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Hey guys, I'm interested in mindreading type of tricks, for example where you ask someone to write something and then tell them what they've written. (Or ask them to draw a picture and then tell them what they've drawn.)

Where would you recommend for me to start learning about these sort of tricks?

FireAndThunder wrote:Hey guys, I'm interested in mindreading type of tricks, for example where you ask someone to write something and then tell them what they've written. (Or ask them to draw a picture and then tell them what they've drawn.)

Where would you recommend for me to start learning about these sort of tricks?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/13-Steps-Mental ... 275&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Practical-Menta ... 291&sr=1-1

All you need to get started. Indeed, all you need, full stop.

Oh and a book on acting. That is the key, the acting, not the method.

Personally I'd leave Corinda and Annemann for a little while and learn some magic basics first. You'll find that the basic coin and card sleights come in very handy for mentalism. Mark Wilson's Complete Course is great for these, also Karl Fulves Self Working Mental Magic is a good place to get started with some nice basic mental effects.

Lady of Mystery wrote:You'll find that the basic coin and card sleights come in very handy for mentalism.

Flame shields at the ready, maam.

Lawrence wrote:

Lady of Mystery wrote:You'll find that the basic coin and card sleights come in very handy for mentalism.

Flame shields at the ready, maam.

#

Well any flamers better make sure that they've got their shin pads on

Lady of Mystery wrote:Well any flamers better make sure that they've got their shin pads on

Unfair it would be 3 against 1.

back to the original question....
Some very basic techniques can be found in books that you can get from a public library or try looking online for something call a 'one ahead' principle.
The one-ahead principle is fairly well known and you might get 'sussed' a few times... but when they don't know how it works you get some great reactions. Use it to practice your acting skills and have some fun trying it out... then move on to the more advanced works suggested in the references above.

Lawrence wrote:

Lady of Mystery wrote:You'll find that the basic coin and card sleights come in very handy for mentalism.

Flame shields at the ready, maam.

Laughing, and my co-workers are wondering what the heck is so funny. How do I explain it?

Discombobulator wrote:

Lady of Mystery wrote:Well any flamers better make sure that they've got their shin pads on

Unfair it would be 3 against 1.

and they've really been getting the practice in recently too.

If you want to learn how to do a trick , when you read something that someone written, you dont need techniques...rather good glasses.







Really. For the structure of your question, I felt that you dont know about Mentalism... So read the forum and get 13 Steps and after that some Bob Cassidy´s books. That will help you to create not just "mindreading tricks" , rather mindreading.

Lady of Mystery wrote:

Lawrence wrote:

Lady of Mystery wrote:You'll find that the basic coin and card sleights come in very handy for mentalism.

Flame shields at the ready, maam.

#

Well any flamers better make sure that they've got their shin pads on

And indeed groin boxes!

I would echo Lady of Mystery's advice though, Wilson's not only has some mentalism effects but will also give you some grounding in other areas which, while you might not realise it now, also underpin everything else you're likely to learn on your mentalism journey. It's easy to follow for the beginner too.

Once you've started dabbling with the stuff you learn from Wilson, by all means pick up Annemann and Corinda (I personally think Annemann, then Corinda but that's just me... Lawrence where's my Flame Shield?)

Mindslasher is an ideal starter for mentalism. I'm sorting mine out tonight!

Alec

The recommended reading lists are to be commended: 13 Steps is great as you actually feel like you're tapping into some esoteric source, and the mysterious looking dust jacket and the fact it was compiled some years ago adds credence to it.

However, for a quick fix where the spectator writes something down onto a compact wallet / note pad (whilst shielding from your prying eyes of course) I think either the Mind Reader Wallet by Magic Makers (I think), which admittedly is a rip of John Cornelius' Thought Transmitter is a fantastic effect. There's lots of similar products on the market, though if I was to buy that effect, I'd get the Pantera wallet by Outlaw Effects, which I don't have, but it looks great and less "proppy". The Thought Transmitter, which I have seen in action probably looks more "magic proppy" than the Mind Reader Wallet. The two effects do make sense logically, as with Pantera or similar things like Telethought your spectator draws / writes on a business card which you then put inside the wallet. It makes more sense to me for the spec to write on a post-it note, for them to close the wallet up themselves and for you to tie an elastic band around the whole thing "to prevent you from using sleight of hand to take a sly peek at what was written, etc"

Overall, as to portability and much valued pocket space those type of products are pretty powerful. You can't just reveal it straight away: you have to pad it out, and I like to use Luke Jermay's Witch Doctor idea, hamming up the physical contact and making a sudden, eccentric act as if a sudden image had popped into my mind, produce a business card (Vista Print's finest, haha!) and look intently at their eyes whilst duplicating picture or word, never once looking at what I'm writing.

Subtleties: it's all nonsense, but great fun, and it's these sometimes over the top details that adds showmanship into what could be an average effect.

bmat wrote:

Lawrence wrote:

Lady of Mystery wrote:You'll find that the basic coin and card sleights come in very handy for mentalism.

Flame shields at the ready, maam.

Laughing, and my co-workers are wondering what the heck is so funny. How do I explain it?

well that's simple. Just say that someone suggested a background in coin and card magic lended a good hand if you wanted to master the art of mentalism.

On topic:
There is a Swedish guy called Henrik Fexeus. He is doing the same sort of stuff as Derren Brown. This book is great for learning mind reading as a skill.

it teaches body language and how to pick up on small cues. This link is the only place I found the English version sold but if you can find it in a store you trust I suggest you pick it up.

http://www.flipkart.com/art-reading-min ... 8131908496

cynebearn wrote:

bmat wrote:

Lawrence wrote:

Lady of Mystery wrote:You'll find that the basic coin and card sleights come in very handy for mentalism.

Flame shields at the ready, maam.

Laughing, and my co-workers are wondering what the heck is so funny. How do I explain it?

well that's simple. Just say that someone suggested a background in coin and card magic lended a good hand if you wanted to master the art of mentalism.

On topic:
There is a Swedish guy called Henrik Fexeus. He is doing the same sort of stuff as Derren Brown. This book is great for learning mind reading as a skill.

it teaches body language and how to pick up on small cues. This link is the only place I found the English version sold but if you can find it in a store you trust I suggest you pick it up.

Hi Alex,

A background in cards is really not that inappropriate at all, whereas using body language to influence people (including dating? Yuk!) is not likely to be as useful. I can think of one very popular mentalist who's rather handy with cards on the sly (but whom everyone thinks uses NLP etc.).

For those who want to know more about the book mentioned above:

Amazon.co.uk wrote:This book has everything you need to know in order to become an expert at mind reading. Using skills such as non-verbal communication, body language and psychological influence, we can find out what another person thinks and feels - and consequently control that person's thoughts and beliefs any way we want. Henrik Fexeus introduces a new kind of practical interpretation of the concept of mind-reading, which you will find practical in all aspects of your everyday life: job interviews, a first date, suggesting proposals to your boss and in all social situations where you want to get your ideas across and influence other people. Posture, intonation, pace, glances and hand gestures all reveal what a person feels. Often it will be in direct conflict with the message they are expressing in words. This book gives you the right tools to decipher these hidden messages. When Fexeus writes, it's in a manner which draws the reader through his reasoning and makes the reader want to know more.

Hey guys, thanks a million! I bow before the greatness that would compel you to be so helpful to a new guy.

Thanks for the one-ahead tip, I didn't know that! I'm gonna go check out a couple of these books.

Acting! Yes! I've been meaning to take some acting and improv classes. (I'm kind of hijacking my own thread here, but... ) If anyone knows a good place in London I could take some classes, feel free to let me know!