Searched but could not find this subject & unsure whether this idea has been in print before. Let me know if it has been.

Have recently 'seshed' 13 Steps over the past few months the 'Centre Tear' is definitely my favourite method of obtaining information. The only problem/hassle I found was the idea of carrying around billets. I feel that is more acceptable/understandable to carry pre-made billets in a walk around/paid situation, but if an opportunity to perform some mentalism arises in a casual situation it feels/looks slightly set-up. I've come to the conclusion that shopping receipts/dockets are just as brilliant as proper billets. They can be carried in the wallet, regularly acquired and are as impromptu as can be + they tear very easily. So in summary: Receipts in wallet = 'impromptu billets.'

Thoughts would be cool.

Receipts are great and so is anything else you can find and tear into business card size. I have used so many different papers, magazine corners, brochures, newspapers to do a PCT on the spot.

I like the idea I haven't used it yet but thought about it before..


I like using acidus novus lately by millard longman from al mann acidus

Osterlind's centre tear is great. Use it all the time. I've done it with paper, business cards, etc...

I'd say business card is probably the best, since people are used to seeing them,if you perform in street situations you can even go into shops and snag a few of them, or just use your own if you have one.

Barrie Richardson has a nice centre tear with a post-it note as well as a business card in his book Act Two.

Why not carry a pad of Post-It notes? You'll have several performances all contained on one pad...which is easily carried in any pocket.

Another vote for Richard Osterlind's Center Tear!!

I really like Banachek's center tear, and really, you can do "billet" tricks with any scrap of paper.

In bar situations why not get a spectator to go and ask for some recipt paper from the till.

I also really like Mathew Mellow's billet tear as the peek is done in the action of the tearing and then the word is torn up along with the rest.

As we're on the subject of centre tears, 13 steps and many of the older treaties on the great and mysterious art of reading small bits of paper, suggest burning the torn pieces. This makes for a very clean finish as the torn pieces can't be unfolded later. But in a world where smoking no longer takes place indoors and everyone is far more fire safety aware what does one do with torn up pieces of paper?

Peek Encores or Peek Performance You wont use billets again!

I know I'm not going to be the most liked person on this post after posting this, but I can't find the logic in center tears?

Before anyone gets their back up and says it is essential for a mentalist it is not....you are only limited by your own mental capabilities.

Lets see the process of logic,

the subject writes a piece of information down (under the excuse it is so they cannot change their mind, to prove to the audience that the subject isn't just agreeing with the performer to make him look good or to better visualize it in their minds). We all know there is a million excuses.

Then after it is written, it is torn up (sometimes burnt)..?? so what was the point writing it? If i was any normal person with half a brain and someone started tearing a piece of paper I had just written on (no matter how well bluffed the excuse is before hand) I would think what was the point in writing that?

Its a ridiculous premise, a blatant visual compromise, the logic behind a utility switch I can understand;

am i the only one with the same opinion??

P.S I use a different method of extracting information, it works nicely, is logical and it fools most working mentalists. (this wasn't meant as a DIG just a point of conversation)

One idea for writing is so that the word or number becomes a physical element.

Maybe for the premise, "I can't really read minds but I may be able to capture the thought once it becomes physical."

After the center tear do a blind fold exhibition. So funny after after the performance to walk in to something or bump yourself.

Yeah very good routine but there is always the question off, well if he can do this blindfolded why wasn't he blindfolded when i wrote it?

Oh sorry, I meant for the blindfold to be a separate routine after the CT routine.