Performing psychic: the performance of mentalism and psychic arts on stage, screen, and in everyday life

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dc.availability.bitstreamembargoed
dc.check.date2026-09-25
dc.contributor.advisorKelly, Marieen
dc.contributor.advisorKing, Roberten
dc.contributor.advisorCronin, Bernadetteen
dc.contributor.authorMcQueen, Scotty
dc.contributor.funderUniversity College Corken
dc.date.accessioned2021-09-08T10:04:04Z
dc.date.available2021-09-08T10:04:04Z
dc.date.issued2020-01-02
dc.date.submitted2020-01-02
dc.description.abstractThroughout post-industrial societies, consumers regularly buy tickets to watch mind readers and psychic mediums, tune in to the television and radio shows of such performers, dial psychic hotlines, and visit psychics, fortune-tellers, numerologists, astrologists, tarot card readers, and energy healers. Despite the popularity of such practices, this booming performance-based industry aimed at entertainment and self-improvement has yet to be analysed in any depth within the field of Performance Studies where such performances have either been omitted entirely or conflated with conjuring tricks or shamanism. This conflation is understandable given the secrecy, artifice, and misinformation which enshroud the shapeshifting performances of mentalists and psychics. The aim of this practice-led research was to – through both embodied and theoretical knowledge – situate mentalism within theories of performance, performativity, and play, paying close attention to the ways in which these fictional performances purport to be “reality.” My intention was to reach a new understanding of the practice of mentalism while also offering insights for the benefit of practitioners and contributing to practice-led research as a methodological approach. This dissertation was developed reflexively in conjunction with my practical research, during which I spent three years immersed in the social role of psychic and created 13 original performances for the stage and screen. This combination of public and covert performance provided me with a means to look behind the curtain, so to speak, and to assess the performance practices and performative behaviours by which people “do psychic” and in so doing, create the very experiences and beliefs which those actions purport to be.en
dc.description.statusNot peer revieweden
dc.description.versionAccepted Versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationMcQueen, S. 2020. Performing psychic: the performance of mentalism and psychic arts on stage, screen, and in everyday life. PhD Thesis, University College Cork.en
dc.identifier.endpage284en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/11846
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherUniversity College Corken
dc.relation.projectUniversity College Cork (CACSSS Postgraduate Research Travel Bursary)en
dc.rights© 2020, Scotty McQueen.en
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/en
dc.subjectMentalismen
dc.subjectKayfabeen
dc.subjectPsychic artsen
dc.subjectMind readingen
dc.subjectDark playen
dc.titlePerforming psychic: the performance of mentalism and psychic arts on stage, screen, and in everyday lifeen
dc.typeDoctoral thesisen
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoralen
dc.type.qualificationnamePhD - Doctor of Philosophyen
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