| Mentalism is a very popular type of magic that | | | | of demonstrating your powers, and that what you |
| appears to defy the laws of physics by using extra | | | | are going to do does not rely on sleight-of-hand |
| mind power! Recently made popular by Derren | | | | magic tricks. Then it is up to you to present a |
| Brown, it has had a new lease of life in the UK. | | | | collection of tricks in a convincing way to leave the |
| A mentalism routine can be achieved in many ways, | | | | audience stunned. |
| including stooges, dressing standard magic tricks as | | | | - Psychological techniques are not as complicated and |
| mentalist effects, using psychological techniques | | | | hard to learn as you may initially believe. What I |
| (including rapport building, cold-reading and a variety | | | | would seriously recommend to people starting to use |
| of other methods to control people's thoughts), and, | | | | such techniques, is to use them with your standard |
| depending on your beliefs, via the sixth-sense! | | | | 'magic sleight-of-hand' tricks in a way that if they fail, |
| When planning on doing a mentalism routine, there | | | | you can seemlessly continue the trick using |
| are several factors to include (including whether or | | | | sleight-of-hand, not a psychological effect. That way |
| not you have sixth-sense!) | | | | you can practise with real people (essential in this |
| - Using stooges, if planned and rehearsed well, is the | | | | case as you need to manipulate different people), so |
| easiest method - however, if not planned properly, it | | | | when your success rate is high, you can put the |
| can easily turn into a nightmare when the stooges | | | | magic trick back on the shelf. For further inspiration, |
| are uncovered. | | | | take a look at Derren Brown's work - he used a |
| - The next easiest method is to use standard magic | | | | perfect combination of magic tricks and psychological |
| tricks with a mentalist presentation. It is very | | | | techniques. |
| important to pick the tricks correctly and build up the | | | | - Finally, if you have sixth-sense, use it! There's |
| atmosphere. Many card magicians will perform some | | | | absolutely nothing I can add to this as I do not have |
| typicaly card tricks, then with the same deck of | | | | it, and have probably never met anyone who does |
| cards, they'll try and change the whole atmosphere | | | | have it (depending on your views of Uri Gellar). |
| into a mentalist show that uses cards as 'the | | | | Once you have decided on your route, practise, |
| medium'. This technique tends not to work as by | | | | practise and practise. The atmosphere you create is |
| that time the audience realise that the magician is | | | | the most important factor in drawing your audience |
| skilled at sleight-of-hand, and any forthcoming tricks | | | | into believing you have special powers. Once you |
| could easily be normal card tricks. When using cards | | | | have mastered that, you'll be able to develop your |
| as your medium, it is very important to set the | | | | routine into a mind-blowing performance. |
| atmosphere first, explaining that cards are just a way | | | | |
