I have a confession: engineers – the most logical engineers of all – are like a mirror to me. I see myself in them. Even though I have no engineering background, I recognise a great deal of the same thinking in us. And that's exactly what makes them the perfect audience – and sometimes an excruciating challenge.
Mentalism for engineers: a dance between logic and illusion
Long before I even dreamed of a career in magic, I approached magic analytically. I never just wanted to marvel – I always tried to work out how the tricks were done. Some people enjoy "being fooled"; I hate it! And I know many engineers are on the same wavelength. They don't just want to believe, they want to understand.
To an engineer, magic is like complex code. They're not satisfied with just using the program – they want to see the source code, understand the algorithm, find the bugs.
And then there's the other side. The moment when I get to perform a trick and then give it a completely nonsensical explanation that nevertheless sounds scientifically plausible... and manage to fool the engineering mind twice! That's my greatest pleasure.
There's analysis, there's solving, there's enjoyment. Three elements that make an audience of engineers so special.
And I'm not the only engineer enthusiast in our field: Pete Poskiparta's engineer radar works almost supernaturally well! For certain tricks, he almost always manages to pick an engineer to come up on stage. That's no coincidence. It's the skill of recognising that analytical gaze, that sceptical attitude, that hidden curiosity.
Why I respect engineers
I have enormous respect for engineers (my own son is studying at Aalto University towards a Master of Science in Engineering), and I recognise so much of my own mind in that way of thinking. They're logical, systematic and able to see through things. But they also have an open mind, a readiness to be surprised and to enjoy a mystery. Otherwise they'd never have the patience to geek out over all kinds of code!
Between facts and fantasy, reason and emotion, knowledge and skill, there's a constant tension. And it's in that tension that, for example, the core of my true crime mentalism is born.
My true crime mentalism isn't just entertainment – it's a journey into the depths of the human mind, to the heart of evil. I tell stories about "masters of illusion" who have manipulated people in incredible ways. I demonstrate these phenomena live, blurring the line between truth and illusion.
My aim is to offer an experience that sends shivers down your spine and that you won't be able to forget. Engineers and everyone else are welcome to come and experience the atmosphere of Harhan Mestarit – if you dare!
