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There are so many books on the bright world of mentalism. And to be honest, there is also a lot of trash literature on mentalism as well. This is why we have filtered those, and in this list, we bring you the five best books on mentalism.

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5 Best Books About Mentalism

Whether you are a beginner, a skeptic, or a professional, you can expect a cozy reading section, so prepare to be enthralled!

1. 13 steps to Mentalism by Corinda

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Tony Corinda compiles 13 aspects of mentalism, which he wrote separately in a series of years. The book contains a step-by-step guide on how to master the various tricks that go into practicing mentalism. It starts with the Swami Gimmick. As the book progresses, Tony Corinda leaves no stone unturned as the book covers various topics such as mnemonics and mental system, two-person telepathy, and even patter and presentation among the others.

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The book is suitable for anyone that is aged 12 and above. It has an engaging tone; you could almost feel that reading the book is the fourteenth step to mentalism! It is a great page-turner, and a person that has no idea about mentalism beforehand can walk away by being completely mesmerized and enthralled by the overall universe of mentalism as it offers a peek what goes on behind the curtains of mentalism!

2. Tricks of the Mind by Derren Brown

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If you enjoy Derren Brown’s various successful TV shows on mentalism, hypnotism, and his conjurer tricks, then this book would be perfect for you! The fans of Derren Brown would have no other option than to purchase this book to learn the traits of this famous trickster, but anyone who is interested in this popular fad and wants a book on mentalism for dummies, then this is it! But one must question, is this what the book is all about?

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Derren Brown is and has always been interested in human psychology. Therefore this book guides a first-time reader through the many ways and means to spot a liar and to master mnemonics for memorizing names. But the core of the book lies with the fact that Darren Brown explains that he cheats and although he doesn’t give away his dirty secrets.

But he aptly puts together a sentence by saying that magic is not about switching and putting fakes but entering into a relationship with the watcher and by leading them into an experience of magic. For him, the central idea lies in replacing the truth with a “lovely false memory.”

3. Psychological Subtleties Vol 1 by Banachek

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This book takes the 13 steps to mentalism a notch further. The author combines the knowledge of psychology and the art of reading linguistic subtleties to master the strategy of providing the illusion of psychic abilities to the other person.
Always wondered how “psychics” and “mindreaders” could know what number you thought between 11 and 29? This book will provide you with the answers that you require. Banachek reveals most of his secrets, and it is apparent that he writes about transforming what he calls “mental magic” into pure entertainment for all those wanting to glimpse psychic wonder.

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Banachek is one of the two psychics who has been accepted and validated by the Parapsychology Department in Washington, so you could pretty much tell that the author is serious. Banachek’s fans have not wasted a moment to add this book to the shelves, and truth be told, this book has become a phenomenon in itself by inspiring the skeptics as well.

4. The Full Facts Book of Cold Reading by Ian Rowland

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Ian Rowland is firstly a corporate consultant. Still, he is also a member of the Inner Magic Circle, which is a British organization that is dedicated to promoting the art of magic. Now, what does a corporate consultant have to offer in the field of mentalism?
Firstly, Ian Rowland revives and performs the tricks of mentalism in real life during corporate training presentation. This means that there are no fakes, no body doubles, no sleight of hand, and no prior preparation with ‘assistants.’ Therefore, it is apparent that in “The Full Facts Book of Cold Reading,” Ian Rowland discloses the secrets by having command over the psychological traits of human beings.

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Cold reading can make somebody appear to be psychic, and it could make a person feel like you were looking into their very soul. But cold reading is merely picking up the various subtleties that a person may give off in the manner of body language or facial expressions.
This book allows readers to explore the various possibilities of practicing mentalism, and honestly, one could say goodbye to boring dinner conversations.

5. Encyclopedia of Mentalism and Mentalists

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The book is a hefty volume with 600 pages long, and it consists of two parts. The first part includes “13 Steps of Mentalism” by Corinda, and as you can see, the first book in this list is about it. The second part of the book includes “Mindreaders” by Rauscher.
Mindreaders talks about the various personalities of mentalists over the years. The book includes an array of knowledge about psychic reading, private sessions, and psychic entertainment. Mindreaders provides a plethora of facts about the disillusionment and the perplexity that surrounds a particular act or reading, followed by the confusion among the people.

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Mindreaders would be bound to turn any skeptic into a believer.
Overall, the “Encyclopedia of Mentalism and Mentalists” provides the right package for all those who want to get started, and it would be an excellent addition for the professionals as well because one could always come back to the book for greater insight.

Conclusion on the Best Books About Mentalism

These books can not only improve your sleight of hand, but mentalism is more than that. It provides an insight into the minds of people and might help the reader understand a person more after reading these books. Humans can hide thoughts, but the evidence is clearly shown in body language and facial expressions. So with this, one can walk away wiser with the knowledge tucked away at the sleeve of one’s hands!

What Is Mentalism?

Mentalism is a fascinating, sophisticated subject, and it undeniably grabs the interest of people from various walks of life. For someone to become a mentalist, they should have a sharp observation and sufficient information regarding the field. Thankfully there is enough material online to make the learning process more manageable, and if preferred, there’s always the option of books, articles, and courses to learn more about the secrets of mentalism.

What Skills Do You Need

Unlike the other mainstream forms of ‘magic,’ mentalism deals with illusions of the mind. Mentalists can appear to demonstrate supernatural powers. Their technique includes mind control, ESP, which stands for Extrasensory Perception, telepathy, extraordinary memory abilities, and psychic vision, among others. 

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There are specific steps needed to master the art of mentalism.

How To Learn Mentalism

PRESENTATION

First and foremost, the art of mentalism only works if the audience believes in what the mentalist has to do and say; consequently they should know how to present themselves convincingly, and significantly eliminate self-doubt and perform with confidence.

MIND READING

Mentalists cannot read minds; they only imitate, so it appears like they have learned a person’s mind. And this skill almost goes hand in hand with the power of identifying body language.

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IDENTIFY BODY LANGUAGE

Learning to read body language just by observing is a crucial skill in the art of mentalism. For example, a person who is lying tends to show one or more of these signs;

• Swallowing or throat-clearing
• Being vague
• Hand-to-face activity
• Speaking in sentence fragments
• Grooming behaviors like playing with hair or pressing fingers to lips.

 This skill is the life of a mentalist, seeing, noticing, and interpreting body language.

MISDIRECTION/SUGGESTION

Mentalism is not only about the mind games. It is a series of tricks and misdirection created to control the audience. Misdirection or suggestion is another crucial art to master as audiences’ attentions are being captured, and this allows them to see what the performer wants them to see.

This step is one potent trick the mentalist often use to influence people’s decisions and psychology. Also, it is often said to be known as the foundation of mentalism.

ART OF MIRRORING

The art of mirroring is not something widely talked about, but it is an essential step on how to become a mentalist.

Mirroring itself is self-explanatory. Here, what the mentalist do is mirroring their clients to hypnotize and build a deeper connection with them.

This includes mirroring their body language without them realizing it. It extends to reflecting their breathing patterns and speech tone. It can as well be done through texting and phone conversations. Doing this, you can recognize that others are more willing to open up and feel at ease when with a mentalist.

Constant Practice And Dedication

One biggest secret to becoming a mentalist is PRACTICE and DEDICATION. Nothing can beat the hours and sweat you put into the practice session.

The theory and techniques of the art need to be put into practice because the performance requires for smooth and effective execution. Body language reading skills need to be accurate and effortlessly done.

You should have excellent hand control and flawlessness to perform like a true professional, which only practice can deliver. And wrap it all up with confidence, which will naturally come along as you get better.

Here Are More Tips On How To Learn Mentalism

• Watch videos of how the professionals do it and imitate their charming way of interacting with their audience. Their quick yet smooth movements, and their clever misdirections.
• Pick a few of your favorite tricks and perform them in front of your family/ friends/ colleagues. It is okay to fail, but never give up.
• Practice people reading skills in everyday situations. Observe and carefully read the people you interact with daily. Take note of their behavior, expressions, feelings, and why they do the things they do. One way of achieving this is by putting yourself in their place. And with practice, you will eventually get better and be more accurate in your predictions.

For an aspiring mentalist, it is advised to follow the work of those who have succeeded in the field for more clarity.

For instance, an old-time mentalist, Tony Corinda, was known mainly for the book he wrote on mentalism, the ‘Thirteen Steps to Mentalism’. Here he mentions various aspects of mentalism to help achieve what seems to be psychic phenomena like precognition, telepathy, the ability to communicate with the dead, etc.

This book includes card tricks, predictions, mediumistic stunts, publicity stunts, etc. So if you are a keen mentalist enthusiast, then this book is for you.

Another worth mentioning and worth reading is Derren Brown’s book ‘Tricks of the Mind’ where he wrote about his techniques and skills he uses in mentalism.

Brown is a mentalist who uses hypnotism, misdirection, sleight of hand, to achieve his unique effects. In the book, he comes straight to the point and explains the principles behind his stunning art of how they get inside our brain without us realizing it.

It is an insightful book and will offer great help to anyone learning the art of mentalism.

Conclusion – How To Learn Mentalism

Mentalism is one of the best forms of ‘magic’ that one can take on. Though it is easy to learn and get your heads around it, it is much harder to master. But never impossible with dedication.

Mentalism is astonishingly powerful, real, and quite useful too. Whether you want to professionally take upon the stage or need to blow people’s minds with your stunning tricks, when it comes to dealing with people and reading their minds, it is never a waste.

What makes mentalism unique is the ability to use actual information and imitate to seem to have close to the supernatural ability of mind-reading, instead of fooling people.

So, without wasting any more time, go ahead and start on your journey to greatness