There are some people who, after asking you a series of questions, are seemingly able to read your thoughts.
Others give eerily accurate predictions about your future that you genuinely believe will come true.
If you didn’t know better, you would think it’s magic.
But it isn’t magic. It’s mentalism.
Mentalism is often described as a performing art focusing on the mind and imagination.
More often than not, mentalism performances include acts making the performer – called a mentalist – appear like he has psychic abilities and can read what’s on someone’s mind.
All of these acts are done with the intent of amazing audiences by evoking a sense of wonder. It’s making them believe that the mentalist is capable of doing things that most people would think are impossible.
In this article, we’re going to dive deep into the world of mentalism. We will explain what mentalism is by looking at the difference between mentalism and magic, tools of the trade, and more.
So let’s get started.
Mentalism vs. Magic: What’s the Difference?
Mentalists do not consider themselves magicians because mentalism is not the same as magic. Although it may seem similar to some people, mentalists are quick to draw the line between the two.
Here are several things to help you differentiate one from the other:
- Tangibility
- Tools
- Techniques
Tangibility
Magicians encourage their audience to forget about logic and lose themselves in the world of the supernatural. Mentalists, on the other hand, sell reality and belief.
If they can deliver their performance flawlessly, mentalists appear to have extraordinary mind-reading powers or amazing mental prowess.
For example, if they let you think of a number and can guess what it is, then the only solution was that they read your mind.
Tools
Magicians typically use sleight of hand and theatrical trickery to create visual illusions. Most of their acts lead audiences to ask, “How did you do that?”
In comparison, mentalists utilize psychology, suggestion, and influence in their performances. After experiencing a mentalism performance, people ask, “How did you know that?”
Techniques
Magicians often mix different forms of magic. If you want a magic show, you’ll notice they integrate some mind-reading or clairvoyance with card tricks and whatnot
Mentalists do not feature tricks that use illusions – you will rarely see a mentalist pull a rabbit out of a hat.
Most mentalists can complete their performance without the use of props. Again, they amaze people more by reading their minds!
Where It All Began: A Short History of Mentalism
It might be hard to believe, but mentalism was already present in ancient times.
Although the term itself was not in existence yet, mentalism was used during the times of seers and oracles, particularly when they were prominent figures in Ancient Greece.
One of the earliest recorded mentalist performances was that of Girolamo Scotto in 1572.
He was a pioneer in sleight of hand magic. This type of misdirection is used by modern-day mentalists to enhance their mental feats. When done well, it makes the performer appear as though he has extraordinary powers.
Mentalism gained mainstream popularity during the turn of the 19th century. As years passed, it evolved to include more types of acts.
Tools of the Trade: What’s Used During Mentalism Performances
Mentalists may not use a lot of props during their performances, but they do use several acts.
Though it is most associated with mind-reading, mentalism is more than that.
These days, mentalist performances include cold reading, hypnosis, rapid calculations, clairvoyance, and psychokinesis.
These acts share similar roots and require the mentalist to excel in the same 2 things: the mastery of human psychology and reading body language, and the ability to harness the power of suggestion and frequency of illusion.
Mastery of Human Psychology and Reading Body Language
A skilled mentalist has a highly developed understanding of psychology. That knowledge – along with being adept at reading body language – enables him to allow his subject a nearly unexplainable psychological experience.
Mentalists only give the illusion of being able to see inside a subject’s head. The truth is, they carefully watch the person’s body language to give them a sign of what they’re thinking of.
For example, the mentalist asks a person to think about a specific thing – like a name or a number – and then proceeds to “guess” it, all the while asking questions and looking for the answers in the subject’s body language.
Here’s a helpful video to see what we mean:
Now that takes skill. As mentioned, it requires understanding and application of concepts involving human psychology.
The Power of Suggestion and the Frequency of Illusion
The power of suggestion is similar to the placebo effect, which leads people to believe they’re experiencing the benefits of a substance or a treatment when, in truth, what they’ve received is only a look-alike.
Highly suggestible persons have been known to manifest the expected changes all because the idea was planted in their heads.
In the same way, mentalists plant suggestions in their subject’s heads. The most amazing part is that the subject believes he or she was the one that came up with that thought or idea.
Check out this video using visual cues to suggest a thought:
Another popular method is frequency illusion.
Have you ever noticed that when you’ve learned something new, you seem to see it everywhere you go?
Frequency illusion is the result of two things: selective attention and confirmation bias.
Selective attention causes your brain to focus on new information, while confirmation bias is a person’s natural tendency to look for, interpret, and remember information that supports their beliefs.
Using both of these during a performance allows a mentalist to seemingly know what his subject is thinking of, even if he was the one who put it there in the first place. That, along with a strong delivery, makes for a unique experience.
Where to Start with Mentalism?
Mentalism is an incredibly intricate subject. More than just knowing and understanding what it is, it’s also crucial to understand what makes a great mentalist.
Though the skills needed for success in this field can all be learned, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re easy to develop. The saying, “practice makes perfect” has never been truer with mentalism.
Then there are the different mentalism tricks to perform. You don’t need to pressure yourself to come up with an original routine right away – the road was paved a long time ago.
It’s best if you begin with acts that have been tried and tested. Once you get the hang of things, then you can put your flavors into it, creating routines that are undoubtedly yours.