I have often heard the term mentalist someone has made an idea thanks to the TV series The Mentalist, someone else has seen performances in Italians Got Talent, someone in the movie Now You See Me – The wizards of crime, and I can say that is badly defined on all online sources. Most likely because we (the mentalists) have not made it easy to define it. It’s true? It’s false? Is it psychic, psychological or magical? Well, here’s an official definition. Defined by me,a mentalist
Mentalist: an entertainer who replicates extraordinary mental powers, using techniques of illusion and applied psychology
So it’s clear, we’re talking about an entertainer. The task of which is to entertain by transferring the idea of extraordinary mental powers: telepathy, telekinesis, mental control, photographic memory, precognition and other mental mysteries. Not to show that these powers really exist, but to create a convincing theatrical illusion of these powers, for a damn extraordinary show.
It is the combination of illusion and applied psychology, which makes “mentalism” difficult to define. This is also the reason why we can not say whether it is “real” or “false”. Because it is neither one nor the other. The point is to create a mystery and leave you speechless on the untapped powers of the human mind.
Finally, one thing is indisputable. The mentalist has never been, nor will ever be, genuinely psychic. In fact, some of the secrets of mentalism come from false psychics, to begin with! The difference is that a psychic “reveals” secrets, a mentalist keeps them for himself. Because we appreciate the joy of the mystery. To excite the mind, raise questions and provoke an intelligent debate. If done well, it can be a powerful and stimulating piece of entertainment.
