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Jonathan Inner circle Oklahoma 1223 Posts |
Deep question!
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kyle_freemason Elite user 409 Posts |
I am a mentalist so that I can read my own mind. The thoughts I have are quite interesting ones if I do say so myself.
MM
Butler # 254 |
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Jamie D Inner circle Ontario, Canada 2292 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-08-05 20:20, kyle_freemason wrote: LOL..... great answer from a great mind I may add! For me, I love to perform and I also love to make people happy. The idea of making someone think in such a way and at the same time giveing them a sence of wonder that they enjoy is priceless. Daren
Twitter @darjames
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kyle_freemason Elite user 409 Posts |
Hi Daren! Glad you liked my point of view When you are insane such as I and have multiple personalities it requires special skill to be able to listen in on the many thoughts going round inside of my head Lol.
Seriously though, I think we perform in order to bring the sense of wonder back into our lives and the lives of our audience members. When we are children we see everything in a completely different light and everything is new and wondrous. As we grow older our sense of wonder leaves us and we are left with the mundane explanations our mind has taught us to rely upon. When we see something or perform a "miracle" for someone that light returns to their eyes and for a moment they are able to be a child again and experience new and exciting things. If not for the pleasure of my audience and taking them back to a time and place in their life when everything was new and exciting -- I would not perform. Kyle
MM
Butler # 254 |
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Dreadnought Special user Athens, Georgia 836 Posts |
Kinda like Kyle's answer.
In the 13th c. St. francis of Assisi was walking and talking to one of his friars. During the conversation, the friar marveled at the wonders that were happening around them, just as people do now and have in every age. To that St. Francis responded, "And because of that we can no longer say rise and walk." To me that is what is so important about magic into which I include mentalism. Because if people no longer believe in magic, then how can we expect them to believe in anything else. I want to return that wonder to people.
Peace
"Ave Maria gratia plena Dominus tecum..." Scott Would you do anything for the person you love? |
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funsway Inner circle old things in new ways - new things in old ways 9982 Posts |
The interpersonal skill you can hone through performance magic have many 'real life' applications. Of these, "the willingness to take actions while others dither" can heal, save lives and divert a commitee from chaos. Nice thing is that it is fun too.
"the more one pretends at magic, the more awe and wonder will be found in real life." Arnold Furst
eBooks at https://www.lybrary.com/ken-muller-m-579928.html questions at ken@eversway.com |
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Anthony Jacquin Inner circle UK 2220 Posts |
It makes up for a lack of social skills.
Oh and the sense of wonder thing
Anthony Jacquin
Reality is Plastic! The Art of Impromptu Hypnosis Updated for 2016 Now on Kindle and Audible! |
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Mike Ince Inner circle 2041 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-08-05 21:43, Anthony Jacquin wrote: LO-freakin'-L I love this place.
The secret of deception is in making the truth seem ridiculous.
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Jonathan Inner circle Oklahoma 1223 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-08-05 21:43, Anthony Jacquin wrote: That's the kind of honesty I was hoping for! I gather most people do get into it for that reason, or at least are drawn to it because of that. I think a bit of narcissism plays a role very often as well. The need to be seen as special or as an authority. The draw of power. Leads to horrible experiences on magic forums lol! wow. Derren Brown said something I'll never forget on this very forum. Social skills are so important to magic, yet the obsessive personality needed to perfect sleights and other magic skills rarely goes along with that. It's difficult to learn magic without being somewhat of a loner. DB said it takes a rare combination of outgoing social skills and obsession. I think he said it as he thought it, but there's a lot of truth there! Interesting how you can definitely tell the difference between the really successful performers on here and the rest. Very different personalities and reactions. Not near as much insecurity, rudeness, narcissism, etc. Plenty of exceptions, of course. I'm reading DB's Absolute Magic again and I totally agree with what he said about needing honest feedback and the ability to accept criticism and grow. I think that's the biggest thing that separates the really successful performers from the rest. I was not born with good social skills and I didn't learn it from my family. But, I've put as much effort learning those skills as any others. I'll be learning till the day I die I would imagine! lol Hope I didn't offend anyone. Just an observation. |
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corsufle Loyal user 202 Posts |
Quote:
On 2009-08-05 22:35, Jonathan wrote: I think a lot of performers had to learn social skills deliberately, sometimes painfully, often at an age several years past the time when normal people picked those skills up. I know I did. You are to be congratulated for recognizing that about yourself and continuing to work on it.
Who is the Fool with the guitar?
Find out at HobbyhorseMusic.com |
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Jon_Thompson Inner circle Darkest Cheshire 2404 Posts |
I stumbled into it from a long and abiding passion for behavioural psychology.
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Dynamike Eternal Order FullTimer 24148 Posts |
All because it's in nothing but the mind.
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Matthew Townsend Inner circle 1302 Posts |
I was a geek who had no friends. Now I am a geek with fellow geek friends!
Peace & Love Matt |
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funsway Inner circle old things in new ways - new things in old ways 9982 Posts |
Performance magic allowed me, as a young teen, to interact on a peer level with some facinating adults. I spent more time with people over 50 than those of my own age, and learned many skills that have served me well over the years. You don't have to "do magic" in order to produce magical results:
produce calm out of chaos, unity out of discord, change grief to hope, and look for a different right answer to problems. These are not 'social skills', not ways to control or excercise power. 'tis said that wizards work best invisibly you know. What 'sleights' do you need? The confidence to act while others dither, and the ability to look at problems from the audience point of view.
"the more one pretends at magic, the more awe and wonder will be found in real life." Arnold Furst
eBooks at https://www.lybrary.com/ken-muller-m-579928.html questions at ken@eversway.com |
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pete Loyal user Finland 207 Posts |
Well, I get the good money from this.
Pete |
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psychicturtle Special user UK 821 Posts |
I was severely ill for 7 years (too ill to go out) and that is how I got into it. I think it is because I have always been a performer, and I was bored, and physically unable to do anything else. Turns out I'm not bad at this game, so that is why I am sticking with it, also I can do this for a living despite my continuing health problems.
I'll do it until the acting career takes off. And the surfboard shaping business gets going. And then I'll probably keep doing it for fun, because, yes, I think it is fun. Interesting question. |
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mmura New user Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa (New Zealand) 52 Posts |
To get a deep understandings about human psychology.
It's arcane! |
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Dick Christian Inner circle Northern Virginia (Metro DC) 2619 Posts |
Magic/Mentalism is my second career. First was 20 years (1959-79) as US Naval Officer, over 13 of them at sea in Destroyers including 2 commands. Second as full-time performer (magic and mentalism) and entertainment agency owner/operator, now going on 40 years (not counting performing as teen-20 year old). Reason in both cases -- to earn a living doing something I enjoy. It's a simple as that.
Dick Christian
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markthorold Inner circle Shrunken heads atop 1942 Posts |
To meet chicks ......But seriously ,to improve my social life and give myself a sense of prestige.
Mark
E.O.I
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Mike Ince Inner circle 2041 Posts |
My inner-ten-year-old says: David Copperfield.
He's what stirred me to be a magician. I wanted to be a showman like him. He didn't just perform at people (to see some illusionists, you'd think their show dynamics and plastic smiles wouldn't change whether there were an audience watching or not). As a kid I wouldn't have verbalized what set Copperfield apart from others, but I see now that David handled people well, he was cool, funny and likable. When he fooled you harder than you'd ever been fooled, he didn't make you feel foolish. When he moved you, well, you couldn't be ashamed your eyes were tearing up a bit because so were everyone else's. He's been seen live and on television by more people than any other magician in history, and he's amassed the creative team, the money, and his own cleverness and charisma to do better magic than anyone in history. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebTpc9GWfNg I always included mental magic in my shows. What made me want to do mentalism exclusively? Derren Brown (and Andy Nyman by default). I know, I should be more original, but it's true. Until I'd seen DB's stage performance of "Something Wicked..." , I'd never seen a mentalism performance I'd show to non-magician friends. "Slow" and "dull", thankfully, aren't adjectives that come to mind. DB proved to me that an all-mentalism show could be successfully and entertainingly done. Derren would be interesting to watch and listen to if he never performed an effect. Mentalism was always interesting to me. Now it's interesting and engaging to my audience as well.
The secret of deception is in making the truth seem ridiculous.
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