Just like everything else, magic has evolved over the years. Spectators no longer want to see bunnies out of hats and the like. People really want to be awed and in this day and age it takes a lot to awe people. That is why mentalism has had such a comeback recently. Its power really grabs people at a depth that some other classic magic doesn’t anymore.
One thing to understand about mentalism is that it has nothing to do with being psychic. Any magician that claims as such is lying. In fact mentalism simply requires practicing skills just like with coin magic, or card magic. So what are the skills? Following are some psychological techniques that are required to make mentalism successful.
1) Read Body Language- people’s inner most thoughts are not just expressed in what they say. As a matter of fact someone can be saying one thing, but subconsciously saying another. The truth is always in the subconscious communication. This communication comes out in someone’s body language. How they stand, shift, move, eye movements, facial expressions are all indications of what’s really going on for a person. A good mentalist must study this and be good at readying the signs.
2) Power of Suggestion- Mentalism really came into popularity in the 40s when there were great advances in psychology. One of the practices that became often used during this time was hypnotism. Hypnotism is really another way of creating relaxation and rapport. This same idea can be applied to mentalism. When someone is relaxed with the magician, there is a rapport that gets created. When that rapport is there, the spectator is a lot more likely to reveal information that they never would before. And they become much more compliant, possibly due to a desire to not disappoint the magician, or peer pressure, or to not spoil the trick. So really it has nothing to do with being in an altered state as much as creating a bond between magician and spectator. Creating rapport is one of the single most important aspects of being a good performer and mentalist.
3) The Power of Perception- now if it’s starting to feel that you need a degree in psychologically to be successful at mentalism, never fear. Just by practicing some useful skills you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish. Getting good at perception is also an important trait. Knowing how the human brain makes decisions, recalls things, reads, and categorizes information is extremely important in misdirection and also in mentalism. It doesn’t stand alone, but is extremely useful in making your mentalism appear more convincing.
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