Hi! Im Kieron Cane..
I’m going to explain EXACTLY what a Mentalist is..
In A Nutshell – What Is A Mentalist?
A Mentalist is a performance artist who appears to be able to read minds, perform memory feats and control or distort physical objects using only the power of the mind.
Mentalists perform in a similar way to traditional magicians, yet all of the effects appear to be as a result of having an extraordinary mind.
A Mentalist may or may not claim to have supernatural powers.
Some Mentalists claim that they have superior “mind power” while others will publicly claim that the impossible feats that they perform are merely “magic tricks” and psychological illusions.
Mentalists use a mixture of sleight of hand, misdirection, verbal persuasion, suggestion, hypnotism, NLP and mathematical (self-working) effects.
Examples Of What Mentalists Do
Mentalists perform a variety of feats that appear to be impossible.
Here are just a few of the things that a mentalist may be able to perform:
- Mind Reading & Telepathy – The performer may be able to tell his subject/spectator things that he/she could not have previously known.
For example; Their name, age, partners name, place of birth etc.
They may also be able to guess randomly thought of numbers, places and other information.
Some performers also claim to be able to invisibly and non-verbally “send” information from his/her mind to the spectators.
- Predicting The Future – A Mentalist may claim to be able to predict future events such as tomorrows newspaper headline, the lottery numbers or other events out of his/her control.
They may also be able to predict the outcome of events taken place on stage or in a close-up setting for example – Which object will be chosen or a large number called out at random.
- Movement & Distortion Of Physical Objects – The Mentalist may be able to bend cutlery using the power of the mind or make objects move without touching them.
An example of this is the famous psychic – Uri Geller who claims to be able to bend metal with the power of his mind.
- Xray Vision – The Mentalist may claim that he/she can “see through” solid objects or gather information whilst blindfolded.
The Mentalist may ask to be blindfolded and yet still be able to describe objects presented on stage.
Are Mentalists Real?
To this date, there has been no scientific proof that Mentalists are real or possess any supernatural powers.
Many have tried to prove otherwise but have never been able to scientifically prove thier claims under controlled test conditions.
Famous Magician and spiritual debunker, James Randi (who passed away in 2020) offered a cash reward of $1,000,000 to anyone who could prove psychic powers under his own test conditions.
The challenge was known as the “The One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge“.
The One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge was an offer by the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) to pay out one million U.S. dollars to anyone who could demonstrate a supernatural or paranormal ability under agreed-upon scientific testing criteria.
Over 1,000 people have attempted this challenge but none were successful.
How Does Someone Become A Mentalist?
Learning Mentalism is like learning any other performance art.
One must study, practice and dedicate themselves to learn how to become a mentalist.
Anyone can become a Mentalist and it’s not limited to age, race, sex or education level.
The best way to learn Mentalism is through the many books that have been written on the subject.
Now as times change, there are also many video downloads and online courses that teach Mentalism.
Many people assume that the methods are extremely complex and difficult to perform but the truth of the matter is that the strength of a Mentalism act relies on the showmanship of the performer.
A very simple “Magic Trick” can appear to be a full blown miracle in the hands of an experienced showman.
What Is A Mentalist Compared To A Magician?
In essence, both Magicians and Mentalists are using similar kinds of techniques.
The difference depends on the way the performer presents themselves and wants to be perceived.
Please note that the table below is very general and is not a rule or guide for either performer.
There is a very grey area between the 2 and it all depends on how the individual performer wishes to be perceived.
| Magicians | Mentalists |
| Magicians will perform visual/optical Illusions. | A Mentalist effect is less visual and only happens in the minds of his audience. |
| Magicians often show dexterity and sleight of hand through flourishes. | A Mentalist will often avoid showing any dexterous skill as he wants to appear to be using only mind control. |
| A Magician will present his magic as “tricks”. | Mentalist often present themselves as possessing supernatural abilities. |
| A Magician uses a variety of physical props such as coins, ropes, cards and illusion boxes. | Mentalists often avoid using any physical apparatus and keep the effects to a verbal level. |
| Magicians will uses a lot of amusing patter and comedy to entertain his/her audience. | A Mentalist may appear more formal and serious to build suspense and dramatic effect. |
How Would You Describe A Mentalist?
A Mentalist is essentially an entertainer.
A performer who presents him or herself as have unique abilities to read minds, predict the future and move and distort objects using the power of the mind.
Like music – Mentalism is an art form and can be expressed however the performer wishes.
Each style and character varies and there are no rules set in stone about what a mentalist can and can’t do.
But in essence – it’s entertainment in the form of psychological illusions.
Where To Learn More?
If you are genuinely interested in learning more about the secretive yet fascinating world of Mentalism, there are many avenues you can go down depending on your level of interest.
We will explore a few ways that you can expand your knowledge on the subject in this section.
Mentalism BOOKS – Reading Mentalism Books Is The Best Way To Learn More
There are hundreds, if not, thousands of very detailed books written on the subject of Mentalism. Some books explore the performer themselves while others explain the workings of the methods.
For the practitioner of Mentalism who wishes to go and and perform in a professional setting, there are also many Mentalism books written on the performance and show business side of things.
One of the most highly respected books and Mentalism and considered to be “The Bible” or “Encyclopedia” of Mentalism is The 13 Steps To Mentalism.
This particular book teaches a new method in each of the 13 steps and also explores various effects using that one particular method.
This gives the performer a very good grounding when coming into Mentalism as they build a foundation in which they can go on and create their own effects.
This particular book has also recently been converted into a video download format for faster and easier learning.
You can visit the recommended book section here to see the top 7 Mentalism books of all time.
Mentalism Clubs & Societies
There are very limited clubs or societies dedicated purely to Mentalism.
If you were to join a general Magic club that is local to you then you will get access to learning material for Mentalism and may meet a few full time Mentalists also.
Many of these clubs offer membership on an invite only basis and you may need to pass an audition before they allow you to join.
There are now a few online Mentalism courses that are available to the general public and have many advantages over traditional magic clubs.
For a start, you can get immediate access and you can learn from some of the best Mentalists in the world.
One added bonus is the fact that you will have video learning content so you can watch this over and over again to perfect the moves.
One particular Online program that I highly recommend is this Master Mentalism Online System that’s designed to take you from complete beginner to full time professional.
You will get access to many Mentalism secrets and be able to form either for your friends and family or on a professional level for paid work.