Mentalism

[firmz]

When performing mentalism do you want to give them a method to grasp hold of and have them feel and recognise that they were/maybe were influenced, ala Derren Brown or do you want them to feel like everything was a 'free choice'?

Discuss.

 

[Josh Clarke]

It depends on the trick. If I'm mentally forcing a card, then I hope they think it's a free choice. When I perform Luke Jermay's "Reversed Gestalt Moment", then I implant that EVERYONE saw the same card. I suggest that my words and hand motions caused them to forget the card they saw. If I don't give them a method to hold onto, their brain will eventually decide I showed the audience a different card.

 

[Dex]

I actually use the Derren Brown Psychologic side for magic tricks, then from the atmosphere I created I go into pure mentalism effects without giving any indication, that way they created their own because of the initial magic trick.

Works for me.

 

[firmz]

77 views and 2 replies? I guess i have to assume that the real understanding of this issue is beyond many of the members here. Shame..

 

[OwnerM]

I actually use the Derren Brown Psychologic side for magic tricks, then from the atmosphere I created I go into pure mentalism effects without giving any indication, that way they created their own because of the initial magic trick.

Works for me.

I'm with Dex. I did hypnotism first (for almost 20 years) and I'm just starting in the "Mentalism" side of it, inspired by Derren Brown. It works exteremely will for me.

 

[Brucelee]

When I perform (I am a mentalist) I like to make the spectators feel like they were influenced or had some neurological thing going on.

Brucelee

 

[MaxDeVill]

I like to present the mind as a constant. I present everything as that 90% of minds are the same and I can lead them into what I want them to do because not of "magic" but of scientific knowledge. It's pretty much all BS (not all of it tho) but it gives the spectator something to latch onto and become interested in because they are not just a spectator but a willing participant in an experiment of the mind.

 

[Andlat]

When I do mentalism, I guess I present it as a free choice. Basically, I emphasize that the spectator is in control, and everything that happens is because of the power of their mind.

 

[hance_man]

when dealing with more skeptical people, i like to take a Derren Brown approach. for those kinds of people, it can be much more unnerving to think that you are somehow controlling their mind, rather than just pulling some kind of trick on them. it's always fun, though, to let the more impressionable participants to believe that any type of selection they make is totally a free choice.