Banacheck PSI Series

Jan 11, 2013
168
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Dubai
Psychological Subtleties is a 3 volume set. If your just looking for effects I wouldn't recommend the books. Yes there are a few effects with in the books, but their worth comes more from all subtle techniques they teach to enhance your performance as a mentalist. You need some form of foundation to get the most out of these books. If you want a good book on mentalism effects I would recommend PRISM, great book!
 
Dec 18, 2007
1,610
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Northampton, MA - USA
If you are a serious student of Mentalism then you want both but for two entirely different reasons. I will point out that Disc 3 of the PSI Series is probably the single most important bit of business you'll find in the collection in that it teaches one of the most valuable techniques in all of Mentalism -- Muscle Reading. The Psychological Subtleties series comes in at a close second on my list of "mandatory" knowledge for the 21st century Mentalist.

Personally, it's hard to go wrong with most anything Steve puts out.
 
Aug 9, 2013
35
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Thanks for the response!


At this period in time I am not looking for a barrage of new effects, so it seems as if the books will help me improve my current skills and knowledge. I'll start with the books and purchase the DVDs overtime.


Thanks!
 
Dec 18, 2007
1,610
14
64
Northampton, MA - USA
Understand, the material in the books is not 100% it's all psychological and dependent on how you present the information as well as the subtle differences that may exist in your region; there are demographic and cultural influences that can alter the outcome with certain of these routines.

I have to emphasize however, the value of Disc 3 in the PSI Series along with the book PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL THOUGHT READING that goes with it. If you learn nothing else this year, this is worth the venture. You will learn the foundations around a skill/ technique that will empower you to do amazing things at the drop of a hat without any need for gimmicks or even props of any kind. It is literally "cold" all the way through.

Eugene Burger talks about the rule of 6, I believe; that we only need to know 6 effects i. e.; six card tricks, six coin tricks, or better yet, six chief techniques that we can apply to each niche area of the craft. I say this as a recovering pack-rat that allowed the magic to own him and not the other way around; there can be a point in which you must work your butt off to support the magic rather than it serving as a means that supports you, so be careful of that. Focus!

Mentalism, at least in the past, was attractive to folks because it was so minimalistic, allowing you to work with what was in your brain and what was available. We tend to not be pack-rats and keep our arsenal rather basic so that we can excel at what we do, so do keep that in mind as you do your shopping and learning.
 
My personal preference despite everything Steve has achieved is to go for Docc Hilford stuff instead. Even though Psi Series and the books are incredible, I don't know, something about Docc just makes me smile whereas I don't get that when learning from Banachek.

Simon_Magic
 
Aug 9, 2013
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Muscle Reading has always interested me, so I will definitely look more into it! I'll more than likely end up buying The entire book set, 1-3 of the PSI DVD set and the Psychophysiological Thought Reading book you mentioned.
 
Dec 18, 2007
1,610
14
64
Northampton, MA - USA
My personal preference despite everything Steve has achieved is to go for Docc Hilford stuff instead. Even though Psi Series and the books are incredible, I don't know, something about Docc just makes me smile whereas I don't get that when learning from Banachek.

Simon_Magic

You just love his inner con-artist. . .

I like Docc but his stuff tends to be sold on heavy hype and becomes a disappointment upon closer inspection but, you can't beat him when it comes to learning how to build that hype.

A lot of Docc's material is excellent IF you have the audacity to actually do it, some of it can take a bit of brass. Nonetheless, there are several of his books that I do encourage people to study with Evoque standing at the top of the list and because of the marketing information and how to sell a gig From the Mountain's of Madness. When it comes to effects, Band of the Hand is almost impossible to beat.

What we must understand however, is that Docc is a Bizarrist who exploits Mentalism, he's not a pure Mentalist as Banecheck is. Because of this we get to see a subtle contrast when it comes to approach and presentation.

LamontM, you'll find Muscle Reading to be one of the more empowering skills going when it comes to Mentalism. If you can master this (and that includes all things tided to the Ideomotor reflex) and some good Reader's skills, you can start your own religion (many have). If this is something you want to invest time into I'd suggest you include a couple of other books in your library, starting with the Richard Webster books THE ART OF DOWSING and PENDULUM POWER (TAOD is on the general book market PP is only sold in the magic market) MIND READING & TELEPATHY by Eric Jan Hanussen and the book Erik Jan Hanussen: Hitler's Jewish Clairvoyant by Mel Gordon are two other books that will serve you well, the latter revealing just how far Muscle Reading combined with a bit of Cold Reading, limited Code work with an accomplice and rudimentary Hypnosis skill can take you. A similar biographic exists on a man named Wolf Messing who was to Joseph Stalin what Haussen was to Hitler. . . kind of. Messing actually managed to tour with an actual show well after the war however.

Best of luck!
 
Sep 1, 2007
3,786
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I would further add that Psychological Subtleties is intended for the intermediate to advanced mentalist. It's very dense on the sort of material that only plays well once you ditch the trick mentality and embrace the systems paradigm.
 
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