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When it comes to being a good mentalist, one of the things you need to consider is the props you will use during your show. The type and quality of props you can use can transform even the lamest show into something great. One of the props you may consider acquiring is something known as the mentalism chair.
The mentalism chair works via a remote that can be easily hidden while the buttons are being pressed. These buttons correspond to different functions of the chair that can be worked into almost any mentalism routine.
If you think that the mentalism chair could help improve your next performance, keep reading to find out more about how it works, what it is made of, and the type of routines it can be incorporated into with ease.
How Does the Mentalism Chair Work?
The mentalism chair is powered via battery power. This way, there are no annoying chords leading to and from the chair that could give away its secret. Different models are powered by different types of batteries, but most later models include LIPO 3.7-volt batteries that are rechargeable. The rechargeable batteries use a micro-USB charger for charging.
The mentalism chair contains four different functions, a tap-like system on both the left and right side, a vibrating function that is felt through the entire chair, and a shocking function that is felt only in the seating area.
All of these functions are controlled remotely via a small remote that can be hidden or used off stage. Additionally, the remote control can operate on one of four channels, so it's operation can be hidden during productions where other radio channels may need to be used.
The shock function can be adjusted to different levels depending on how strong of a shock you think you need for your volunteer to react. Both the shocking and the tapping/vibration function need to be charged separately and will last about ten performances on one single charge.
What Does The Chair Look Like?
This sounds like a whole lot of functions for a chair, and although it can do all of the above, this chair looks just like any other plastic folding chair. This chair has been specially designed to look like an Ikea-style folding chair that is common at many large and corporate events.
The mentalism chair will blend in with any style room or event. It is light, portable, and there are no signs that let anyone know that it is a special chair. You can lift the chair, even give it a full look over, and no one will be able to guess the functions that are contained inside.
What Is The Chair Made Out Of?
The mentalism chair is made out of durable plastic with a metal frame. This keeps it light and easy to carry. All of the mechanical functions of the chair are hidden beneath the plastic and invisible to the audience. The chair has been tested to hold up to 200 pounds, or 90 kilos, with ease.
Traveling as a mentalist is always important, so the newer versions of the chair can be double folded to fit inside a standard-size suitcase. Some of the older models may not have this same capability.
What Mentalism Tricks Can You Do With The Chair?
The cool thing about the mentalism chair is that it can be used in several different ways to add to your show. You can use it in mind connection tricks, as well as any PK touch tricks you can dream up. And because it is truly hands-off, it will leave you with a cleaner-looking show than any other prop you may have chosen to use in the past.
The chair can easily be used for party and family situations to do fun mind-melding tricks as one mentalist did at this Jewish celebration. He was able to demonstrate a wide variety of touch techniques using two volunteers who he told the audience he had connected their minds. He completed the routine with a unique use of the in-seat shock function. The male volunteer had no idea what had happened!
The mentalism chair was famously used by one mentalist on the set of Britain's Got Talent when he or she wanted to demonstrate how well people are connected in the world. While the mentalist would touch just one of the volunteers, the remote would be used to convince the other onstage volunteer that they had been touched as well.
Because this chair blends in so well in so many environments, the routines you can use it for truly are endless. And with a little creativity, you can develop a trick that has never been seen before!
Where Can You Use the Mentalism Chair?
This chair is nondescript and doesn't require any chords to power it. This means you don't have to think too hard when planning a show where you have to travel to a new location that you may be unfamiliar with. You can also easily display this chair in front of a large audience without suspicion.
As mentioned above, this chair can be used for everything from small family gatherings to parties and corporate events, up to and including massive onstage performances as big as something like Britain's Got Talent. As long as you have the ability to hide the remote either on your person or with a helper off stage, you can truly take this chair anywhere!
Do You Need To Purchase A Duplicate Chair?
There are lots of tricks that you can do with just one individual sitting in the mentalism chair. For example, you can tell your volunteer to raise a hand if they feel anything, then stand a few feet away and point to one of their arms while using the touch function. This will make it look like you are touching them with your mind.
If you want to have more than just single individual tricks, you can easily do tricks similar to those listed above, using two volunteers, one on the mentalism chair and the other on any chair of your choosing.
When it comes to mentalism tricks, it can be helpful if you have two chairs that look exactly the same to inspire the audience's confidence (because two non-matching chairs may look a bit suspicious to the keen eye). But the good news is, you don't need to purchase two mentalism chairs, as you can easily purchase a decoy chair without all the gadgets.
That being said, because this chair looks just like an Ikea folding chair, you don't have to worry too much about taking it to events because it is highly likely that a similar chair will be there for you to use for the second person in your act. However, if you want everything to look perfectly cohesive, you should consider purchasing a second chair from the same maker that has made your first chair so they will look exactly alike.
This will keep your show looking cohesive and flawless as you artfully display to the audience the true depth of your mental powers.
Conclusion
The mentalism chair is truly a unique prop that employs a remote control to select the numerous electrical functions of the chair from afar. Made of plastic and metal, this lightweight chair will look just like every other chair in the room at a large performance.
The mentalism tricks you can do with the mentalism chair are truly endless, as you can create numerous shows using the chairs' four functions. No matter how you look at it, the mentalism chair is really one of a kind and will be a great addition to any mentalism show.
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