Hi,

Hopefully this is a fairly 'safe' comment to post here as I am literally BRAND NEW on this forum

I have being doing mentalism for quite some time now and I was VERY surprised at how much is 'shared' on this forum. Ive read many things here already that took me years to learn! Not too sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing Or perhaps, because I 'learned' much of what I know from books,,, much before all the 'online magic instruction', the learning curb has simply changed

With that said, when it comes to mentalism, it seems to me that its useless to know the 'how to' to a mentalism effect if you don't know how to 'perform it'.

Some of my favorite effects are the most SIMPLE to learn effects but yet the build up, acting, and environment surrounding the effect make them 'MIND BLOWING'.

I think, for example, how I can STILL get HUGE reactions from people by doing a simple revelation or prediction effect or even something like the Balducci levitation, though it seems EVERYONE knows how to do it these days.

So my question is, do you mentalists think all the online 'how to' chatter is damaging mentalism or do you think that its fairly negligible because the real 'secret' lies in the 'show'?

With mentalism, even more so than magic, the performance is 90% of the entertainment. You see lots of people getting hung up on the latest complicated methods without putting much thought into their performance.

If you watch any of the greats, they often take very simple methods but their performance and showmanship turns then into something really special.

Knowing how the illusion works is just as important as knowing how to perform it. For the performer, one can't exist without the other. Mentalists always say it is not technique but rather the performance. In my opinion, and this is from the viewpoint of a former stage illusionist, that is true but only to an extent. A great performance does not excuse bad technique and I have seen really bad technique. Like a magician with misdirection, I think there are many mentalist who place performance over technique and it becomes almost a separate entity. Performance, like misdirection, is but a single thread that is woven into the fabric of a routine not a patch sewn over it. You can't say, "The handling is really bad but if you work on the performance then the bad technique is not as noticable." That is the same thing as saying, "I know my classic pass is atrocious but if I add a bit of misdirection here by asking them to look into my eyes and think of their card, then no one will notice I'm flashing the card."

To me, a great performance does not erase the fumbling around with a b***** while trying to get a p*** or execute a C***** ****. I've seen mentalists who fail to realize they need to put the cards down because they can't perform a convincing dl to save their life and all the performance and showmanship in the world cannot cover up that. One of the big recurring conversations here in the Café' is exposure. Something that very few people hit on is that we are our own greatest enemy at times. Poor technique leads to exposure. If a performer flashes something and they themselves see it, chances are very good that at least someone in the audience has seen it. If a person can't perform the routine backwards in their sleep, then it needs to stay out of the show.

I do think a good build up is important. It is important to set the stage and establish the mood and mentalism is all about mood. Mentalism cannot be rushed. It has to follow the rythm of the show but it cannot be rushed, especially if one is waiting on a spectator to do something, which is usually the case. Again, my opinion is that technique and performance are two sides of the same sword and both are razor sharp.

Excellent points Scott. I think perhaps there certain methods, lets say a dl or different p**** we use during an effect that have become so routine that its easy to forget the weeks and even months it took to nail down the method (especially timing). If you don't put the time in to get it right, then the build and showmanship are pointless. I like what you said "technique and performance are two sides of the same sword and both are razor sharp."