Ambassador of Mystery
Growing up in Las Vegas was strange. As a town built on superstition, sandwiched between Area 51 and Sedona, it's a breeding ground for conspiracy theories and supernatural belief. When I was a kid, I read books on spirits, alien abductions, mind-control, telepathy, psychokinesis, prophecy, etc. My imagination was set on fire, mystified by the world around me. Afraid and excited at the same time.
Later in life, I found logical problems in those beliefs. So the smoke began to clear, and those mysteries fizzled away. But I still think about other mysteries, big ones - why are we here? Is there life on other planets? How do they get the jelly inside of a donut? I'm just not convinced anymore that aliens are sucking us up into their spacecrafts for tagging or experimentation. But I never forgot what it felt like to wonder about those things. In the same way I never forgot what it felt like to believe in Santa Clause. Isn't that why we push his magic onto our children? Don't we want to share that experience of mystery, if only because it's exciting?
It's no wonder I ended up doing what I do. I've called it Magic, Mentalism, or even Mind-Reading. But none of it covers my bases, because I'm interested in all kinds of mystery. Mystery from books, film, television, theater, science, art; wherever it is, I want to feel it and share it. So in some ways, I like to think of myself as an Ambassador of Mystery (even if it's the most pretentious self-proclamation ever).
Early on in my career, I thought of myself as a Mystery Maker. After Roald Dahl's famous character, Willy Wonka -- Chocolate Maker Extraordinaire. But I don't "make" mysteries, I just facilitate them. It's a delicate process, because mysteries are based on what the audience brings to the table -- their knowledge, beliefs, opinions, life experience, etc., which will dictate their experience. And my hope is that they'll have an experience of wonder, intrigue or mystery. But it could also be frustration or plain boredom. I certainly hope not, so I always do my best to evoke the former, but there's not much I can do depending on who they are, and what they know, or what they think they know about the world.
I've been influenced by some amazing people, from Rod Serling to Andy Kaufman and many in between. So I’ve learned ways to set the stage for good mysteries. And I'll use every tool or formula I can to make it happen. I’ll use mental tricks and illusions, or create thinking traps to thwart your conclusions. But a colleague of mine said it best -- I don't keep secrets from you, I keep them for you.
My only fear is that I might perpetuate bad thinking or superstition. But my gut tells me that's not the typical case. Like many things, my audience falls on a bell curve. Where people to the far left will always think I'm full of shit. And those on far right will believe every word I say. I'm not so interested in those groups. I'm interested in the middle. Those who like good theater. Those who like to think. Those who may have been afraid of aliens or spirits, or at least interested...
I’m an ambassador of mystery because I want you to experience a feeling. Like a comedy wants you to laugh, a drama wants you to cry, or a romantic comedy wants you to blow your brains out. I want you to feel mystery.
Yours truly,
Matthew Cooper
