I was performing one of my favourite effects for my friend the other day, the swami-divined number. I understand the swami can be used in ways that are much more interesting than guessing a shitty two-digit number. I just find myself going back to it again and again because of the sheer directness, great reactions, and just how fun it is to perform. I digress.

On this occasion, I decided to go for a three-digit number. What I usually do is ask for the number one digit at a time. This is so that I can neatly write each number as it is being called out, and so that I can almost instantly turn the pad around when they name the last number. I got his first digit, and then for the second digit, I came up with the following on the fly. This is what I said to him: “Okay I want you to focus on that second digit now. See the number big and bold in your mind… Interesting. I think you’re really close, do you mind if I guide you a little? The number you have in your head, go down by one. Done that? Perfect! Let’s see how we did. What number are you on now? Two? Yessssss! You’re doing great. One more digit to go.”

Then I continued with the third digit as normal, then turned over my pad instantly for the revelation. He froze for a second, then said “Dude I swear if you did this in the past you’d be burnt at the stake, what the fuck.”

A bit later, we were finishing our coffees, and he said “Seriously, how did you do that? How did you know I was thinking of three? Are you in my head or something?” This is when I realized this little bit of byplay was worth remembering.

I won’t insult you by explaining it; you all should know how that worked by reading the above. One thing I will mention, however, is that my off-the-cuff thinking could’ve gone very wrong. If my friend was thinking of zero, then asking him to go down by one would’ve been impossible. That’s why from now on, I’ll be asking them to either go up or down by one. What I’ll say is “I feel this digit is really close. In fact, I think you’re off just by one. I’ll let you decide if it’s one less or one more.” This way the subtlety won’t go wrong.

Editor’s note: Jerry and Franklin have ideas about handling this while specifying the direction that they will share in the comments.

Notes on Presentation and Handling

If you are simply having them divine a number, I found “writing” the number in front of them on a pad and handing them the pencil to be much more favourable then say something like a window envelope. The pencil attracts a lot more attention than you might think. It is deeply fooling. Seeing the pencil move and hearing your fingernails scratch on the pad are convincers that are very powerful. The swami you prefer will depend on the size and moisture level of your hand, but I personally prefer Franz’s Easy Writer. It’s secure, has no separate parts that break off in your pocket (like the one I used to use, the Vernet Bandwriter), and has a clever design that allows you to subtly feel what you’re writing on the pad as you’re writing it. And no, sadly, this isn’t a sponsored post.

Fellow writer Franklin came up with an idea for a two-digit number. You look disappointed after hearing them name the two digits. Then you say “dang, you were so close but you got it completely backwards” and you show 43 instead of 34. “It’s tough isn’t it?” If you don’t want to show an incorrect number (and include a similar beat to the Off by One Principle), you can ask them to think of a two digit number, then say: “Wait, I think you’re very close to the one I had in mind. Can you swap the digits around? For example if you thought of 84, make it 48.” Then when they name their number you just write the digits in one go.

The way I present this is very simple. I don’t have a complex script or anything. What I try to convey is that this is a simple game and the aim is for them to “get” my number. If I get them to name the number all at once instead of digit by digit, I celebrate strongly and ask them something like “Seriously, did you see what I wrote down or something?” Usually people will strongly protest, and this is when I do my secret writing. I like this better than the very dead line: “Why did you go for that number?” If I’m going digit by digit, I might say something like “Yesss, one for one!” or something. I might add comments like “You’re doing fantastic, don’t think about this too hard…” When they name the final digit, I do a bigger celebration at the end. Go out and give it a try, it’s fun for everyone involved.