In light of recent discussions, I thought I'd put out a light hearted question, yet ask for some serious answers (hehehe imagine trying to ask for serious answers in a Café of drunks ).

If you all of a sudden up and decided to found a cult, what would you perform? And more importantly, what would your 'alibi' for your powers be?

Personally I would do:

Acidus novus revelation of a name
psychological forces
mind power deck with card to pocket

I would say that I was a genetic freak with the ability to pick up on concentrated thoughts.

I would throw myself out of a skyscraper and bounce when I touch the ground.

I'd give myself the power to conjure trolls to do my bidding. I'm getting pretty good, huh?

Intreaging power. So basically you would then possess the power to tell yourself what to do?
I guess that could be useful... In some situations.

Ok, I admit that was a *** good come back, freak!

It made me laugh out loud!

Healings, psychic surgery, prophecies - maybe.

Card to pocket - not so much.


Good thoughts,

Bob

Resurrect the dead, summon spirits to talk to the living, necromancy to reveal ancient secrets of the past, see into souls and reveal their secrets, control the actions of others.... that sort of thing.

Bob,

Card to pocket is easy...

Try Pocket to Card

Or Ceiling on Card

Or Bottle in Coin

Those are tough ones!

Although I'm sure those would be a piece of cake for Dr. Crow.

my alibi would be "you cannot sink my cheerio!!!!!!!!!"

Bottle in coin especially so!

not only myself, sunshine...

There are several articles on how to indoctrinate potential followers. The principles are well known and don't rely on mentalism effects although Psychic Surgery was used by one cult leader some years back to impress his followers.

Hypnosis effects & Seances.

They've worked for me so far.

This is true. A genuine cult leader does not bother with tricks that can be exposed when simple words and proven indoctrination/mind control techniques work very well.

-spoon bending
-pseudo-psychometry
-forth dimensional telepathy
-Acidus Globus Q&A
-readings in general (private, group and platform), esp. using "psychometry A-Z" and related systems.

My logic is this, with the exception of Acidus Globus Q&A (which I have done, but only for one or two people at a time) I've done all of the above and felt that I could easily start a cult after performing any of them. The first time I did spoon bending was for a small group of skeptics.

Not always true. Sathya Sai Baba is well known for streaming vibhuti (holy ash) from fingertips, manifestations of jewellery from thin air and producing a Lingam (egg) from his hanky. I mean his throat. He has millions of followers spread throughout hundreds of countries.

That is without going back to the miracles in the good book. Stick to snake, water to wine, prophesy based on historical record etc etc.

However all this is not necessary if you do what any good cult leader should do and that is create belief in an imagined future problem and build expectation around yourself having/being the solution.

Personally I would do it Benny Hinn style and use charisma, hypnosis and madness of the crowd.

Anthony

Benny Hinn prey's on the despair and pain of those and their family who are in really bad situations around health. The motivation inspired by hope and strong emotion and religeous belief is already built in. Cult leaders tap into something that is already there and leverage it.

Scientologists have a process where they give you a free test which uncovers psychological weaknesses. They then amplify these weaknesses into full blown problems and offer a system that will solve them. Its a bit like therapy in reverse.

The strategy is always the same though tap into an emotion amplify it then lead the victim to where you want them to go. Build in phobias about leaving the group and alienate family and friends.

The military to certain extent uses cult conditioning. In order to "train" ordinary people to kill they must take them away from their family friends and normal living patterns. They then subject them to all kinds of "abuse" to elicit strong emotions then drill new behaviour and compliance into them.

When people are emotional they are also suggestible. Being "astonished" at a mentalism effect renders the audience suggestibale at that point. Which means effects can be used to deliver information that will stick. I have been playing around with this for a number of years. Although I have found it to be more effective just setting up a p resentation to open the hot buttons immediately and rarely use effects these days.

Ant mentions Sathya Sai Baba. In order for him to be successful he is most likely manipulating the other conditions mentioned in this post. Without them he would just be a magician.

I am sure if I wanted I could set up a cult. The first step is to find a group of people who are vulnerable and disatisfied with life. Get rapport by feeding back that you understand them. Aggravate the problem until their emotions are high then lead them to where you want them to go. Sounds a bit like politics?

You can also learn how to use some of these techniques "ethically" in business and sales.

I would deny that I have any special abilities and that I am not the true profit. For only the true profit denies his divinity....

So youve been to one of my shows.....