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unclesamayen Elite user Taiwan 459 Posts 
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Hello everyone,
It is what I'm thinking and I wanna know your thought. Today, I went out on the street and I wanna practice my new mentalism effect. I've done street magic many times since 7 years ago but it's my first time trying to do mentalism. I was looking for my audience but I couldn't. I saw some children, but I thought the children are not appropriate cause they don't understand why I will read their mind. I saw some guys, but I thought they don't like their mind to be read cause they looked full of conceit. I stood there and watch several people passed, but I couldn't find suitable audience. This make me think, the mentalism is not for everyone. Or could I say, the range of audience of mentalism is smaller than other kind of magic. How is your opinion? Thank you for your answers. YuYen
Comedy, Mental, Busking.
Performing magic for the blinds. http://youtu.be/nW3O0nucQUI Busking in Mong Kok http://youtu.be/WqohXqTxRVU |
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bevbevvybev Inner circle UK 2674 Posts
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You can do mentalism for anyone. It is up to them to decide if they are the right audience, and for you to perform.
The best thing is, they will probably have never seen mentalism before, but they will definitely have seen magic. Which means even for people who look like the 'wrong' people, they may be much more amazed than if you just did something 'normal', like a magic trick. Stop thinking and start doing! |
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afinemesh Inner circle Senseless gibberish that amounts to 2621 Posts
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Quote:
On 2012-07-29 10:50, bevbevvybev wrote: I like your approach. . .
"I've always been mental, I'm sure of it" Boris Pocus
"Someday we'll look back on this and it will all seem funny". . .Bruce Springsteen |
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bevbevvybev Inner circle UK 2674 Posts
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The things is, and as many people complain about, mentalism is hard to 'practice' because it's ALL about the spectator. You don't really know how an effect feels until you start performing it. It's all about the interaction.
Therefore, you can never really tell or get a feel for an effect until you actually perform it. A lot. So you need to just do it. And work with the feedback. |
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Mindpro Eternal Order 10606 Posts
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It may be the format you are performing mentalism. To me I've always preferred and thought mentalism plays much better on stage. It still can be personal, amazing to others, and allow others to join in at their own pace. Even for those not choosing to participate, it can still be exciting to watch - if performed well. Never cared for street mentalism. It's one thing to have someone allow you to perform a trick as in magic, but it's much more personal to expect them to allow you to read their mind.
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unclesamayen Elite user Taiwan 459 Posts
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Quote:
On 2012-07-29 11:10, Mindpro wrote: It's one of the points that I thought it's difficult to choose spectator. Mentalism is for certain people who like or who want to experience. I think the mentalism is prefered in theater setting.
Comedy, Mental, Busking.
Performing magic for the blinds. http://youtu.be/nW3O0nucQUI Busking in Mong Kok http://youtu.be/WqohXqTxRVU |
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unclesamayen Elite user Taiwan 459 Posts
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Quote:
On 2012-07-29 10:50, bevbevvybev wrote: Thank you for your advice. I'll adjust my thinking and just do it. YuYen
Comedy, Mental, Busking.
Performing magic for the blinds. http://youtu.be/nW3O0nucQUI Busking in Mong Kok http://youtu.be/WqohXqTxRVU |
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Jim Sparx Inner circle Far Out, Texas 1144 Posts
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The O.P. gives a perfect example of a cold reading from a distance. In order to extract information from someone you must have an individual willing to give information about them self.
A person is less likely to give information in an open environment compared to an enclosed intimate environment. People do not normally give private information to strangers, especially in the open. There is a natural tendency to be in a guarded state when outside, the o.p. picked this up very well.
Et tu, Spartacus?
https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/chispadeelpaso.html |
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cirrus Inner circle his minions made 1751 Posts
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But when you start to talk to them, and truly respect them, you notice how fast they open up. I have done this hundreds (maybe thousands of times) just talking to random strangers who first didn't look like talking to you. Just go ahead and ask something trivial, like the time, then start some small talk, and just before you leave, you show them something. They have gotten the time to know you not in a magic context and they will be more amazed.
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unclesamayen Elite user Taiwan 459 Posts
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Quote:
On 2012-07-29 11:44, spartacus wrote: Excuse me, what is the O.P. mean? Thank you. YuYen
Comedy, Mental, Busking.
Performing magic for the blinds. http://youtu.be/nW3O0nucQUI Busking in Mong Kok http://youtu.be/WqohXqTxRVU |
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Tony Iacoviello Eternal Order 13151 Posts
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Original Post.
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Billy-one Inner circle IOWA 1028 Posts
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Start conversations with everyone, ask them if you can read their minds, if they say yes....good, if not...oh well.
I remember when I first started performing magic (many years ago now) I was always worried about who I approached. I gave myself excuses, "oh he looks to busy" or "shes to old to help"....it was all excuses becuse I was worried something would go wrong. Of coarse, I don't care anymore becuse everything has gone wrong....many many times, but things have went well many more times. I took this same mentality into mentalism, sh*t will go wrong no matter who you perform for. But, the key is to perform for as many people possible. don't make an excuse, just do it.....maybe it will be wrong, but its better then nothing. Billy p.s. But you are right, mentalism is not for everyone (including those who practice the art) |
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saurabh New user 86 Posts
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Acc. to me the most important part of mentalism in general is motivation. Your actions should have motivation. So, it depends on how you present your effects. If you can 'really read minds', why are you reading random peoples' minds on the street. It requires proper ambience, situation and conviction on the part of the performer.
Of course you could do the psychology or NLP-esque explanation, then I'd say start with something light and short. I have done a lot of mentalism by starting off with magic. I'll do a simple sandwich or transposition with cards, and then say, 'I've always been interested in cards, but this isn't what I really do.' And then move on into mentalism with the same pack without handling the deck and making a clear distinction between the sleight of hand and the mind reading. |
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saurabh New user 86 Posts
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Oh and forgot to mention, in a street type setting, do stay away from groups where you may instinctively feel you'll have problems. For example, if there's a guy with a few girls, he might try to go alpha male by heckling you.
So being a bit selective goes a long way. |
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boydy Special user Ayrshire, Scotland 881 Posts
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There is an out of print book on eriksonian hypnosis, in which is is said that it is not what you say it is how you say it.
You can perform mentalism for anyone, you just have to be able to know who your performing for and adjust your style to suit. |
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dmoses Inner circle 2261 Posts
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Here's a mind experiment.
Imagine John Archer is on the street... and the people you described approached him? Is there any world where he would not have them enjoying themselves and the effects within a minute of him saying "let me show you something" d
"You're a comedian. You wanna do mankind a service, tell funnier jokes."
TPR by Dave Moses and Iain Dunford T-shirts for Magicians and Mentalists |
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Myke Phillips Inner circle Myke Phillips 1213 Posts
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Quote:
On 2012-07-29 10:42, unclesamayen wrote: Hi yuYen, I have a thread on mentalism in the street, if you would like to have a read of my ups and downs on the street, have a read here http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......um=15&94 You can do what I do , and just set up a table with "Mind Reader" written on laminated paper and stuck on the front. Best Myke |
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Jim Sparx Inner circle Far Out, Texas 1144 Posts
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Quote:
On 2012-07-29 12:53, boydy wrote: I was lucky enough to train using the psychotherapy methods of Erickson, Bandler, et al. I have the four volume set of the Ericksons Collected papers. The books are a goldmine of non-confrontational hypnosis and leading the patient (spectator) via suggestion & NLP to revealing what information you need. To me the books are the bible of cold reading. The revelation that psychotherapy is 99% intuition and one percent technique can be applied to mind reading, "without the trickery", if one chooses to substitute the word psychotherapy for mind reading. You can read more about Erickson here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_H._Erickson
Et tu, Spartacus?
https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/chispadeelpaso.html |
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seadog93 Inner circle 3200 Posts
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For me I don't think mentalism has to be on stage, but I definitely prefer to have people come to me and pre-qualify themselves.
As has been said before, mentalism can work for anyone. I do it for my kids all the time and I wrote a couple short chapters in the new book "Performing Mentalism for Young Minds Vol.2" which has some amazing stuff in it.
"Love is the magician who pulls man out of his own hat" - Ben Hecht
"Love says 'I am everything.' Wisdom says 'I am nothing'. Between the two, my life flows." -Nisargadatta Maharaj Seadog=C-Dawg=C.ou.rtn.ey Kol.b |
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Myke Phillips Inner circle Myke Phillips 1213 Posts
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I perform mentalism in the street, and perform up to a hundred (maybe more) performances each day, and the one thing I have learned is, you should try your hardest to put yourself into as many different situations as possible. Why? Because you never know what opertunities you are going to miss if you don't. Avoiding certain people is good advice, but if you want to get good fast, the only way is to perform for as many different groups/people (adults and children) it will make you a better performer and really help you out of a tight spot in the future when it really maters.
Performing mentalism for children: I believe that to all the kids that I have read the minds of absolutely appreciated it, and if anything, they have more belief in mind reading than adults do. Drawing duplications can be a pain with kids, but revealing a best friends name...wooo! They freak out. If you could really read minds why would you be standing in the street reading minds? Well, you performing for the people who can not afford to see you if you were famous..lol. Seriously, why not? You are perfecting your skills. Every excuse you have pointed out, I have made. The only thing it will do to you, (as it did to me for many years) is stop you from perfecting your art and passion for mentalism. Every time I say to myself, "ah, I'm not sure if they are the right kind of people to perform for". Something triggers off in me, and I say "F" IT, and it makes me want to perform even more to that person. Why? because that person is probably going to get me closer to my goal as a performer. So the next time you think "they look like they could be akward" think " I am going learn from this person, and it's probably going to save my ass one day. And the truth is, sometimes these people we try to read, are the most pleasant people you will ever meet. I have certainly miss read people and been very surprised. Remember, it's not about how good you are, its about how good you wanna be. Good thoughts Myke |
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Posted: Jul 29, 2012 02:42 pm 
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