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Axel Elite user Berlin 451 Posts |
Hi there!
I am a new member of this lovely place. I am an amateur magician from germany (that's to say: please excuse my mistakes in english grammar) and I am interested in mentalism for a few years now. As far as I understand the subject, it is kind of a challenge for mentalists to give their art a context, which functions as an "explanation" for what the audience experiences. There has been the paranormal context in which for example people like geller still perform, and there is the psychological, "NLP" context in which people like Derren Brown or Luke Jermay present their conjuring. What I am wondering is: are there any new tendencies in modern mentalism, which go beyond psychological explanations/"NLP" or supernatural frames? If for example I would like to create a context for my own performance, I would feel uncomfortable with presenting myself as "supernatural gifted". Also I think that taking the psychological approach is kind of simply imitating the guys who are on top right now. What do you guys and girls offer you audiences as an "explanation" for reading their minds? Thanks a lot, best wishes from berlin, lexa |
The great Gumbini Inner circle 3062 Posts |
Lexa,
Remember when you perform as a mentalist you are doing just that--- performing. Everyone works hard to mold their own persona. I personally like to start out by stating that I have studied a field that has fascinated me for many years. This field is called mentalism. Now although it is not an exact science I'd like to attempt some experiments in this field with your help. Then I simply go into each effect and let THEM decide if I read their minds or predicted something or whatever the effect is that I'm performing. I guess I'm saying that I don't so much offer them an explanation I let them offer themselves one. I found if you allow the audience to "fill in the blanks" of the hows and whys they will do a better job than what we can "tell" them. I hope that helps. Good magic to all, Eric |
Paul Brook Special user UK 855 Posts |
If you wanted a good source of alternative presentations then I highly recommend Phill Smith's book 'Yokai'.
Cheers, -Paul
PAUL BROOK
He Knows Shop - All of my mentalism books, PDFs and props Certified Mentalism A beautifully illustrated hardback book full of real world mentalism FREE MENTALISM Free hard-hitting effects, routines and methods, just a click away MAGIC TV INTERVIEW An deep dive interview with Craig Petty, nothing held back! |
Axel Elite user Berlin 451 Posts |
Gumbystock:
But don't you offer them with each new routine, depending on its presentation, an explanation? For example: don't you have to decide, whether you get the choosen word by "deciphering their bodylanguage" or by "reading their mind"? Aren't these basic questions, which you have to answer to yourself, before you construct your performance? Paul: Thanks for the advice, I will check it out. And thanks a lot for your excellent writings! -Lexa |
mindpunisher Inner circle 6132 Posts |
I think explanations are over rated and pretty boring. Be thin on explanations focus on the audience.
Otherwise I think the direction mentalism will follow is downwards. What goes up must come down.... |
Pakar Ilusi Inner circle 5777 Posts |
Tell them it's Magic...
"Dreams aren't a matter of Chance but a matter of Choice." -DC-
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Tony Iacoviello Eternal Order 13151 Posts |
Lexa
Welcome to the Magic Café. Inductive and deductive reasoning could be used, think detectives such as Sherlock Holmes. If you are mathematically minded, statistics and probability could be used. If you want to introduce props, the physical science can be used (lie detectors, chemical changes, electrical changes, temperature changes). For me, I am a psychic entertainer. Tony Iacoviello |
The great Gumbini Inner circle 3062 Posts |
Lexa,
Re-read what both Mindpunisher and Tony wrote. Now depending on the effect I'm using it will vary. But I'm never looking to explain it to them---I want them to think about what happened. Case in point. I have 4 envelopes on stage all numbered. I call up 2 men and 1 woman. I then call another lady up on stage and hand her an envelope marked "my prediction". I explain that I simply wrote a prediction before I came to the performance and it is in this envelope which I just handed to the lady. I ask each member to chose an envelope (I never tell them to pick one but chose one). Once they have I ask them if they are happy with their choice or would they like to change their mind. Almost always they are happy. Now I let them know that each envelope has something in it. But one envelope has a 100.00 bill in it.If they chose it, it's theirs. Well they get happy now. Once again I ask if they want to change their mind. We finally all open the envelopes. Theirs are blank papers. Then I go to my prediction envelope and open it and it says "I will invite 3 people on stage 2 men and a lady. The lady will chose envelope #2 the two men envelopes numbers 1 and 4---and I will have envelope number 3 with the 100.00 bill in it" I draw a big sad face at the end. This prediction by the way turns out to be true. As an ending I open my #3 envelope and there inside is a $100.00 PAST DUE bill inside! You see no explaining just let the performance happen. So it all depends on what you are performing. But if you get bogged down with the explaining aspect you may lose a certain "surprise" aspect of your effect. The audience already knows that as a mentalist our "office" is right in the minds of our audience. They know this. It would be like a Dentist telling you "Ok I am going to do the filling now in the tooth that needs the filling." We know this already. And I mean this in a good way too ok? I don't want you or anyone to misunderstand my intentions in this answer to you---I mean it only to help. I have found especially in mentalism the less you say (explaining wise) and the more you show and allow them to do the better off you will be. Remember we are deep in their head on some of the effects we do and this is where REAL MAGIC happens to them. They will know what you are doing when you tell them something like "I want you to clear your mind. Now as if you were seeing the word you are thinking of in BIG LETTERS I want you to clearly see each one of those letters" You see they have their plate FULL now. They don't need to hear "I am now going to attempt to read your mind." No kidding. Of course you are why else would you have them clear their minds and see BIG LETTERS? I hope this helps. We have a saying in mentalism that goes like this "Why run when no one is chasing you?" As mentalists we have a lot to keep track of (for me that's the fun---call me weird) and if you focus on your presentation and what has to be done in the effect---they will get it. Good magic to all, Eric |
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