Dead or Alive

As David Alexander points out on Volume one, Dead or Alive has
been one of my strongest pieces for nearly twenty years. It always induces
a deep emotional response from the participant. Wherein mentalists may
dislike most Living and Dead tests, the public, it seems, loves them. John
Edward, James Van Prague and Silvia Brown may (or may not) be douche
bags, but they certainly attract a high level of public attention.
There are lots of reasons for the popularity of this trick with real
people in actual circumstances, but only one of those reasons is that the
routine concerns a dead loved one. Iʼll address the more important factors in
a moment, but right now letʼs look at what makes L&D tests strong
entertainment.
First, the “test” aspect. Whether a book test, a billet test or a L&D test,
the word has accidentally been used as a substitute for “trick” or
“demonstration”. A real test must be just that; a experiment of investigation.
What test are you conducting? Whether a business card with a dead name
feels different than unaffected cards or does the participant react
differently? Is the cause psychic or psychological?