Pygmalion effects by Aaron Alexander

Pygmalion Effects is a book that explores a way of making instant, powerful effects that are difficult to call anything but “magic” for those experiencing them as a performer, a participant, or an observer. Foreword by Dr. Connie Varnhagen, PhD.

“…The final result is the ability to create miracles that are as stunning to witness as magic that is portrayed in folklore and film, yet require nothing but what you carry with you every day in your birthday suit. The experience of the participant is real and visceral, and cannot be subjectively distinguished from some of the daily hazards that goblins and Storm Troopers might endure.”

PE shares a method that a performer can use to both create his or her own effects and to create a dynamic wherein magic becomes genuine and natural. Anything the performer does on the stage could just as well be done on the bus stop on the way home. Each chapter is illustrated by two demonstrations, which include:

The Invisible Rope: Normal rope abilities become interesting when there is no physical rope.

Push: Knock over individuals or groups with an invisible force that seems not to belong to this world.

The Skull: A participant`s fears and worries are placed into an old skull that becomes so heavy that they cannot hold on to it.

Ghost Touch: A strange touch disconnects a participant from their own hand.

Powerless: Sap away and restore a participant`s strength on command.

Psychic Surgery: Cut a participant with an invisible scalpel without disturbing the skin. Perform surgeries with strange effects.

The Telltale Heart: A participant`s guilt manifests physically to reveal a secret.

Paralyzed: A participant is paralysed in an open-ended procedure that the performer can use to build a variety of effects.

PE is a book about a method that a performer can use to both create his or her own effects and to create a dynamic wherein magic becomes genuine and natural. Anything the performer does on the stage could just as well be done on the bus stop on the way home.

There is no need for gimmicks, props, complicated methods, a background in sleight of hand magic, hypnosis, mentalism, mysticism, etc. All that is needed is enough nerve to try something unfamiliar.