Mentalism

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 29. Chapters: Mentalists, Cold reading, Derren Brown, Dorothy Dietrich, Criss Angel, Matt the Knife, Guy Bavli, Paul W. Draper, Dick Brooks, Wayne Hoffman, Banachek, David Berglas, Kreskin, Mike Super, Joseph Dunninger, Si Stebbins, Chris Hughes, Eran Raven, Al Baker, Theodore Annemann, Muscle reading, Christopher Carter, Richard Nongard, Axel Hellstrom, Chan Canasta, Gerry McCambridge, Haim Goldenberg, Psychomagic, T.A. Waters, Mysterion the Mind Reader, Richard Osterlind, Bob Cassidy, The Piddingtons, Washington Irving Bishop. Excerpt: Derren Victor Brown (born 27 February 1971) is a British illusionist, mentalist, painter, writer and sceptic. He is known for his appearances in television specials, stage productions and British television series such as Trick of the Mind and Trick or Treat. Since the first broadcast of his show Derren Brown: Mind Control in 2000, Brown has become increasingly well known for his "mind-reading" act. He has written books for magicians as well as the general public. His caricature artwork has received gallery exhibition and is available in a single volume documenting his portrait collection. Though his performances of mind-reading and other feats of mentalism may appear to be the result of psychic or paranormal practices, he claims no such abilities and frequently denounces those who do. Brown states at the beginning of his Trick of the Mind programmes that he achieves his results using a combination of "magic, suggestion, psychology, misdirection and showmanship". Using his knowledge and skill, he appears to be able to predict and influence people's thoughts with subtle suggestion, manipulate the decision making process and read the subtle physical and psychological signs or body language that indicate what a person is thinking. Brown was born to Bob and Chris Brown in Purley, South London, England. He has a brother, who is nine years his junior. Brown was educated at Whitgift School (where his father coached swimming), and studied Law and German at the University of Bristol. While there, he attended a hypnosis show by Martin S Taylor, which inspired him to turn to illusion and hypnosis as a career. Whilst an undergraduate, he started working as a conjuror, performing the traditional skills of close-up magic in bars and restaurants. In 1992, he started performing stage hypnosis shows at the University of Bristol under the stage name Darren V. Brown. Brown began his television work with three sixty-minute specials produced over two years. In 1999 he was asked by Chann