"The Time Machine" is a mental book test, straight from Wolfgang Moser's personal repertoire. What distinguishes this routine from other book tests is that, strictly speaking, it isn't a mental effect at all. It's not about mind-reading, predictions, or reading body language. The phenomenon being demonstrated is a journey through time. And what book title could be better suited for this than the revolutionary title of H.G. Wells' science fiction classic.

effect
A spectator is invited onto the stage for an experiment and sits down on a chair. They first choose a page from the book "The Time Machine" at their own discretion, and then think of a noun on that page. The magician then suggests an imaginary journey through time: If we could actually travel through time, one could make a prediction about the chosen page and word before the spectator has even chosen it. This prediction could then be placed under a chair, for example, under the chair the spectator is currently sitting on. The spectator is asked to look under their chair, and sure enough, they find an envelope there. The chosen page is then looked up in the book, but suddenly it has been torn out of the book. Only a tear is visible. The spectator opens the envelope, and indeed, the chosen page is inside; the tears clearly match. But there's more. A specific word has been marked on the page of the book with a pen. For the first time, the spectator says the word they thought of. It is exactly the word that was marked on the page.

Wolfgang Moser the Zeitmsaschine - Trailer from Wolfgang Moser on Vimeo .