Theatrical poster for a mind-reading performance, 1900

Mentalism is an ancient performing art in which its practitioners, known as mentalists, use mental acuity, cold reading, hot reading, principles of stage magic, hypnosis and/or suggestion to present the illusion of mind reading, psychokinesis, ESP, precognition, clairvoyance or mind control. Mentalism may refer to: Mentalism, an ancient performing art in which the practitioner simulates supernatural mental powers; Mentalism (psychology), those branches of study that concentrate on mental perception and thought processes; Mentalism (philosophy), the belief that the mind is what truly exists; In parapsychology, mentalism may refer to psionics, the... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 476 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,683 × 2,121 pixels, file size: 667 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 476 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,683 × 2,121 pixels, file size: 667 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... This article is about the communication technique. ... In parapsychology, hot reading is the use of foreknowledge when giving a psychic reading. ... For other uses, see Hypnotized (song). ... For other uses, see illusion (disambiguation). ... Mind reading has several meanings: A paranormal practice of telepathy An emerging field in neuroscience where thought processes are monitored using brain imaging An interpersonal communication term that refers to a particular level in a relationship where one person thinks he or she knows the other well enough to be... The term psychokinesis (from the Greek ψυχή, psyche, meaning mind, soul, or breath; and κίνησις, kinesis, meaning motion; literally movement from the mind)[1][2] or PK, also known as telekinesis[3] (Greek + , literally distant-movement referring to telekinesis) or TK, denotes the paranormal ability of the mind to influence matter, time... ESP can mean: In the paranormal: Extra-sensory perception Effective Sensory Projection In music: E.S.P. (Miles Davis album), an album by Miles Davis E.S.P. (Bee Gees album), an album by the Bee Gees Ectopic Shapeshifting Penance-propulsion, on The Mars Voltas De-Loused in the... Precognition (from the Latin præ-, “prior to,” + cognitio, “a getting to know”) denotes a form of extra-sensory perception wherein a person is able to perceive information about places or events before they happen through paranormal means. ... Clairvoyance (from 17th century French with clair meaning clear and voyance meaning visibility) is the purported ability to gain information about an object, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses,[1][2] a form of extra-sensory perception. ... Mind control (or thought control) has the premise that an outside source can control an individuals thinking, behavior or consciousness (either directly or more subtly). ...

Explanation

Mentalism is similar to stage magic, featuring some of the same basic tools, principles, sleights and skills in its performance.^[1] Some performers add stage hypnotism and/or feats of memory or concentration to the mix. “Illusionist” redirects here. ... Hypnosis, as defined by the American Psychological Association Division of Psychological Hypnosis, is a procedure during which a health professional or researcher suggests that a client, patient, or experimental participant experience changes in sensations, perceptions, thoughts, or behavior. ...

Much of what the mentalist does in his or her act can be traced back directly to tests of supernatural power that were carried out by mediums, spiritualists and psychics in the 19th Century. However, the history of mentalism goes back even further. One of the earliest recorded performances of a mentalism act was by diplomat and pioneering sleight-of-hand magician Girolamo Scotto in 1572. Sleight-of-hand, also known as legerdemain, is a technique of close-up magic in which small items are concealed in and around the performers hands, sometimes by the use of misdirection, to enhance the illusion being performed. ... January 16 - Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk is tried for treason for his part in the Ridolfi plot to restore Catholicism in England. ...

Two tests still in general use today are the book test and the living-and-dead test. In the former, a book is chosen at random by an examiner (usually a member of the audience) and opened at a random page. The examiner would then concentrate on a word, sentence or paragraph of his or her choice. If the mentalist can discover the thought-of word(s), apparently using only "mental powers", then he passes the "test." In the living-and-dead test, the name of a deceased person(s) is mixed in with the names of people still living, all written on identical slips of paper. Apparently using mental powers alone, the mentalist must separate the living from the dead. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Styles of presentation can vary greatly. A few performers, in the mould of Uri Geller, or James Van Praagh, claim to actually possess supernatural powers such as telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, or telekinesis. There remain some people who believe that Geller and similar practitioners are actually demonstrating supernatural powers. However, this belief is disputed by scientists and skeptics. Uri Geller (‎, born Gellér György[1] December 20, 1946 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is an Israeli-British performer and celebrity famous for claiming to have psychic powers. ... James Van Praagh (b. ... For other uses, see Supernatural (disambiguation). ... Telepathy, from the Greek τῆλε, tele, remote; and πάθεια, patheia, to be effected by, describes the hypothetical transfer of information on thoughts or feelings between individuals by means other than the five classical senses. ... Clairvoyance (from 17th century French with clair meaning clear and voyance meaning visibility) is the purported ability to gain information about an object, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses,[1][2] a form of extra-sensory perception. ... Precognition (from the Latin præ-, “prior to,” + cognitio, “a getting to know”) denotes a form of extra-sensory perception wherein a person is able to perceive information about places or events before they happen through paranormal means. ... Psychokinesis (literally mind-movement) or PK is the more commonly used term today for what in the past was known as telekinesis (literally distant-movement). It refers to the psi ability to influence the behavior of matter by mental intention (or possibly some other aspect of mental activity) alone. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Many contemporary performers, including Richard Osterlind, Banachek and Derren Brown attribute their results to less supernatural skills: the ability to read body language or to manipulate the subject subliminally through psychological suggestion, for example. Richard Osterlind is an internationally famous mentalist, who has created many magic effects and mentalist routines widely in use by other performers today. ... Banachek is the stage name for a mentalist named Steven Shaw. ... Not to be confused with Darren Brown. ... For other uses, see Supernatural (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Body language (disambiguation). ...

Mentalists generally do not mix "standard" magic tricks with their mental feats. Doing so associates mentalism too closely with the theatrical trickery employed by stage magicians. Many mentalists claim not to be magicians at all, arguing that it is a different art form altogether.

On the other hand, magicians such as David Copperfield, David Blaine and Criss Angel routinely mix aspects of mentalism with their magical illusions. For example, a mind-reading stunt might also involve the magical transposition of two different objects. Such hybrid feats, or magic with a mental theme, are usually classified as mental magic by performers. David Copperfield (born David Seth Kotkin on September 16, 1956) is an American magician and illusionist best known for his combination of illusions and storytelling. ... David Blaine (born David Blaine White on April 4, 1973 in Brooklyn, New York, U.S.) is an American world record holding magician and endurance artist of Puerto Rican and American heritage. ... Christopher Nicholas Sarantakos (born December 19, 1967), better known by his stage name Criss Angel is an American magician, musician, escapologist, stunt performer, and actor. ... Magician redirects here. ...

Mentalism and mental magic often require performers to display an authoritative, commanding and charismatic stage presence.

Mentalist Association

The principle organization for professional mentalists is the Psychic Entertainment Association.

Mentalist Convention

MINDvention is an annual convention of mentalists.

Aspects of Mentalism

• Telekinesis
• ESP
• Telepathy
• Precognition

Psychokinesis (literally mind-movement) or PK is the more commonly used term today for what in the past was known as telekinesis (literally distant-movement). It refers to the psi ability to influence the behavior of matter by mental intention (or possibly some other aspect of mental activity) alone. ... ESP can mean: In the paranormal: Extra-sensory perception Effective Sensory Projection In music: E.S.P. (Miles Davis album), an album by Miles Davis E.S.P. (Bee Gees album), an album by the Bee Gees Ectopic Shapeshifting Penance-propulsion, on The Mars Voltas De-Loused in the... Telepathy, from the Greek τῆλε, tele, remote; and πάθεια, patheia, to be effected by, describes the hypothetical transfer of information on thoughts or feelings between individuals by means other than the five classical senses. ... Precognition (from the Latin præ-, “prior to,” + cognitio, “a getting to know”) denotes a form of extra-sensory perception wherein a person is able to perceive information about places or events before they happen through paranormal means. ...

Famous Mentalists

• Alexander
• Theodore Annemann
• Banachek
• David Berglas
• Derren Brown
• Kuda Bux
• Bob Cassidy
• Chan Canasta
• Corinda
• Joseph Dunninger
• Uri Geller
• Luke Jermay
• Kreskin
• Al Koran
• Max Maven
• Gerry McCambridge
• Richard Osterlind
• The Piddingtons
• Ehud Segev
• The Zancigs

Claude Alexander Conlin (1880 - 1954), also known as Alexander, C. Alexander, Alexander the Crystal Seer, and Alexander the Man Who Knows, was a stage magician who specialized in mentalism and psychic reading acts, often using a crystal ball as a prop. ... Theodore Ted Annemann (1907 - January 12, 1942) was a famous magician who specialized in the field of mentalism. ... Banachek is the stage name for a mentalist named Steven Shaw. ... David Berglas (born July 30, 1926) is an English psychological illusionist and mentalist Fan site Category: ... Not to be confused with Darren Brown. ... Kuda Bux (1906 - February 5th, 1981) was an Indian mystic and magician. ... Bob Cassidy (b. ... Chan Canasta (born Krakow, Poland 9 January 1920) was a pioneer of mental magic in the 1950s and 60s. ... Tony Corinda was an English mentalist who is best noted for writing the definitive work on the subject, Thirteen Steps To Mentalism. ... Joseph Dunninger (April 28, 1892- March 9, 1975), known as The Amazing Dunninger was one of the most famous and proficient mentalists of all time. ... Uri Geller (‎, born Gellér György[1] December 20, 1946 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is an Israeli-British performer and celebrity famous for claiming to have psychic powers. ... We dont have an article called Luke Jermay Start this article Search for Luke Jermay in. ... The Amazing Kreskin George Joseph Kresge, Jr. ... Al Koran (1914-1972) was a British mentalist (real name Edward Doe), who was also an author and the magic inventor of the effect known as Ring Flite. He also invented a special deck of cards known as the Koran deck. ... Max Maven (born Phil Goldstein in 1950) is a famous Magician and Mentalist. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Richard Osterlind is an internationally famous mentalist, who has created many magic effects and mentalist routines widely in use by other performers today. ... Sydney Piddington (1918-1991) and Lesley Piddington (1925-) were a husband and wife mentalism team who performed as The Piddingtons and gave one of the most famous stage and radio telepathy acts of modern times. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... The Zancigs were stage magicians who performed a spectacularly successful two-member mentalism act during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ...

Historical figures

It is strongly suspected that mentalism techniques have, on occasion, been used outside the entertainment industry to influence the actions of prominent people for personal and/or political gain. Famous examples of such practitioners include:

• Erik Jan Hanussen
• Grigori Rasputin
• Wolf Messing

Hanussen, also known as Erik Jan Hanussen (2 June 1889, Vienna - after 25 March 1933, Berlin), was a mentalist, occultist, and astrologer, active in Weimar Republic Germany and also at the beginning of Nazi Germany. ... Rasputin redirects here. ... Wolf Grigorevich Messing (10 September 1899, Góra Kalwaria, Poland – 8 November 1974, Moscow) was an alleged psychic who became a stage performer. ...

See also

• Scientific skepticism
• James Randi
• Si Stebbins
• Psychomagic

To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... James Randi (born August 7, 1928), stage name The Amazing Randi, is a stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. ... The Si Stebbins is a card stack system used to perform Mentalism and card tricks with a gambling theme (see Magic (illusion)). The system was originally published in the United States around 1898 by William Coffrin (alias Si Stebbins), in a booklet titled “Si Stebbins’ Card tricks and the Way... Alejandro Jodorowsky, developer of the Psychomagic The Psychomagic is a term created by Alejandro Jodorowsky. ...

References

Headquartered in the legendary Flatiron Building in New York City, St. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Era (or Anno Domini), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Audio clips of Kreskin and Dunninger in performance
• Mentalist in An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural
• PSYCRETS British Society of Mystery Entertainers
• Al Koran on the Ed Sullivan Show & other video clips

v • d • e Magic Magic General: Magic • Timeline • Terms • Manufacturers • List of magicians • Mentalists • Assistants • Exposure • List of magic tricks • Tarbell Course • Sleight of hand • Magic club • Magic conventions • Force • Equivocation (magic) • Misdirection • Magic Allied Arts Types: Card magic • Gospel Magic • Torah Magic • Micromagic • Platform magic • Parlor magic • Children's magic • Street magic • Theatrical Séances • Escape magic • Coin magic • Mental magic • Bizarre magic • Stage illusions • Mathemagic An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural is a 1995 book by James Randi and Arthur C. Clarke. ... “Illusionist” redirects here. ... “Illusionist” redirects here. ... 2700BC - The first known performance of a conjuring effect (cups and balls) by the magician Dedi in ancient Egypt 100AD - The Acetabularii performed the Cups and balls in ancient Rome using stones and small vinegar cups (hence the name Acetabularii) 1584 - Reginald Scott publishes The Discoverie of Witchcraft (sic) a... This is a Glossary of conjuring terms used by magicians. ... Manufacturers of magic effects produce magic tricks and illusions. ... This is a list of magicians, illusionists, escapologists, and other practitioners of stage magic. ... The term mentalist refers to entertainers whose performance appears to be based on psychic abilities, featuring the ability to read minds, project the mind to alter the state of matter, foretell the future, and see distant and hidden objects. ... // A magicians assistant is a performer whose role during a magic act is to hold the props that are used by a magician, to transport props onto and off the stage, and to serve as a prop in illusions that involve manipulation of the human body. ... Exposure in magic refers to the practice of making magical methods (the secrets of how magic tricks are performed) available to those who are not magicians. ... This page contains a list of magic tricks. ... The Tarbell Course in Magic is comprised of eight volumes. ... Sleight-of-hand, also known as legerdemain, is a technique of close-up magic in which small items are concealed in and around the performers hands, sometimes by the use of misdirection, to enhance the illusion being performed. ... A magic club is any group of local magicians who meet together on a regular basis. ... Magic conventions are gatherings of professional magicians, magical hobbyists, dealers, collectors of magical apparatus, books and ephemera, and other students of the art of magic. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... For other uses, see Equivocation (disambiguation). ... Misdirection is a form of deception in which the attention of an audience is focused on one thing in order to distract its attention from another. ... Performing arts that are allied to stage magic include ventriloquism, puppetry, juggling, escapology, quick-change, theatrical séances, mentalism, circus arts, acrobatics, acting, choreography, dance, sword swallowing, gymnastics, storytelling, balloon sculpting and clowning. ... A card manipulator performing a flourish with a deck of playing cards. ... Gospel Magic is a specialized form of stage magic. ... Torah Magic is the Jewish equivalent to Gospel Magic. ... Micromagic or close-up magic or table magic is magic performed in an intimate setting usually no more than ten-foot (three-meters) distance from ones audience and is usually performed while sitting at a table. ... Platform magic (also known as parlor magic, club magic or cabaret magic) is that aspect of magic that fits conveniently between stage illusions and close-up magic. ... Parlor magic is done for larger audiences than close-up magic (which is for a few people or even one person) and for smaller audiences than stage magic. ... A magician performing childrens magic for a birthday party audience. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Theatrical Séances is that aspect of stage magic that pretends to contact the spirits of the dead. ... Harry Houdini, a famous escapologist and magician. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Stage illusions are large-scale magic tricks. ... A mathematician is a person whose area of study and research is mathematics. ... Magic Organizations: Society of American Magicians • International Brotherhood of Magicians • Society of Young Magicians • The Magic Circle • American Museum of Magic • Houdini Museum • Academy of Magical Arts • Canadian Association of Magicians • Young Magicians' Club • Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques • College of Magic • Conjuring Arts Research Center Stage illusions Aquarian Illusion • Asrah levitation • Assistant's Revenge • Aztec Lady • Battle of the Barrels • Bowl-A-Rama • Bullet catch • David Copperfield's laser illusion • Chen Lee water suspension • Dagger head box • Devil's torture chamber • Guillotine • Impalement • Indian rope trick • Interlude • Metamorphosis • Mismade Girl • Origami • Quick-change • Radium Girl • Sands of the Nile • Sawing a woman in half • Table of death • Twister • Wringer • Zig Zag Girl Platform magic Needle-through-arm • Vanishing bird cage • Chinese linking rings • Bill in lemon Close-up magic The Best Coin Fold • Cups and balls • Balducci levitation • Ambitious card • Card warp • Floating match on card • French drop • Palming • Retention of vision vanish • Scotch and Soda • Square Circle Production • Detachable thumb • Thumb tip • Glorpy • Healed and sealed • Zarrow shuffle • Charlier Cut • The Pass • Card marking • Sleight of hand • Trick deck • Cardistry • Card throwing • Si Stebbins • Card manipulation • Shuffling • Playing card Levitations Asrah levitation • Balducci levitation • Elevator levitation • Hummer card • King levitation • Sooperman • Super chair suspension • David Copperfield's flying illusion Mentalism Billet reading • Muscle reading • Spoon bending • Book test • Telekinesis • ESP • Telepathy • Precognition • Mind-reading • Neuro-linguistic programming • Parapsychology • Psychic • Hot reading • Cold reading • Warm reading • Fortune tellers • Mediums • Forer effect • Kinesics • Divination • Clairvoyance Escapology Cabinet escape • Handcuffs • Straitjacket • Chinese Water Torture Cell • Lock-picking • Stunt performer • Predicament escape Historical Magicians Magi: Harry Houdini • Harry Kellar • Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin • Tony Slydini • Howard Thurston • Dai Vernon • John Nevil Maskelyne • Doug Henning • Alexander Herrmann • Harry Blackstone, Sr. • Charles Joseph Carter • Alexander • Theodore Annemann • Kuda Bux • Corinda • Joseph Dunninger • Al Koran • Br. John Hamman • J.B. Bobo • Herb Zarrow Magicians Around the World: Indian magicians