In the true Richard Wiseman fashion, the book takes the reader on a fun, quirky journey. It delves into all areas of the supernatural with plenty of exercises to try at home; I even learnt a few tricks myself! There are also various barcodes scattered about the book that you can scan using a smart phone that allow you to watch videos that will help further your understanding (many of which are very entertaining, too).

Paranormality is not strictly a debunking book. It in fact celebrates how supernatural thinking has led to an incredible understanding of of the human brain. In a word, fascinating.

Related Stuff:

Paranormality can be purchased here.
Richard Wiseman has a great personal blog here.

A Mentalist usually falls into one of two categories:

• 1- Someone who uses trickery to convince his/her audience that they posses genuine supernatural powers. They may be very entertaining in the process and also very convincing, but ultimately are frauds. I would argue that Uri Gellar shot to fame in the 1970′s from this angle. One could also argue that certain contemporary TV psychics fall into this category, but that’s a separate debate.

• 2- A conjurer who uses trickery of a mental flavour solely for entertainment purposes. They claim no supernatural ability but enjoy watching their audiences suspend their disbelief for a short amount of time. The effect on an audience is similar to that of an actor: as an audience, we know the person on stage isn’t really Hamlet, but we happily enjoy suspending our disbelief for the duration of the performance. A famous French magician of the 19th century called Robert Houdin (not to be confused with Harry Houdini) once said a magician is an actor playing the part of a magician. I think he was spot on; or more accurately in this case an actor playing the part of a mind reader.

There is also actually a third category which consists of “real psychics”. Or at least people that genuinely believe they have psychic power, again, whether these people do have supernatural abilities or whether they are deluding themselves is another discussion (although I’m yet to see any conclusive evidence that supports their claims). These people do not use any types of trickery to their knowledge. However, it would be wrong to categorise these people as Mentalists as the term Mentalism traditionally refers to the art of entertaining as opposed to psychic healing or therapy.

I fall into the second category.

Now here’s the fascinating thing about Mentalism: a modern audience is fully aware that David Copperfield, for example, isn’t really sawing that woman in half. They are more than happy to be delighted by the puzzle. However, Mentalism is the one style of magic that blurs the line of reality. We have all experienced seemingly impossible to explain phenomena, whether this be Deja-vu, the feeling of a ghostly presence or a vast improbable coincidence that demands a more elaborate explanation. Phenomena like this appeal to an audience’s imagination because they can often relate to these concepts either directly or indirectly (something they heard happened to a friend for example). This makes it much easier for an audience to accept that what they are seeing may actually be real as opposed to something very few people (if any) can relate to such as being sawn in half and magically restored.

This puts the Mentalist in a very powerful position, more so than the traditional magician who pulls rabbits from hats. However, in my honest opinion, it also puts a great deal of responsibility on the Mentalist as a performer to ensure his or her audience leave safe in the knowledge that what they have experienced is completely natural and not the work of mysterious forces. But why? There’s no harm in people believing you are psychic, right? I disagree: everybody should be free to ponder the real, delightful mysteries and beauty of the universe, without being bogged down and led in false directions by unsubstantiated new-age propaganda. It would sadden me to learn that after attending one of my shows, a member of my audience had gone and spent a lot of money at a psychic convention or alternative bookshop to try and get a better insight into what I do so they could replicate the feats they saw me perform. That person would have completely missed the point, and would also have a substantially lighter wallet from doing so.

It is for this reason, I believe it is important for Mentalists to be honest with their audiences. I do, of course, use the term “honest” lightly; I will personally put a lot of effort into hiding the methods I use to acheive my illusions. This is what magic is all about: secrets. It’s what the very art form is built on, if it wasn’t there would be nothing to marvel at. But so long as my audience knows they have been deceived and have enjoyed the process, I know I have done my job. I will always begin my shows by explaining I am an illusionist who creates the illusion of mind reading.

Related Posts:
Jacque Fresco, Mentalism and Psychic Research

Related Websites:
Skeptic’s Dictionary – What’s the harm in paranormal beliefs?

The original 2007 article can be found on the Washington Post website here.