Preface by Éric Antoine: - The Secrets of Mentalists.

“Making You Dream for an Instant”

Let us begin with the worst: the fashion for mentalism. Modern magic, aging and considered outdated by much of the public, certainly needed a considerable breath of fresh air. And so, for the past two decades, all kinds of magicians, illusionists, and “con artists” have begun working, with varying degrees of seriousness, on mental techniques. They have embellished their practices with poorly mastered theories drawn from psychology, NLP¹, and hypnosis, attempting, with the energy of desperation, to give magic a mystical tone once again.

This very personal opinion, of course, is mine alone... But the figure of the magician or mentalist who tries at all costs to make you believe in his power seems to me to be that of an insecure artist with whom true sharing is impossible. This is where the whole difference lies between fascination and emotion. On one side, there is an exchange between a supposedly superior being, who tries to make people believe in his extraordinary powers, and a supposedly inferior being, the spectator who has come to witness the demonstration of those powers. The aim of the first, therefore, is to gain power over the other, which is the origin of the phenomenon of followers. On the other side, there is the search for emotion: a dialogue between equals, one that elevates each person and leads to a more subtle, deeper exchange.

In their quest for the extraordinary, the mentalist and the magician must not “show off” or take themselves too seriously. The pursuit of power is the expression of helplessness; true strength is the choice not to use one’s power. Unfortunately, many pseudo-mentalists gradually begin to move over to the “dark side of the force.” And many vulnerable spectators follow them, searching for answers...

Fortunately, there are mentalists who adopt a different philosophy and make this discipline funny, unexpected, and interactive by involving the audience in a playful way. It is this style of mental magic that this book refers to, alternating between theory, history, personal accounts, and practice, with no other ambition than to make you dream for an instant by playing with your mind.

So I wish you great enjoyment.

Long live magic!

Éric Antoine
www.ericantoine.com