GuideMentalist vs. magician. What’s the difference, and which should you book?
People use the two words as if they meant the same thing. There’s a lot of overlap and plenty of us do both, but your guests will have a different experience depending on which one turns up. I do both for a living, so I’ll try to be fair.
The difference
A magician makes impossible things happen to objects. Something vanishes, or turns up where it can’t be, and you’re a witness to it.
With a mentalist, the impossible thing happens inside your head. I know something you were only thinking, something you haven’t mentioned to a single person in the room. You’re part of how it works, which is a big reason it lands harder.
After magic, people ask “how did he do that?” After mentalism they ask “how did he know that?” I hear the second one a lot more at parties.
Why mentalism hits adults harder
Most grown-ups have seen card tricks. They like them, and they file them under “fast hands.” Mentalism is harder to file. My hands are empty, and the information was only ever in your head. People who think of themselves as rational (engineers, lawyers, doctors) get pulled in further than anyone, because they can’t find anywhere for the method to be hiding.
It’s also personal. Whatever you’re thinking of is something that matters to you, so the reveal means something in a way a playing card never will.
When you want a magician
If children are a big part of the crowd, get a magician. Visual magic works on a six-year-old and mentalism doesn’t. The same goes for a really loud room, since visual magic needs no explanation. And if your guests speak four different languages, magic crosses that gap and mentalism mostly can’t.
When you want a mentalist
Corporate audiences, for a start. It feels intelligent, and people enjoy debating it afterwards. Cocktail hours and dinner parties too, since mentalism is basically a conversation and it starts more of them. It’s also the better call for any crowd that’s seen it all, because far fewer people have seen good mentalism up close than have seen a card trick.
You don’t really have to choose
A lot of working performers do both, me included, and we mix them depending on who’s in front of us. The loud group by the bar gets something quick and visual. The four people at the quiet high-top get their minds read. If you’ve been searching for a magician for an adult party, there’s a fair chance that what you actually want is a magician who leads with mentalism.
I’m a magician member of the Academy of Magical Arts, and I work as a strolling mentalist around Los Angeles.
The short answers
Is a mentalist a magician?
Yes. Mentalism is a branch of magic. All mentalists are magicians in the broad sense, but plenty of magicians never touch mentalism.
Is a mentalist the same as a psychic?
No. A psychic says the power is real. A mentalist is an entertainer who creates the appearance of mind reading with psychology, observation and technique, and the honest ones will tell you that’s what it is.
Which is better for a corporate event?
Mentalism, most of the time. It involves people and ideas and it feels grown-up. It also gives colleagues something to argue about on Monday.
Which is better if there are lots of kids?
A magician. Visual magic works at every age. Mentalism needs an audience old enough to hold a thought in their head and follow a premise.
Tell me about your party and I’ll call you.
I’d rather talk for ten minutes than trade six emails. I’ll ask about the crowd and the timing, tell you what I’d do, and give you a price before we hang up. You don’t have to decide on the call.
Sets start at $700.