Hi guys.

I'm writing this to try and gather peoples thoughts and ideas about a dilemma I often find myself in.

I'm a mentalist who performs straight forward mind reading pieces. By "straight forward", I simply mean I don't discuss the whole psychological/body reading bits with a spectator or audience, and I also don't mix magic in with my act. (I don't have anything against that, I just don't do it). My character is one who simply can "connect" to people. Through a touch, going into trance, creating a moment of synchronicity...I'm able to "know" things.

However, I also love performing memory demonstrations. The issue I'm having is linking the two together. Is or can there even be a connection between these two things?

I'm very cautious not to appear to perform material so that it comes off as..."And now...for my next trick" or "Hey...look what else I can do." So many times you see performers displaying too many skills. I'm reminded of Bob's advice on limiting ourselves to one or two skills. Rest his soul.

How does one go from reading minds to telling you how many cards are face up, how many are red...how many paragraphs are on this page, etc.

Just thought it would make for an interesting discussion. Any advice or thoughts are much appreciated.

All the best,
Matthew

Maybe there's room to say that because you can access people's thoughts and memories via touch - the byproduct of doing that is that your brain's memory slowly started to function differently too, making memory feats easier to do...(it does this because for you experience or know another person's memory, it can sometimes feel like its 'your' memory too)

or its a fun exercise you do daily, to keep that part of your brain active and healthy...

I like this premise by Ian....and suggesting how practice has "enhanced" your "ability to visualize thoughts and aided and strengthened visual memory", which is as you have demonstrated, or will do so.

Revisit how Bob transitioned into card memory in his act, and explained memory skills as where he got started.

BTW, Bob meant to be careful about mixing several supernatural abilities together. However, a super memory is a normal human skill that can be developed, so there's no issue with being able to do that in addition to your one "supernatural power."

Iain, I have contemplated going this direction. I took great inspiration from the film Powder, where he has a super memory, and touches people as well in order to allow them to feel his emotions.

I've also been trying to take it into the direction of ancient wayfinders, navigators, and shamans. How they memorized the stars in order to find their bearings across the sea. This, I've realized however, is just a presentation, and doesn't really answer why I AM memorizing things. Maybe to connect to our ancestral ways? I'm curious to know Dr Landman's thoughts on this.

I'd be tempted to talk about how people always say they would love to be able to read other's minds but most can barely read their own. Most of the things you experience and that your brain faithfully records are almost totally inaccessible to your conscious mind, because you haven't studied how to read your own mind. "It sounds kind of ridiculous but I want to show you what that would look like."

Reframing it in that context makes it quite a logical extension of your existing skillset.

Phill

The legend saying human beings only use 10% of their brain poiwer is widely spread. Well, I hope it's a legend because the level I'm functioning at would be disappointing if it were my full potential
Anyhow...

Let's talk about muscles, because we know more about how they work than we do about our brain.
I can walk. I can even run. How do I achieve that? Well... I wouldn't know how to explain! I just do it. I've been told it's my muscles that do the main job, that my inner ear plays a part as well, but that's about all I can say. Yet, I know about my body much more than I do about my mind.

Let's look at athletes. There are lots of different sports, so let's narrow our study to, say, runners. A sprinter isn't shaped like someone who runs marathons, yet, both use their body more than the average person. I would also bet a sprinter is not only faster but can also lift heavier weights than the average person, or even than a marathonian. While I wouldn't be surprised if a marathonian could hold his or her breath longer than a sprinter.

Both have a "side skill" to their main specialty. We can guess as to why because we have a certain knowledge, if vague, of how the human body functions, about links between strength and speed, between heart and breathing and so on.

How does this transfer to brain, mindreading, memory, predictions, PK, lightning calculation or talking to the dead (BTW, anybody can talk TO the dead, it's talking WITH the dead that's difficult ) ?

Well, I don't know why the fact one is able to read someone else's thoughts means he or she can probaly memorize more stuff than the average person. We could guess, if we knew better how a brain works, but we don't. We can merely aknowledge the fact. Just like I can walk but can't describe the process, I know I can read minds, I know how it "looks" like (it's like some of my own thoughts become stronger) but I can't tell what brain cell is doing what nor anything of that kind.

So I've noticed I can also memorize some lists. That's really weird, because my everyday memory is notoriously poor! But since I began practicing mindreading, I've noticed I'm able to remember things I normally can't!? I'm still trying to figure out exactly how it works. I know I can't remember the neams of twenty people, even if I'm allowed five minutes, yet I can easily memorize thirty randcom objects or even a whole deck of playing cards!

"Why? I don't know. But if you have any ideas, ladies and gentlemen, please do tell me after the show."


Ok, that was long and I wouldn't inflict such a lecture on my audience. Not in one straight shot anyway. My point is:
- you character has to know WHAT is going on, not necessarily WHY it's going on,
- the audience doesn't have to be told as much, not explicitly anyway (unless you're doing a lecture -which you probably are not).
- you are demonstrating what "fun" things can be done when one can read someone else's thoughts. You're doing demos, experiences, not "tricks", so there's nothing wrong with announcing something like "...and now I'd like to show you something else you could find entertaining..." (as long as that "next thing" isn't sponge balls )

The 10% thing is often quoted but isn't true..we do use all of our brain...I blame Dale Carnegie...

As stated by others, there is nothing "supernatural" in this effect, so I would think one could do it directly after summoning a demon, communing with the dead or performing hippity hop rabbits and not really worry about a "conflict of character". Bob C's (RIP) advice on character is pure gold, however I also appreciate what Luke Jermay has written on this topic - really good stuff (I want to say Building Blocks, but maybe its a different book).

The advantage to a memory (or a rapid math) demonstration is that, for people in the audience, it is a plausible mental skill. Chuck Hickok, in Mentalism Incorporated I and II, taught us to open an act with a plausible effect before moving to less plausible effects.

George

I was thinking the same thing George. Many mentalists use it as a "I'm getting warmed up" believable premise.

For me, I think memory effects is a demonstration that I have a skill that it is not common, therefore, having other similar skills is more believable. This is how I see it. However I do not like to use it as an opener, maybe one of the effects in the middle of the show.

Ditto...often used the "25 Objects/Numbers demo as a "warm up exercise for my brain"...seems a credible premise in my experience and particular past performing style (ie psychologist, "experimental intuition", etc).
:a hypnodisk:

I honestly don't think you actually have to come up with any reason to do the memory stuff.

Your character has an odd mind, one that is able to create connections quickly. Why can't that odd mind also have a memory that you have worked on to improve, just for the sake of having a better memory?

I mean, I first got into memory stuff because my memory was getting really bad (I blame a combination of laziness and my smart phone being able to tell me anything I need to know. I stopped remembering stuff, and started knowing where to look it up). I hadn't actually intended to ever do it in a show, but I am working on an act now that I hope to have ready some time next year probably.

A typical memory presentation focuses on the ability that a mentalist has developed, but what happens if you turn it 180 degrees? What if the participant becomes integral in helping you to demonstrate this ability? For reasons you don't understand, you've discovered that when you have a special connection with someone, it's as though you can access (with their help) part of their mind to help you do incredible feats of memory? Think of it like cloud computing. Part of your information is uploaded onto another server!

So, you find someone (through another effect) with whom you have a mental connection. Then, maybe the two of touch fingers, hold hands..etc. And you both stare at a shuffled, face up deck of cards. Then, through the connection you have with the participant, you're able to access a memory of the order of the deck. When the connection is broken, the memory is lost.

Just an idea that popped up in my head as I was reading everyone else's suggestions. Nothing I've ever tried, just a thought.

That's a really cool idea - obviously though now you do have to think about "character" because this is now a "phenomenon" not just a "skill".

I think Bob liked to close with this cause it looks great visually on stage and the old grump didn't want to be kicking cards out of his way during the rest of his show . Plus, it's impressive as hell - tough to follow. Added bonus, if you are opening for one of those stupid hypnotism shows then THEY have to kick cards out the way during THEIR show (jokes, just jokes, wish I could do hypnotism - no props to carry and I probably could have used my powers to avoid that whole messy divorce thing.)

There is the idea that we development brain power by exercising which leads to amazing mental capacities including empathy and knowledge. In that context, a memory demonstration makes complete sense.

Another idea is to use a plot similar to the scene in the movie "the evil dead". you ask the participant to look to the cards, and you start revealing them one by one. creepy!

Wow. So many great ideas brewing around. I honestly did not expect this topic to garner this much attention.

And yes, I have toyed with this idea of opening my act with a memory demonstration in order to make everything following it seem a more legit. However, I think the memory demonstration is a little slow for an opening piece, wouldn't you agree?

I'll have to revisit Building Blocks to read Luke's thoughts on character. It's been years. Also would be very curious to know his thoughts now on the subject. I wonder what he's working on currently.

I agree that not much HAS to be said as far as adding a memory demonstration to one's set, since it has been said above that it's a skill rather than a phenomenon. I guess I'm mainly looking for a link to connect the possibility of memorizing these massive amounts of information with the ability to tell people their thoughts. More of a logical link I guess, or presentation link...again, entertaining the idea of WHY someone (I) would want to include them in with the mindreading material.

It's late for me, and my thoughts are rambling lol. I'll revisit this tomorrow

Thanks for all the suggestions and ideas that keep coming in.

Matthew

Things around here happen in phases. There was a phase where memory demonstrations were popular, blindfold effects were the rage, book tests ruled, confabualtion was king, magic sqaures were an absolute, which-hand effects were the bomb and so on. You just weren't here when the last memory effect wave went by.