Impromptu Universe Selection

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Multiple Universe Selection was a trick I wrote up here almost five years ago.

That trick became somewhat representative of the style of magic I’ve written about, particularly in my books over the past five years. It’s a trick that plays out over multiple-locations and days. And it’s a trick where you start with a simple effect (one card changes to another), and you just keep building up layers around it until that simple effect becomes “evidence” of a much grander and crazier idea (that you can skip through the multi-verse).

Over the years I’ve heard from a number of people who have performed it—the stories and responses that the trick generates are understandably pretty bonkers—but I don’t believe I’ve received much in the way of alternative handlings for the effect until just recently.

For this post to make sense, you need to be familiar with the original effect, so if you’re not, go check it out.

Okay, this idea comes from Myles Thornton. Here it is, in his words…

I wanted to send you an email detailing my method of your effect Multiple Universe Selection, which allows you to perform the effect spontaneously. Basically my method eliminates the need for the special vanishing ink. So while you are walking to the postbox you pop into a corner shop you buy a pack of letter envelopes, stamps and a box cutter. Now when you get to the mailbox you take out the stack of envelopes and a piece of paper. Write the letter and give the envelope to your spectator and ask her to write her address on the envelope and put the stamp on. Hand her the letter and ask her to put the letter in. Now ask for the envelope back and place it, address side up, on top of the stack on envelopes. Perform a double turnover and seal the envelope and write her special number across the seal of the envelope to prove it won’t be tampered with. Now you have switched the envelopes. Post the letter with her special number face up. The rest of the effect is performed the same way.

This method I think has some advantages as it can be performed spontaneously by popping to a local shop. Also the address on the front of the envelope will be in their handwriting, all you have to do is switch the letters when you are home later, seal the envelope and write the number across the seal. Finally you also don’t have to worry what day it is as there is no time delay needed.

I think it’s a very interesting thing to consider. For me, this is such a “special occasion” sort of trick, that I’m not sure I need an impromptu-ish handling. But it’s definitely something I’m going to play around with.

Here are the different trade-offs.

Original Version

  • Only one envelope is in play, so it’s a little cleaner.

  • The participant can drop the envelope in the mailbox themselves.

  • No sleights or handling to worry about.

Impromptu Version

  • Doesn’t require a special pen or preparation.

  • Can be done any day/time of day (with the original version you wanted to do when the letter would sit in the mailbox for a bit of time).

  • The spectator can write their name/address on the envelope.

The likelihood of me ever using the impromptu handling will probably come down to how smooth I can get it. I played around with a stack of normal envelopes to see what a double turnover would feel like with them. It’s somewhat clumsy, but I might be able to sand off some of the edges with work. I would suggest instead of taking the envelope back from them, placing it on the stack, and then doing a double turnover, you should take the envelope back and place it on the stack, take the pen back and write something on the front of the envelope, then do the double turnover and seal and write something on the back. That gives you a rationale for putting the envelope address side up to start (because you want to write something on it), and it gives you a moment to align the envelopes for the double turnover, which isn’t as automatic as it is with cards.

It will take some work to get it smooth, but I think there is the foundation here for a handling that doesn’t require the special pen.

Thanks to Myles for sharing it.

By the way, Myles has a cool version of contact juggling in his At the Table lecture that uses a wine glass. It’s the sort of thing I have a feeling I’d be terrible at, but I think it looks really cool. Check it out.