When you learn mentalism, you start by learning the basic techniques or “chords”. Learning mentalism means you have learned how to perform mentalism.
Can mentalism be learned?
Yes, mentalism is a skill that can be learned. Traditionally, mentalists drew on books and other literary sources to gain a deeper understanding of the art and practice of mentalism. There are great resources to make learning mentalist easy, such as mentalism books and mentalism courses.
A mentalist is a practitioner of mentalism who uses technical skills, psychological subtleties, disorientation, hypnosis, cold reading, and spectacle to demonstrate what appears to be extraordinary mind reading, clairvoyance, foresight, and telekinesis. All acts of mentalism are clever tricks. Anyone who has learned the secrets of mentalism and how to apply these secrets can perform mentalism with almost any audience.
Mentalism is a branch under magic and mentalists use skills to surprise the audience. Many people admire professional mentalists. The journey to becoming a mentalist needs constant practice, and finding the right mentor can be difficult when you’re starting to learn mentalism. One of the mentalism courses is taught by Rich Ferguson, another by Richard Osterlind.
The most recommended texts on mentalism are Practical Mental Magic by Theodore Anneman, 13 Steps to Mentalism by Tony Corinda, Mind Reader by Lior Suchard, and Tricks Of The Mind by Derren Brown.