I'll second Eight Spades suggestion. I've never actually SEEN it done, but just reading Banachek's PK Touches manuscript gives me a lump in my throat. Very beautiful and very "touching" (sorry, couldn't resist).

A spectators emotions are touched when they are experiencing something that they can relate to. This is one of the reasons that I find mentalism so rewarding.I've recently found success with many Mentalism effects. As a matter of fact I've pretty much sidelined my tried and tested "magic" routines at my seven restaurants in favor of the emotional effects of mentalism. Spectator response is incredible. When performing in the restaurants I've found that one of the strongest effects that "touches" is my routine with Richard Osterlinds Center Tear.(Richard you are the man!) Outside of the restaurants, another effect in which I have had very strong emotional responses is Lee Earl's Musing Box. Even when I perform this at magic conventions for hardened magicians there is rarely a dry eye in the house.

Oddly enough, I actually performed this tonight. It had been too long. I was reminded of the power of it, though in a different way. This time I did something I normally don't; I performed one of the strongest effects I know out of frustration. I was dealing with a skeptic that was simply wrong in attempting to figure things out, yet wouldn't accept how illogical his explanations were. We've all had them. But I've got a personal thing in dealing with this guy. He's been a jerk in many non-magical situations.

Anyway, he told me that if a ghost were to literally appear in front of his own two eyes he wouldn't believe it's real. For some reason that set the stage in my sick mind to put him to the test. I had his two friends (who were almost equally harsh) help and watch as I threw the touches on his friend in a more forceful manner than usual. He thought we were all playing a joke on him when his friend said he felt something. So I did it again, this time on the skeptic himself. He was...moved to say the least. He didn't know how to react. They all left in silence, which is something I've never heard from these guys.

Whether or not they were convinced is beside the point. This guy had his logic broken down, and if that's not emotional I don't know what is. It wasn't just shock; you could really see how out of his comfort zone he was. The dictionary describes emotion as "a state of mental agitation". This was exactly what he was in.

-Christian

As Mr. Osterlind teaches, if you beleive in your magic, others will, too.
When people really believe, it is always emotional.

I am also a magician who loves emotional magic - though I stem towards "romantic and more poetic moments" rather than death and stuff. You might bite off more than you can chew when people start treating you like that John Edwards guy (crossing over t.v programme)

how do you guys feel about NLP and anchoring - evoking the types of states you want by having them recall and re-vivify it in their minds?

The centre tear has a nice emotional hook but you have to bring it there for it to be truly emotional and memorable.