Matt Bailey Enters the Mind of the Banachek, The Mentalist Who Has Fooled Scientists
The famed performer and skeptic sat down with Matt Bailey in Las Vegas.
Banachek is known as the greatest mentalist in the world. And for good reason. Rising to prominence with acclaimed skeptic James Randi’s Project Alpha, Banachek fooled scientists into believing in the untapped powers of the mind.
His work with the late Randi continued, famously finding the frequency at which supposed “faith healer” Peter Popoff could hear the voice of God. Who knew God was a woman that sounded like Popoff’s wife? With the help of Banachek, Randi was able to debunk Popoff on national television. Banachek’s work with Randi continued, serving as the director of the James Randi Educational Foundation and offering a million dollar prize to anyone who could demonstrably prove psychic ability under test conditions.
As a consultant to some of the biggest names in magic, Banachek has created illusions for Penn & Teller, Criss Angel, and many others. A prolific author on the subject of mentalists, several working professionals learned their craft from Banachek. In his own performances, Banachek takes on the role of psychological illusionist, promising the audience that as the magician fools the eyes, he merely uses tricks to fool the mind.
In this nearly hour-long interview with Matt Bailey, Banachek discusses everything from Project Alpha, to his philosophy on performing mentalism ethically. Banachek also opens up about how and why he fell in love with mentalism. Plus, the pair go behind-the-scenes of Banachek’s new Strat Las Vegas residency, Mind Games.
Banachek’s podcast Banachek’s Brain is available wherever you get your podcasts.
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