(Open) Letters To A Student, Part One
by Kenton Knepper

A young student wrote me about concerns he was having with his act. I realized his concerns mirrored those of many others. He has been kind enough to allow me to reprint several letters to me about his performing issues. It is his hope, and my own, that you will learn much from his situation. I thank him for allowing us all to learn by his journey to perform better magic and mentalism.

I challenged him, as I do all my students, and his deep consideration of these issues he found to be of real help to him. Keep this in mind, as you may agree with me or not at times in what I write. The idea is to challenge a student to go deep within his or her self to find the answers as best suit their own personal beliefs and thus performance.

Dear Kenton,

I’ve been thinking on a topic for a while now, and have decided that it is time to ask you for some help. I've reached a sort of road-block in my study of magic. I perform magic in two different situations. The first is regularly at bars with my friends and for family events, these make up roughly 75% of my performing time.

Then I do paid shows through word of mouth only (I've done maybe 30 now). My stage show is mostly Mentalism effects and a few escapes. Magic square demonstration, deck memorization. Sort of an assortment of effects from various people whose books and DVD’s I've bought. I won't go into great detail here but currently the show works off of my ability to read body language or nonverbal cues and use "logical intuition" (I came up with that term on my own but I feel like I read it somewhere. At any rate it made me giggle when I thought of it so I kept it in use). "With a little practice I found I could do this. Then if you practice more you can do this. And finally I'd like to try for the first time..." You get the idea.

I've got a decent show, but it's filled with inconsistencies, and some other problems. Nothing that a lay audience really picks up on directly. But if the problems were not there the reactions would be that much better. I'm having trouble finding myself on stage if that makes sense. I love magic (mentalism in particular) because it's amazing, fun, and it has really helped me intellectually. It's intellectually stimulating to me.

I have personal views that conflict with many types of spiritual presentations. I like to think of myself as an educated skeptic. Being a skeptic should be a good thing although for some it is not. I don't want to make people more likely to believe in things that I don't personally believe in. I feel that is hypocritical on some level. And at any rate it will make me come across as insincere, the opposite of what I want. Yet I need to be flexible enough to let spectators believe as they wish in order to perform mentalism.

The basic problem I have is trying to find a way to stay true to my skeptical, analytical, logical tendencies, while at the same time allowing myself to still enchant my audiences and create wonder.

I have been unsuccessful at unifying these two apparently contradictory concepts (logic and science vs. wonder). I know there simply must be a way, and that I cannot be the first person to be troubled by this dilemma.

Positive feedback I've received is that I have a good sense of humor, the shows are very funny, laid back, and the audience feels comfortable watching me. They've said that they feel like I enjoy doing what I'm doing and that relaxes them, like I'm trying to help them in some way.

Negative feedback I've gotten is that the show doesn't seem cohesive. It's a variety of entertaining events but doesn't really hold together as a solid story. Of course no one has actually worded it like that but I've had friends ask people what they thought and that pretty much says it. No one has commented that my effects don't seem to fit me, but I feel that way; so I'm sure if I worded it to spectators in that way, they would agree.

I will end our little discussion here for now and would greatly appreciate any advice that you might have for me.

I thank you for your time and wish you well.

Dear Student,

I wish I had more time to chat with you on the phone about all of this but this week and next are pretty crazy.

Can you send me your phone number and a good time to call - so I might if I
get a chance?

Meantime here are some questions to ask yourself:

Is it skeptic or cynic? Is it a religious belief in something that is non-religious?

Is there a difference between science and magic and if so, what are those differences from your point of view?

Is doing a memory act when you are really using a stacked deck conning people into a belief in scientific method when you are not really using memory at all?

If science works so well, why are you not using it as a reliable form of entertainment? Why not use real memory techniques for instance?

If you believe in science (I know scientists don’t like to call it a belief, but they used not to believe in the power of mind over body, that the world was round or that consciousness or energy continued and could not be destroyed, etc.) then why do magic or mentalism at all?

You do know that some scientists still doubt highly the notion of psychology and/or the unconscious. Yet in magic and mentalism, have we not proved out that we can use this influence to the point of forcing ideas into people’s minds?

Would you race cars if you believed in fighting air pollution?

Is magic and mentalism just an easier way to impress others than all the other options you believe in? In other words, are you just using magic and mentalism because “Comedy is hard” or “There is too much competition to make it as a rock and roll star”? If you want to be a rock celebrity and are trying to sell yourself as a mystical card guy, with no real mystical beliefs, this could be a problem internally for you. It may be an act you can dupe the public with for some time, but inside you will know what you are trying to hide from yourself. Little wonder so many false celebs kill themselves one way or another.

So, are magic and mentalism the best mediums for your personal self-expression?

Now stop thinking for a moment.

Do you feel something when you perform magic or mentalism?

Do you have a sense of something magical when you hold or see a prop, or consider investing in a magic book or DVD?

Is there a sense of wonder when you stop and think of these things, no matter how illogical it is?

Never mind what others tell you to believe or feel - what do you honestly feel within yourself?

I have long been surprised by the conflict between certain magical performers. For instance, some are inspired very much by the magical symbolism of the Far East, yet they often preach against any religion other than a Western one. They admit they feel drawn to and are urged to create by viewing such symbolism. But consciously they are very much against it.

Others rally against any belief in anything other than “the facts of science” while performing magic and mentalism. I would ask why perform magic and mentalism to get that message across, unless there is some other fascination with these areas.

Perhaps it is pure intellectual study that provokes skeptical people into learning magic and mentalism. Perhaps it is the notion that magic and mentalism prove the senses can be fooled, and beliefs had without reliable proof.

Now if one is of a scientific bent, they would want to ask these same questions of themselves and not try to skew the results to line up with their beliefs.

For instance, if magic and mentalism demonstrate that the senses are easily fooled, and that the mind may wrongly interpret evidence, what does this say about scientific study?

”But when we study science we know someone is not pulling magic tricks on us!”

A historical study of science and medicine may prove otherwise.

”We are smarter than that now... they were ignorant back then.’

Just about a decade ago skeptics were on television ranting that “the so-called mind/body connection is pure hokum” and that “it’s just the placebo effect.” I thought it odd no one called the television “scientists” on such an obvious discrepancy. Of course now they will tell you they have always understood the mind influences the body. What ignoramus would not know that?

One of my favorite scientific self-deceptions is “People thought that such and such was the case, but they are wrong! We have proved scientifically that...” What such phrasing drops out of the conversation is that the “people thought such and such” because scientists told them this was true just a few years previously.

A real scientist would say, “We thought this, and we were wrong. What we believe now based on our current tests is this...”

But rarely do you hear actual scientists talk to the public, let alone admit their previous theories were wrong. My point is that if you wish to take a firm stand as science as fact, and magic as false, and wonder why you like both, perhaps each has their overlapping areas.

Jung might say that a Wizard and a Scientist on a symbolic level would be nearly the same. In practice, science often proves what mystical believers have claimed in a more poetic and less concrete manner. Ancient magic meant to have formulas one could work just so, and if performed properly would yield results. Both magic and science have the out that “It works, and if it fails it is because you did not perform all the sequences properly, or it would have worked for you too.”

Save for gravity and a few other commonly shared experiences, science must continue to evaluate and change. Otherwise it is not true science; it is belief. The same however can be said for magic, be it performance or mystical theories.

Which reminds me of a conversation that I must paraphrase only by memory. It was a talk between the Dali Lama and Carl Sagan, scientist and author. Mr. Sagan asked the Dali Lama what would happen to Buddhism if science proved there was no God. Supposedly the Dali Lama said to Mr. Sagan that his religion would change and adapt as new evidence continues to come in, as it always had done. Then the Dali asked Mr. Sagan what would happen if science proved that there was, in a sense, a God. Carl Sagan never answered. He remained silent. He had no answer.
Which is more scientific, magic or skepticism? It is a long and historically exhaustive examination. Both can make cases for ownership.

I suggest simply this: examine science and skepticism scientifically. Examine how beliefs in magic, mentalism and science overlap. Find common ground. If you want to be a preacher of any belief, perhaps you need to be a preacher, rather than use magic and mentalism as an easy out. But if you can find a way that makes magic and mentalism a perfect way to bridge to your own beliefs, whatever they are, then magic and mentalism are there for you.

If you think I am saying that “science is wrong and magic is right” you completely misunderstand my point. Rather I suggest you either say, “These are my beliefs and this is the best way to express my beliefs -- I am an artist and I need prove nothing” or “Here is a demonstration as proof of my beliefs.” I am not commenting on science as science at all. One must be blind not be grateful for real scientific advancements that positively impact our lives and our understanding of life. I know many so-named mystics that are very much into the latest science. I admit I know fewer scientists who claim the reverse.

What I mean to suggest to you is not open-mindedness, though that can be useful indeed, especially in honest scientific inquiry. I allude to a notion in which only you can define yourself at any given point in time and express that to the outer world. If what you share of yourself with the outer world is the opposite of your inner world, you are either an ego-driven politician or a crazy person. In either event, ultimately you’ll have trouble. You are correct in trying to make the outside better reflect your inner life.

What we do in our act as Wizards is entertain. We use magic and mentalism to entertain because they are the perfect tools to express mystical and poetic feelings. We see magic and mentalism as symbolic. As performers, we surely have the right to express our own beliefs. That is what art out to be about, at least in part. But we do not preach these beliefs, nor claim, “What you have seen is real - follow us!” Rather we may obtain fans and followers to a degree based on what an audience feels, senses, imagines, inwardly feels drawn to by who we are and what we do. We do not tell audiences not to have their beliefs, nor to have ours. We may share our own, as an artist in a song shares themselves. But only Christians listen to Christian Radio where the songs are preaching directly.

Magic and mentalism may seem like the easy ticket, yet they may not be the best pathway to expression for you. Then again, if you feel there is something in magic and mentalism that you are drawn to, and which you cannot explain, that may be reason enough.

Be it an unconscious pull, a symbolic need or a desire seemingly unfounded, that is magic.

Thinking only and examining intellectually purely is not at all what real scientific discovery is about. You might think that, but ask any scientist to talk about a new discovery, and you’ll get passion and great emotion if they have made a breakthrough.

Thinking is important, but it can make for lousy entertainment. Mentalists may tell you otherwise, but ask their audiences on an off moment. Audiences wait for those emotional times to react most, or deduce imaginatively (subconsciously or as an unconscious reaction – not science to some) about an intellectually presented comment. Skeptics are not entertaining as skeptics if they are real skeptics. Cynics on the other hand can be a riot. Cynics are passionate in their beliefs and insist others think as they with great zeal. That can make for fine entertainment due to their loudness and passion. Many comedy acts come out of cynicism. But cynicism is not intellectualism. Intellectualism is boring as entertainment, save for a few intellectuals who are not present anyway - but rather off somewhere in their own minds, entertaining themselves. Cynics can be amusing, as they can be as radical as those they preach against.

Now what was my answer? Oh yes, you.

That is the answer. What I have written is a winding path for you to journey on your own until you find yourself.

Once you find yourself as you are truly right now, and refuse to hide the truth of you from yourself, then the instruction from ancient magic is simple:

Be and Do.

You must be before you can do, but sometimes by doing you come to a point where you must discover who you are to be in this world. At least for now.

It sounds as if you are at this point in your personal journey.

Do as you work toward uncovering the truth about you.

Work on examining yourself, so you know who you are, so you can better be that.

Then do based on what you will to be.

That’s magic for you.

Pure and simple.

Kenton