Lilith by Lewis Le Val (PDF)

How far would somebody go to get what they truly desire?

Everybody wants something. To be loved, to be admired, to have more than they need, or perhaps to be free of something they'd prefer to leave behind. But what if getting exactly what you wanted came with a price? And what if you had absolutely no idea what that price might be?

Would you still take it?

Lilith is a dark psychological experiment from Lewis Le Val, exploring the nature of temptation, desire, and the decisions people make when faced with the possibility of having their deepest wishes fulfilled.

The premise is simple. A participant is presented with eight temptations, each representing something that people might secretly desire. They privately select the one that appeals to them most, without revealing their choice to the performer.

They're then invited to imagine an apple resting in the palm of their hand. A single bite will grant them the thing they've chosen, but there's a catch: whatever consequences might follow are completely unknown.

They know exactly what they stand to gain, but have no idea what they might lose.

With the apple still resting in their imagination, the participant makes a decision. Will they give in to temptation, or resist it? Without being told their decision, the performer reveals whether they chose to take a bite of the forbidden fruit.

The experiment concludes with a second revelation, as the performer identifies the exact temptation that led them to consider the apple in the first place.

Across 14 pages, Lilith explains the complete routine, including the handling, presentation, psychological considerations and the method behind both revelations.

The effect requires only a small card containing the eight temptations, a pen and a peek device. A simple window envelope is used in the explanation, although almost any peek wallet can be substituted.

There's no complicated preparation, no difficult sleight of hand, and the entire experience can be performed in just a few minutes. The real appeal lies in the presentation, turning a straightforward piece of mentalism into something that feels more like a personal encounter with temptation itself.

If the devil did mentalism, this might be in his repertoire.
For performers who enjoy mentalism with a darker theatrical edge, Lilith offers an ideal alternative to conventional thought revelation.

After all, discovering what somebody wants is one thing, but discovering whether they'd give in to temptation to get it is another.