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SEPARATION ANXIETY **Instant Download**

by Bruce Bernstein

$25

The Blurb

Over the years I have worked on and developed many versions of the classic effect, OUT OF THIS WORLD. In fact, the first effect I ever released was called COUPLES — a version of OOTW that, at the time, Paul Curry stated was the best variation of his original that he had seen, and offered to market it for me! It was a most encouraging start to what has become a most interesting field of endeavor.

Now, these many years later, I’ve finally developed an extremely straightforward, hands-off, two-phase routine that utilizes deeply layered methods, befitting this classic effect of Mentalism. Watching the impact it has on both laymen and Magicians/Mentalists alike has convinced me it’s one of the most powerfully direct and clean presentations available.

Via an ebooklet, with embedded videos,  you can also learn this most amazing of effects that slayed them when premiered at the prestigious MEETING OF THE MINDS and has fooled some of the best minds in the business.

What follows is the exact description of the routine that I use in the instructions. This is not a cleaned up, edited, version of what actually happens. This is not just one out of several ways of presenting the effect. There are no multiple outs or double realities.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS!

PHASE 1: You propose an experiment in which your ability to affect an audience member’s choices will be put to the test.

She is handed a small pack of playing cards and asked to deal them into two fairly equal piles. But not just at random — she is to “follow her intuition” as she does so, and deal cards to either pile as her feelings dictate.

After the cards are dealt, you state that you handed her exactly twenty cards — ten Red and ten Black.

“Let’s see how you’ve done.”

You pick up one of the piles and count out loud the number of cards in it, one at a time, as you deal them onto the table.

There are precisely ten cards!

“That’s a good sign — a very promising beginning.”

Then you simultaneously turn over the top card of each pile, showing that there was a Red Card on top of one pile and a Black Card on top of the other pile.

This is repeated a few more times, and again it is seen that one of the piles contains only Red Cards, and the other only Black Cards.

Commenting that, “I think you see where this is going,” you “cut to the chase” by picking up the remaining cards and turning them over en masse, showing that all of the cards were sorted correctly by the spectator!

(It’s truly that clean and direct. If you wish, you can literally perform this in under a minute and its impact is beyond belief. Also, consider that at no time do you touch the cards during the spectator’s sorting process or give any instructions as she deals the cards. I sincerely feel this is as direct and clean as OOTW can be. But wait — there’s more.)

PHASE 2: “O.K. — that’s pretty cool, isn’t it? You are a remarkably intuitive person — you’re great to work with.” As this is said, you gather and square up the cards.

“Let’s try something a little more difficult.”

You remove another playing card from your pocket, and it is seen to be an Ace of Spades.

“What color is this card?”

Of course, the spectator says, “Black.”

“Well, I’m going to try and influence you to think it’s a Red Card.”

You insert the AS into the group of cards and, depending on your presentational style, shuffle or deliberately rearrange them.

You square up the cards, turn them face down, and hand them to your assistant, as in the first phase, with the same “follow your intuition” instructions you gave before.

She is then to deal the cards into two fairly equal piles, as the first time. (BTW, if you’re “thinking method” as you read the effect, consider that you could actually turn your back as she deals the cards.)

After she is done dealing the cards, you ask her, “Which pile do you think you dealt the Black Cards to?” You pick up the pile she indicated, and smile in a way that indicates she is correct.

As you mention that you attempted to influence her to deal just Black Cards to this pile, “like last time,” you turn over one card, then another, then another, etc., from the top of that pile and they are all seen to indeed be Black Cards.

“You were correct — as you can see, these are all Black Cards.”

You then pick up the pile on the table and place it with the remaining cards still in your hand. Continuing the same motion, you turn the combined packet face up and place it on the Black Cards you already dealt.

You continue, “But, as you’ll see, it’s the Red Cards that are now the most interesting,” as you then ribbon spread all of the cards to show a solid bank of nine Black Cards and the Ace of Spades residing in the middle of the group of all Red Cards

“You see — you must have thought the Ace of Spades was indeed a Red Card.”

A few points to emphasize:

You hand the cards to the spectator with the most minimal of instructions and you don’t interfere, or even have to say a word, until she is done dealing the cards.

There is NOTHING odd, out of the ordinary, or even anything that remotely appears unusual.

This is just what you would do, if you were doing it for real. There is absolutely no trace of artifice or guile which could make your audience suspicious in the least.

Here are a few unedited quotes:

Barrie Richardson:
“Elegant. The trick of the year.”

Christopher Carter:
“When I first saw Bruce Bernstein perform Separation Anxiety, I knew I had to learn it.  It was the cleanest, most direct handling of Out of This World I had seen.   I didn’t see how it could be improved upon.  Then Bruce showed me the second phase, and it was even more incredible than the first.”

“Few creators understand what mentalism should really look like in performance better than Bruce.   The first phase of Separation Anxiety is as perfect as any mental card effect could be.  Gone is the unusual procedure of most versions of Paul Curry’s classic effect.   A spectator psychically separates a small back of cards into reds and blacks.  That’s it!  It’s that direct.  But Bruce doesn’t stop there.  As soon as the spectator has picked her jaw up from the floor, he has her do it again, but this time with a twist so diabolical it just has to be seen to be believed.”

“I never thought I needed  another card effect in my repertoire until I saw Separation Anxiety. Now I know better. It’s definitely going into my repertoire.”

Ross Johnson:
“Bruce Bernstein is in creative mode and has traveled to a new solar system. On the heels of the ground breaking “TABOO” comes a refined take on the always intriguing “Out of this World”. Only the mind of Bernstein can both simplify method and expand impact at the same time. This is a routine not to be overlooked by any worker who presents miracles of only the highest quality.”

Alain Nu:
“Bruce Bernstein has been one of the most clever creators in the field of psychic entertainment and a true inspiration for many other artists such as myself. Bruce is like a scientist, whose clever mind continues to search for the answers to the even greater mysteries behind the already great mysteries which we cherish. In Bernstein’s “Separation Anxiety,” you will find about the cleanest answer to Paul Curry’s “Out of This World” to date. Recently, while in Chicago, he showed it to me and it left me speechless. It happens a LOT faster than you would expect! Now is your chance to learn this quickly… either before he changes his mind, or I make him change his mind!”