The Secret of Time Travel

Found - a booklet from 1984 by David Savage The Secret of Time Travel (Finbarr Book, Folkestone.)

The lines near the start of the book:  'If we have lived on the Earth before, the body cells must ALSO be equipped with, or have access to, all the data about our other lives on Earth' may require a couple of largish leaps of faith, but time travel sitting comfortably at home and without the aid of a complicated Wellsian metal time machine is an attractive proposition, so it may be worth persevering.

The book is only 15 pages in length and the author gets down to the real secret at page 8. Other Finbarr books included: Making Money with Magick, How to Contact God, Winning with Witchcraft, Mindflow and The Secret of Immortality. The booklet came from the vast library of Dr. M. H. Coleman, a writer on the occult and psychic matters. He collected over 4000 books on these subjects but was a confirmed sceptic and  set out to prove that there are definitely not more things in heaven and earth than in Horatio's philosophy...

"Your Body Cell"
.
The secret lies within your body cells. These are the structural units of all living organisms. The body is made up of a countless number of these microscopic cells. Scientists now accept that for the body cells to function, every single cell knows everything about you from eye colour to what you like the taste of. It is accepted SCIENTIFIC FACT that every single body cell of yours is equipped with all the data about you. This made me think. If we have lived on the Earth before, the body cells must ALSO be equipped with, or have access to, all the data about our other lives on Earth.

From the 1970s TV series The Time Tunnel

THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND.
The mental processes outside the personal awareness of an individual are controlled by the subconscious mind - the mind which regulates our heartbeat, bloodflow, and body cells etc., on the subconscious level

I once met….Uri Geller

Sent in by a supporter of Jot for which many thanks...

 It was in the spring of 2005 that I was dispatched to interview the great Spoon Bender himself. His assistant had given me an address in Sonning-on-Thames, that home of the more discerning glitterati. I found his place quite by chance. Well, you could hardly miss it. Glimpsed through trees at the end of a longish drive was a large and modern mansion of the Bishops Avenue School of architecture, complete with portico. There was also a pair of huge metal (unbent) gates flanked by brick pillars, one of which incorporated the inevitable entry phone. I phoned through, the gates opened slowly, and I started down the drive towards the house.



Geller himself answered the door--a slim, smiling figure with neat bouffant hair, greying slightly. He must have been in his late fifties but retained his boyish good looks. He guided me across the marble floor of an atrium that wouldn’t have disgraced the palace of a Hollywood A-lister.

Magician's 'Patter'

1945 book The Gag Bag by Harry Stanley, most of whose books - both as writer and publisher - were for magicians. This is specifically for magic acts. He writes:

 Many years ago Professor Hoffmann pointed out that patter which fits the personality of one type of magician, is by no means certain to suit other types... Magic has long been following a distinct trend in the direction of comedy. Magicians today are usually less solemn than the wizards of Hoffmann's time…every successful conjurer now injects some humour into his work -here then are some 'injections' which will arouse an audience to laughter.

The first few pages are about a 'Comedy Mind Reading Act' -the rest of the book is devoted to patter - jokes to warm up an audience, to fill the gaps when the conjurer is preparing his act etc.,


Of course, I never dare let my people know I was a magician. It would shock them. They think I'm still in prison.

I used to be a wallflower, until I took up magic. Now everybody asks me out. The other night at a show, I had only done one trick, and I was asked out. 

There are only two kinds of conjurer you can't trust – the ones with moustaches and the clean-shaven ones.

He is a magician. His brother doesn't work either.

[Spoonerist patter] – 'my next disaster piece' (masterpiece) 'my next misery' (mystery) 'I will now utter the tragic words' (magic words.)

Public house catches fire... 50 magicians homeless.

Will someone call out any number between 16 and 60? Thank you I only wanted to find out if anyone was still awake.

Heckler Stoppers (1950s magicians patter)

The publisher of this book was Harry Stanley (Unique Magic Studio Ealing) and most of his books were for magicians, especially books of 'patter' although these 'Heckler Stoppers' could be used by any comedian.

Heckler Stoppers

Please remember that the average audience will be on your side anyway and it should not often be necessary to use heckler stoppers... Use them only when interruptions are frequent and troublesome. Never lose your temper, and deliver these lines with a smile.

Why don't you crawl back into your nightmare?

Twice as many brains and you'd still be a half wit!!

How much you charge to haunt houses?

Don't worry folks he'll be gone in a minute - they're just cleaning his cage.

Is your family happy…or do you still live at home?

I don't know what makes you so stupid... But it works.

Is that your lower lip or are you wearing a turtle neck sweater?

You have a chip on your shoulder... Or is that your head?

Sir if I said anything to insult you... Believe me!

I'll name my next Breakdown after you.

Is your hair naturally wavy... Or does it go in and out with your skull?

2 jokes from the  section of 'TV gags' date this book firmly in the 1950s: 'My girls so dumb she thinks the English Channel is a Television Network' and 'Here's a real novelty breakfast food.In each packet we give you ninety plastic aircraft and a cornflake!'