Would this be seen as an Invocation or Provocation of my name?
Ok this is a BIG issue in that there really is NO SINGLE “RIGHT” ANSWER. The reasons for this are many, starting with the fact that no two of us are the same person e.g. no two of us have the same “skill-set” or “skill-level” when it comes to technique, let alone the same level of discipline when it comes to setting time to the side to actually LEARN what Mentalism is and isn’t.
Most all of us came to Mentalism by way of Magic and as such our way of viewing Mentalism is horridly distorted because we process things as a Magician would; we tend to see “effects” in the same way as we would the Cups & Balls or Assembling Aces rather than understanding that properly executed Mentalism should NEVER seem like a trick and for that matter, never be presented in the same setting as traditional magic would be done by the same performer.
Yes, this is a big, ugly point of debate in that Magicians want their cake and eat it too. As one gent put it a few years back;
“a magician will see a Mentalist present an amazing Book test and ponder how he can fit it into his show next week. A Mentalist on the other hand, won’t watch a magic show and contemplate how to present the Zombie ball as a feat of psychic prowess. . . “
Trust me on that, I’ve had two friends of mine not only “borrow” bits from my shows but even called me up to ask for help in polishing a bit that was one of me “signature” routines. Both of these guys are Magicians that do birthday Parties and close-up card routines but they wanted a piece that had the psychological power and AFFECT on their audience this particular piece has
when worked under proper auspices.
Ok… this is my third attempt at brevity on this issue and what I’m going to say will undoubtedly tick more than a few of you off. . . but hey, that seem to be my job these days; challenging people to THINK and to be MORE.
First things first, what are the skills a solid mentalist requires?
The short list that’s been preached for generations would be;
* People Evaluation Skills/People Reading
* Memory/Mnemonic Skills (includes Code Work)
* Billet Technique (a minimum of 6 solid switches & 6 solid peeks) – not to be confused with Peek systems like Acidus Novus or the Center Tear which should be treated separately.
* Muscle Reading – both, full and indirect contact as well as non-contact
* Swami/Secret Writing Skills – includes pocket & double/ghost-writing
* Covert Information Collection Skills – using a shiner, impression systems, lip & pencil reading, etc.
New Comers to the list would include
* Psychological Commons (psychological forces & working with demographic data – also ties to “Cold Reading”)
* Psychokinetic Techniques – Key & Spoon Bending have become a new dynamic to Mentalism since the early 1970’s. Too, we must include simply telekinetic phenomenon such as pages in a book turning on their own and other “poltergeist” type manifestations.
Then we have the “
Known of But Rarely Discussed” skills list;
* VOCABULARY – knowing what the hell you’re talking about and being able to communicate with your patrons via a vernacular they are familiar with. If you don’t know the difference between Telepathy and Clairvoyance there’s a very good chance no one is going to believe a word you say during a presentation. Especially when you start noticing that a large number of the folks you’ll meet in this world do know what is what and will “out you” in a hot second.
* DICTION – Yes, we’re talking about how well you speak. Mentalists are supposed to be “educated” for the most part; men & women that have invested time into studying the things they talk on and thus, they should know how to pronounce the terms properly for the sake of UNIVERSAL comprehension.
* PRESENTATION – again we are looking at one more leg of the COMMUNICATION theme I’ve got going here. Learn to use your voice and words effectively so as to be a better human being, not just some ham on stage – LEARN TO COMMUNICATE!
We all know the line about being actors playing a part the catch is, less than 3% of those that get involved with magic, let alone Mentalism, ever take the concept to heart; we don’t learn how to be an ACTOR first, nor do we pay attention as to how it is the single most important of all the skills being discussed, with EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS following close second.
A good teacher will only teach from what he/she knows from life. For that reason I can only express the “old way” of doing it all in that I learned from old timers from the show biz & carnival world as well as relatives that really did this stuff “for real” in the shut-eye world . . . real dowsers, readers, healers, etc. (I come from a very long line of them). My experience has taught me that this is the “more true” version of Mentalism, especially in light of what we have in today’s hodgepodge philosophy & practice. . . c’mon, people actually believe David Copperfield was a Mentalist?! {see my column in the new issue of On-Line VISISONS next week for more details}
Learning the Slight-of-Hand side of Mentalism is the same as learning any other slight-based skill; you make up lots of billets (the typical case) and you practice at a near constant level, switching one for the other alongside copping the read. Same with you Peeks & Tears! Just don’t get lazy and rely too much on those pesky wallets and card holders. . . YOU’RE NOT A MAGICIAN YOU’RE A MENTALIST!
Gimmicks and more importantly, our dependence on gimmicks/mechanical devices & methods, limits our ability to deliver on a claim when we’ve misplaced said item or worse, the batteries have gone dead. LEARN TO DO REAL TIME WORK it’s what separates those that still approach it all as they would a magic show from those that seek to create the miraculous. Or, as a friend of mine would say,
it will help you think more like a real charlatan than some Vaudevillian wannabe.
See the next post. . . 
