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Carlos the Great Inner circle California 1234 Posts |
1 How did you get started in mentalism?
Evolved from think of a card tricks 2 Who has inspired you? Everybody/nobody. I can't say that I look at anybody and say "that is who got me into this" or "that is who I want to be like". Maybe I should, maybe my act would be better. I guess I see pluses and minuses for everybody and I pick and choose what I like. Personally, I think that is a good approach because I won't emulate any of the bad traits (I hope, lol) On a separate note, I took lessons from Gerry Griffin of California Magic & Novelty last millenium. His approach to magic sent me thinking along completely different lines than I had thought before and, honestly, my performances improved almost immediately as a result. 3 Who would you like to see perform that you have not had the chance to see? Penn & Teller Some of the folks from the Café 4 What is your favorite effect? To perform: PK Writing. It has never, ever, ever failed to absolutely kill. PK Time is a close second. To watch: Really, the effect is often less important than the presentation. 5 What effect would you like banned (if any)? None really, different strokes for different folks. On a completely personal, I really don't like the amnesia/forget a thought effects. 6 What effect would you like to see developed? Tossing & Turning/ Hard Copy Thought Broadcast These effects/routines are evolving but I love the ideas behind them and think they can be pushed much, much further. 7 What other observations/comments on mentalism would you like to make? A. It is what you make of it. The more time and effort you put into making something your own, the more it shows. Parroting advice and lines from those who inspire you *MAY* help you get started in the art but to flourish, you must find your own voice. B. Learn to like disagreements. Somebody who disagrees with you has reasons for doing so and you might just learn something. Rabid insistence that your way is the only way to look at things contributes nothing but, even more, it prevents you from being open to new ideas. A brief glance at the posts and topics in the Penny forum should be more than enough to show this is ESPECIALLY important for those of us who perform "mentalism".
Cognite tute
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CAROLINI Special user 607 Posts |
(1) About 40 years ago I was doing a magic show for our local annual Boy Scouts banquet. I knew most of the boy's fathers who were there. In addition to magic I did a version of Mental Epic. Afterwards one of the fathers who knew me said very seriously "I never knew that you could read minds." That was the turning point.
(2) Annemann thru his writings in the JINX. (3) Annemann (4) Everything with a swami (5) Smash and Spike (6) Pocket writing (7) We should never stop trying to improve our Presentations. |
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Joshua Quinn Inner circle with an outer triangle 2054 Posts |
1 How did you get started in mentalism?
Some years back I rekindled my childhood interest in magic, but this time found the psychology behind the deception more interesting than the effects themselves. I was then drawn to mentalism because, in a nutshell, I was fascinated by the mechanism of belief that led people to assume I had genuinely read their mind, while ignoring the glaringly obvious alternate possibility that I had surreptitiously looked at what they wrote down on a piece of paper. 2 Who has inspired you? People both in and out of the mystery arts who have developed their own unique way of doing things, even when others told them it couldn't be done. 3 Who would you like to see perform that you have not had the chance to see? Though I'm happy to see other performers when I get the chance, honestly there's no one I'm dying to see. I'd rather spend my time learning more about the human condition than watching other performers. 4 What is your favorite effect? My favorites are my own creations -- not because they're better than those of the greats who have come before me, but because they're what fits me best. Ascension and Conjunction are the two that people know about (and consequently, that I've bothered to give names to). 5 What effect would you like banned (if any)? Is "pretending to communicate with the deceased" an effect? If so, that one. 6 What effect would you like to see developed? Those in which you actually do what you seem to be doing. 7 What other observations/comments on mentalism would you like to make? If I come up with any earth-shatteringly profound observations or comments, I'll give them their own threads.
Every problem contains the seeds of its own solution. Unfortunately every problem also contains the seeds of an infinite number of non-solutions, so that first part really isn't super helpful.
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Rocketeer Special user Westchester, NY 965 Posts |
1 How did you get started in mentalism?
I honestly don't remember when I got interested and it was fairly recently. (Within the last eight years or so.) I got started in magic going to Tannens almost 40 years ago. My interest in magic was rekindled in 1992 when I stayed with friends in a small town that had a magic shop a few towns over. Somewhere I stumbled upon Osterlind's work. 2 Who has inspired you? As a kid it was Houdini and Dunninger. These days it's Osterlind. 3 Who would you like to see perform that you have not had the chance to see? I've never seen a mentalist in live performance so the list is almost everyone. Definitely Osterlind, The Evasons, Banachek, Jim Callahan and Slim. 4 What is your favorite effect? Hard to say but anything based on the BCS is hard to beat. I also have a pet effect I developed based on Richard Busch's "In Search of the Unknown Force." I call it "Third Order Unknown." It's not a fave because it's so great but because it's the first decent effect I can take some credit for creating. 5 What effect would you like banned (if any)? Anything and everything Criss Angel and David Blaine do using camera tricks. 6 What effect would you like to see developed? Not any one effect but I'm interesting in effects that include elements of bizarre magick, storytelling magick of both, like Outlaw's book tests. 7 What other observations/comments on mentalism would you like to make? "Magicians entertain by doing things the audience knows are impossible. Mentalists entertain by doing things the audience is not quite sure are impossible."
I'm selling my hardcover autographed limited edition copy of Jerome Finley's "Thought Veil"
PM me for info. |
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Rappel Veteran user Memphis Tn. 303 Posts |
1 How did you get started in mentalism?
Watching Dick Williams' Magicland got me into magic, but while performing close-up in night clubs and comedy clubs in the early 90's I began to add some mental material in my act. I've always been fasinated with the paranormal and the strange, and this area of magic really fits my personality and look better than the magic I was performing. 2 Who has inspired you? Like I said, Dick Williams inspired me to do magic, but I was always fasinated with Kreskin in the early 70's on TV. I was only 8 or 9 but he was amazing to me. I never saw another mentalist on TV again until I was already performing mentalism as an adult. Who inspires me? Jack Dean, Banachek, Ted Annemann, Derren Brown, Marc Salem, T.A. Waters, Dick Williams, and David Copperfield. Yes, David Copperfield. He's not a mentalist, but he has done some great mental effects through the years. 3 Who would you like to see perform that you have not had the chance to see? Some that are gone I would have loved to have seen are Dunninger, Annemann, Washington Irving Bishop, Alexander, and Erik Van Hanussen. But living, I'd like see Max Maven, Banachek, and Marc Salem's show. And any other mentalist with a good program. 4 What is your favorite effect? My favorite effect is what I call Dream Date. I took a Jack Dean effect, Spending Spree, and used the same method but with a different approach. Instead of a shopping spree choosing a store, item, and money amount, I have a guy choose a beautiful girl from several 8x10's, then the destination, and finally how much they get to spend on the date. It's a triple prediction effect. Jack was very, very clever. Jack told me he liked the approach of a dream date. 5 What effect would you like banned (if any)? I can't think of any effect that should be banned. 6 What effect would you like to see developed? Not one effect, but I'd like to see more body magic developed. 7 What other observations/comments on mentalism would you like to make? First, I want to thank The Magic Café for being here for us to meet other mentalists and share ideas with one another. I am glad mentalism is getting away from the psuedo-psychic presentations of mentalism. Mentalism is finally getting respect in the real world, mainly because some mentalists are not insulting audiences intelligence saying that they "might" have psychic powers, you be the judge. I have always leaned toward the "Derren Brown/Banachek" approach, even before I'd heard of them. It's more believable, and it can be "real world" educational for the audience. |
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Ken Dyne Inner circle UK 2268 Posts |
1 How did you get started in mentalism?
When I was 15 I was doing a tarot reading for my aunty (I have no idea why I started doing them) and told her some things about her life that I could not understand. That started me looking at psychology and then at uri and then lead me to mentalism. 2 Who has inspired you? Uri G, Max Maven, Dunninger, Fogle, stand up comedians who have shown me how thye can stand ion stage for an hour and entertain with NOTHING. Eugene Burger and Quentin Reynolds. 3 Who would you like to see perform that you have not had the chance to see? Fogle and Dunninger live...of course that IS impossible. I'd like to see the Evansons live. 4 What is your favorite effect? I am really interested in effects that build in stages. Where you lead the audience down one path to believe they are experiencing one effect and then you kick them at the end with something unexplicable and unexpected. 5 What effect would you like banned (if any)? Apart from Maven's I have never seen a good presentation of Kurutsuke(sp?) 6 What effect would you like to see developed? 7 What other observations/comments on mentalism would you like to make? I think it's time for a change in approach. What that change is I don't know just yet but I think one is overdue. Kennedy p.s. someone asked to see me performing. I have a video online at http://www.mindofkennedy.co.uk/?page_id=20 and a live public show opening on Thursday in Newcastle Upon Tyne...IN A CASTLE!
MR GOLDEN BALLS 2.0: https://mentalunderground.com/product/mr-golden-balls-2-0/" target="_blank"> https://mentalunderground.com/product/passed-out-deck/
BAIRN: Named 'Best Mentalism Product Of 2014 by Marketplace of the Mind is my collection of more than 40 mentalism routines in a beautiful paperback book: http://www.mentalunderground.com/product/bairn |
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teejay Inner circle Liverpool, UK 1831 Posts |
Quote:
On 2007-07-10 04:49, psychicturtle wrote: A Café and Google search has revealed nothing about this Can anybody help? This is a great thread Cheers TJ |
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Logan Five Inner circle Northern California 1434 Posts |
Ok, here's my info..
1. A couple of things happened at about the same time. First, I started to get very interested in mentalism when I started buying the Robert Nelson books from the mail from Tannen's. Second, Kreskin had a big impact on me in the 70's as a kid..I even remember his tv show. Third, about age 15 I bought a book and a tarot deck from a used bookstore and became interested in the metaphysical. 2. Kreskin, Geller, Doug Henning ( I am still sort of a hippie ), Fred Kapps, Richard Ross, Maven, Ricky Jay, Jane Roberts, Chet Steel ( a guy who was in my local magic club ), Art Bell, Ammar, T.A Waters, Eugene Burger, Mary K. Greer, Carl Jung, Lynn A. Robinson, Ron Martin, Alexander Thomas, Esther Hicks, Ernest Holmes, Neale Donald Walsh, Arthur Rosegarten, Marianne Williamson and Joseph McMoneagle. 3. Geller and Marc Salem. 4. I love Zenvelopes and my version of Casino Royale. I get great reactions from my version of Q & A. 5. I hate key bending..too many people doing it.. 6. I am currently working on a effect having to do with " reaccuring number sequences " like 11:11, 9:11, 2:22 and 3:33..I have yet to work out the "kinks" on this routine. 7. I would love to see " mysticism " come back into mentalism. There is too much " CSI " and " body language " and the like routines geared towards skeptics that's in mentalism nowadays. Peace,Love and Harmony.. Rick
Self concept is destiny..
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Bill Palmer Eternal Order Only Jonathan Townsend has more than 24312 Posts |
1 How did you get started in mentalism?
It was a long road with a number of twists and turns. I worked at the local magic shop when I was in junior high and high school. There I learned a few basic techniques, including a two-person card code that I used for a long time. 2 Who has inspired you? Joseph Dunninger -- I watched him on television when I was a kid. Kreskin -- He was my most direct inspiration to get into mentalism. Punx and Borodin for their interesting applications of the techniques of mentalism in story/bizarre magic. Ted Lesley -- for his feeling that people care more about being entertained than they do about seeing pure mentalism. Banacheck -- for his incredibly natural way of using the various tools we have. 3 Who would you like to see perform that you have not had the chance to see? Richard Busch. I've seen all the ones everyone else has listed. 4 What is your favorite effect? I don't know how to answer that. Do you mean from a performer's POV or from being a spectator? Do you mean from the impact it has on an audience or from its entertainment value? Effects mean nothing separated from the performer and the audience. One person performing a headline prediction will make it ludicrous. Another makes it look like genuine psychic ability. 5 What effect would you like banned (if any)? Any one that a magician does that starts with, "Now, I'd like to show you some mentalism. Take these cards...." 6 What effect would you like to see developed? By whom? 7 What other observations/comments on mentalism would you like to make? Too many mentalists consider the method to be the effect. It's not. All of it is about 1) reading minds 2) influencing objects 3) foretelling the future 4) influencing people 5) entertainment It isn't about CT's, NW's, PW or BS's. Sometimes we forget that.
"The Swatter"
Founder of CODBAMMC My Chickasaw name is "Throws Money at Cups." www.cupsandballsmuseum.com |
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TheGreatGalling Loyal user 245 Posts |
1 How did you get started in mentalism?
It was watching both a Derren Brown episode and a Richard Osterlind dvd that did it for me. 2 Who has inspired you? DB, Max Maven, RO, Marc Spelmann, Docc Hillford, Kenton Knepper, Banachek, Luke Jermay 3 Who would you like to see perform that you have not had the chance to see? All of the above 4 What is your favorite effect? Metal bending 5 What effect would you like banned (if any)? overblown edurance feats 6 What effect would you like to see developed? metal bending, and an angle proof closeup self- levitation, lol. 7 What other observations/comments on mentalism would you like to make? I wish I was more creative. Its one thing performing someone else's Idea well. I'd like to perform some of my own. |
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Tony Iacoviello Eternal Order 13151 Posts |
Hi, I’m Tony Iacoviello, performance name, Tony Eye (as in “I”) as most people cannot pronounce my last name, never mind remember it.
1 How did you get started in mentalism? I grew up walking the line of the old and new worlds. Much of what I do is not mentalism, but is recognized within mentalism. To know me is to understand this. I began my formal study of “mentalism” alongside my formal study of magic. Bob Leslie was my first magic teacher and taught me SOH, magic theory, and mentalism. This began before the age of 10. 2 Who has inspired you? Bob Leslie, as my first teacher his influences are at my core. Uri Geller, Growing up in the 60s and 70s, this phenom showed what it should look like on television. Jon Stetson, his friendship and advice are welcome and have helped me in clarifying issues in my own persona. Max Maven, growing up in Boston and following in many of his footsteps, how could he not? Many, too many to list… 3 Who would you like to see perform that you have not had the chance to see? Personally, I avoid the performance of others. What they do should not have an impact on what I do, and it is sometimes hard to keep that in mind when watching someone else. But with that, I’d like to see John Edwards live. 4 What is your favorite effect? Effect is an interesting word. It is not a trick, method, but an effect. In that, making the spectator/visitor feel better than before we met. 5 What effect would you like banned (if any)? Following on my answer from above, anything that makes a spectator/visitor feel less than when she met the performer. 6 What effect would you like to see developed? See the above two answers. 7 What other observations/comments on mentalism would you like to make? Many performers are too entrenched in methods and miss the overall effect. Effect is the impression left on the audience, not the trick or method used to achieve the effect. Performers should, in my opinion pay more attention to the audience and put them above the performer and get out of the egotist “look at what I can do” mentality of other areas of mystery entertainment. Tony Iacoviello |
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IAIN Eternal Order england 18807 Posts |
1 How did you get started in mentalism?
the real physical time I got started? hmm...cant quite remember, somewhere between blaine and brown...i remember buying 13 steps and a swami, shaking my head in disgust almost and putting it back on my shelf...about year later, after some confidence boosting card-work performances, I went back... 2 Who has inspired you? berglas, brown, blaine when he first started - horwitz, annemann a great great deal, corinda, canasta, riggs, koran, lennart green, sadowitz, and then some members of my family when I found out some where old cocknet psychic and tarot types, and on my dad's side, rum smugglers from the isle of wight! 3 Who would you like to see perform that you have not had the chance to see? kreskin, paolo from on here, jermay, jon riggs, jolley, Knepper, derren...dont you think it's strange that most people refer to derren brown as just derren, yet refer to other mentalists by their last name? sorry...there's a familiarity with him... 4 What is your favorite effect? can't pick one...swami work, drawing dupes and anything odd! 5 What effect would you like banned (if any)? hmmm...dunno! I'd like to ban "rushing" more than an effect...people are in too much of one usually... 6 What effect would you like to see developed? a dinosaur wearing a crash-helmet singing the truth! in reality - anything more emotively driven...don't care what it is... 7 What other observations/comments on mentalism would you like to make? before I started, I thought it was one big happy family - I was wrong...you get little clusters of friends, and you end up being very protective of them and their work, so there seems to be so much snide backstabbing and provocation over a different point of view... ego is a dangerous thing...you need a little to perform and try out some of the more riskier techniques, but if you're not careful - you become a complete monster.. I'd like to see more thought into the premise of an effect in general from what I see - everyone is worried about method - when all that matters is the actual effect you have on the audience...and less use of the word spectator - it should be participant... shake a hand..make a friend...the friendship train...great song that was...
I've asked to be banned
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Brandon Queen Special user Los Angeles, California 527 Posts |
1 How did you get started in mentalism?
After performing magic for 4 years, I felt that I would prefer performing for a more intellectual, intelligent audience. Plus the idea of amazing people with less visual props really appealed to me. I kind of look at mentalism, as advanced magic, or magic for grown ups. 2 Who has inspired you? I've been inspired by many, and continue to find new inspirations constantly. Just to name a few: Banachek, Derren brown, Kenton Knepper, Luke Jermay, Anneman, Corinda, Osterlind, M. Maven and many more. 3 Who would you like to see perform that you have not had the chance to see? Kenton, Maven, and D. Brown. 4 What is your favorite effect? Touching on Hoy and other variations of the same concept. 5 What effect would you like banned (if any)? The effect Criss Angel performed on his tv series, where he made a womans breast enlarge with his mind. Not very tasteful. 6 What effect would you like to see developed? That would definatly have to be the effect where you pull your thumb off, and put it back on. 7 What other observations/comments on mentalism would you like to make? none.
It occured to me at once that love could be a great illusion, that makes fools of brilliant thinkers everyday
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silverfire9 Veteran user Rochester Hills, MI 323 Posts |
1. How did you get started in mentalism?
I guess you could say I've always been interested in mentalism; I was certainly interested in how the mind works and hypnosis and NLP since before high school. That said, I don't recall when the first time I actually performed a mental effect. I had a resurgence of my interest later in life, after I joined the local magic club and started getting back into magic in general. 2. Who has inspired you? I'd have to say Kenton Knepper, Luke Jermay, Banacheck and Derren Brown, mostly. They're all more or less in line with the way I want to do things. 3. Who would you like to see perform that you have not had the chance to see? Well, I have yet to see a "real" mentalist live, so any of the above, or any of the big name mentalists, like Max Maven, Richard Osterlind, etc. 4. What is your favorite effect? Sensory Perception, probably. I haven't customized it to my act yet, but the majority of times I've performed it, people have been impressed. And it has the benefit of being able to be easily adapted to just about any style. 5. What effect would you like banned (if any)? Don't know that I hate any effect that much ... lol. I will say that I don't really care for mediumistic acts, but that's more a conceit than an effect. 6. What effect would you like to see developed? Something that works the way people think mind-reading should work: instantly and without fishing. Ideally, it wouldn't require a stooge or an accomplice, and it wouldn't cost an arm and a leg (I tend to operate on a budget). Oh, and it should be able to be done impromptu, too. 7. What other observations/comments on mentalism would you like to make? Like others have said, it's really about the performance, not the effect itself. Which is true of all magic, really. One person using Rocky the Raccoon will be boring as heck, while someone else performing it can get even adults in on the laughing and cheering. |
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Tanis Regular user 110 Posts |
1 How did you get started in mentalism?
Performed as a childrens magician for 10 yrs, got fed up of being a babysitter that's the way it felt, went back to my first love Mentalism, about 2 yrs ago, been working on the show since then. 2 Who has inspired you? Nixon, Berglas, Crowley, La'vey, Corrindar, Osterlind, Banachek, Tommy Cooper a local lad who reminded to laugh 3 Who would you like to see perform that you have not had the chance to see? Derren, Osterlind and Banachek 4 What is your favorite effect? The spoon bend, when done well 5 What effect would you like banned (if any)? anything that could harm a spectator 6 What effect would you like to see developed? some wonderful way to remote view 7 What other observations/comments on mentalism would you like to make? I like to keep it has real as possable,the entertainment is as important as the presentation, too often the effects are more important than the performance, I want people to get caught up in the moment and remember it. |
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