What is Mentalism and How it Works – Plus Tricks You Can Do

Mentalism, if performed well, leaves spectators believing you have heightened mental and intuitive capabilities.

Most people think that mentalism and magic are different. They are not. Mentalism is a type of magic. Same as card tricks is a type of magic.

I will cover everything about mentalism here and teach you some incredible mentalism tricks you can perform.

What is Mentalism?

Mentalism is the performance of magic tricks that focuses on the mind and must be psychologically convincing to be effective. Mentalism tricks include telekinesis, mind-reading, predictions, feats of memory, rapid mathematics, metal bending, psychic vision, and ESP.

How Does Mentalism Work?

Mentalism is a branch of magic performed by mentalists and psychic entertainers. The performer focuses on the mind and seems to possess highly developed mental and psychic abilities.

Practitioners appear to demonstrate telepathy, telekinesis, mind-reading, psychokinesis, communications with the dead, clairvoyance, displays of extraordinary powers, precognition, and ESP.

Is Mentalism Real?

No! Not even a little bit. Mentalists are nothing more than magicians performing magic tricks. Please know I say this with the utmost respect, I am a proud magician performing magic tricks and a ton of incredible mentalism.

Should Mentalists Claim They Are Real?

It is widely believed that mentalists possess true psychic abilities. There is a lot of controversy as to whether or not mentalists should make disclaimers about their performances. Some say it is morally wrong to claim you have “psychic abilities.”

Derren Brown, the famous English mentalist, maintains that he neither has nor believes in any kind of psychic power. He gives a disclaimer at the beginning of all of his shows.

Magicians admit that they are tricksters and entertainers, and audiences understand it’s all an illusion.

Mentalists, on the other hand, tell spectators they are reading their body language, picking up on subtle tells, and influencing them to do things. It is a complete lie, yet spectators believe it to be true.

When I see mentalists giving these false explanations to their audiences I cannot believe what I am hearing.

My philosophy is to perform your tricks, say nothing, and let people think what they want. Everyone likes to be fooled and entertained.

Why Are Mentalists Held in Such High Regard?

Many believe magic is fake and mentalism is real. Some say mentalism is the adult version of magic. Magic is for the eyes, mentalism is for the mind.

People falsely draw the conclusion that since mentalism is for adults, it must be good. 

Mentalism can be really good, and it can also be terrible, same as magic. It depends on the performer.

I have found that most mentalists who tell me they don’t perform any magic tricks (cards, coins, ropes, etc.), are too lazy to practice good sleight of hand magic. It isn’t magic that is weak, it is their magic that is weak.

Many magicians who don’t want to practice and put in the time become mentalists, and do the minimum.

Mentalism Techniques

Mentalists claim to be experts at influence, misdirection, and reading body language.

Mentalists claim to possess advanced memory capabilities, use intuition, hypnosis, mind control, suggestion, and manipulate spectators through psychological subtleties.

This is complete nonsense, totally made up!

The majority of mentalism doesn’t require much technique at all. Mentalists that have any skill are hard to come by.

Mentalism type tricks make it seem like the performer has intuitive abilities and skills beyond imagination.

I do not claim to have any psychic powers; there are enough people who do that for me. 

What is Mentalism Magic?

“Mentalism magic” is the same as “mentalism.”

While it is believed that all magic tricks can be explained by “sleight of hand,” when it comes to mentalism many believe that the performer is doing it for real.

The perception of “mentalist” is much higher than that of “magician.” When someone hears “magician” they picture a guy in a colorful outfit performing at a kid’s birthday party pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

When people think of a mentalist, they think of a mysterious performer reading someone’s mind and predicting the future. People believe mentalists have powers.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Magic Tricks for Beginners Amazing Enough for Professionals

Why Mentalists Do Not Perform Magic

Many mentalists do not mix “magic” into their performances. They insist they are not magicians and argue that magic is a different art form. Their argument is that mentalism invokes belief and is seen as real while magic is accepted as trickery.

I believe the real reason is laziness. I perform a ton of mentalism along with magic. The magic tricks I perform are just as strong as the mind reading (mentalism) tricks.

Nobody has ever said “no” to watching an incredible card trick, before or after I read their mind.

The truth is, both magic and mentalism, if done well, can be astonishing.

Mentalism Performance

Mentalism is usually presented as a show in front of an audience, and requires the full attention of everyone at the same time. The tricks all deal with the mind and tend to each take a long time.

When I perform a show on stage, I prefer to mix magic and mentalism. There are so many incredible mind blowing magic tricks that audiences love. Here is a real performance where I am on stage at a real event performing for about 200 people.

Corporate Stand Up Magic & Mentalism Show Full Performance

David Berglas, one of the most famous magicians and mentalists in the world, called himself the International Man of Mystery.

He read minds; he performed card tricks; he did it all. Anything amazing and entertaining! You can learn more about Berglas here.

Basics of Mentalism

The basic types of mentalism seen today are metal bending, mind-reading, telekinesis, predictions, and book tests.

Bending forks, telling someone the name of the first person they kissed, moving an object with your mind, predicting what your spectator will choose, and divining thought of words are common mentalism effects.

All of these mentalism tricks are easy to do. None require much practice or any sleight of hand. The tricks rely on secrets, gimmicks, and subtlety.

Below you will learn some impressive mentalism that will leave your spectators convinced that you possess psychic abilities.

How to Learn Mentalism?

The best way to learn mentalism is to find a specific trick you like, learn the secret, practice till you can do it smoothly, and go perform it.

There are many great mentalism tricks. Start with the ones below.

In researching all the details of mentalism for this article, I found websites where they talk about focusing on meditation and mindfulness to learn mentalism.

The spiritual aspects these websites talk about are complete nonsense. Mentalism is nothing more than magic tricks. Learn some great tricks that focus on the mind and you will be a mentalist.

Mentalism Books

3 books on mentalism:

• The Encyclopedia of Mentalism & Mentalists by Corinda
• Practical Mental Magic by Theodore Annemann
• Derren Brown’s Tricks Of Mind.

I really wouldn’t recommend any of these books.

These books were written over 50 years ago and are old and outdated. Entertainment has completely changed. Derren’s book is a good read, he is entertaining, yet I don’t think it will make you a mentalist.

Start with the incredible mentalism tricks below. You will be a mentalist in no time.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Mind Reading Tricks – Is Mind Reading Real?

Mentalism Magic Tricks

Here you will learn some amazing mentalism. These tricks are guaranteed to convince your spectators you have supernatural abilities. The tricks are for beginners yet good enough for professionals.

Mentalism is not based on hardcore techniques that take years to master. These tricks require minimal practice yet you must add showmanship and presentation to make your mentalism convincing.

MENTALISM TRICKS:

1. Metal Bending Mentalism Trick
2. Dice Mentalism Trick – Crazy Cube
3. Telekinetic Pen Mentalism Trick
4. Thought of Number Mentalism Trick – Mentalism Over the Phone
5. Guessing Someone’s Age Mentalism Trick – Mentalism Over the Phone
6. Mentalism Card Trick
7. Open Card Prediction Mentalism Trick
8. Mentalism Book Test (Using 1 Book)
9. Mentalism Book Test (Using 2 Books)

Metal Bending Mentalism Trick

You bend a fork with your mind.

HOW TO DO IT:

You need a cheap metal fork, one that is easy to bend the tine. Either bring your own or use one at a restaurant when you’re out. Show the fork with your right hand (switch hands if you are a lefty).

Relax your right hand casually to your side as you point at your head with your left finger and say, “I focus my mind.” As you say this all attention will be on you. Bend the tine with your right thumb.

Bring up the fork and immediately start shaking it. The motion will conceal the bent tine. You don’t need to go crazy, just a slight back and forth shaking. Gradually slow down your shaking to reveal the bent tine.

Pro Tips

I know it sounds simple. Perhaps you think it won’t work. Try it, you will be surprised. The move is well covered. Your audience will be amazed. Add a little bit of acting as if you are concentrating on the fork to cause it to bend.

Dice Mentalism Trick – Crazy Cube

Your spectator thinks of a number and you guess it.

HOW TO DO IT:

Crazy Cube : $4.99 – Link to Buy on Amazon

• Two containers
• A mini die

Watch me perform Crazy Cube – 5:30

HOW TO DO IT:

• Show the containers and die to your spectator. Hand them the small container, cap, and die.
• Tell them to choose a number, drop the die into the container with their number on top, and cap it.
• Turn around while they do this.
• Turn back around and take their container with the lid toward you, tilted downward, so the die is against the inside of the lid.
• Display the inside of the larger container at eye level showing it is solid.
• Place the smaller container inside and get a peek at the number.
• Cap it and hand the large container to your spectator to hold.
• Concentrate and act like you are reading their mind.
• Tell them their number.

Pro Tips

Make sure you have enough light when you perform this so you can see the die.

I know what you are thinking (I’m a mentalist). You think this is a kid’s trick. Watch the video above at 5:30 to see me perform this in real-time. This trick always gets an incredible reaction.

Play it up a little before you tell your spectator their number. A tiny bit of acting goes a long way. You can repeat this trick one time if you want.

Telekinetic Pen Mentalism Trick

You move a pen with your mind.

HOW TO DO IT:

You can use any bottle, I prefer the type with a cap that isn’t completely flat. The pen isn’t fully balanced and will move easily.

A basic round Bic style pen works best. You will need to static charge the pen. Wrap your shirt around the pen, apply pressure, and rub it a few times.

The best time to do this is before the trick starts, when nobody is looking. Turn away and charge it quickly. It takes 2 seconds.

Balance the pen on top of the cap. Hold your fingers above and your thumb near the end of the pen. Your thumb will attract and move the pen. Wiggle your 1st finger so it looks like you are moving the pen from above.

Slowly bring your thumb near the charged end. When the pen moves, gently move your thumb up and away. The pen will spin. When it slows down, again bring your thumb close to the pen to give it more momentum.

Once you take the pen off the bottle and put it down, it will lose its charge and your spectator will not be able to do it.

Pro Tips

If the pen falls while balancing, it might lose its charge. You can pick the pen up and try again, yet if it did lose its charge, move on to another trick. Recharge the pen at the right moment.

Practice balancing the pen a few times before you perform the trick so you know the right spot. You don’t want to drop the charged pen in the middle of performance.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: How To Telekinesis – A Complete Guide With Tricks

Thought of Number Mentalism Trick – Mentalism Over the Phone

Your spectator thinks of any number, you read their mind, and guess it.

HOW TO DO IT:

Mentalism can be performed over the phone for your spectators. This is so cool! Here are two easy to do mentalism effects that are guaranteed to amaze. You can also perform these tricks in person.

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Think of any number between 1 and 100
• Double it
• Add 10
• Half that number
• Subtract your original #
• Concentrate…
• You are thinking of… 5

Pro Tips

This is an easy self-working trick, try it yourself, it is awesome. Follow these steps, it will work every time. Since your spectator is not there, you can open this trick on your phone and read off the steps.

You might want to tell your spectator to take out their phone and go to the calculator, just in case they cannot do the math in their head. You don’t want them to mess up the math.

Check out Math Magic Tricks – The Absolute Best Ones for more tricks like this.

Guessing Someone’s Age Mentalism Trick – Mentalism Over the Phone

You guess your spectator’s age.

HOW TO DO IT:

Tell your spectator to take out their cell phone and open up the calculator. Tell them only to use the calculator if they need it.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Think of your age.
2. Double it.
3. Add 5
4. Multiply by 5
5. Have them tell you their new random number

• Subtract 2 from the first two numbers. That is their age.
• Concentrate…
• Tell them their age.

EXAMPLE:

1. Think of your age: 49
2. Double it: 98
3. Add 5: 103
4. Multiply by 5: 515
5. Have them tell you their new random number: 515
6. Subtract 2 from the first two number: 51-2=49.
7. Concentrate…
8. Tell them their age: 49

“There is no way I could know your age, concentrate, I’m getting something, are you 49?”

Mentalism Card Tricks

Many card tricks can be presented as mentalism tricks where you read your spectator’s mind or predict your spectator’s card.

Mentalism Thought of Card Trick

You read your spectator’s mind and tell them the card they are thinking of.

HOW TO DO IT:

You need to get a key card. A key card is when you secretly know the bottom card. It is important to peek the bottom card in a way that your spectators don’t see:

The Casual Peek

Hand the deck out to be shuffled. Many times your spectator will inadvertently flash the bottom card as they hand back the deck.

The All Around Square Up Card Sleight

Grasp the deck from above with your right hand as you are squaring it up. Casually rotate the cards 180° clockwise, moving the inner edge to the outer edge.

Slightly tilt the bottom of the deck up just enough so you can see the bottom card.

It will appear as if you are just adjusting the cards in your hands. Nobody will suspect the peek.

SETTING YOUR KEY CARD:

Spread the cards and have one taken. Tell your spectator you will deal piles and they should put their card on top when they want. Lift off small packets of cards and place them onto a pile on the table.

Repeat until your spectator places their card on top. Place the rest of the cards on top putting your key card right above their card.

FINDING THEIR CARD:

Quickly and casually spread through the deck stressing the impossibility.

“Your card is lost in the deck, I have no idea what it is.”

Remember the card below your key card, it is their selection. Build up the trick a little bit. A little acting goes a long way. Here are some things you can say:

• “I have no idea what card you are thinking of.”
• “Concentrate on your card.”
• “I’m getting are red card, a heart, are you thinking of the 3 of hearts?”

Pro Tips

In the beginning, after your spectator shuffles, be casual when spreading through the face-up cards. Don’t make a big deal of it. Your reason for doing this is to show that they are all different.

You could just tell your spectator their card. Yet in my opinion, it needs a little mystique to make this a great trick. Tell your spectator to focus on their card and concentrate.

This is a terrific mentalism trick. It is quick, to the point, and gets your spectator involved. Plus it does not require a table. Strong tricks like this are great to have in your arsenal.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 7 Easy Card Tricks That Look Hard & Blow Minds

Open Card Prediction Mentalism Trick

Your prediction matches your spectator’s card.

NEED:

You will need to buy a Svengali Deck, which you can purchase here.

HOW TO DO IT:

A Svengali deck consists of the same card, (the force card), alternating with regular cards. Write down your force card on a piece of paper and place it on the table. Show the cards are all different.

CHECK OUT: How To Master The Svengali Deck – Complete Guide

Ask for a number between 1 and 52. Count the cards face down into a pile. There are two possible outcomes. If they chose an odd number, a force card will land on their number.

If they chose an even number, take the next card. Either way, they get the force card. Place the cards you are holding on the table. Turn over the top card of both packets showing different cards.

Turn over their card. Show your prediction matches.

Mentalism Book Trick

The mentalism book trick is when a spectator thinks of any word, phrase, or image from a book and, through reading their mind, the mentalist tells the person what they are thinking.

There are many versions of the mentalism book trick, some use one book, others use multiple books. Some use an ordinary book, others use a specially gimmicked book.

It is important is to keep the word selection simple. If your spectator has to choose two cards, add the value, and go that page number, it becomes a weak trick.

When I perform the mentalism book trick, I have the spectator think of any word, or at least it seems that way.

Here are two versions of the mentalism book test. Both methods will cause your spectators to believe you can read minds.

The first version is unpublished. I came up with it many years ago and have been performing this book test for a long time. It is a fooler and easy to do. The second version is my handling of a very well known book test – The Hoy Book Test.

Mentalism Book Test (Using 1 Book)

Your spectator thinks of a random word, you read their mind, and guess the word.

HOW TO DO IT:

You will need a paperback book with the page numbers in the top right corner.

Turn your head away so it is clear you are not looking. Hold the book up, and slowly riffle through the pages until your spectator says stop.

Turn your head toward the book and get a quick peek at the page number facing you as you point at the page facing them with your right 1st finger.

“Right here is ok?”

Immediately turn your head away again. If your spectator says no, repeat the riffling process.

When they say ok, open the book and move the right side toward them. Your head is still looking away.

“Remember the first couple of words please.”

When they confirm they have a couple of words, close the book. At this point, you do not know their words, yet you do know the page number. You will peek the words subtly.

Build up the trick:

“You picked out some random words in this book which has thousands of words. There is no way I could know the words you are thinking of.”

Hold the book so your spectators cannot see the pages. Casually flip through the book. Open to the page number you remembered and look at the first few words on the opposite page.

Close the book and hand it to them. Here you will add in some showmanship.

• “Concentrate, I’m getting a D, I’m getting an I, I’m getting an R.
• Are you thinking of the word directly?
• I’m getting one other word…
• …are you thinking of the word ‘under’?”

Pro Tips

Pause and let the effect sink it. If your spectator says they have more words, and you haven’t peeked them, tell your spectator you are only seeing two words in your mind.

Don’t perform this trick if the book has page numbers at the bottom.

If you peek and don’t see a page number, drop where you are holding the book open and say “oops,” and start again. You may have flipped to a chapter page.

Don’t repeat this trick for the same spectators.

Mentalism Book Test (Using 2 Books)

Your spectator thinks of a random word, you read their mind, and guess the word.

HOW TO DO IT:

You will need two books.

Before the trick starts, casually open any book to a random page. Remember the page number and the longest word on the first line. This will be your “force” word.

You can do this beforehand or you do this in front of your spectators as you pick up the book to show that there are a lot of words. Hand your spectator the book with the word you remembered.

Pick up the other book. Hold the book so they really can not see the pages. Riffle through and have your spectator tell you when to stop. When they say stop, act as if you are reading the page number.

“You stopped on page 156.”

Call out the page number you memorized in the other book. Vaguely angle the book toward your spectator as if you are showing it to them. They won’t be able to see the number. Close the book.

INSTRUCTIONS:

• “Please go to page 156 in the book you are holding.
• Please find the longest word in the first line, and think of it.
• Concentrate.
• You are thinking of a C, an H, an A, are you thinking of the word charming?”

Conclusion

Mentalism is hot nowadays. While it may seem ridiculous that people actually believe you have powers, it is exactly what your spectators will think. Use these tricks responsibly!