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Hello, I happen to be a mentalist/hypnotist in high school. I started out doing card magic about 4 years ago, and have drifted into the realm of mentalism for the past 2 years. My biggest influences in magic are Derren Brown, Chan Canasta, Dai Vernon, David Blaine, James Brown, Jesus, and Sherlock Holmes. Besides magic, my main other hobby is music as I am guitar player.

linger wrote:Hello, I happen to be a mentalist/hypnotist in high school. I started out doing card magic about 4 years ago, and have drifted into the realm of mentalism for the past 2 years. My biggest influences in magic are Derren Brown, Chan Canasta, Dai Vernon, David Blaine, James Brown, Jesus, and Sherlock Holmes. Besides magic, my main other hobby is music as I am guitar player.

No. . . you're NOT a "Mentalist/Hypnotist" in high school; you're a kid with ambitions to become a Mentalist and/or Hypnotist once you get out of high school and can grow the mandatory beard . . . especially if you have any aspirations of belonging to the P.E.A. or Mystic 13. . .

I don't say this to be cruel or demeaning, only that a person as young as you does not yet have the life experience let alone stage experience to be proficient in two of the more challenging aspects of the Magical Arts. Mentalism & more so, Hyp work require a commanding sense of presence and control and unless you're the incarnation of Annemann I have my doubts. . . I'll not delve into other particulars here but I don't see that you've put any time into which books here. . . just reading a book by Derren or about Chan Canasta only means you know a little bit and not necessarily the "right" bits of foundation you need, under your belt . . . and what's a dead black soul singer got to do with things? (James Brown)

Ok, I'm done busting your balls. . . but I think you can see things (hopefully) from the eyes of people that were doing this sort of work long before you mom & dad were in high school, yes?

You have learned some Mental Magic is the kindest way of saying it, I have strong doubts, for reasons that I've explained, that you're actually a "Mentalist" just yet. This doesn't mean you can't get there and too, it doesn't mean you couldn't perform as such at your age, given the appropriate framing. Mentalism requires believability and unless you are claiming to be some kind of gifted young psychic or religious avatar of some sort, it's simply not easy for a "kid" to make such claims and generate believability. . . you're certainly too young to be an expert in psychology, body language, and all the other excuses used by so many in today's world, so what are you left with? What back-story and foundation do you have that validates your claims?

Again, I'm not trying to put you down or back you into a corner, I am trying to help you think a bit; help you to see the weaknesses you have to overcome so you can start looking at how, until you're much older, you can justify your claims in a way that is believable to adults as well as your peers.

Hypnosis, especially in the states, is a very tricky claim in that many areas require State Board Certification even if you are doing common stage stunts and pseudo-hypnosis routines. This is something you can't easily get prior to age 18 in that it requires about two years of formal schooling, getting certified as a counselor and who knows what else now days. Too, it depends on what areas of hypnosis you choose to venture into; some systems will require a bit more "intensive" study". The reason for these procedures has to do with the many quacks that caused problems and ripped folks off a few decades back, so it's a consumer protection issue but too, many a stage Hypnotist work as legit therapists by day; Ormond McGill, one of the most prolific writers on the subject in the mid and late 20th Century did just this. . . many even call him the founding father of modern stage hypnosis and one of the more important clinical researchers to have lived. But he was also a wonderful magican and clown; a very sweet and amazing man.

You are at the age to start investing time and serious study into these areas and it sounds as if that is what you are attempting to do, but be realistic about things and the facts when it comes to being successful in these fields and how both fields require one to be closer to 30 in the majority of cases, unless you are taking that David Blaine "Urban Shaman" path, but that takes us back to what I was saying about how being a gifted and blessed young person is more widely accepted by audiences of all ages, than the idea of a 15-17 year old kid claiming to be a Master Mind Reader. . . especially if you are basing most of that claim on card tricks (most of the more serious Mentalists out there will go out of their way to avoid card effects because they cheapen the work and give the public sound reason to suspect duplicity).

I can be a bit harsh, but only because I want people to have a bit more clarity on what they are talking about or claiming. I have several free pdfs @ Lybrary.com that deal with Mentalism, Cold Reading, etc. that you may want to take a look at. Just do a search on my name.

Welcome to the group and best of luck!

[potentially contentious exclamation removed]

mate first of all in order to be a hypnotist you need to - believe - you are one with utter confidence and belief. That is the main principle needed. utter confidence.

everything you just say knocks his confidence for no good reason and is just a setback.

Yea he could learn more - but so could all of us.

you have NO idea his level of proficiancy so dont just assume man. he might have learnt more about it in 2 years than you have in 20.

All:

Please keep your comments civil, or this thread will end up locked.


Thanks

Rob wrote:All:

Please keep your comments civil, or this thread will end up locked.


Thanks

And it wouldn't be nice on an introduction thread.
Welcome linger, don't misunderstand: if you keep lingering around, you will find that this forum is full of precious information and advice. And no matter what you could think, it's a very good bunch of people.

Welcome Linger
Don't worry about Craig, after a while you learn to tune him out.

Where does Jesus come in to your influences in mentalism? I'm curious.

Craig is right though, to be a successful mentalist you need a beard

Although i have a beard and I'm rubbish at mentalism, i don't believe it enough to deliver it convincingly....for now

Welcome anyway Linger....

Much love

Aza

Welcome along to TM and to just echo Rob, can we all please play nicely?

Welcome to TM. I am a mentalist, and I have a formidable beard! I hope you get as much pleasure and knowledge out of this site as I have.

K

kevmundo wrote:Welcome to TM. I am a mentalist, and I have a formidable beard! I hope you get as much pleasure and knowledge out of this site as I have.

K

Almost as good a beard as mine Kev

Much love

Aza

I had a beard, but still only class myself as a wannabe mentalist

Lawrence wrote:Welcome Linger
Don't worry about Craig, after a while you learn to tune him out.

Where does Jesus come in to your influences in mentalism? I'm curious.

Funny how many do that on this site and NONE of the others I am on. . . as I've pointed out before, I've only had problems with UK boards and the Cafe (where they hate hearing the truth... from anyone that speaks it or goes against their political & religious beliefs).

As to the other rudeness given by a person that don't understand proper sentence structure. . . you obviously did not read nor understand what I said, which is the case for many around here. It's also why I stated several times in my post that my objective wasn't to insult, demean or berate the kid but rather, encourage him to see the greater picture and why vs. co-signing the delusion that Mentalism is just tricks.

And I've yet to see anyone in their teens do a hyp act that adults bought into. . . it's a bit more than confidence that makes it happen. Especially when it comes to doing solid stage hypnosis where participant management and personal awareness are paramount. . . then again, some of you might argue with Ormond McGill on that point, you get so stuck on yourselves.

Last chance peoples, my finger's hovering over the lock button! Let's all just play nicely, this isn't turning into a very welcoming welcome thread is it.

This place can be chock full of morons sometimes!!

Jeez....good luck mods!!

Stop bickering on this poor young mans first post....be nice eh? Come on now!

Much love

Aza

As he hasn't made a second post, let's hope he's just busy elsewhere and not already frightened off.....