By Ali Ikram
Keith Barry is a mentalist, he uses all the tricks of trade employed by magicians and psychics for centuries, but he's a bit more honest about how he does it.
The Irishman is currently in New Zealand for a couple of performances.
With TV shows on both sides of the Atlantic, Barry is a rising star, and his signature item is his spike trick
"One of them has a stainless steel spike sticking out of it,” he says. “I want you to examine it and make sure it's solid make sure it's sharp yes it's nice and sharp I can vouch for that."
While Barry is very good, he's human. In Dublin recently he tried to escape from ropes with glad wrap around his face, but passed out and that was the end of the performance.
So would Barry be on form today? While I was blindfolded he mixed up the cups, then the roles were reversed.
"Do you think the spike is here yes or no this is your decision yes or no?"
Now the internet is full of examples of this trick going wrong. It's all fun and games until someone loses a hand.
"Ok do you think the spike is here, yes or no? Are you sure this is your decision? Ok good decision."
According to Barry he works on the minute cues we all give off without knowing it.
"I started off as a magician. I’m happy to be known as a magician but I’m more fascinated with the power of the human mind more than card tricks and coin tricks.
"By you mixing it up and me mixing it up your subconscious mind knows where the spike is but your conscious mind doesn't so do you think it's here yes or no? No. Remember this, you made all the decisions yourself. There's a smell here as well, is that you? One two three is there I’m so happy, and there it is."
Barry will hack the brains of Aucklanders tomorrow night and Wellingtonians next week.
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