For the past 15 years, internationally acclaimed Mentalist, Deductionist, Writer, Lecturer, and Consultant Joe Riggs has been captivating clients with his indispensable insights and enthralling audiences with his own singular style of cutting edge psychological entertainment. Picture Sherlock Holmes meets Patrick Jane and you’ll begin to get an idea of the non-fictional phenomenon that is Joe Riggs. At just 35 years old, his incredibly versatile areas of expertise include: advanced deductive and inductive reasoning, speed reading people, nonverbal communication, uncanny mastery of human behavior, and various forms of suggestion — not to mention his eidetic memory — all of which culminate into a psychological tapestry that most can only perceive as mind reading.
The Child Who Knew Too Much
Joe began his lifelong obsession with reading people at a very early age. Raised in a renowned community of so-called spiritualists by a “psychic” mother, and surrounded by professionals who practiced all manner of alleged metaphysical arts, Joe was already developing powerful skills of observation and deduction, and in turn saw through and mastered their methods. He realized that psychics give credit for their predictions and pronouncements to a special connection with the spiritual realm and generally prey upon the weak and the grieving, which never sat well with him.
From reading tarot cards and rune stones, to graphology (handwriting analysis), to psychometry (a reading done on one's personal belongings), Joe was shockingly adept at displaying their charlatan skill set and quickly gained a reputation as the child prodigy of his community. But rather than perpetuate its superstitious belief systems, he went on to grow into a riveting and intense Mental Specialist who favors logic over lies, despite audiences of thousands who swear he must be a psychic himself.
The Real Sherlock Holmes
Joe’s childhood obsession with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes, gave him an early appreciation for the sciences of observation and deduction and was the catalyst which drove him to deconstruct the “metaphysical” methods claimed by the psychics. This deep affinity for Holmes’ methods grew into a lifelong passion that inevitably became Joe’s vocation.
Thanks to his fictional mentor, he has spent his life perfecting a vast array of skills including, but not limited to, unmatched observational acumen, advanced deductive and inductive reasoning, world-renowned expertise at deciphering the subtle language of nonverbal communication, and deception detection, all of which enable him to gather volumes of information about an individual at a glance.
Given the remarkable parallels between Joe and his beloved fictional detective, it’s no wonder that the media has repeatedly hailed him as “The Real Sherlock Holmes.” The moniker stuck; in fact, it inspired the publisher of his recent book, originally entitled Psychic Lies and Mental Spies, to insist on changing the name to reflect his longtime (and rather accurate) nickname: The Real Sherlock Holmes.
The Man Who Knows Too Much
Joe has spent his life learning, perfecting, and honing his own unique tapestry of skills. To supplement his ever-growing abilities and satisfy an insatiable thirst for knowledge worthy of Sherlock Holmes himself, while in college he studied psychology and various subjects relating to human behavior, and he wasn’t satisfied until he earned one of the highest honors in his field: an honorary Ph.D.
Joe’s psychological skills, when taken together, can broadly be categorized as “Mentalism,” yet that term doesn’t begin to reveal the whole story. As he delved deeper into the mental realm and mastered a myriad of psychological and persuasive techniques, he realized that he could actually accomplish what some self-proclaimed Mentalists only pretend to do. While there are, in fact, a handful of those worthy of the title, all too often the term is abused by trendy newcomers who merely bamboozle their audiences with a series of tricks designed to create the illusion of mental mastery.
Joe, on the other hand, focuses primarily on the subject of his life’s work: executing unfailingly accurate deductions based on his seemingly inhuman observational skills, an astonishing ability that makes him truly unique. Additionally, he often brings to the table techniques from his own brand of Mentalism — which incorporate his knowledge and understanding of human behavior and nonverbal communication, powerful persuasive abilities, and mastery of suggestion, to name a few — to show those lucky enough to witness him at work that the impossible is indeed possible. It’s not surprising that his fans leave his electric performances stunned that Joe has looked into their very minds and divined their deepest secrets, but Joe will be the first to tell you emphatically that his methods are rooted in scientific fact, not metaphysical fantasy.
Indeed, whether he’s making time in his busy schedule for a performance, demonstration, an interview, or a lecture, Joe Riggs, with his razor sharp wit, singularly exclusive skill set, and eccentric style, never fails to deliver an unforgettable experience. He’s been circling the globe, astounding and educating his audiences and clients for over a decade, and he is excited to continue to share his curious world with his many fans, both old and new. As Joe likes to say, in the words of his famous fictional mentor Sherlock Holmes, “The game is afoot. …”
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