This is an idea for those of you who use bone conduction devices.

I always thought it was great that you could play your own audio file (on most if not all of the devices currently available). The stock audio preloaded onto the device was always some creepy robotic sounding voice. The script would usually be something uninspiring like “You are thinking of the Two of Hearts.” Whose voice is that supposed to be, yours? Or a voice from a random person?

When I was fooling around with the device I was using (Inception by ProMystic), I opted to use my own voice. But it still felt like a recording, like a fake moment.

I watched many performances that included bone conductors online, and it was easy enough to infer from the reactions that the performers were just using the default voices that came with their devices (shame on them). The reactions made by the audience members who had the device used on them would be vague things like saying: “I heard a voice,” or “I heard a man’s voice.” There was nothing in the reactions to indicate anything noteworthy about the voice.

I wanted to find a voice that would make sense within the context of the trick. I wanted it to truly feel like a mind trip. Rather than the people being confused hearing the voice, I wanted the voice to be an affirmation of sorts.

Here’s what I came up with.

I first start bullshitting about lucid dreaming, astral projection, and deep meditation. I tell them that I attended many cult-like seminars with teachers that taught me how to be a “dream leader”. I mention how I never believed anything they taught until I started to try out some of the techniques. Then I would propose an experiment. After taking out a seemingly regular die from my pocket (don’t worry, there are alternatives!) and setting it on the table, I say something along the lines of:

“Let’s create an ‘answer’. This is a specific thought that I’ll try to lead you to during the experiment. I’ll start by giving you instructions, and then see if your subconscious mind can take over.

“Let’s make it simple. Check this out. This is a board game die. When you roll it there is a different outcome each time, yes?”

Now they check the die out, and give it a few rolls before confirming its legitimacy.

“Okay, roll it. Roll it again, okay now roll it but cover it with your hands so you don’t see the number.

“Done. Now you have an ‘answer’ that I can’t change because you’re guarding it. Also, I have no idea what number is on that die. All I can do is try to activate your spiritual state where you become hyperaware of your surroundings. To do that, I need to guide you with a story, lead you through a dream.

“Close your eyes. I want you to imagine that you’re on an old steam train. Imagine all the different sounds you would hear. The passenger cabin you’re in is made out of a dark Brazilian teak. You’re sitting on a comfy red leather seat. Every other seat is empty. It’s nighttime, so the windows offer nothing but blackness. There are dim incandescent lights near the entrances of the carriage. The rock of the train is soothing, and you’re about to fall asleep. That is until you hear a voice, the voice of the conductor.”

And they do. Inside their own head, they hear the background noise of the train moving on the rail, and the creak of the wood, and in a distinctive British voice:

“The next stop is Canterbury West, number 3.”

At your prompting, the participant opens their eyes and explains what they heard in their dream. After they’re done freaking out, they will uncover the die to show, you guessed it, three dots on top.

“You did excellent, you got the number correct. I’m happy I was able to transport you to the dream.”

For the sake of clarity, the method is that an Inception plays an audio selection based on the signal from a Real Die before being immediately ditched. Don’t worry, you don’t need a thousand dollar die to do this. In place of the die, you can use any trick where you’d know the outcome ahead of time. This is just an example.

When I’ve performed this presentation, it got significantly better reactions compared to the suggested stock routines that come with these devices.

When recording the voice, I made sure to have this “ambient train” soundtrack playing at a noticeable volume in the background, and you should also consider hiring a voice actor for the train conductor on Fiverr. If you’ve paid a thousand dollars for a bone conduction device, I’m sure you’re fine to invest an additional 10-30 dollars for a nice voice.

Instead of having a voice appear in their head that has no context to them, play it up and create a context around a stranger’s voice. Not only will it make more sense, but it’ll be more astonishing.