theory11 — Magic Tricks & the World's Finest Playing Cards

Difference between a Mentalist and a Hypnostist?

  • Hypnosis: an act where participants are voluntarily put into a sleep state.
  • Mentalism: (with many that attempt to perform it) an act where the audience is put to sleep against their will.
Okay, seriously...In Mentalism, the entertainer seemingly knows information obtained from outside the range of the normal five senses.

In Hypnosis, 'subjects' are placed into a hypnotic state of consciousness. Like a trance or deep sleep state and while in it, their actions/behavior are controlled with (usually) humorous outcomes. But unlike Mentalism there is nothing "supernatural" about it.

|| Steven
 
Ha! It's entirely subjective of course, but some just aren't cut out to be Mentalist! :D

I'm one of those people, I would be dreadful as a Mentalist, it's why I don't do it. Haha

|| Steven
 
A mentalist is a general term for a type of performer who uses real or pretended skills to demonstrate some kind of mental ability beyond the realm of what's usually considered possible. So, a mentalist might demonstrate an extraordinary memory, the ability to move objects with their mind, a heightened sense of empathy or intution, the ability to see the future, and so on.

A hypnotist has a more specific definition in that it is someone who uses hypnosis. That could be in a performance context or in therapy. Of course, these terms aren't mutually exclusive, a mentalist might also be a hypnotist.
 
Mentalist - Someone who is obsessed with the power of their own mind.
Hypnotist - Someone who is obsessed with the power of a spectator's mind.
 
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