Every now and then, the myth resurfaces that we’re only using about ten percent of our brain. It’s a seductive notion, to be sure, to think how powerful our minds would be if we could only harness 90 percent more brainpower. Turns out, however, that scientific studies conducted by reputable neurologists prove that we really do use all 100 percent of our brain – just not every region of it for every function simultaneously.
Still, even knowing that we’re using all of our brains after all, couldn’t we learn to use them in a more productive way? Nineteen-year-old mentalist Lucas Handwerker of Woodstock thinks so. He’ll be at the Byrdcliffe Kleinert/James Center for the Arts in his hometown on Friday, February 22 at 7 p.m. to unveil his new stage show, “Lucas Handwerker: The Process.”
Handwerker has been amazing audiences with his mental feats since an early age. His work is based on the belief that in the right state of mind, all people are capable of all things. His shows are described as interactive experiences in which the young mentalist encourages the audience to take a mental journey with him, in which they will discover something about themselves, the ways in which they think and the effects of that on their lives. Attending one of his gigs is not about sitting back and marveling at his abilities (although you might do just that); it’s about exploring the powers of your own mind, with Handwerker as facilitator.
The process involves the use of hypnosis, neurolinguistic programming (NLP) and psychological suggestion. (NLP is a system in which the brain is viewed as a computer that can be reprogrammed to think and feel in a more productive way; a system of communication based on linguistic insights into how people avoid change.) The point, according to Handwerker, is to guide people to the part of their mind where there are no limits. In his show in Woodstock, Handwerker will include demonstrations touching on the concepts of fear, strength, memory and intuition, leading audience members into an exploration of their own perceptions.
Lucas Handwerker: The Process, Friday, February 22, 7 p.m., $20/$18, Byrdcliffe Kleinert/James Center for the Arts, 36 Tinker Street, Woodstock; (845) 679-2079, ulsterpub.staging.wpengineguild.org, www.lucashandwerker.com.
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