anyone know this trick's name?

[EricShoff]

I was thinking of getting Trick of the Mind or perhaps the DVD The devil's picture book

the negative reviews of 13 steps to mentalism basically said that it was outdated and not nearly as interesting as darren brown books. I don't mind reading it though

hadn't heard of Annemann yet, so I'll check that out. Mentalism fascinates me more than card tricks or anything like that, which I didn't think would be possible, so I'm pretty excited.

 

[TeeDee]

Tricks of the Mind is essentially a book for laypeople giving a brief overview of the type of techniques Derren uses, but it's a well-written, engaging book which I'd recommend if you're just starting to dip your toe into the murky waters of mentalism.

The Devil's Picturebook provides a bridge between card magic (some very good card magic) and the type of "psychological illusion" Derren has become known for. You'll learn some good tricks, witness some very good misdirection, and get some good ideas about routining and showmanship.

Anyone who wants to take mentalism seriously needs to have read 13 Steps and Annemann's work. In my opinion, anyone who says they won't study them because they're outdated doesn't have respect for their craft. It would be like a classical pianist saying they don't play scales because they're outdated. Sure, you don't got out and perform scales for an audience, but everyone who takes piano playing seriously studies and practices them anyway.

 

[EricShoff]

Excellent. I'm looking through Annemanns book right now actually.

What do you think of Peter Turners freeform mentalism DVD? I love DVDs, haha, so it's temping to buy that. I saw a guy reviewing it say it's a good place for a new mentalist to start. Worth the 50 bucks?

Also, is there a book that is the "holy grail" of purely mental forces?

 

[TeeDee]

What do you think of Peter Turners freeform mentalism DVD? I love DVDs, haha, so it's temping to buy that. I saw a guy reviewing it say it's a good place for a new mentalist to start. Worth the 50 bucks?

Definitely worth the money, but, in my opinion, not a good starting place. Get your foundations rock solid first, then move on to things like Freeform Mentalism. You have to remember that when you're doing mentalism, you're supposed to be doing something real. If you're not sure how you're going to communicate that idea plausibly to your audience then you aren't going to get the most out of Peter Turner's work.

Here's a suggestion. Learn a simple card force (Hindu shuffle force, riffle force, something without too much procedure to it). When you are able to force a card on someone, act the process of reading their mind (whether that's apparently through reading unconscious signals, a telepathic connection, or whatever) and leave them believing that they just witnessed something genuine, then you know you're ready to take on more complex mentalism routines.

Also, is there a book that is the "holy grail" of purely mental forces?

Banachek's Psychological Subtleties is the standard work on psychological forces. But I think you might mean more suggestion-type effects, in which case you'll want to start having a look at hypnosis and the early NLP works.

 

[EricShoff]

Ok, well I've been forcing cards on people with mainly the classic force, other forces as well, and doing just that for several months now. So I feel more than ready to go on to mental forces.

 

[IsaacHaber]

But the question is not if you have card mechanic skills but of your mentalism skills. If you think your ready just go ahead and do it. we have given you recommendations and told you what we (and every other experienced mentalist on earth) thinks. If you want to ignore that than that is you prerogative.
-Isaac

 

[EricShoff]

Yep, i think i'm good to go, and i've already been reading annemann's book. thanks for the advice guys