Kundalini Rising

Too little credit given to this brainchild by Jeff Mcbride which surfaced more than a decade ago. This idea stemmed the future of many similar ideas with slight modifications such as “Loops” by Yigal Mesika.

The premise was excellent: a card rises from the pack while held by a spectator, and any pack can be used. Everything I had heard from the description did turn out to be true. The spectator holds the cards, and you can use ANY deck you want.

The story that comes with the effect is an excellent story, and seems very well thought out, but when it comes down to it, its just the rising card effect, with the exception that this one is way easy to do, and leaves you clean as a whistle. The only real problem I had with the effect was the patter provided inside the instructional booklet. The patter may not suit your performing style and most importantly, this should not be presented as just a card trick, given its wide range of uses.

I’m going to recommend this effect, not because of the overall story, but because the trick itself has pulled some of the best reactions I’ve ever seen from my audiences. One fellow freaked out, threw the cards on the floor, and ran for the nearest exit. If you can find a copy, I highly suggest picking it up.

Wow factor: 7/10

Durability: 6/10

Value for money: 6.5/10