People have been enjoying "mind reading" games for hundreds of years. Whether you want to spend some time with friends or entertain an audience with magic tricks, other people's thought divination activities are always very welcome; they are also perfect for "killing time" during long car journeys. They generally do not require any preparation or materials, a detail that makes these pastimes very comfortable; in some cases they are also instructive.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: The 20 Questions
Step 1. Choose a person
This individual is the "answerer" and is in charge of choosing a target in turn, which can be another person, place or thing that the other players have to guess. For example, the target person may be alive, dead or even a fictional character; the objective thing can be an inanimate object.
- The other players are "those who ask the questions".
- Once the roles have been established, the person in charge does not have to tell anyone what the chosen goal is.
- To make the experience fun, make sure that the number of players is between 2 and 5.
Step 2. Begin the round of questions
Once you have chosen your goal, you can start; the players take turns asking questions whose answer can only be "yes" or "no". The player who answers must take into account the questions that are asked, the maximum limit set is 20.
- Here are some examples: "Is it a mammal?" or "Is it bigger than a basketball?" or "Is it possible to walk on it?".
- Each question helps players determine what the goal is.
Step 3. Stop the game on the 20th question
If one of the participants can guess the object, he wins the round and becomes the next "person to answer". If no player guesses the goal, the winner is the one who chose it and can keep the same role for the next game as well.
- Each shift lasts approximately 5 minutes.
- If no one guesses the answer at the end of the 20 questions, the person who chose the item should reveal it before moving on to the next game.
Method 2 of 3: Try other games
Step 1. Ask someone to pick a number
If you are playing with a child, it is best to limit the selection range to numbers between 1 and 10.
- First example: 8;
- Second example: 43.
Step 2. Ask the other party to multiply the number by 2 and add 10 to the product
- First example: 8 x 2 = 16 + 10 = 26;
- Second example: 43 x 2 = 86 + 10 = 96.
Step 3. Now ask him to divide the solution by 2
- First example: 26/2 = 14;
- Second example: 96/2 = 48.
Step 4. Tell him now that he must subtract the original number he had chosen from the obtained value
Unless he makes a miscalculation, the answer should always be "5".
- First example: 14 - 9 = 5;
- Second example: 48 - 43 = 5;
- Announce that the final number is 5.
Step 5. Play with the birthday
Start by asking a person to think about the last two digits of their birth year. You should choose an interlocutor you do not know, since the success of the trick depends on the fact that you do not know the date of birth. Then ask me to add this value to the age she will be at the end of the current year. If you prefer, you can do the calculations on a piece of paper in case you have trouble doing them in mind; make sure you can't see what he writes.
- First example: born in 1981. So 81 + 36 (age) = 117;
- Second example: born in 1999. So 99 + 16 (age) = 117.
Step 6. Ask him if the result is 117
The calculation always produces this result; the only exception is represented by people born in the 2000s, for whom the answer is always 17 instead of 117.
- Example: the year of birth is 2003, so the last two digits are 03;
- If the person adds up his age at the end of the year, he always gets 17; in the case of the example, the boy born in 2003 is 14 years old;
- 03 + 14 = 17.
- Note that the answer depends on the current year; in 2018 the answer will always be 118 (or 18 for those born after 2000), in 2019 it will always be 119 (or 19) and so on.
Method 3 of 3: Perfect Your Skills
Step 1. Choose the right person
When you perform these tricks, don't get an individual too excited that you can read his mind; it also avoids very shy people hiding at the back of the room. Choose an interlocutor between these two extremes; he should feel involved and pay attention without jumping in nervousness.
- People who are too eager to participate generally try to draw attention to themselves and you certainly don't want to perform with someone who "steals the show".
- Very shy individuals don't want to get involved and usually the trick isn't fun with them.
Step 2. Pay attention to body language
It is a type of non-verbal communication that is established with the movement. Some actions can be very useful clues to understand a person's mental state; for example, someone who plays with their fingers, shakes their legs, or taps the floor with their feet may be anxious, irritated, or bored.
- Being able to interpret these signals is very useful when playing other genres of games, such as those with cards.
- Good posture and an upright position communicate attention and confidence; a slumped position is typical of people who are sad, shy or insecure.
- Also pay attention to your body language; try to stay straight and look the other person in the eye, avoiding fidgeting all the time.
Step 3. Monitor facial expressions
While performing the makeup, observe the muscles around the eyes and mouth to pick up any signals. When the muscles of the mouth are retracted, the eyebrows raise and / or the forehead frowns, you can be quite sure that the interlocutor is afraid, is nervous or is lying; remember these details when performing, as you may inadvertently send out such signals as well.
- Check the muscles of your face as much as possible, so as not to convey any information.
- This skill is very useful with card games.
- Avoid making other movements with your face, such as rolling your eyes, as they convey judgment and negativity.
