CID's - SHIPPED!

I'm happy to announce that ALL BACK-ORDERED CID's (Custom Installed Decks) have shipped. These are the units (Blue Backed Bikes) that were offered in our pre-release sale. If you have not yet received yours, that's because it was in the last batch made, the batch that has just shipped. So, relax, be cool, it will be with you shortly. I appreciate your patience, we did run into a few delays along the way. I can assure you that you will absolutely love the deck.

Due to having several "special" runs for clients, we have some select "overs." We also had a couple of cancellations on the pre-ordered CID's due to our tardiness. See below for ordering details if you'd like to grab one of these.

WANT A CID NOW?

Recently, we've completed some small runs of CID's for some very famous and some not so famous magicians. I'm happy to undertake these projects in our "Custom Shop". It gives me a chance to do something a little different, and that's always fun, informative, and rewarding. The available decks below are "overs." In other words, the client may have wanted 3 CID's in a specific design, and I've made a total of 5 at the sitting. Thus, there are two units left over.

Here's what's available (clockwise starting in the top left corner)

1 ONLY -- Tally-Ho (Fan Back) Blue -- US$59.95 + US$10ph
1 ONLY -- Tally-Ho (Fan Back) Red -- US$59.95 + US$10ph
1 ONLY -- Bicycle (League Back) Blue -- US$59.95 + US$10ph
1 ONLY -- Bicycle (League Back) REd -- US$59.95 + US$10ph
5 ONLY -- Bicycle (Rider Back) Blue -- US$59.95 + US$10ph
1 ONLY -- Split Spades (Face of deck spec for DB) Blue -- US$79.95 + US$10ph
1 ONLY -- Bicycle (Racer Back) Blue -- US$59.95 + US$10ph
1 ONLY -- Bicycle (Racer Back) Blue -- US$59.95 + US$10ph

If you want to grab one of these, then send an email via the link below and we'll organise it.

In a few weeks we shall open our "Custom Shop" fully and will advise exactly what will be available as a CID and the options you can have in order to make it special for YOU. All the requests for BLACK TIGERS wll be met! We have stock on the way to us now. Dealers will be supplied with a "stock" CID (Bicycle Red and Blue Backs) starting in September, 2008.

INSTRUCTION ADD ON

You may have noticed a new banner about the website. This directs you to an ADD ON set of instructions for ENLIGHTENMENT.
Developed with feedback from owners, the ADD ON set of instructions cover a couple of hurdles you may encounter as you learn to "Drive" your MLPV.1 gimmick.

These instructions should be read in conjunction with the QUICK START MANUAL that is supplied with your MLPV.1 Gimmick.
Right click on the image below to download the PDF to your hard drive. The instructions have been printed and are being added to all orders that ship as of May 12.

INKED!

At the Magic Cafe, an alert ninja by the name of "Magicianinja" has found a pen for the edge marking of the cap card that works wonderfully. So, if you can't find the pen I suggest in the Enlightenment book, give the PENTEL HANDY-LINES RETRACTABLE a go. Red, Blue, Black, all the colours you need for your bikes and Black Tigers! Available at Staples. Thanks dude!

LIE DETECTOR

From Derek Merdinyan:

"Placing the Enlightenment Engine between the folds of a folded (borrowed) bill and activating it with the drive magnet can be used to raise and lower one of the flaps. This can be performed on its own or incorporated into a lie-detector type routine (i.e. I'll bet you $20 if I can figure out which card is yours... I'll ask you a series of questions and you are free to tell the truth or tell a lie... etc.)

I've played around with several mild adhesives to help prevent suckout - but with practice you can get the bill to noticeably rise up and still safely perform the effect without suckout. Use of a mild adhesive can allow the performer to make the bill rise almost 90 degrees, but this isn't entirely necessary and, in some cases, can make the entire bill move backwards towards the drive magnet.

Thanks for Enlightening me."
Derek Merdinyan

Shane's Funny Tale

Shane is the editor of ONLINE VISIONS, a wonderful magic newsletter. He's also a solid performer and author of some astounding mentalism books. He just related this funny incident:

"Tonight I had dinner with some friends of mine and I took you-know-what out with me. After dinner, and the second round of drinks, I asked to borrow a dollar bill. I folded it in half and set it on the table like a little tent-card (with the platform inside). Then I took a paper napkin, and folded it flat into a triangle, tearing a large hole in the middle. I placed it over the standing bill, so the bill was in the center of the hole.

"I then put the bill down flat against the napkin, moving it a bit forward so it fell on the napkin (this hid the height of the platform perfectly). Then I had everyone grab a corner of the napkin and slowly raise it. I was totally hands off at this point. So they had hold of the napkin by the three corners and basically lifted the bill off the table with it. Whee.

"Then I had them slowly lower the napkin.

"The silence, the deep silence, as the bill stayed suspended in the air was beautiful. Before any of them had a chance to look under it, I lowered the platform, slowly again. I asked one of them to "Go ahead. Check out the bill." As they reached to take it, I simply pulled the napkin back toward me, covering the platform. As they were passing the bill around, I wadded up the napkin (carefully, because I stole the platform as I was doing it, then let it fall to my lap and attach itself to the zipper in my pants).

"Ben, that RIGHT THERE would have been worth twice the price!
Just had to tell you!"
Shane

Beckett's PSI

"You keep up the ideas, the magic and the fun…..Oh maybe people forget magic is fun and using the creations like enlightenment can create some fantastic magical moments. I used it tonight for a guy who is interested in magic but loves the Uri Geller types of the world . Did a simple float with a some photos that were sitting on my desk using PSI, it floored the guy! He loved it and well Ben I loved it too, it created a moment to move a conversation into all sorts of stuff!

"Oh he never grabbed, never looked under the photo , just stood there and went “WOW, I knew that shit was for real!”

"Now that’s worth 10 times the price of the trick!

"I’m off to Scotland tomorrow night and this will be coming with me just in case I have the chance to use it while we drink whiskey and mingle with the locals!"

Regards
Simon Beckett

Lhotta Thought!

From Bill Lhotta

Thinking Outside The Box

I just love it when people think about alternate applications, ideas and uses for any of my products. Enlightenment can be adapted for use in many different ways. Over the months and years you will see a lot of secret applications, driving a variety of effects, and not just levitations! The feeling of excitement is especially pronounced at the moment--because up until a few weeks ago, Enlightenment had only been shared with a handful of the industry's leading thinkers and creators. Now, the method, and the ideas behind the whole thing, are being shared by thousands around the world. All in a matter of weeks. It is an amazing world we have!

Titanas (Vagelis Haralampous) in Greece, has decided to experiment. He's just installed a MLPV.1 unit in a card case, as opposed to a deck of cards. See photo below. He's used a different trap too, NOT going around the card's border. If you'd like a look at his PDF instructions to assemble this, then use the email link below to request a copy.

Letter from Alex Goodey

Dear Mr Harris,

I purchased Enlightenment from worldmagicshop in the UK along with their Convexed PK Block - "perfect for activating Enlightenment at a distance." As quoted by yourself. It eventually arrived on thursday evening - when we get a bit of nice weather in the UK the courier companies seem to all go on holiday!

What can I say? I am very impressed with the complete package - and the instructions for making up the deck were so easy to follow. I decided to make up a blue bicycle deck with an organic block. I didn't have a single hole cutter to hand, but found that my local craft shop sold sheets of ready made double sided adhesive foam disks (360 per sheet for 99 pence, manufactured by www.docrafts.co.uk for those in the UK) that were ideal for the job. In fact they are so ideal that with a regular Bicycle deck you need exactly three of these disks per column with no extra shimming required.

Once I had made the deck up to my specification (using double sided thin tape to mount the Enlightenment Engine rather than superglue) I started playing - WOW I love it. The effect is exactly how I imagined it would be, and the organic block allows me to rifle through the deck to cast any doubts about there being a gimmick hidden in the deck!

The only problem that I have had is that the PK block I purchased is rather large for palming, so I went back to WMS today and purchased a couple of 25mmx25mmx5mm N42 magnets which I have put together and covered in black Duck Tape - OK my hand has to be much closer to the deck for enlightenment to occur, but it is much easier to pocket/palm the magnet.

Many thanks for producing such a brilliant product. I can't wait to get a second 'engine' by itself and the development kit so that I can make up a split spades deck and play with some other ideas that I have.

Keep up the good work.

many regards,

Alex Goodey
Bicester
Oxfordshire
UK

More from Ran Pink

Hi Ben,

I finally made the organic deck and ...wow I love it. How did you figure that out. Been hiding the magnet in a cigarette box in my front sweatshirt pocket. Its perfect. I worked out a simple ambitious card routine with the enlightened ending. I start with doing the tilt move twice and then I offer an explanation... "if I put the card on top there's no where to go but up." Then I demonstrate. Its simple and sweet and gets amazing reactions with the musicians I record in my studio.

Thanks again,

Ran Pink

SETTLING IN

Well, Enlightenment has been available for just over a week now. Opinions, over all, (now that the realities have sunk in) seem to be that it's really quite a neat bit of kit and the concept DOES indeed have the potential promised.

I'm glad that people are NOW getting around to actually READING the 100 page book. I'm digging the reactions to the "behind the scenes story". Thanks for the amazing feedback.

VIDEO DECEPTION?

One or two purchasers had an impression that we had used deceptive practices in the video clip. This is not the case, the demo is legit. We did use a variety of different sized magnets to drive the levitation. This clip was available on the internet months before the final specs were completed on the PARADIGM SHIFTER. No claim has ever been made that the video clip ONLY used a PARADIGM SHIFTER.

Card sleights were used (block turnover, etc) to show under the gaff unit by "appearing" to turn over the cards immediately below the block, etc. These are standard "card handlings" that I would expect ANY thinking magician to explore and use, so I don't consider the use of the sleight(s) to be misleading in any way. It is important you take Enlightenment and work out good ways to "interface" it with reality. The use of a "block turnover" for example, is one such "interface".

INSTRUCTION ADD ON

You may have noticed a new banner about the website. This directs you to an ADD ON set of instructions for ENLIGHTENMENT.
Developed with feedback from owners, the ADD ON set of instructions cover a couple of hurdles you may encounter as you learn to "Drive" your MLPV.1 gimmick.

These instructions should be read in conjunction with the QUICK START MANUAL that is supplied with your MLPV.1 Gimmick
Right click on the image below to download the PDF to your hard drive. The instructions have been printed and are being added to all orders that ship as of May 12.

MOVING FORWARD

We have several products, using the ENLIGHTENMENT CONCEPT, in pre-production. Here they are:

DEVELOPMENT KIT (Tentative release date: July 30, 2008)
The kit includes two mini-magnets (as used in the heart of the Enlightenment Engine), two of the "black plastic folding bits" and a spacer. These little bits can be configured by the user in a variety of different ways to create CUSTOM Enlightenment Engines to suit any of the 40 or so ideas, effects, concepts etc detailed in the accompanying book. If you like to play around and make up your own ideas and variations, these are the bits and pieces you need to complete your mission.

CUSTOM INSTALLED DECKS (CID) -- LATEST

I've almost finished (another ten days or so) the initial run of CID's for the pre-order sales. They are starting to ship. I appreciate everyone's patience. You will be rewarded!

Watch this space for availaibility of a limited number of CID's in various back designs. These are "overs" from various production runs of late. Stay tuned!

Positive Feedback

Well, the first few units have arrived with customers, and dealers are just starting to ship as I write this. Just heard from my friend, Angelo Carbone (an amazing inventor), this morning"

Al Straker has received his Limited Edition Boxed Set, spent some time with it, and then undertaken an advanced install. Here are his results:

Such feedback is wonderful to read. Thanks, Al. Thanks for taking it all the way.

In stark Contrast

In contrast, we did receive this very negative email this morning. It's from a European customer. I'm not sure how we've mislead him (as implied) but this does upset me. Here's part of the email"

I can only hope that this customer gives the effect a second chance. That he goes back and reads the instructions from cover to cover and then makes up a full deck install. I'm sure he will then actually perform this and see that it does create the illusion of micro-levitation, as claimed.

Custom Installed Decks

Custom installed decks that were ordered during our pre-publication sale are being assembled and shipped. Everyone that ordered will have a letter explaining the situation and advising that a free trick has been sent to "ease the pain". Rest assured, the Full Deck Custom Installations are only a week or two away. I can only make 5 a day with love and care. And I know you want them made carefully.

And talking about love and care, we just assembled a couple of custom decks for David Blaine. Below is a photo of his Split Spades custom install. The nature of these cards meant that we had to specify the deck to create levitation from its face, as opposed to it's back.

Custom Installed Decks -- Availability

Custom Deck Installs will be available to your spec direct from me in about a month or two. They will be limited to what I can make comfortably, without going crazy. They will be available in Bicycle Blue Backs as standard. Bicycle Red Backs will be an option, as will "face-up operation" (as per the Blaine deck). We will also have Split Spades available for the Custom Install. In October, they (Bicycles only) will be available from your dealer as a stock item.

"You Rip My Heart Out - WARNING ABOUT MAGNETIC DURESS"

Several customers have reported "ripping" the little magnetic hearts from their gimmicks. (DON'T PANIC: the magnet just sticks right back onto its adhesive strip, so it's not a problem). So what's going on?

The reason is "magnetic duress". The little magnetic motor can be ripped from the gimmick due to the use of a drive magnet that is way more powerful than the recomended PARADIGM SHIFTER. So BE CAREFUL. It may also be overwhelmed by the PAADIGM SHIFTER if you bring it too close. Once more, I have to direct attention to the QUICK START MANUAL supplied. It details how to practice safely.

The magnetic heart of the Enlightenment Engine is affixed with a high-tech adhesive that is designed to fail under duress if the delicate inner mechanism is threatened BY OVER DRIVEN MAGNETIC FORCE. PLEASE NOTE that the problem only occurs if you place the gimmick under duress. As a safety precaution it is always wise to give the closed gaff a little squeeze at the magnetic end JUST BEFORE USE. This will ensure a secure lock. See the photo below. If the gimmick is installed in a deck, then just give the deck a little squeeze with your thumb over the magnetic component, again, as per the photo below. It only takes a second and is something I do all the time without thinking about it. As a bike rider, I always check my tyres and brakes before each ride, same thing here.

Working in the advertising industry (our studio produces books and DVD art for some of the industry's biggest names) we know the pressure of deadlines. We also NEVER miss em. If we do, we have let a client down, bigtime. Well, in the case of Enlightenment, I am the client, so there was no way this deadline was to be missed!! I'm proud to say that Enlightenment SHIPPED at NOON ON MAY 1.

Murphy's Magic Supplies will be supplying dealers world-wide as of next week.
All pre-publication orders have been shipped by AIRMAIL POST as per the prospectus.

As you begin to receive your units in the mail, or from your dealer, PLEASE ENSURE YOU READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE you play with the supplied gimmick. It is possible to DAMAGE the gimmick if you do not fully understand the instructions. You must learn to DRIVE the unit. And, when I say DRIVE, I mean it. It's like learning to DRIVE A CAR. You will CRASH unless you know how to accelerate and brake. Same thing here.

A while ago I alluded to a VIDEO of The Floating Bill application. I have found the footage. This is not a performance, rather it is footage shot for the book illustrator (before we decided to go with photos). Thus, there are pauses and poses for the purposes of making illustrations. I decided to leave these in rather than be accused of "creative editing". There is a cut-awy mid float, but the "introduction of the gaff" and the "clean-up" are intact. I hope it lends some insight.

(Note: in the book--supplied with the Enlightenment Boxed Set--you are taught a different FLOATING BILL application--one that has an automatic clean-up, as opposed to the sleights required in the video clip).

right click image to download video (3.5mb) to your hard drive

EMAIL COMMENTS

Feel free to email any comments or questions you may have regarding Enlightenment and the Paradigm Shifter. We'll address what we can, right here at the blog.

(Please note that any comments or suggestions made by email become the proprerty of Ben Harris and Media T Marketing
and may be published on this blog without further permission or clearances).

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(April 28, 2008) WHY HAS THE BLOG STALLED?

Wow, it's only a few days until Enlightenment is released. My apologies for not keeping the blog updated daily, but we are just so busy trying to get everything ready for the MAY 1 release.

Today, we send the Limited Edition Boxed Sets out for their final shrink wrapping. This will take two days, then we are ready to ship. It will then take a few days for the stock to arrive at our distributor, and then a couple more days for the stock to arrive with your dealer.

Back to work. The blog will be updated to advise shipping in a couple of days.

EMAIL COMMENTS

Feel free to email any comments or questions you may have regarding Enlightenment and the Paradigm Shifter. We'll address what we can, right here at the blog.

(Please note that any comments or suggestions made by email become the proprerty of Ben Harris and Media T Marketing
and may be published on this blog without further permission or clearances).

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(April 23, 2008) Further Paradigm Shifter Info

Still some questions re the PARADIGM SHIFTER. So, lets answer those.

QUESTION: How close does the Paradigm Shifter have to come to the object to be levitated?

ANSWER: The Shifter is designed for close proximity use. In other words, you come in close to the object to be levitated. The Shifter activates the Enlightenment Engine when it is correctly positioned between 4" and 6" from the Engine assembly. The illustration herewith shows the active area (the gold zone).





(In the illustration, we are taking those measurements from the center of the playing card. Please note that the diagram is not to scale.)
More powerful "Drive Magnets" will activate the Engine from a greater distance. By experimenting with different magnets you will be able to find what is best for you.


QUESTION (From dreamadream99 - via the Magic Cafe): What is the N rating of the Paradigm Shifter?
ANSWER: The N rating of the Paradigm Shifter is a moderate:

Material: NdFeB, Grade N42
Magnetization Direction: Thru Thickness
Weight: (61.46 g)
Pull Force: 87.90 lbs
Surface Field: 5360 Gauss
Brmax: 13,200 Gauss
BHmax: 42 MGOe
Rubber Coated, seamless



COMMENTS:

RE: Doppler effect
I liked your audio analogy of the doppler effect as it applies to the release of a new product.

I think the things you mention about new products are applicable to the life cycle of any product: R&D, prototype, pre-release advertising, buzz, release, post-release advertising, customer service/support, phase-out as new products are introduced. It's all a big arch structure.

There is indeed a frantic build-up to the initial release, followed by a slower, linear decline, until it finally disappears (unless you're the lucky inventor of the Hula Hoop).

Happens with software quite rapidly. Happens with automobiles over a few years. Not sure it happens with humans, although I've met a few candidates.

Steven Tanner (via email)

EMAIL COMMENTS

Feel free to email any comments or questions you may have regarding Enlightenment and the Paradigm Shifter. We'll address what we can, right here at the blog.

(Please note that any comments or suggestions made by email become the proprerty of Ben Harris and Media T Marketing
and may be published on this blog without further permission or clearances).

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(April 21, 2008) The Doppler Effect

The other day, I was thinking about how magical effects come and go. I'm pretty sure that the thoughts were prompted by a suggestion (at the Magic cafe) that Enlightenment may well be "trick of the year!" Quite frankly, I was a little scared by this. If it was "trick of the year" or "trick of the month" then where does it stand next year, or next month?

The reason I found this all a little disconcerting is that Enlightenment is a NEW PRINCIPLE when it comes to "method." Some of it's uses, like THE FLOATING CARD or THE FLOATING BILL, are established effects. It's just the method that is new. And, being a NEW WAY OF USING MAGNETS I would hope that the method outlives any hype in regards the effects that can be achieved.

And, that's how I got onto the "Doppler Effect." This, as many of you will know, is often encountered in the realm of audio. Imagine a racing cars speeding towards you. The sound has a certain heightened "pitch." Then, when the card wizzes past you and ploughs off into the distance, the pitch changes. This occurs because the soundwaves of the car speeding towards you are compressed ahead of the car. When the car wizzes by, the soundwaves (relative to you) become stretched out or elongated. The "pitch" changes. The same thing is applicable with light and it's how scientists measure the speed at which intergalactic objects are moving away from our little blue planet.

It occurred to me that a similar sort of thing happens with the release of a new magic trick in this internet world. There is a feverish "pitch" as the immenent release approaches, and then as the effect "lands" and then moves into the future, that "pitch" often changes. Anyway, enough rambling!

The Paradigm Shifter

We're getting quite a few emails about the Paradigm Shifter. So let's look at it's use.

Firstly, compared to other PK magnets, the Paradigm Shifter is quite moderate in it's strength. It is designed to be finger palmed for close use to the Enlightenment Engine (see photo). Some of the larger and stronger PK magnets in the marketplace will have to be held further away from the Enlightenment Engine. This, in itself, is not a bad thing. The more powerful the PK magnet, the greater the distance for activation. A STRONGER MAGNET DOES NOT give a higher levitation.





Some of the other ways of concealing the Paradigm Shifter:

Secretly taped to your wrist (under your sleeve).

Secretly taped to your knee (under your trouser).

Concealed in a card box.

Bottom line: Paradigm Shifter, or other PK magnet, you want to be able to bring the magnet within "activation" distance of the Enlightenment Engine. You can do this by moving the magnet towards the Engine, or by moving the Engine closer to the PK magnet. One of my favourite ways of creating "activation" is to conceal a strong cylinder magnet in the body of a pen. This way, you can simply wave the pen over the object to be levitated, without having to worry about concealment. (See the book, Enlightenment: The Ultimate Floating Card) for further details.

Tomorrow, we will upload a demo of the FLOATING BILL application.

EMAIL COMMENTS

Feel free to email any comments or questions you may have regarding Enlightenment and the Paradigm Shifter. We'll address what we can, right here at the blog.

(Please note that any comments or suggestions made by email become the proprerty of Ben Harris and Media T Marketing
and may be published on this blog without further permission or clearances).

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(April 20, 2008) Yikes, Just 10 Days to go!

Well, it's less than two weeks until the release of Enlightenment and we're a frantic hive of activity here. Gimmicks are being checked by the thousands, and the two accompanying books (that are supplied with the effect) are due back from the printers any day. Then, it's a matter of getting everything packed into the Limited Edition Boxes and shipping to our world-wide distributor.

The purpose of this BLOG is to keep you up to date as we count down to the effect's release and the day-to-day going ons as we fast approach the "event horizon!"

LATEST NEWS

We've just recently taken delivery of the PARADIGM SHIFTER "drive magnets" which are an optional extra for Enlightenment. If you already have a good PK MAGNET then you don't need the PARADIGM SHIFTER, what you already have will probably be more than adequate to "drive" Enlightenment. The photos below (mouse over for captions) show the packaging for the Paradigm Shifter, it's actual size in comparison to a AA sized battery, and a bunch of MLPV.1 gimmicks being checked.

The advantage of the PARADIGM SHIFTER is that it's very small compared to most typical PK magnets which are designed to affect a result THROUGH a table top. The PARADIGM SHIFTER is designed to be finger palmed or concealed under the clothes. The PARADIGM SHIFTER does NOT have to work through a table top, it activates the ENLIGHTENMENT ENGINE when held to the side of same. It is also rubber coated using the latest technology. This ensures a smooth, soft finish that is easy on the hands and won't "clink" against other metal.

IN THE NEXT INSTALMENT

In the next instalment of this BLOG we'll discuss the actual "how to" for "driving Enlightenment" and consider the question,
"Is the release of a new magic effect accompanied by a "Doppler effect" of sorts?"

EMAIL COMMENTS

Feel free to email any comments or questions you may have regarding Enlightenment and the Paradigm Shifter. We'll address what we can, right here at the blog.

(Please note that any comments or suggestions made by email become the proprerty of Ben Harris and Media T Marketing
and may be published on this blog without further permission or clearances).