Mental Magic - The Secrets of Mentalists.

Mentalism or mental magic? There is no fundamental difference between these two very closely related disciplines, which are often confused, except perhaps in the language used to describe them. Today, mentalism is a branch of magic, and more and more conjurers now include a mental magic act in their classic repertoire.

One could therefore say that mentalism produces the same effects as illusionism, insofar as, like magic, it defies all rational explanation and creates an illusion on both a visual and intellectual level. But the difference between the two can be measured by the quality of the performance and by the audience’s reactions.

For example, mind reading is generally perceived as a magic trick and is then described as mental magic, because there is no truly extraordinary experience involved. But if you manage to create confusion in the other person’s mind, if you succeed, through the atmosphere you establish, in making them doubt their own clairvoyant abilities as well as yours, then the term “mentalism” takes on its full meaning.

Unlike a magician or illusionist, the mentalist strives to lead his spectators into believing in supposed transcendental powers. His entire art lies in his performance and in his ease at transporting them into another dimension. He will speak to you of an “experiment” rather than a “magic trick,” of a “phenomenon” rather than a “number” or “act,” because for him everything belongs to the mechanisms of the mind. He calls upon his intellectual abilities—mathematical calculations, mental effort, mnemonics, organization—and uses various psychological tools from the cognitive sciences that allow him to place himself in a certain state of receptivity, in order to cultivate his powers of observation.

Mentalists have always existed, for hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of years. In the past, they claimed to possess parapsychological abilities, and even gazed into crystal balls to predict the future! Many of them resorted to these excesses for the sole purpose of making a fortune or entertaining, relying on the general obscurantism that prevailed at the time.

Later, other mentalists used their minds, their mental strength, and devoted a large part of their lives to studying and developing their abilities. Meanwhile, magicians and psycho-illusionists continued to use gimmicks and clever methods to create the illusion of being genuine practitioners. For the public, there was therefore inevitable confusion between those who practiced mental magic and the followers of mentalism.

It was only in the 2000s, with the appearance of television series built around this theme, that a much more theatrical representation emerged of what may be called modern mentalism. Other paranormal phenomena were added to it, such as telekinesis, telepathy, divination, intuition, and so on—subjects we will develop further later—in an effort to appeal to a growing audience that had become more demanding because it was more jaded.