The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

THIS IS A GAME WHICH CAN BE PLAYED AT A PARTY OR ANYWHERE
WHERE THERE IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE. TWO PEOPLE, WHO ARE
IN ON THE JOKE, CLAIM TO HAVE PSYCHIC POWERS AND HAVE
THE ABILITY TO READ EACH OTHER'S MIND. ONE OF THEM
LEAVES THE ROOM AND THE OTHER POINTS TO ANY PERSON
STILL IN THE ROOM. HE THEN CLAIMS THAT WITHOUT
SPEAKING, HE'LL BE ABLE TO TRANSMIT TO THE OTHER PERSON
WHOM HE HAS POINTED TO. THE PERSON WHO LEFT THE ROOM
RETURNS. THE TWO PEOPLE WITH THE SUPPOSED PSYCHIC
POWER STAND FACING EACH OTHER, EACH HOLDING THE END OF
A PENCIL (OPPOSITE ENDS). THEY KEEP TURNING THE PENCIL
BETWEEN THEM. MEANWHILE, THE OTHER PEOPLE IN THE ROOM
USUALLY MAKE COMMENTS AND TALK. AS SOON AS THE PERSON
WHO WAS POINTED TO SPEAKS, THE ONE WHO REMAINED IN THE
ROOM ASKS THE OTHER, "ARE YOU GETTING ANY VIBRATIONS?"
IF THE ONE WHO LEFT DISTINCTLY HEARD THE VOICE AND KNOWS
WHO IT IS, HE'LL SAY "YES" AND SAY THE NAME. IF THERE
WERE SEVERAL PEOPLE TALKING, AND HE'S NOT SURE WHOSE
VOICE IT WAS, HE'LL JUST SAY "NO" AND WAIT UNTIL HE
(THE PERSON POINTED TO) SPEAKS AGAIN AND HE "GETS A
GOOD VIBRATION."

Where learned: Massachusetts