Flim-Flam! Psychics, ESP, Unicorns, and Other Delusions - James Randi [135]
The method is known as One-Ahead. The performer came out there knowing the contents of one of the envelopes in advance. That envelope had been put at the very bottom of the basket. In picking up a new envelope, he had deliberately misread the initials, calling out those on the discarded envelope. All had assumed that he held that one in his hand at that moment. Actually the one he waved about was entirely strange to him. The reading he gave included divining the entire name from merely the initials, but he only seemed to be doing this, because others had done the same as we, writing their entire names on the envelope front. They were following the same instructions we'd received. Then, using the statement he had peeked at in advance, he turned it into a question. Opening the envelope he held as if to check the value and truth of his answer served to give him another message and name, which he would apply to the next strange envelope he held up over his head.
But as the medium picked up a folded envelope, Stewart sat up and took notice. A long rambling message followed, one that had nothing to do with Stewart's statement, and the initials he had called were not Stewart's. Yet the envelope he held seemed to be his, a supposition that was verified as the performer opened the envelope—supposedly to check his answer—and the flap audibly tore away from the card he removed from inside. It was no surprise when the next envelope he picked up was announced to bear the initials S. R.
The development of the message was interesting. The performer immediately "got an impression" of a child, a boy, name beginning with P—Peter, known fondly as Petey in both this life and now in the hereafter. With him, continued the man, were Jimmy and Annie and Bobby. Were any of these names familiar? Yes, answered Stewart, he once knew a Bobby. The message reading ended, and the performer opened the envelope he held. Much nodding and smiling followed, as if the man derived great satisfaction from the information given him by the spirits.
The message that had been written was, "Petey is in spirit. I hope he is with his friends." Petey, unknown to both performer and his ghost friends, had been a parakeet who expired the day before. The other names given by the man were names that almost had to hit somewhere. There was little mystery to the reading Stewart had received.
The usual process in a One-Ahead session is to provide only a dozen or so readings, then invite those whose messages have not been used to attend a private seance, arranged through the front desk. After having seen "proof" of the miracles promised, many would be willing to arrange for an expensive private reading. And the envelopes bearing full names and statements would be great ammunition in these subsequent encounters. These operators use everything but the squeal of the victim.
Bear in mind that this is only one (though the most widely used) of the billet-reading methods. Whole books have been written on the subject and the multitude of techniques available. There are two elements in it: First, to determine what is written on the paper without it being evident that this has been done. Second, to develop this information in a clever manner that implies knowledge of more than what was written. At Camp Silver Bell we saw some performers who were pretty poor compared to others I have encountered. A real pro would not have touched a folded envelope under any circumstances.
In 1976 Lamarr Keene, a spirit medium who had bilked thousands of Florida residents out of their fortunes, decided to give it up. He confessed all to the IRS and to readers of his book, The Psychic Mafia. In 1977 I interviewed him and discovered that he knew little about the more subtle methods of chicanery. He explained to me that he didn't need to