Mentalist Profession - Is This For You?

Mentalists used to have a bad reputation.

But nowadays, they’re celebrated for their unique talents to shock and awe.

There are lots of famous mentalists that perform to jam-packed audiences and even on live TV.

Imagine the opportunity that comes with that!

But becoming a mentalist is much more than performing a few parlor tricks.

It’s a long process that requires many hours of training and specialization.

So if you want to join the mentalist profession, you need to ask yourself “Is this for YOU?”

We’re going to help you answer that by giving you insight into mentalism and becoming a mentalist.

Let’s get into it.

What is Mentalism?

Magic?

No!

Mentalism is much more than that.

It’s an art form or skill that involves the use of psychological techniques to create the illusion of supernatural abilities.

So while you won’t use the dark arts, you’ll be able to deceive many into thinking you’re the real deal!

This skill involves using body cues, facial expressions, and a keen understanding of the mind to perform feats such as mind reading and more.

So much like detectives use their deductive skills to grill a suspect, mentalists do the same thing — but to wow an audience.

Types of Mentalism

Mentalism is an overarching term that captures many different techniques.

Some popular types of mentalism are:

Mind reading
Hypnosis
Telepathy
Mental magic
Psychokinesis

Let’s quickly look at these.

Mind Reading

This is probably the best-known mentalism trick out there.

And no, you don’t actually read minds.

Instead, mind reading involves psychological analysis and inference from body cues to figure out what a person is thinking at any time.

We all indulge in this from time to time.

But professional mentalist mind readers have honed this skill into art through a number of different techniques and practices.

Many mind readers also prime their participants and put thoughts into their subconscious without them even knowing about it!

Hypnosis

While many doubt the power of hypnosis — it’s a real thing.

Hypnosis has been used with much success by psychologists to uncover hidden memories of the mind.

Similarly, mentalists use these skills to induce the subject into a trance-like state. And in this state, the mentalist can tell the subject to do things they command, answer questions they ask, and all that.

This gives the illusion of mind control.

Telepathy

We often hear stories of twins being able to communicate with one another without uttering a single word.

That’s telepathy.

And mentalists can communicate with others without using words or gestures.

Here, telepathic mentalists use a variety of techniques to create the illusion of this ability, such as subtle cues, suggestions, and misdirection.

Mental Magic

Mental Magic is a catch-all phrase referring to different magic techniques that have been refined after being combined with new practices.

This is where you’ll find a collection of cards, sleight of hand, misdirection, and suggestion tricks that will leave many stupified.

Psychokinesis

Psychokinesis is the ability to move objects or affect the physical world using only the power of the mind.

This is often put on display with spoon bending and making objects float on command.

It’s a trick that ALWAYS captivates the audience when done right.

These tricks are usually performed using magnets, sleight of hand, and other techniques the masters of mentalism are privy to.

If you want to join the mentalist profession, then you have to pick one specialty — or you can pick several.

Just know that if you do, there will be a LOT OF LEARNING on your part.

Skills Required to Become a Mentalist

To become a mentalist, you’ll need a fair few skills to really make an impact.

Here is a list of skills to work on:

Sharp mind that can quickly grasp cues
Deep comprehension of people
Understand the finer details of psychology
Know how to decipher body language and emotional markers
Build an energetic or mysterious personality
Know how to perform well
Have a good sleight-of-hand

Yes, these skills won’t come naturally to some.

So you have to work hard for them.

And besides that, you need to PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE the different mentalism tricks you want to perform.

Benefits of the Mentalist Profession

Is it worth it to become a professional mentalist?

Only you can answer that.

But to help, let’s go over a few benefits of this great profession.

One benefit is that you’ll be able to earn big bucks.

Another one is that you will have SO MANY opportunities.

Mentalists are often booked for public and private events — and yes, even the not-so-famous ones.

What’s more, a lot of mentalists can easily create their own live shows.

Or if not that, at least appear on live TV once their skills are recognized.

Another benefit is that you can always start small.

Youtube has become a great field for up-and-coming mentalists making their name.

You can showcase your unique tricks AROUND THE WORLD.

And of course, mentalism will always impress.

Even if you aren’t interested in going pro, mentalism is something that never fails to impress.

This is a talent that’ll get you a lot of praise from your family, friends, or even your crush.

Drawbacks of the Mentalist Profession

Probably the biggest drawback of the mentalist profession is that it’s not going to be easy.

Just look at all the skills you need to develop.

More than that, think about the hours of practice you need to put in.

The task of thinking outside the box and creating your own unique style.

You’ll also have to be a voracious reader and a quick learner.

You’ll have countless mentalist materials to go through before you start getting the hang of things.

Then you’ll have to develop a mentalist personality, as well as build your confidence in front of an audience.

But if you don’t mind the hard work, then this isn’t a drawback at all!