Mentalism is a skill — and like all skills, it is something you can develop over time. Great mentalists spend years honing their craft — devoting copious amounts of effort perfecting performances all designed to leave their audience in amazement.
But, once upon a time, even the greatest of mentalists — whether Uri Geller, Max Maven, or Derren Brown — were once novices. Everyone used to be a beginner.
If you’re starting in mentalism, the greats give you an idea of what you could be capable of achieving one day. But just because you’re not at their level yet doesn’t mean you can’t give a performance that leaves your audience fascinated.
Not all mentalism tricks are complicated. Some tricks, as you’ll find here, can be completed successfully by new mentalists.
Here, we’ll explain 3 easy mentalist tricks for beginners!
Trick 1: The Dictionary Trick
This trick uses mental math, along with a sneak peek at a particular book page. One of the best things about this trick, aside from its easy steps, is that there’s hardly any preparation involved.
All you need is a dictionary — even a pocket-sized one will do.
Let’s begin.
Go to page 108 of the dictionary and remember the 9th word it defines. You’ll use it for your reveal later on. Let’s say the word is “enticing” — completely random.
Now it’s time to do some mental math.
Tell your spectator that you’re trying something and would like his help. Have him think about a 3-digit number. Add that you want to make it challenging, so it shouldn’t have repeating digits.
Let’s say he chose 385.
Ask your spectator to reverse the number in their head. In this case, it becomes 583.
Tell him he can use his phone’s calculator for the next steps. Have him subtract the smaller number from the larger one.
So 583 – 385 = 198.
Ask your spectator to reverse the new number and add these last two numbers together. The number 198 reversed gives you 891. 198 + 891 = 1,089.
Hand your spectator the dictionary. Tell him that the first three digits of his number refer to the page number.
Once he turns to page 108, tell your spectator that the last digit refers to the number of the word he has to find.
Since the last digit is 9, he needs to find the 9th word on the page. Be specific when you give this instruction — it’s not the 9th word written on the page. It’s the 9th word defined.
Tell him to say this silently over and over in his head, and you’ll read his thoughts.
It’s time for your reveal!
108 was the page you checked out earlier. And, based on our example, the 9th word is enticing.
Pro Tip #1: Build the tension before you do your reveal. Try to tease the reveal — start by saying you see a letter. It’s a vowel! An E — the word begins with the letter E!
Pro Tip #2: There are some numbers your spectator can choose that may lead to a different outcome. An example is if they go with 132. Subtracting that from 231 (the reverse) gives you 99, not 198.
You can address this by saying this line at the appropriate step: “We want to keep it consistent and work with 3-digit numbers. So if you have a 2-digit number, add a 0 in front of it before you reverse it. For example, if you get 87, it becomes 087. When you reverse it, it becomes 870.”
If your spectator gets 99, it turns into 099. Adding its reverse (990) gives you 1089.
Trick 2: The Elephant Trick
This trick was one of the first I learned how to do. I may not have delivered the perfect performance, but I speak from experience when I say it’s something a beginner can accomplish.
You can start by telling your spectator that this trick touches on several subjects — math, geography, science, and art. Assure her that it’s simple — all she needs to do is follow your instructions.
Let’s start with math.
Start by asking your spectator to think of a number between 1 and 10. Let’s say she picks 8.
Have her multiply it by 9. So 8 x 9 = 72.
Tell your participant to add the two digits together. Since we stopped with 72, 7 + 2 = 9.
Assure your participant she only needs to do one more calculation then the math will stop. Ask her to subtract 5 from whatever number she has now.
Following our example, it’s 9 – 5 = 4.
Explain to your spectator that she needs to turn that number into a letter by matching it to the alphabet. Give an example so she’ll have an idea.
You can say that 1 = A, 2 = B, 3 = C, so on and so forth. Since we have a 4, that becomes a D.
Now we go to geography!
Ask your spectator to think of a country whose name begins with the letter she has. You can give examples. If she has an A, it can be Austria. B can be Belgium.
Give her a few seconds to come up with an answer. Once your spectator confirms that she has a country in mind, ask her to focus on the second letter in its name.
Now, since she has the letter D, the first country that always comes to mind is Denmark. Because that is the most common country that starts with that letter.
Here comes science and art!
Now ask your spectator to think of an animal whose name begins with that letter. Tell her to think about that animal and then ask her to identify its color.
The same is true for this. Since elephants are the most common animals that start with E, that is the first thing she will think of. And of course, elephants are called gray.
Lastly, do your reveal.
You can do the reveal in several ways, but the information is always the same. Your spectator will be thinking of a Gray Elephant in Denmark.
Here are several ways to reveal what you “read” from her thoughts:
Draw it out. Similar to the dictionary trick, you can do it little by little. Start by describing the elephant — it’s a large animal, probably one of the largest on the planet. Then talk about the color. Lastly, say that you’re getting the feeling it’s somewhere in Europe before mentioning Denmark.
Slip it into the conversation. A casual reveal is fun because it often catches your spectator off guard. You can thank her for being part of the trick and say she did a good job. Then seal the deal by saying something like, “and it’s awesome that you thought of a gray elephant in Denmark”. Or, “I know most elephants are gray. I’m not sure if there are any in Denmark, though. What do you think?”
Use the written word. You can prepare this in advance — write a gray elephant in Denmark on a piece of paper, fold it, put it in an envelope, and seal it. You can bring it out when you’re about to do your reveal. Another way is to have your spectator write it down, and then you can compare what’s written on both sheets.
Trick 3: Unlocking Someone’s Phone Trick
Remember, mentalists can’t read minds, but they give the illusion that they do. This last trick provides you another opportunity to do that.
Start by telling your spectator that you can’t read minds, but you will read him. Then say here, you’ll unlock his phone just by watching him and his tells.
Ask your spectator to bring out his phone. Touch the surface, so it goes to the screen that asks for the pin code. Say you want to make sure you’re starting with a locked phone.
This step allows you to see how many numbers his code has. Although most smartphones these days have 6-digit codes, don’t leave anything to chance.
Give your spectator his phone back and tell him to unlock it. Have him place it on the table and bring up the calculator.
Press the C a few times before pushing it back to him. Ask your spectator to type in a random 2 digit number. Once he has that, have him multiply it by his actual PIN code.
Tell him to press the equals sign and place the phone back on the table. Take the phone and confirm that this isn’t his code — it’s just a random set of numbers.
Once your spectator confirms it, lock the phone again. Take it and tell your spectator that you’re going to unlock the phone by reading him.
Angle yourself away from your spectator and tell him to think of his code. Access the shortcut of the phone that allows you to open the calculator even if it’s locked. Buy yourself time by asking him to think of the different numbers at separate times.
Unbeknownst to your spectator, you’re already back at the calculator. Press 1, then the equals sign. It brings up the last number typed in, which is his code.
If the numbers that show up have fewer digits than his code (for example, the pin requires six digits, but only five numbers appear), it means the first digit is zero. Clear out the calculator and bring up the screen to unlock the phone.
Type in the code except for the last digit. Set the phone on the table and keep talking to your spectator. End the trick by putting in the final number, unlocking the phone!
Pro Tip #1: If your spectator has a phone you’re unfamiliar with, have him access the calculator while it’s locked. This way you’ll know how to do it later on.
Pro Tip #2: Not all phones are the same. For this trick to work, you need a phone that has a calculator that works with the constant feature.
Wrapping It All Up
As you can see, these 3 tricks have simple, straightforward steps. You don’t need to shuffle a deck; you don’t need to force a card — these are things you can learn later.
For now, tricks with mind-reading effects work best because you only focus on two things: the steps and your script.
Remember that one won’t work without the other. No matter how easy the tricks are, your patter has to flow smoothly along with the tricks.
One last thing: confidence is key. Even if you’re a beginner, you can’t give the impression that you doubt your abilities.
Practice, believe in yourself, and wow your audience with these 3 easy mentalist tricks for beginners!