I must confess I have a love/hate relationship with impression devices. I own several. I have used them successfully for pre-show during a formal program but I've never used one in real-time. I do know other performers who have used these in real-time with great success. I, however, can't get past the idea that if you could really read minds, why would you have the information written down only to reveal it seconds later?

The Telethought Pad by Chris Kenworthey, in my mind, only makes this fear worse. Because, as it claims in the ad, the volunteer doesn't even need to tear the paper out that they've written on. The pad can be immediately closed. So from the participant's point of view, you asked them to think of something and write it down. They did. The performer puts the pad away and reveals the information. That is not the picture of mind reading I want people to have. Others have created some time delay between the moment the information is gathered and when the revelation is made and I think that helps....some. But overall, I think it's a bad idea.

The other problem, I'm afraid, is the gimmick itself. I have never seen a pad of paper with a glossy plastic top. I think it unnecessarily raises suspicion. Since that top also contains the gimmick that reveals all makes it worse. Unfortunately, having used this several times in casual settings, not only could I see what the participant wrote down, but so could they! One can't use this in any lighting situation without a heavy hand of audience management.

Ultimately, I think this is not practical. Perhaps other performers who are much better than I am can make this work. And as I stated, with a time delay and used as a stand-up tool during pre-show it COULD be practical. But no one should chance it with this device when there are other more useful and safer gimmicks out there.