This ‘black magic’ exercise can be so much fun and will fill many idle minutes of your program. Here’s the most basic version I know.
Gather your group and seat them comfortably – they could be there for a while. Announce that you would like one person – a colleague, or one of your group members – to leave the area so that they can not see or hear what is about to transpire.
Upon their departure, explain to the rest of your group that you would like them to nominate any random object (that everyone can see) for this volunteer to identify when they return. Let’s say they pick the guitar sitting in the corner of the room. Cool.
The volunteer returns – you could refer to them as a mind-reader to build intrigue if you wish. Their task is to correctly identify the object that the group has just picked.
Now, what the group does not know is that in advance of the group assembling, you and this volunteer have discussed what the ‘trick’ is going to be. You are only limited by your imagination, but for now, I’ll use the ‘object-suggested-directly-after-a-black-object’ trick.
Here’s how it works. You welcome the ‘volunteer’ back into the group and announce that an object has been chosen. Then explain that you will suggest a particular item and their task is to confirm or deny if this is it.
For example, I might say, “IS IT THIS CHAIR?” and the volunteer will shake their head. “IS IT THE PLATE?” and again they shake their head. ‘IS IT THE SHOE?” again negative. But, this time, the volunteer mind-reader notes that the shoe is black, so this indicates that the next object will be ‘it.’
Pointing next at the chosen object, I say “IS IT MY GUITAR?” and the mind-reader will respond with an emphatic “YES.” Voila, and your group will sit there amazed with ‘How-did-they-do-that?’ written all over their faces.
In case you missed it, this is the trick.
The item pointed at directly after the first (and any) black item has been proffered is the secret item (nominated by the group.) Get it?
Repeat this process over and over. After several rounds, some folks will start to catch on. If so, test their new-found magical powers and invite them to become a mind-reader too.
However, if you are like me, and do not enjoy being left in the dark for too long, I will gradually provide more and more obvious clues to the group (so that they may catch on to the trick) until, at the very end, I explicitly describe what’s happening.
Perhaps you think that this ‘trick’ is too easy to pick? If so, try another ‘What’s The Key’ idea from the Variations tab.
To help the mind-reader, be sure to choose an object that is mostly or wholly black, lest a little doubt may creep into their mind.
The beauty of this ‘trick’ is that you do not need a lot of time to prep your volunteer. In its most basic form, they simply need to know they should select the object directly after you have pointed at any black object. Give a couple of examples, and you’re done. Thirty seconds, max.
Please note, the point of lateral-thinking types of activities should not be to frustrate your group beyond enjoyment. They are designed to be fun but don’t play for more than 30 or 40 minutes. Gradually introduce more and more obvious clues so that, eventually, everyone gets the ‘key.’
Some groups may have an aversion to referring to this exercise as ‘black magic.’ The name is irrelevant, so if you think this could be an issue, use another name such as Garry’s Trick, intriguing Illusions or Mind-Reading Lesson 101.
Want to know more about the traditional understanding of Black Magic? Check out this article about the use of supernatural powers for evil or selfish purposes.
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