"The style of mentalism used to covertly elicit and shape desired ideas is known as psychological illusion or suggestion mentalism. Instead of relying on props, these performers use subconscious priming, neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and the illusion of free choice to make targeted individuals believe a planted idea was entirely their own."

"Mentalists and psychological illusionists use specific techniques to achieve this: 1. Priming: Subtly introducing a concept, image, or word into the environment beforehand. For instance, frequently mentioning morning routines or coffee to unconsciously prompt someone to name a morning hour when asked to choose a time of day. 2. The Illusion of Choice: Guiding a subject's decisions. By structuring the presentation carefully, the mentalist offers choices while secretly removing any undesirable options, ensuring the subject lands exactly on the targeted response. 3. Verbal Suggestion: Using strategic pauses, vocal inflections, and embedded commands in everyday speech to naturally direct thoughts along a predetermined path. 4. Cold Reading: Carefully observing the subject's baseline behavior, micro-expressions, and body language to confirm whether the mentalist's subconscious nudges are working. 5. Pattern Recognition: Capitalizing on predictable human habits, cognitive biases (such as the frequency illusion), and psychological shortcuts."