Sunday, August 12, 2007

Housecall from the Doc.

Thursday I got a call from Doc Eason. He was in town and looking for an afternoon activity before working the Castle with his buddy Lorenzo in the Hat and Hare Lounge. I told him to c'mon over and we would see what kind of trouble we could get into on a hot Thursday afternoon in the Valley.

He pulled up in one of those new retro looking Mustangs, a blue convertible with the top down. He revved the engine, then shut it off. I welcomed him to my home, gave him a tour and geeked out on magic a bit. You know how it goes, when magicians get together.

We talked about "Wonder Words", Kenton Kneppners life changing audio series. Basically it's NLP for magicians, mentalists, Tarot card and Palm Reader

Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) is a field of study and a set of practices concerned with positively modifying behavior, particularly through pyscho-linguistic techniques. Its theoretical foundation draws on a range of disciplines, including various pyschological fields, linguistics, cognitive science and occupational therapy. Invented by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970's as a method of personal development, NLP has since been elaborated and reconceived in divergent forms by its practitioners and adherents, making it a diffuse field resistant to a single comprehensive definition.

Despite its popularity, NLP continues to be controversial, particularly for use in therapy, and after three decades of existence, remains scientifically unvalidated. NLP has been criticized for lacking a defining and regulating body to impose standards and a professional ethical code and for being pseudoscientific.

Anyhow, we rapped about NLP. Doc has a good feel for this stuff in his own work. I have, at times, had some success with it as a selling tool in my retail days of selling from my magic shop and more recently in my work pitching decks. Also in motivating the desired audience response emotionally, physically and financially. Get where I'm coming from?

Very productive discussion that has already started me rewriting my current show/act/pitch. I'll start looking for the right words to really say what I want them to think.

"People ask me all the time, how can I get started doing magic. They want to know how to amaze their friends, or win free drinks. . . or scam on on chicks, or get their own TV Show like Chris Angel. As excited as parents are, about finding new ways to help their kids develop dexterity as well as their minds, magic tricks have always always been a great choice. As a selling tool, or simply to entertain bla bla bla." you get the idea.

Cards and coins came out over a double apple hookah at the Lebanese joint we went to for lunch. We enjoyed the smooth water cooled smoke on a hot day. Outside dining under the mist of water being evenly distributed around the perimeter was great until the guy, 10 feet away with the zaw saw decided to start hacking away at either tile, pipe or maybe a cat. . . whatever. . . it was loud. We ate inside and left our hookah.

Back to my place where I made him watch me do the linking rings then polish the black shit off my aluminum Proline rings.

When it was time for me to go to work, we said goodbye till next time.

I got a follow up phone call from him the next day wanting to know if any of the NLP stuff was working. I told him it was too soon to tell, and that I had only started to think more seriously about it. Exciting stuff, if you ask me.

Doc, again, thanks for the friendship and thanks for the memories.

1 comment:

Doc Eason said...

The pleasure was all mine, bud.. My only regret is that I didnt get to meet Polly. Next time...
Doc