talkmagic.co.uk

Hey guys so here it is,

What are the best hard hitting mental ism effects out there. I am not looking to become a mentalist but it has always been an area of interest and I'm looking to expand my repertoire. I've read quite a bit on the subject (thirteen steps, kenton kneppers stuff, luke jermay, banachek) and found a few effects I like but not many.
But I would like some recommendations from more seasoned mentalists or magicians with the same problem.
I enjoy simple hard hitting mental ism. Simple in presentation, I don't have a problem putting in the time for a difficult method if necessary.
For example the couple of effects I do preform are stigmata PK time for andruzzi. Stuff that requires little to no props.
any good recommendations?

Charming Cheat

I think you are approaching this wrong. It is all hard hitting stuff. What makes an effect hard hitting is the performance, not the effect. Start with the basics. Ever try an ID? Pretty basic but it is seriously hard hitting. Just give it a mentalism slant. The trick is finding an effect that suits your personality and putting yourself into the effect.

You said you read 13 steps, and kenton Knepper stuff and found a 'few' things you like. How many have you tried? How many have you invested any sort of decent time into? I ask because both of what you mentioned are full of really great, really solid, not to difficult mind blowing effects. It is up to you and your presentation to make them work.

Lots of luck. I am sure you will be great.

If you really have read all this lot:

" (thirteen steps, kenton kneppers stuff, luke jermay, banachek) "

And can only find a few effects you like, you're in the wrong game. Or you fail to realise that the effect is only as good as the presentation *you* give it.

I doubt you will find your grail on magic forums.

Cold reading.

Take the books you have read as a basis and create your one from there, far more satisfying than just copying what you read.

bmat wrote:I think you are approaching this wrong. It is all hard hitting stuff. What makes an effect hard hitting is the performance, not the effect. Start with the basics. Ever try an ID? Pretty basic but it is seriously hard hitting. Just give it a mentalism slant. The trick is finding an effect that suits your personality and putting yourself into the effect.

Yup, I present the ID as mentalism. It's like being hit with a train.

In a nutshell (and to re-iterate what's already been said), it's not that you haven't found the effect. You haven't found you! (At least, the 'you' that pertains to mentalism)

CharmingCheat wrote:I am not looking to become a mentalist but it has always been an area of interest and I'm looking to expand my repertoire.

So just what are you looking to become? What's your current repetoire? If you're a card man, then an ID with a mental presentation might be ideal.
Example: "As you know, I do all sorts of sleight of hand with my cards but lately I've been really getting into the idea of suggestion, sleight of mind if you like. Can I show you what I mean?"

If you're a sponge bunnies kind of guy... well, you're on your own there

CharmingCheat wrote:Simple in presentation, I don't have a problem putting in the time for a difficult method if necessary.

Seriously? I firmly believe you're looking at this entirely the wrong way. Simple in method, devious presentation is the way forward. By a long country mile, the strongest effect I'm currently performing is almost free of moves. There's a tiny tiny switch that is so miniscule I'm reluctant to call it a switch. The presentation though is thorough, involves the participant entirely and at the end has a kicker that literally puts jaws on floors. All with the easiest switch in the world.

Vanderbelt wrote:If you're a sponge bunnies kind of guy... well, you're on your own there

Strangely enough there's a dark and slightly grisly effect in the current Mystic Menagerie entitled Two Headed Mutant Sponge Bunny of Death. Kid's magic it ain't !

Mandrake wrote:

Vanderbelt wrote:If you're a sponge bunnies kind of guy... well, you're on your own there

Strangely enough there's a dark and slightly grisly effect in the current Mystic Menagerie entitled Two Headed Mutant Sponge Bunny of Death. Kid's magic it ain't !

I knew I had something to buy! Thanks Mandrake!

There are alot of things if presented well that can hit hard, if you are looking for something that does it for you with out having to put the effort in there is also plenty of gadgets to do such things.

Seeing you have read the books listed above there should be enough there to create teh impact you seek. If you like PM me and I can point you into the direction of some crazy stuff that I love but it carries a heft price and not many use these methods and prefer cheaper versions which can almost do the same.

Example of one such effect I do during my performace I have a person at the other side of the room think of a place and write it down on a pad. They than close the pad and hang onto it. I than have them think about the place and as they do it I begin to describe it for them without even approching them or the pad amd eventually tell them what the place is. There are many impossible things you can do in many ways, I prefer certian methods over others. Having the ability to do things with out handling anything, or allowing 100% hands on by the people I preform for adds in my mind that element that makes the impossible happen.

cheers,

Ben Parry

First of all I would like to thank you all very much for your help. Ive been doing magic for about seven years and recently starting working harder at it and felt that this would be a good way to expand my learning and resources. However when I posted this question on other forums people became very rude and degrading. It was quite sad. Then this thread made me laugh so thank you very much i needed that.

Anyway I appreciate all of the advice I very much enjoyed it and now think I have an idea of what I might be going for. I entertain in parlor situations and restaurants and the basis of the psychological part of my act I am going for is that con man are capable of convincing you anything to get the money (fraudlent psychics) So I am thinking about leaning towards Cold Reading (I have been studying and experimenting with kneppers mind reading), and A and a prediction in the end. Presenting it all under the guise of con men psychologicly manipulating you.
I was briefly considering Seance demonstrations but its a little too far outside of my character.

I like what vanderbelt said about simple in method and devious in presentation. (I cant figure out how to put in quotes Im terrible with computers) and I agree Im starting to see that I have been looking at this the wrong way.

Well, the peeps here at TM certainly have their moments of sarcasm when the need arises but for the most part we're just very helpful pussycats .