Practical Mysticism Workshop – Steve Drury

Product Description
Practical Mysticism Workshop is supplied as a unique hardbound matt-finished, pocket-sized reference book with 155 pages, which details many of the experiential exercises that Steve Drury has delivered privately as a workshop for many years. The emphasis of the workshop is on personal experience

The content includes:

Propless / advanced ideomotor response exercises
Body psychology and neuroscience exercises
Gaze/Fascination experiments
This content has been specifically extended for the mystery performance community and reveals many other closely guarded presentations, routines and practical ideas, that he has adapted for performance and suitable for other’s repertoire. The book also features some exclusive supporting material by Seamus Maguire

Print Date: 05/25/2020

Author: Steve Drury
Pages 155
Binding: Hardcover
Dimensions: Pocket Book (4.25 x 6.875 in / 108 x 175 mm)

“Excellent! Steve’s new book is, as usual, innovative, interesting and different. Full of great information for the mystery performer, this book provides food for thought to those who are willing to learn. The contents are, as I said, different but in a good way – a very good way. Highly recommended, get it!” – Scott St Clair

“I have to admit that I had quite ambivalent feelings when I started to study Steve’s ‘Practical Mysticism Workshop’. This is because on the one hand, I strongly admire Steve’s thinking, writing and teaching in general. On the other hand, and specifically ‘Mysticism’ as such is not my topic. I neither have a spiritual approach nor are shamanistic topics of particular interest for me. That said, I could learn a lot from this work – a lot! Superficially with regard to my very own biases concerning the term ‘Mysticism’ – but as well content-wise, with regard to the exercises, mechanics and the psychology of several absolutely wonderful ideas. So, I learned that reducing this book to an (even practical) collection of shamanistic rituals or spiritual or esoteric topics would be wrong and missing the point. It is rather a collection of proven and ‘enlightening’ (in a very rational sense of the term) exercises for self-experience and self-awareness. Even if all these ideas and workings can be framed in a ‘mystic’, spiritual or esoteric way as the book’s title suggests – they don’t have to! And this is where many brilliant exercises in Steve’s book triggered a lot of application ideas in me that match my personal approach to mentalism absolutely! This is what I meant when using the term ‘enlightening’ when valuing this latest work of Steve: Anatomical and physiological mechanics combined with particular psychological cues and triggers that can be used as parts of mentalism routines, but obviously as well in hypnosis – as parts of inductions for example. Overall, I can strongly recommend this book to all those who want to apply practical participatory effects to their performances. Whether you are into ‘Mysticism’ or not! You will get a lot from this work! Very well done, Steve – thanks a lot! “ – Thomas Heine

“Every once in a while, I enter a book that feels written for me and my work, that quickly becomes among the most cherished collections in my reference library. The alchemical process Steve Drury has undertaken to deliver us his new tomb Practical Mysticism Workshop is a beautiful sifting, like panning in the river of shamanic practice, psychological explorations, and hypnotic exercises letting all the dirt and mud melt away to leave only nuggets of gold and crystals of mystery, wonder, and deep connection. Practical Mysticism Workshop is the result of deep study, regular practice, and the experience of regular workshopping.

This is not a big book; this is not a collection of performance effects. This is a clear guide to providing a workshop in real magic and clearly teaches a form of true shamanic mysticism. This book is exactly the right size. It’s beautifully laid out, clearly presented and a joy to digest. Practical Mysticism Workshop is not for everyone, it is for those who have surpassed the role of the trickster, who go beyond ego and recognise a deeper role they have been called to. I have now only read this book once, and deeply studied and practiced a few of its parts. I will be returning to it regularly and letting it enrich what I can provide for my clients, audiences and friends.

There are many chapters of this book from ideomotor, breathing, and visualisation exercises to pieces such as “the mind stone” from Seamus Maguire that I received with a bolt of energy and excitement. There is A LOT in this book that I know I will regularly be using. There will be many other among the mystery arts community and beyond who will take this book in with an archaic and knowing smile and cherish what it contains. Thank you, Steve Drury, for putting this together”. – Stuart Palm

“This book is pure gold for the serious mentalist and psychic worker. There should be a change on ratings from five to seven – as for what it’s worth this book is the first 7-star rating in my opinion!” – Neal Scryer

“I have long been a fan of effects based on the ideo-motor response. No props, no gadgets, no tricks…experienced in a personal, immediate manner by the audience in a truly magical way. In fact, these effects may be viewed as demonstrating that our mysterious subconscious minds (believed by true magicians to be contiguous with Universal Mind) work to bring about whatever we visualize in a sincere, concentrated manner…even beyond our individual conscious awareness! After many years of “collecting” as many of these kinds of effects as I could, I still learned much from this easy to understand and follow workbook…new nuances and performance angles, and great explanations and suggestion on how to present the effects for the most impact. Even if you are familiar with the general ideo-motor principal you will find much of value. If you aren’t you will amaze yourself as you go through the experiential learning exercises! Recommended!” – Mazarian Arathorn (aka Dr. Charles Lambert)

“Why should a performer read such a book? It has no tricks in it. This is exactly the reason why. As performers we need to expand our horizons, going beyond the fake demonstration of the powers of our mind, soul or other mystical part of our essence that we declare responsible of our miracles. I love working with ideas and suggestions that might not work, this enhances your focus on the performance because there is no automatic pilot and everything depends truly on you and on the audience reaction. This wonderful book not only gives you a lot of ideas you can apply to show true (this is the point: TRUE) powers hidden in the human beings ‘intuition or mind, but also enhances your awareness and focus, so that even the most difficult “no trick” performances could be faced with the self-confidence needed to let the miracle happen and, at the same time, the book pushes you to go further, to experiment and to find more and more confidence in performing without any help but the empathy you will build between you and the audience. Great job!” – Stefano Cavanna

“I don’t know Steve. I know OF him from the wonderful pictures he posts in Facebook. They’re fascinating visual studies that make you look twice. That’s a good picture of how I feel about his new book. It’s not my kind of Mentalism at all. These are routines built on body magic and body science…the edgier stuff that makes me go “Hmmmmm.” I enjoyed peeking into Steve’s mind through the pages of this book. It crackles with innovation and possibilities for application! – David Thiel

“How amazing to be able to buy a fully-tested, commercial, workshop ready to present! In his new book, Practical Mysticism Workshop, Steve Drury has done a wonderful job in sharing his workshop full of fascinating experiments that will make the participants realize that there is much more to life than they had ever imagined.

Most of the tests were new to me. I particularly enjoyed “Shared Nothing” which involves an imaginary stone that prevents your thumb and index fingers from touching, and “Arise”, a remarkable effect that involves your arms rising involuntarily upwards. Many of the effects can be performed on your own, and I’m enjoying experimenting with them. I have, for instance, had my arms rise several times, as the effect is so remarkable that I keep repeating it.

The students are gently guided through the tests until, at the end of the day they can telepathically send a song or tune to the person they are working with. The conclusion is called “Mental Chair Influence” and predicts the order in which five volunteers choose to sit down. I’m looking forward to trying this. Steve explains how some of the effects can be performed using trickery, but this isn’t necessary, and Steve exhorts you to “keep it real!”

I felt as if I was attending one of Steve’s sessions while reading Practical Mysticism Workshop. It’s well-written, comprehensive, and provides absolutely everything you need to know. If you’re even remotely interested in presenting a workshop or incorporating unusual psychology and neuroscience techniques into your act, you must read this book.” – Richard Webster

“Steve Drury is one of my true students who taps into the mind in ways most performers do not imagine. Steve reveals here many important secrets, some of which I have chosen to keep silent about for decades. If you can keep an open mind, then this book is a must-have for realistic mentalism performers. If you only want simple little tricks, look elsewhere. This is for people who want to do stuff for real.” – Kenton Knepper