily. You
will discover a lot of different ideas that you can use for
performances.

One of the most important things ultimately for pendulum work

is your CONFIDENCE.

Even before the performance you have to communicate that you

are a competent performer (regardless of what you think that
about yourself).
You have to believe the experience will have a successful finale
and all will work. Watch your participant. The following thought
comes from Milton Erickson and Carl Roger´s psychotherapy
work: If you participant is smiling nervously, use that. If your
participant is skeptical about your spiel about the mind, use that.

Use anything that your participant brings to your performance to

help you reach your goal.

YOU NEED to believe that your participant already has the

ability to let the unconscious mind take control of the moment
and use his Ideomotor Response to move the pendulum.

One of the great things about pendulums is that, because this

experience isn’t just an illusion of a phenomenon, it is a REAL
phenomenon. It’s quite literally real magic!

When you see the impact pendulum routines create in the eyes of
your audience, the power credibility that they give your
performance you’ll see why we believe the pendulum is
probably the most under-used device available to magicians and
mentalists today.

Enjoy

Pablo Amirá
Effects with Pendulums
Visual
Mindreading
One of my preferences in casual
demonstrations uses the pendulum.

It is an effect any competent performer can do anywhere.

Participant and Audience perception

After a mindreading routine, the performer offers a visual

metaphor on how to read thoughts in a simpler way, through a
pendulum!

The participant takes a pendulum and, under the guidance of the

mentalist, begins to realize he can control the pendulum with his
mind. (We covered this in an earlier section.) Essentially, the
performer offers some ideas about the pendulum movements.
Now, the -prime- participant will think of a number between 1
and 5 and is told to mentally command the pendulum to make a
circular motion when his number is said to the audience.

Watch as it happens. Watch your audience as they watch it

happen…then take your bow.

Effect

Telepathy. The whole audience reads the mind of a participant

onstage.

You Need

Pendulum

Memory

“The whole audience reads the thought of the person onstage”

How?

This idea came to me one day after one of my daydreaming

moments. I was trying to come up with some new ideas for
pendulums. (As you know, one of my favorite things from our
art is the pendulum. They are so simple to understand, and so
powerful!)

Pendulums have a lot of factors that are very important to a

mental experience:

1. Believability: People have heard of them since they are rooted

in psychic and “paranormal” history.

2. They use real mind phenomena: William James, the father of

classic psychology was fascinated with the ideomotor response
and the use of suggestion to plant ideas. So are mentalists and
magicians.

3. There is no need for a logical disconnection: Unlike other mind

experiences, a pendulum doesn’t need a logical disconnection
from the method because the performance doesn’t need one. The
phenomena of Ideomotor Response is real…and completely fills
the goal of entertainment and mystery.

The method of this experience for your participant is relatively

simple.

If you don’t use pendulums regularly, you need to know a few

simple ideas. First, in order to initiate the right ideomotor
responses, you NEED to guide, pace and lead the thoughts and
beliefs of your participant in what you want them to do and the
unconscious movement you want them to manifest.

The amazing thing is that the movement is really unconscious.

The participant is even more amazed than the audience! The
audience may be thinking that the participant is faking it. The
participant knows that he is only focusing on the idea of
movement, but not moving the pendulum consciously. So you
need to directly say that in your performance. In that way, the
audience will know that the participant is having a genuine
phenomenon and isn’t acting as your confederate.

This piece is naturally placed after any telepathy effect (Drawing

duplication, direct mind reading with a personal thought, etc.),
so after your applause from that effect you say:

“I don’t consider this ability as a gift, because I wasn’t born with this.
I’ve practiced this psychological skill for a long time. Some people tell
me that I’m a psychic, others a psychology expert.
I know that you don’t have the proper training, but I will invite you all
to have a mindreading experience. Whether you believe it or not, YOU
are about to read the mind of our participant”.

(This line is congruent with my character as a mentalist. Adapt

this line to your character.)

Start your normal pendulum sequence. I will share mine just for
the sake of completeness. I start with building compliance to
create the scenario that I want. The participant is cooperating and
obeying my instructions. If I feel it’s necessary, I say this directly:

“I can suggest ideas in your mind, but if you don’t cooperate and you
aren’t open to the experience, this will not work. So just trust in me, be
open and enjoy”.

This puts a good amount of responsibility on the participant. I

rarely need to use this line because the participant is usually
already conditioned. I read her mind minutes before, so she will
believe nearly anything I tell her.
 After that I hand her the
pendulum.

You can see the position

of the hand and the arm
in the photo.

Before any movement from the participant, let me tell you about
a very good idea from my friend Mauricio Jaramillo. Just take the
bob of the pendulum (ring in this case) and move it with your
hand.

“And as this pendulums moves, just synchronize with that movement.

That’s right.

And in a moment in your mind just say “STOP, STOP”, and you will
see what happens”.

Try to read in between the lines. If someone said “STOP “to

something, they will expect that something to stop, right?
So the expectation created with this action will stop the swinging
from the pendulum. Even if the participant doesn’t create
unconscious movement in this phase, the pendulum will stop
just by pure physics, so this part also serves you as a “ritual”.

Just say:

“And as you can see, it isn’t only the natural loss of energy from the
pendulum; you are actually stopping the pendulum with your mind”.

Nobody can question that bold statement.

After that, use this growing concentration and belief to start to

move the pendulum with your suggestions:

“Now you know how powerful your mind is. Now the pendulum will
move in a straight line. A line that will connect us in a metaphorical
manner”.

In this phase, put yourself in front of your participant. While you

are continuing to emphasize the suggestion, move your hand
back and forth, recreating the desired movement.
Now, if you use that “metaphorical connection” idea, don’t
suggest after this moment a horizontal position. If the vertical
means connection, the horizontal at a subconscious level could
mean separation, so when I use this metaphor, I next suggest a
circular motion.

“Great, and as this linear movement is becoming stronger and stronger,

simply will this pendulum in your mind to move in a circular motion.

Clockwise or counter-clockwise, whatever you prefer. “

That last line becomes a double bind that will ensure that the
movement will happen. After the movement, you can stop the
first exercise with the pendulum and go straight to the “Visual
Mindreading” idea, or suggest the opposite movement and after
that go to the audience as a mindreading experience.

“Now that Valerie knows how pendulums work, let’s try a mindreading
experiment where all of you (point to the audience) will be psychics
for a moment. It won’t be difficult, so don’t worry..
I want to leave the premise crystal clear and also clarify that this
isn’t hard like my actual “mentalism.” Our art really (in a
presentational or real way) needs to look hard. That’s why I love
Contact Mind Reading… because Contact Mind Reading is the
“real deal.”

When we read secret info before any direct mindreading

experience (with Center Tear, etc.) we need to remember to
communicate that we don’t know the information yet in our
subtext , so what we are about to do looks more credible and
extremely difficult.

These lines also suggest that no one can do the things that I do. I
do this experience with the pendulums just because I want the
participants to experience what mind reading feels like.. So this
piece works for you you in a lot of levels, not just as an
entertaining routine.

“Valerie, in your mind just think of a number between 1 and 5. Got

one? Ok.”

As you know, “between” cancels 1 and 5. So you have 2,3, and 4.

If that finesse doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter in this case. This
piece isn’t entertaining because you are showing what you can
do, you’ve already shown it. This piece is all about the
participant and the audience (which is what all performances
should be about).

“Now. We will all name the numbers from 1 to 5. When you hear the
number you are thinking of, I want you to command the
pendulum with your mind, to move in a circular motion.”

So, now you understand the idea. The participant will move her
hand in an unconscious way when she hears his thought of
number, and with that, the audience will react and say the
participant’s precise thought.

Rely in your “between” finesse, and pay attention to the 2, 3 and

4. Suddenly you will notice a movement. Suggest the movement
in an indirect manner:

“(the whole audience) THREE

(You see movement) And if you hear your thought of number, just
think in a circular movement. Big circles in your mind. “,

and let the audience say which number the participant is

thinking of. The participant will confirm it.
Possible Dialogue

Introduction

(Premise)

Now that Valerie knows how pendulums work, let’s try a mindreading
experiment where all of you (points to the audience) will be psychics
for a moment. It will not be hard like my mindreading experiments, so
don’t worry.

(Conditions)

Valerie, in your mind just think of a number between 1 and 5. Got one?
Ok.

Middle

Now. We will all name the numbers from 1 to 5. When you hear your
thought of number, just like before, think of a circular motion.

(Now just jazz it along a bit with precise suggestion at the correct
moment)

…And if you hear your thought of number, just think of circular

movement. Big circles in your mind.
Conclusion

Isn’t that amazing? And now you know a little bit more about how to
read thoughts.

A big round of applause for Valerie and for all of you!

(end)

Ideas

1. Some impromptu pendulums can be: Long hair and a ring,

keychain, bracelet, a watch, shoelaces with anything as a weight,
chained paperclips and a binder clip (great pendulum for offices)
and headphones. Just be aware of your possibilities in
performance.

2. Obviously, you can use other targets as a premise. ESP

symbols, more numbers, etc.
3. You can invite other members of the audience to the stage (or
impromptu stage) and let them read the first participant’s
thought. In an indirect way, the audience will also see that
movement.

Credits and Inspiration

Credit goes to a lot of guys for giving me the passion to use

pendulums. Dr Bill, Mauricio Jaramillo, Rich Hennessey and
Kenton Knepper.

Inspiration comes, as I say, in expanding the use of pendulums.

 Envelope
Pendulum
This idea came from Kenton`s Sealed Pendulum
I changed a little bit the effect, and now is a staple in my repertoire.

Audience and Participant Perception

A participant is invited to participate in an experiment that tests

his intuition.
He starts to experience strange things with a pendulum that looks
like an envelope. In the middle of the process, the participant thinks
of an important person in his life. After the suggestion effect with
the pendulum the envelope is open and a paper is taken out.
The paper has the initials of the thought-of person.

Effect
Suggestion and Precognition. After a pendulum effect, the
person the participant thought of is inside the envelope he was
holding the entire time
You need
Envelope with a hole with a cord (Pendulum)
Post it glued inside the envelope,
Post it pad with a little pencil inside your pocket.

Memory
“I move the pendulum with my mind and the initials of the person that
I thought appeared inside of the envelope”

How?

You can infer that this effect use the famous mentalist technique
called Pocket Writing.
If you don’t know anything about Pocket Writing, just find good
material and start to practice. Banachek, Mark Strivings and John
Riggs are good sources.
I use a very simple preparation for the PW work. I just keep the
post it pad in my right pant pocket with the pencil. The first page
in the post it is pre-folded in quarters.

The envelope on the cord acts as a pendulum. Inside of the

envelope is a firmly glued folded post it.
You are ready to perform this piece.

Ask for a participant in an experiment in “intuition connection.”

You can explain a little bit about pendulums, but the important
factor that your participant needs to be in an open mind state.
Pass the envelope and start to suggest different movements.
In some point, just put your hands casually in your pockets.

In the middle of your patter, simply say:

“If I asked you to name an important person in your life, who

would it be.NAME AND LAST NAME. Who would do you
name, QUICKLY”

It is important to say “Name and Last Name”, and also “quickly”

because you don’t want to that your participant to have time to
think about what you’ve just said.

As an example, let’s say your participant responded with:

“Peter Johnson” (P. J.)

Instantly, you start to write the initials, “P J “in your post it pad
as you smile (act as if you understand that your prediction is
correct) and continue with your routine. As you finish, ask for
applause for your participant and say:

“You know, you did it VERY WELL.

Let me show you why. You can see that, in this instance, our pendulum
is an envelope, and inside the envelope is a little present for you.”

As you said that line, you fold the post it in your pocket and take
it in finger palm in your hand.
As finish your line, take your hands from your pockets and take
the envelope from your participant

“You can see that inside is a little piece of yellow paper”

You open the envelope, and show the paper inside with your
left hand (in your right hand is your folded piece of paper)

“And you remember that a moment ago, I asked you THINK of an

important person in your life, right?”

The participant WILL said yes, because the second statement is

true. The first one is NOT true…because he said the name out
loud, but with his answer, apparently he is agreeing with both
statements.
Now comes the “actor” moment. Just pretend to take the
palmed piece of paper from the envelope. Don’t put much
effort in it, just do it in a casual way. Remember that what
you’re doing isn’t so much about your performance as it is
about the final revelation.

“I want to tell you something. Yesterday I wrote 2 letters in this

paper. Can you say out loud for the FIRST TIME the initials of this
person in your mind?”

This subtlety is lovely. In reality for the first time the participant
will said the initials of the person.
The participant will say:
“P. J”

Your open the paper, show it to him, await his reaction, and
show the paper to your audience.
Give that piece of paper to your participant, and believe me, he
will keep it!
Possible Dialogue

Introduction

(Premise and Conditions)

I need someone with a creative and open mind. You(point to someone
that you sense that will be cooperative).
Please give her a big round of applause (Applauses)
Your name is …..Lisa
Lisa, you are about to experience something unique, so try to completely
relax, ok? OK
Let me give you this. This, as you can see is an envelope, but it is also is
a pendulum
Pendulums allow us to connect with our intuition, that part of our mind
that hides things that you cannot know.
I know that you will PERFECT for this (ego boost) so just take this cord
and let the pendulum to stay still.

Middle

(Suggestion)
In a moment, believe it or not, this pendulum will start to move. The
way it moves is up to you: fast or slow. Your choice. But as you listen to
me, you will start to feel that the pendulum will start to move in a line.
A straight line that connects you and the audience (move your hand
in that direction) and as you are aware of that movement, just imagine
the pendulum move faster and faster. That’s right….. (Keep the
suggestions until you can see excitement and a good quantity of
movement)

In a moment the movement will be start to slow down and slow down,
and suddenly STOP. That’s right, because in a moment the pendulum
will start to move AGAIN, but this time in line from your RIGHT to
your LEFT. (Put your hands in your pocket)
MORE and MORE you can imagine that movement, and MORE and
MORE will be real, that’s right.
Very good
Now, if I said to you that named an important person in your life.
NAME AND LAST NAME, Which person do you name, QUICKLY
Peter Johnson.
(Smile and act confident) Ok

(Let’s move on to another movement such as circle movement)

You are brilliant; please a round of applause to Lisa
Conclusion
(Revelation)
You know, you did VERY WELL.
As you can see the pendulum is an envelope, and inside the envelope is
a little present for you.
You can see that inside is a little piece of yellow paper.
And you remember a moment ago, I asked you to THINK of an
important person in your life, right? (You can nod your head at this
moment) Yes
Yesterday I wrote 2 letters in this paper. Can you say out loud for the
FIRST TIME what are the initials of this person in your mind?” P.J.
(Open the paper dramatically and show it first to the participant
and then to your audience)
You did it perfectly, Lisa. You are amazing.
Another round of applause

(end)
Ideas

1. This effect can play also as an influenced clairvoyance. You

apparently wrote a 2 digit number in the paper, and the
participant via his intuition can guess the number in the paper.

2. You can use a more direct methodology for this. Just create a
“Billet Pendulum” and use the Sankey´s Full View Switch or
Bresler´s E.B. Clip Switch or even just an “Ostin Clip”.

Credits and Inspiration

Inspiration comes from Kenton Knepper`s Sealed Pendulum and

my own ideas Credits to Banachek, John Riggs, Mark Strivings
and Kenton Knepper
Interested in more?
http://ideaspendulums.blogspot.com/