This Is Mentalism Review — Is It Worth It?

Rich Ferguson is an award-winning entertainer and a stunning mentalist and magician. Fans love him for his unique way of incorporating mentalism with magic — it also helps that he’s an incredibly charismatic speaker.

In 2010, he came out with a DVD called “This Is Mentalism”. It was an instructional guide to how mentalists can improve their gimmicks and how they can smoothly perform both prepared and impromptu tricks to successfully wow an audience.

It included 11 tricks and effects, such as Equivoque, Numberz, Gridlock, and Window. Plus, a ton of valuable information on the more technical side of mentalism: psychology and psychoanalysis.

Now, considering that 2010 was more than a decade ago, is this DVD still relevant to today’s versions and rules of mentalism and magic?

In our This Is Mentalism review, we’ll be going over all the strengths and weaknesses of this 2-hour instructional guide to see if it’s still worth the watch in 2021.

So shall we?

This Is Mentalism — The Strengths

Here’s a summary of all the things that This Is Mentalism gets right:

Let’s discuss them in more detail.

Good editing and production

One of the many challenges when you’re making a mentalism instructional guide like “This Is Mentalism” is piecing together the scenes in a way that doesn’t confuse the viewer.

This Is Mentalism was filmed and edited by Papercrane Productions, and we have to say, they did a great job at telling a clear and concise story. You won’t get lost in the technicalities, unlike with other mentalism instructional guides.

Valuable tips and information for beginners

This Is Mentalism is perfect for both beginner- and intermediate-level mentalists. You’ll find that it’s chockfull of valuable tips and information you can use to improve your technique. Furthermore, it teaches you full routines and methods of presentation you can use in shows and performances.

Rich also shows you multiple ways to perform a single trick, so you have options in case one method doesn’t work for you.

Tons of impromptu tricks and effects to try

Rich provides a unique and fresh framework for his viewers to work with, allowing them to make their tricks more interesting and convincing. And while there are methods that may be familiar to some viewers, there are also several new techniques and combinations you can learn.

A particular favorite of ours is Numberz. With this effect, he takes two old-school principles and combines them to make a cleaner and more convenient presentation.

Watch this video to see how he does the effect:

Eleven tricks and effects are more than you’ll ever get from any other mentalism DVD, especially one that’s priced below $30. Considering that Rich also shows you the many different ways to perform a single technique, This Is Mentalism is a bang-for-your-buck deal.

Goes into great detail about audience management

Rich takes his time to thoroughly explain each technique he shows to his viewers. He not only discusses the methods but also goes over the motivations, psychology, and subtlety that goes into every effect. When used correctly, these tips can help you level up your presentations from “trick-level” to complete performance pieces.

You can use any of the theories and principles he teaches in combination with the effects he shows, or alongside other tricks that you already use in your performances.

More practical and convenient techniques

Practicality and convenience are what make mentalism more believable to an audience’s eyes. Complex techniques can be hard to remember and could cause a mentalist to falter mid-show, removing the wonder and magic from his performances.

Rich teaches his viewer much easier ways to successfully perform both old and new effects.

On top of all that, you also get bonus effects and tips at the very end of the DVD.

This Is Mentalism — The Weaknesses

Alas, no product is immune from having some weaknesses. In this section, we’ll discuss the drawbacks of the This Is Mentalism DVD.

Here’s a quick summary:

Let’s read more about them in detail.

Too many old school tricks

Some of the older tricks included in this DVD — although presented in a new and unique way — can come across as “too-old-to-use” for more advanced mentalists watching the show. It’s best to keep your expectations to a minimum if you’re going to buy this DVD and you’ve already had years of mentalism experience beforehand.

Forgets to credit other magicians/mentalists

Sine viewers may find it unnerving to see Rich forget to credit other magicians and mentalists for their tricks. One example that we noticed immediately was Window.

Window is a simple effect created by Jim Sherman used for prediction tricks and performances.

Also, Rich uses the technique created by Banachek, alters it a little bit, and claims that he created the effect. Not the most tasteful way to “create” an effect — and critics seem to agree, according to viewer forums.

An overabundance of pseudo-hypnotic lines

Although it’s normal for most mentalists to use pseudo-hypnotic lines, such as “I’m going to dig deep into your subconscious” and “close your eyes and listen to my voice,” during their performances, there just seems to be an overabundance of these lines in Ferguson’s DVD.

This type of over-dramatization can take away the wonder and amazement of a spectator. We found it a little off-putting and wished he planned out his script better before recording some scenes.

So, Is This Is Mentalism Worth It?

While it’s definitely not the best DVD on the market, it can still be worth the purchase in 2021. That is if you’re a beginner- or intermediate-level mentalist.

This DVD can also be great for magicians who are only recently transitioning from magic to mentalism, or are trying to incorporate some mentalism principles into their magic performances.

If you’re an expert-level mentalist, this DVD could be a good way for you to review old tricks and effects. (Just try and manage your expectations when you’re watching.)