talkmagic.co.uk

Being what some refer to as a "truest" of Mentalism and a major supporter of the "old school" way of seeing and doing things I'd be amiss if I did not offer my two cents worth on a quite amazing resource "Mind Reading & Telepathy" by Erik Jan Hanussen--Steinschneider released this past year by Jimmy Bix and a collection of characters ranging from Banacheck and Bill Palmer to Borodin and Dr. Toni Foster.

The book is 153 total pages presented as a study course planned for commercial release by Hanussen, the text outlining in rather concise manner, the means by which he was able to spellbound audiences throughout Europe and in several instances, captivate members of the NAZI high staff, including old Adolf himself (even managed to get a commission from Hitler to retrieve a special Mandrake root used as a good luck token. This side of their relationship is not mentioned in the book but it does open some interesting doors should one choose to explore said route.)

In the plainest of terms Hanussen was a master Muscle Reader and that is precisely what this book is about (along with some rather rudimentary thinking associated with what we'd call "Psychological Forces"). If this book had actually seen the light of day as planned by Hanussen, it probably would have stood the whole of Mentalism on its head, for nothing as concise nor of the "lineage" associated with the skill, had ever been made available prior to this time and even since those days, the majority of what's been shared has been questionable at best.

I'm a major fan of Muscle Reading/Dowsing in that it is a talent quite common in my family; one I was first introduced to at a very young age by family members that used dowsing as a means for finding sweet water springs, lost items, and of all things, Ginseng plants (within Appalachia ginseng is poor man's gold and people actually got shot over stealing from someone's stash). For a good number of years this was something I worked with almost daily e.g. I developed a high level of skill as well as understanding behind it; my inner pack-rat seeking out any and all published materials I could find on the topic in that it remains the one single demonstration that science itself recognizes as being a form of telepathic communication (albeit, nothing remotely close to what the folks at the Sci-Fi channel would wish).

When it comes to this particular book I can only say that anyone that considers themselves to be "serious" students of Mentalism who have it in their personal agenda to deliver something more than a magic show with a "Psychic" veneer, owes it to his/her self to get this book and actually work the process as outlined by Hanussen, giving yourself a good two-three weeks or more with each lesson phase.

Yes... the book is a bit complicated to decipher. Bill Palmer, who helped translate most of the book comments on how Hanussen tended to be a bit "wordy", the theory being that he saw it as a way to make himself look more educated than he really was. Nonetheless, you will need to take your time and re-read certain areas in order to gain a more clear understanding when it comes to the instruction and course of action. You will also need to set aside your own preconceptions when it comes to a few of the terms he uses such as Telepathy, Medium, Seance, etc. His application being common to the era and what is best described as the "Spiritualist Remnant" and its fascination with such things.

Couple this material with what you find in Banachek's PSI Series (disc 3 I believe it is) and of course his PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL THOUGHT READING dissertation and I'd say that you would be well on your way towards developing a personal sense of adeptness when it comes to the use of ideomotor action. Understand though, this is a potentially HUGE field of study that goes well beyond these three chief resources. The serious student venturing into the varied disciplines employing both, Pendulum and Dowser's tools in order to better round out his/her understanding.

I know this hasn't been the more traditional sort of "review" we have around here but that is due to the fact that the material is nowhere near "traditional"


How difficult is it to learn the material?" You ask

That depends on the student. If you aren't willing to invest yourself into it and constantly experiment with each step in the learning process, you will fail! On the other hand, if you are serious about your study and desire to develop solid MR skills, there is no reason why you can't be working at a quasi-advanced level within 9-12 months.

Not everyone will catch on as quickly as others and there are those that are literally too analytical to learn it (in that they are trying to figure things out and thus, start assuming and guessing rather than paying attention to the ideomotor cues). The technique does require us to kind of turn off our conscious mind in order to gain the greatest sort of sensitivity.


What Are the Advantages of Studying This Material?

With but very limited exception, this single skill is about all you will ever actually require for doing on the spot demonstrations of your "Intuitive" abilities. You can literally do a full 60 minute program with this material and NOTHING ELSE (Hanussen did a two hour show, regularly).

However, those seeking to become something that leans closer to the original definition of being a Mentalist/Mind Reading would be doing themselves a huge favor by taking us some supportive study (and development) in the area of Billet Work, Readings (legit divination systems as well as "Cold Reading" adjuncts), and of course a mnemonic/code based system. With little other than these foundation skills, you can start your own religious movement or, if you have the right sort of charm and creativity, a headliner on the Las Vegas strip

The bottom line is, this is a most excellent book that can open your eyes to a good many things, not just how to develop your MR skills.

Ahh hellstromism as I grew up with the term. Is a very diverse field and it holds so much mystery with it. I remember how my great grandfather would make his own divining rods out of twigs and find hidden springs and such. Anyways, If you ever get the chaance their was a manual written by William Larsen Sr. which described the method for discerning the number thought by an audience member and such through the use of hellstromism. There are many magical uses, and by having a purely theoretical grasp of this subject will help you tremendously in you mentalism and magic. Modern psychic entertainer Kreskin uses muscle reading as a powerful closer to his shows. I suggest watching his performances to understand the power of this technique. Erik Jan Hanussen was regarded by many as one of the most powerful men of the time as he was the one who supposedly guided many of the Nazi attacks using drowsing. He also trained Adolf in the mechanics of powerful public speaking. Even though I don't know the exacts of his relationship with the Nazi party, I do know he was one of the modern equivalents of lets say a John Dee to Queen Elizabeth. He was a man of great power

The real irony around Hanussen is that he was openly Jewish and held exceptionally close ties to the inner circle of Hitler's camp, as it were. The justification of their murdering him was the fact that he was a Jew... but then many of the Commanding Officers of the time owed him huge sums of money along side ole Adolf himself.

You use the term HELLSTROMISM and I find it funny in that so many now days refuse to invoke said correlation. I assume that part of the reason for this is that Axel wasn't exactly given fair treatment in some of the more popular books on the subject and then too, Nelson seemed to paint around him a much more mystical sense of persona that took what he did well beyond mere Muscle Reading. What I find interesting is how Hanussen was painted in a similar light some years later.

Most of the "approved of" literature on this topic ignores the more ancient historical reference to Dowsing type practice and how, for centuries, it was quite the common practice within several aspects of science; medicine, geology, surveying, masonry, medical treatment, etc. It has a history that goes way beyond the 19th century, even being referenced in Old Testament and similar "ancient" resources the world over. So as they say, I'm still waiting for the fat lady to sing on this one...

Haha, well I use the word Hellstromism because thats what it was called when I was introduced to its use in mentalism. Anyways I find the character of Haussen quite interesting and subect to further investigation on my part, I have never really cared to study him. Anyways I do remember stories from my great-grandmother of how her doctor used a pendulum in treating his patients, and of course the tried and true, Baby Gender test. I don't know if it was ever painted as a mystical skill as it was just part of daily life in rural Norway.

theseer wrote:Haha, well I use the word Hellstromism because thats what it was called when I was introduced to its use in mentalism. Anyways I find the character of Haussen quite interesting and subect to further investigation on my part, I have never really cared to study him. Anyways I do remember stories from my great-grandmother of how her doctor used a pendulum in treating his patients, and of course the tried and true, Baby Gender test. I don't know if it was ever painted as a mystical skill as it was just part of daily life in rural Norway.

Ah Ha! You've just hit the nail on the head my friend!

I find that "country folk" such as you suggest, tend to look at such things in a very "Matter of Fact" manner vs. all the mysticism and hokum that's been painted around it, especially in recent years by "New Age" types.

Could you explain more simply the benefits of the book?

I'm not very advanced in mentalism, and my mother tongue isn't English.

PMagician132 wrote:Could you explain more simply the benefits of the book?

I'm not very advanced in mentalism, and my mother tongue isn't English.

The book teaches in a very elementary manner, how to develop your skills at Muscle Reading.

If I may, what is your first language? There may be copies of this book available in the original German if that is applicable to your needs.

If you are "new" to mentalism and have difficulty with English, I encourage you to look at Banachek's PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL THOUGHT READING instead of this particular tome in that it can be very hard to follow, even for those that have a semi-sense of command of English. The Banachek book, like most of his material, is very to the point and easy to follow and if you add Vol. 3 of his PSI SERIES DVD set you'll pretty much have all you need for developing the foundations to Muscle Reading.

Do understand that Muscle Reading is a technique or skill that requires LOTS of deliberate practice if you intend on exploiting it on a regular basis. I know from experience that when you stop working with it, you loose your edge and it can be difficult to reclaim.

The other thing to remember is that this is the primary technique that was featured in most parts of Europe and North America as "Mind Reading" and though it may require a bit of creative thinking on your part, there's very little you can't do using this method vs. all the "standard" demonstrations associated with traditional mentalism.

Thanks for replying.Well, my native tongue is Spanish, but I speak English allmost as fluidly as Spanish.
Another question if I can.What's muscle reading?
Feel free to reply.

PMagician132 wrote:Thanks for replying.Well, my native tongue is Spanish, but I speak English allmost as fluidly as Spanish.
Another question if I can.What's muscle reading?
Feel free to reply.

If you are asking that question I'd suggest you go back and study your Corinda, he touches upon it in 13 Steps.

MR deals with a very natural psychophysiological phenomena known as ideomotor response i.e. how our body will give off very subtle cues that can be "read" via contact and in time, without, which will allow a practitioner of MR to follow totally unspoken commands, locate hidden (even lost) items, drive a car while literally blindfolded (no peeking or cheating) and a myriad of other things. The most well known use of the ideomotor reflex is seen in the use of Pendulums or working a OUIJA Board as well as Table Tipping.

I will check with the translator of this book and see if there has been a Spanish version put together just yet. I'm not certain.

Can I assume this is another one of those $1000 books?

No $45 on lybrary.com or about £30-£40 for a more solid form.

JakeThePerformer wrote:Can I assume this is another one of those $1000 books?

Hahaha...

Not at all, in fact you could have a fine collection of most all the books covering this subject for less than $200.00 and that includes Banachek's DVD covering the subject. I believe the two manuscripts put out through Hades Publishing (Hellstromism and Contact Mind Reading) can be had for under $50.00 total. The much coveted Satori manuscript I'm not so certain about.

The only item I don't recommend when it comes to this topic, is the material put out by a certain Canadian hustler that will go un-named. Just understand that what he offers for a small fortune is of exceptionally poor quality, unscripted and rather confusing compared to the Banachek material.

I'm confident most can figure out who I'm referring to without too much trouble. The sad thing being that he used to actually produce decent quality stuff.