Mentalism tricks revealed where The Mentalist uses mental shape projection as a mind misdirection technique
This mentalism trick is revealed to help you on your way to becoming a mentalist.
The Mentalist in the hit US series uses shape projection to misdirect his colleague for her to say the two shapes he wanted her to say in the first place. Before you read the answer, watch the video one more time. See if you can spot how he does it before you see the mentalism trick revealed. This way you will benefit more from the revealed answer below. This mentalism trick is revealed to help you on your way to learning mentalism.
On the previous post you were asked to watch a video of The Mentalist from the Hit American series.
In this scene Patrick Jane uses misdirection to get her to imagine exactly what he wants her to imagine.
Watch the video one more time, before you reveal the answer below.
Mentalism using shape projection
Mentalism tricks revealed – Step 1
Looking at the video again, watch his first mind-control step.
Jane’s first step is to frame the scene with his hands. He does this by carefully drawing an imaginary screen between them. This is to draw the mind to focus on this area, and whilst the subject is watching and taking this information in, she’s not consciously taking in his hand movements as such. She is focused on listening to his words.
Notice how he has fixed his gaze on her eyes, which has the affect of her doing the same with him. This technique is reliant on the human brain’s ability to use ‘selective attention.’ Which means that although her brain is registering his hand movements, she is not actually focused on these. Otherwise the way he’s controls her mind will be obvious.
Mentalism tricks revealed – Step 2
Jane’s second step is to ask his colleague to project a basis shape. Notice his words: ‘A basic shape,’ plus : ‘like a square, but not a square.’
His words are directing her mind away from choosing a square, but it’s his hand gestures that guide her to the actual shape he wants her to think of. Notice how he ‘draws’ a triangle with his hands. If you miss it the first time, rewind and play it again. Pause the video at the point he ‘draws’ the triangle shape.
This is his second bit of misdirection.
So now his colleague has been told indirectly to think about a triangle, through the clever use of his hands. But just in case, his first direction was to not chose a square.
Mentalism tricks revealed – Step 3
Roll the video on to the next misdirection. This time he asks her to put the second shape around the first shape.
His words use the term ‘around,’ which includes the shape detail he is wanting her to choose, i.e. ’round.’
But most importantly, as he says this he moves his hands in such a way that he subtly draws an imaginary circle.
As before, if you didn’t quite spot this, rewind the video and play it again.
This is his third step in his misdirectional technique.
The final reveal by the subject
In the end his subject has been directed (or misdirected) and is almost compelled to say a triangle inside a circle.
A very simple technique that’s adopted by mentalists using shape projection.
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