Mentalism This article is about the performing performing art. For other uses, see Mentalism see Mentalism (disambiguation). (disambiguation). “Mentali “Mentalist” st” redirec redirects ts here. For the TV show, see The Mentalist.. For Mentalist For other other uses, uses, see see Mentalist (disambiguation).. tion) Mentalism is a performing art in which its practi-
acles can be found in works by the ancient Greeks and in the Old Testament of the Bible Bible.. Among Among magici magicians, ans, the mentalism performance generally cited as one of the earli earlies estt on rec recor ord d was was by diplo diploma matt and pion pionee eerin ringg sleightof-hand magician of-hand magician Girolamo Girolamo Scotto in Scotto in 1572. The performance of mentalism may utilize these principles along with sleig sleights, hts, feints feints,, misdire misdirecti ction on and other other skills skills of street street or stage or stage magic. magic.[2]
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Perf Perform ormance ance approa approache chess
Styles Styles of presentation presentation can vary greatly. Traditional Traditional performe formers rs such such as Dunninger and Annemann attributed their results to supernatural or psychic psychic skills. Some contemporary contemporary performers, performers, including including Banachek and Derren Derr en Bro Brown wn,, attri attribut butee thei theirr resu result ltss to natur natural al skill skills, s, such such as the ability to read body language or language or to manipulate the subject subliminally through psychological suggestion. Others, including Chan Canas Canasta ta and David Bergla Berglass would make no specific claims but leave it up to the audience to decide. Contemporary mentalists often take their shows onto the streets and perform tricks to a live, unsuspecting audience. They do this by approaching random members members of the public and ask to demonstrate their supernatural powers. Performers Performers such such as Derren as Derren Brown who Brown who often adopt this method of performance tell their audience before the trick starts that everything they they see is an illusion illusion and that they they are not not reall reallyy “hav “having ing thei theirr mind mind read.” read.” This This has been been the cause of a lot of controversy in the sphere of magic as some mentalists want their audience to believe that this type of magic is 'real' whilst others think that it is morally wrong to lie to a spectator. [3]
Theatrical poster for a mind-reading performance, 1900
tioners tioners,, known known as mentalists, appear appear to demons demonstrat tratee highly highly develo developed ped mental mental or intuitiv intuitivee abilit abilities ies.. PerPerformances may appear to include hypnosis, hypnosis, telepathy, telepathy, clairvoyance,, divination, clairvoyance divination, precognition, precognition, psychokinesis, psychokinesis, mediumship,, mind con mediumship contro troll, memo memory ry feats eats and rapid rapid mathematics. mathematics. Mentalists Mentalists are sometimes sometimes categorised categorised as psychic entertainers, psychic entertainers, although that category also contains non-mentalist non-mentalist performers performers such as psychic psychic readers and bizarrists.
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Mental Mentalis istt or magi magici cian an
Mentalists generally do not mix “standard” magic tricks with their mental mental feats. Doing so associates associates mentalism too closely with the theatrical trickery employed by stage 1 Back Backgr grou ound nd magicians. magicians. Many mentalists mentalists claim not to be magicians magicians at all, arguing that it is a different art form altogether. Much Much of what what mode modern rn menta mentalis lists ts perf perfor orm m in their their acts acts can The argument is that mentalism invokes belief and when be traced back directly to “tests” of supernatural power presented properly, is offered as being “real” be it a claim that were carried out by mediums, spiritualists and psy- of psychi psychicc ability, ability, or proof proof thatsup that support portss other other claims claims such such [1] chics in the 19th century. However, the history of men- as a photographic memory, being a “human calculator”, talism goes back even even further. Accounts Accounts of seers and or- the power of suggestio suggestion, n, NLP, etc. Mentalism Mentalism plays on 1
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the senses and a spectator’s perception of tricks. Magicians ask the audience to suspend their belief and allow their imagination to play with the various tricks they present. They admit that they are tricksters and entertainers, and know theaudience understands it’s an illusion and the magician cannot really achieve the impossible feats shown, such as sawing a person in half and putting them back together without injury. However, many magicians mix mentally-themed performance with magic illusions. For example, a mind-reading stunt might also involve the magical transposition of two different objects. Such hybrid feats of magic are often called mental magic by performers. Magicians who routinely mix magic with mental magic include David Copperfield, David Blaine, The Amazing Kreskin, and Dynamo.
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Guy Bavli
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Marc Salem
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Frances Willard
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The Zancigs
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Historical figures
Mentalism techniques have, on occasion, been allegedly used outside the entertainment industry to influence the actions of prominent people for personal and/or political gain. Famous examples of accused practitioners include: •
Notable mentalists •
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Alexander •
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Theodore Annemann
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Banachek
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Keith Barry
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David Berglas
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Paul Brook
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Derren Brown
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Chan Canasta
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Bob Cassidy
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Corinda
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Davenport brothers
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Joseph Dunninger
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Glenn Falkenstein
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Uri Geller
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Burling Hull
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Luke Jermay
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Al Koran
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The Amazing Kreskin
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Max Maven
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Drew McAdam
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Richard Osterlind
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Marc Paul
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The Piddingtons
MENTALISM IN TELEVISION
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Erik Jan Hanussen, alleged to have influenced Adolf Hitler[4] Grigori Rasputin, alleged to have influenced Tsarina Alexandra[5] Wolf Messing, alleged to have influenced Joseph Stalin[6] Count Alessandro di Cagliostro, accused of influencing members of the French aristocracy in the Affair of the Diamond Necklace
"The Amazing Kreskin" has audience members hide his cheques before the show; if Kreskin cannot find the cheque at the end of his performance, he does not get paid.
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Mentalism in television •
Wayne Hoffman appeared on NBC’s television show Phenomenon on October 31, 2007. [7] He also appeared on The Howard Stern Show on April 30, 2008. He was a co-host of The A-List on Discovery’s Animal Planet. He was also a guest on CNN’s television talk show Glenn Beck [8] on March 25, 2008. He appeared as a guest on The Ellen Degeneres Show [9][10] on April 13, 2009. On May 4, 2012 he appeared in a short movie, “Epic School Battle”, with Steven Tyler and KISS.[11] He also appeared on CBS’s Excused on October 30, 2012.[12][13] He appear on Oddities on the Science Channel on June 12, 2013.[14] On December 22, 2013 he appeared on TV Asahi’s show Unbeliavable with Takeshi Kitano.[15] Hoffman also appeared on Wednesday Downtown on Tokyo Broadcasting Station in Japan.[16] On March 31, 2014 Wayne appeared on The Numbers Game on The National Geographic Channel.[17] He appeared at the end of the official America’s Got Talent Season 10 trailer, holding dynamite in his mouth.[18]
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Eric Dittelman, a mind reader, performed on Season 7 of the NBC talent competition America’s Got Talent. He made it to the semifinals, and was the first mentalist to be featured on the show.
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Cristian Gog, a mentalist, won the big prize on Romania’s Got Talent . The Mentalist : an American crime procedural tele-
vision series in which the main character, Patrick Jane, worked as an independent consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation and later the Federal Bureau of Investigation, solving serious crimes by using hisskills of observation andhis frequent use of his abilities as a former professional mentalist. •
Psych: an American criminal comedy television se-
ries in which the main character, Shawn Spencer, works as a consultant to the Santa Barbara Police Department as a “psychic detective.” Though he purports to be a psychic, the truth is that his exceptional observational skills, amazing vision, and nearphotographic memory allow him to portray himself as such. •
Tricks of the Mind : a British TV show starring
Derren Brown •
Pasąmonės Kontrolė:
Kobra TV Channel by
Nicholas Kin •
Now You See Me : Merritt McKinney, played by
Woody Harrelson, performs as a mentalist.
[3] http://www.sorcerers-apprentice.co.uk/karma.htm [4] Gordon, Mel: “Hanussen: Hitler’s Jewish Clairvoyant”. Feral House, 2001 [5] George King, The Last Empress: The Life and Times of Alexandra Feodorovna, Tsarina of Russia. Replica Books, 2001. ISBN 978-0-7351-0104-3 [6] Hamilton-Parker, Craig (December 1, 1996). “Medium with a message”. Scotland on Sunday. p. 5. [7] http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=65133 [8] http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0803/25/gb. 01.html [9] http://ellen.warnerbros.com [10] http://www.ellentv.com/videos/1-xvqsystd/ [11] http://pro.imdb.com/title/tt2177636 [12] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2492230/ [13] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFogK0q-yhs [14] https://pro-labs.imdb.com/title/tt3727424/ [15] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnPjQb39ESI [16] http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u= http://halohalo-online.blog.jp/archives/1012628947. html&prev=search [17] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3219366/?ref_=nm_flmg_ slf_1 [18] America’s Got Talent Season 10 trailer at YouTube
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See also 9
External links
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Cold reading
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James Randi
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Media relatedto Mentalists at Wikimedia Commons
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Telepathy
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PSYCRETS British Society of Mystery Entertainers
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Memory sport
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Psychic Entertainers Association.
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Mnemonist
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Psychomagic
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Scientific skepticism
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Theatrical seances
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Thirteen Steps To Mentalism (book)
References
[1] Cassidy, Bob: “Fundamentals of Professional Mentalism”. Lybrary, 2007. pp. 7-9. [2] Randi, James (1995). “An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural”. St. Martin’s Press. Retrieved 2008-03-28.
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Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses
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