I’m curious about mentalism.

What type or style of mentalism do you perform and what are your favorite routines, effects, and/or presentations?

Thank you.

If you find a particular style of mentalism YOU are interested in it would be easier to respond to specific questions you may have.
If you are curious about mentalism read the classics the answeres are there.

I agree with Myster. There are of course many different mentalism effects and even categories of mentalism but mentalism, just as in magic, is flexible and should fit the character and personality of the performer. While Myster or myself can certainly give you a "list" of effects, the meaning of the effects would be empty and without value since they would not reflect who you are and your type of personality. The success of a mentalism effect, jsut as in a magic effect, is dependent upon presentation and upon the performer's personality, behavior and ability. My "list" will be totally different than Myster's "list." Not because the effects are inherently "better" than the other person's favorite effects, but because we by nature will have different personalties and differnt presentation styles.

I would also agree with Myster to read the classics, such as "13 Steps to Mentalism" and to een watch some DVDs by Mr. Richard Osterlind and Banachek, not so much to learn effects but for you to get a feel and sense of your own style and what effects would most suit you and your personality.

Send another post after you do a little reading and watching andwe can discuss this topic some more.

Good luck!!!

MI

Great Advice!

Any form of magic and how it is presented depends 100% upon YOU and your character. I don't mean some character you plan on creating, but rather WHO YOU ARE!

What we do as a performer MUST seem natural. I don't mean our hand-positioning when doing slights, I mean that the material must work within the who and what we are as a person. If the shoes don't fit, we can't walk comfortably in them. To make them fit requires time, experimentation, and experience. Too, as we mature what once worked well for us will have to be replaced -- we become a different human being as we mature and life gives us different experiences and insights. As our perspectives change, so too our ability to deliver a given style of presentation will change.

A decade ago I was doing a form of mental/bizarre presentation that most would consider to be "of the norm." I could stand tall, use my body language and voice as well as my size to control and manipulate circumstance. I never thought that would change... today however I've been forced to adapt to several new situations life put in my way. I can no longer run and down the aisle like a mad man... I'm in a wheelchair. So I must modify my material to work not only with that device, but with the new sense of character it has invoked -- things must be adjusted in my mind because the audience no longer sees me as this big guy with a booming voice.

I know this example is a bit of an extreme, but it does reveal how things evolve and how our ability to be aware of the subtle as well as the more phenomenal, guides us in life.

Most that know me know that I've always worked on the "edge" of the craft. That is to say, most of what I do is alluded to be "real" vs. the Steven Shaw/Kreskin mode of admitting (to a major degree) that it's trickery/psychology, etc. at work. I do not promote myself as being a "genuine psychic" but I do allow things to extend the strong suggestion that this could be the case... dropping tid bits of tongue-n-cheek corn here and there so as to suggest otherwise as well... after all, I'm an Entertainer and if I fail to do that none of it has rhyme or reason.

Find material that fits who YOU are and don't try to take on the persona of others. It's not only ok to be different, it's to your professional advantage!

I'll give you one guess.

Osiris,
I could not have said it better myself.

I am sure that you are still considered a "big guy" since a person's stature is not measured by a person's height but by one's character.

Aside from "Corrinda's 13 steps to Mentalism", what would you guys consider the classic books to read for anyone seriously interested in mentalism?

Richard

Annaman naturally, he and Corinda are generally considered the fathers of moderen mentalism.
I've always been in to the psychic and bizzare so this influence my style of mentalism, not that I believe in anything of the sort mind you but I make myself believe when performing.

I love to add comedy to my 'mentalism' routines. it keeps the audience entertained and a whole lot more interested in the effects

My mentalism show is very dark with voodoo, Ouija and the likes. However it does start a lot lighter. There's nothing worse than walking on stage and saying "good evening, tonight we're gonna stab a stake through YOUR HEART!" TADA! It doesn't go down too well for me anyway,

Kennedy

I try to use mentalism that can be adapted to a Christian audience. I use a trick of prediction that is so powerful that I had to stop using it for a while. (It literally scared people.) Like everyone else says, it was almost totally in the presentation.

You say that as if it was a BAD thing.

In my book there is only one way to present Mentalism - as the REAL thing. That covers both the psychic presentation and the pseudo-scientific explanation. Each has merit and neither is better than the other. That said, there is not always a need to state anything explicitly. It is far more powerful to suggest at the truth of your abilities rather than state things outright.

I have no time for the type of act where what is being done is a demonstration of what psychics do "but I'm using deception". You are basically telling your audience that you know something they don't and being a smartypants. In many ways, this is why magicians are looked down upon because they don't realise people hate being fooled. In this type of act you are TELLING people that you are fooling them.

Regards,

David.

David, I could not agree more. This is the reason I moved away from magic.

I think by leading one's audience merrily down a path of pseudo-scientific explanation and apparently psychic phenomenon then you prevent them from looking for tricks from the outset and they feel happy as they think they know how you are achieving your feats.

Kennedy

Then, if they find out the truth, and are not blind to facts, they frown on you for lying to them.
You just can't win.

Steve

I prefer to perform theater. In theaters. That way they know its entertainment. I don't disuade the belief system, but I try not encouraging it.

My performances are a mixture of some darkness, melancholy, dreaming but also some comedy. That comedy-element, though, comes out of the effects. I am not the funny guy on stage, but comedy is an element that you need when performing for paying audiences or while hopping tables.

To the audience I want to make clear that I am a character. And my character has different aspects, not just one. And that should be seen in the performance. I mix but I mix that way that it is still ME!

Ravi

[quote]On 2004-08-01 23:26, weepinwil wrote:
I try to use mentalism that can be adapted to a Christian audience.

I don't get it 'weepinwil'. Why do you adapt it to a religion? And why specifically Christianity?

I love to watch and perform andy nyman affects very simple and dirrect with loads of hummor the hidden is my favorite allways gets a nice reaction