Mentalism

Mentalism is a performing art in which its practitioners, known as mentalists, appear to demonstrate highly developed mental or intuitive abilities. Mentalists perform a theatrical act that includes special effects that may appear to employ psychic or supernatural forces but that is actually achieved by "ordinary conjuring means",^[1] natural human abilities (i.e. reading body language, refined intuition, subliminal communication, emotional intelligence), and an in-depth understanding of key principles from human psychology or other behavioral sciences.^[2][3][4] Performances may appear to include hypnosis, telepathy, clairvoyance, divination, precognition, psychokinesis, mediumship, mind control, memory feats, deduction, and rapid mathematics.

Mentalism is commonly classified as a subcategory of magic and, when performed by a stage magician, may also be referred to as mental magic. However, many professional mentalists today may generally distinguish themselves from magicians, insisting that their art form leverages a distinct skillset.^[5] Instead of doing "magic tricks", mentalists argue that they produce psychological experiences for the mind and imagination, and expand reality with explorations of psychology, suggestion, and influence.^[6] Mentalists are also often considered psychic entertainers,^[6][7][8] although that category also contains non-mentalist performers such as psychic readers and bizarrists.

Notable magicians Penn & Teller and James Randi argue that a key difference between a mentalist and a psychic is that the former is a skilled artist or entertainer who accomplishes their feats through practice, while the latter conventionally claims to have supernatural experiences and/or receive divine revelations from God.^[1][9][10]

Renowned mentalist Joseph Dunninger, who also worked to debunk fraudulent mediums,^[11] captured this key sentiment and described his abilities in the following way: "Any child of ten could do this – with forty years of experience."^[5] Like any performing art, mentalism requires years of dedication, extensive study, practice, and skill to perform well.