The Mentalist's Handbook: An Explorer's Guide to Astral, Spirit, and Psychic Worlds

by Clint Marsh

There is a world that mirrors our own. Everything in this world is made of substance finer than air, finer than light, finer than thought itself - the aether. In the aether there are inner sensations such as ideas and feelings that are as tangible as anything in the material world. In The Mentalist's Handbook, Clint Marsh gives us a glimpse of the world. He offers step-by-step exercises, detailed and beautifully written explanations and definitions, and gorgeous black and white illustrations by award-winning artist Jeff Hoke. Inspired by esoteric, occult, and magic books published over the last 150 years, Marsh has aspired to create something of singular importance in the tradition of classic occult manuals. Both practical and whimsical, and complete with visual aids, this field guide to the paranormal will appeal to students of the New Age, esoteric scholars, readers of post-modern and magical-realism, angel, ghost and fairy enthusiasts, comic and graphica fans, and artists alike.

Genres: Occult, Magic, Philosophy, Spirituality, Nonfiction

204 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2008

Reviews

[Clint Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm biased.

[Jonathan Rosas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I consider myself a very open minded person. I do meditation, and I believe in astral planes and the after life. So I was very excited when I found a book pretty much covering everything I'm interested in.

The parts I liked about the book are that he does have extensive knowledge in the field. A lot of descriptions and definitions for everything. A few parts through out the book I found myself just sucked into what he was saying because it was interesting I couldn't stop. I love the way he described each of the spirits, and how to look for them, what to look for in them. He explains a lot in this book which I like.

The things I didn't like about the book was, it comes off in parts as fake. Things that can be considered as opinion comes off as a fact. In parts it felt like he was a "know it all", even though he kind of us, but almost felt like he is trying to manipulate people into thinking his way. Also parts of the book felt like I was reading a young adult fiction book with the way it was written.

I am very evenly split down the middle with this read. But anyone interested in the subject as I am I would suggest reading it. It is full of some great writing, a lot of knowledge, and over 20 mental exercises for you to try.

[Laurie]

A wonderful and educational read gave much to work on!

[Hjem · Rating 5 out of 5]

also biased. and man, is that author cute or what?

[Paerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant! Very useful!

[Eric Fritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun look at suspending disbelief. I'm a big fan of anything that tries to bring a little more magic into the world. I don't think this book will teach you how to move coins with your mind, but I think attempting to do it (and taking detailed notes on the effort) can be a very valuable learning experience.

My interpretation of the book is probably best summed up in this quote from Lewis Carroll:

Alice laughed. 'There's no use trying,' she said. 'One can't believe impossible things.'
I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen. 'When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

[Hendra Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers a fascinating and accessible exploration of paranormal and supernatural experiences such as astral projection and psychic abilities, drawing on various historical, religious, and occult traditions. Despite the topic's unconventional nature, the book is written in a clear and engaging style, making it accessible to readers who may not have a background in philosophy. It is a unique and intriguing book that may appeal to those new to the field of philosophy and looking to explore new and unconventional ideas

[zoë white · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had fun with this. Reading it reminded me of being a kid and reading books about magic and being able to believe they might be real. The illustrations were fun too. There were some errors in the version I had.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little bit too mental for my tastes, but interesting for the visualization exercises.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do think there are useful points made in the book. This is very useful together with his book on gnome recipes. You can get into the Astral plane, find gnomes, and use this author's recipes to cook them, and create a wonderful Astral Sunday brunch.

[Lilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read

[Mike]

so far so good

[Jo · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is about astral projection and things like that. Not the type of book I was looking for.

[Psykeactiv1 · Rating 1 out of 5]

not my cup of tea... but I was impressed to improve my visualization techniques.. and this book did help me aquire a helpful few..

[Jess]

it's all in the visualization

[Lindsay Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it. My copy has 189 pages, not 204.