When someone fishes they use bait to attract and hook the fish then finish with a net trapping it.

when people lie they "bait" the other with the truth and "net" them in the fabrication.

With mentalism how are you baiting the "fish" and how are you "netting them in your fabrication"

in other words how are you creating the sense of plausibility and increasing your difficulty of performance and how long are you able to keep the audience on the hook moving from believable towards unbelievable?

Just some food for thought for the performers here to consider.

-isi

One obvious way to 'bait with the truth' is to use mundane items that are gimmicked. Their familiarity breeds contempt. This contempt opens the possibilities of using i** pads, n*** writers, automatic switches (due to a prop's design) and tonnes of other utility items (like the recently-mentioned clear bag).

T.

Ted,

not really where I was headed with this, but your comment is interesting about the familiarity of tools.

Improper utilization of the tool and routine structure by the user leads to exposure of most products, IMHO. Too many want to run out there and use the item they just got on the masses; leading to improper structure of their routine so the item seems to have more emphasis in the effect (done unconsciously as the performer is currently enamored with the item and secretly wishes others to love it's greatness like s/he does.) the other problem I find though much more common among magicians than mentalists is the over using of "gimmicked" items.

thanks for the reply

Are Street worker Trolling?

I like the metaphor -- thinking of which effects use nets and which hooks.

methinks some magicians use harpoons to spear minnows,
while others seek whales in buckets.