The Amazing Kreskin is perhaps one of the most fascinating personalities of our time. He has made many predictions that have come to pass. Mr. Kreskin is known as an entertainer, however, he should be considered in the truest sense -- a mentalist.
Having appeared on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show more than any other guest has in its history, in addition to multiple guest spots on David Letterman and tens of thousands of public appearances; Kreskin has lived a truly unique and adventurous life that has culminated in his latest book, Conversations with Kreskin.
The legendary mentalist and I sat down for a truly enriching conversation.
Thank you so much, Mr. Kreskin for taking the time out to talk with me today. I can't express to you how much of an honor this is to me.
I appreciate you taking the time, Bryan. I really do. How are you today?
I'm doing just fine, thank you for asking. How are you doing?
Well, believe it or not I actually have some good news -- I'm sober!
(Laughs)
(Laughing) I'm just kidding, Bryan. No, really I am though.
Well, I am too so there we are. We already have something in common. (Laughs) So, I heard about your latest book -- congratulations on it! Conversations with Kreskin should be coming in the mail to me any day now and I look forward to reading it. What can you tell us about it?
Here's the story - I've written 19 books. I'm by no means considered a writer; I'm an entertainer, a mentalist. I have never been more excited about any of those books than I am about this one, really. I'm just like a kid on cloud nine about this one. Anyone who's seen me on television talking about it recently sees that I'm ecstatic about it. It's not so much because of what I have to say in it. Within the book itself there are eight pages that are in color and that are quite literally like picking up a cartoon. The art work was done by Joe St. Pierre, a very highly respected artist. The drawings encompass the first event in my career as a kid that led me to what my life's work was going to be.
That sounds like an amazing moment of self-discovery, or in your case rediscovery that readers are able to participate in. I can't wait to see it.
To have that in the book is flattering and I'm also flattered at how the book is formatted. A good friend of mine, Roger Ailes did the preface of the book - he's currently the head of Fox News, but we go way back to the days of when he was working on The Mike Douglas Show which was way before you were born, Bryan.
Before my time, but I still love that show and have loved every single clip or full episode I've been fortunate to have seen. I love the conversations.
The book details my career which has really been like an adventure with all of the people I've been fortunate enough to have worked with. I've done 88 appearances on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show; the record shows 61 because NBC didn't have enough foresight at the time erased the first few years of The Tonight Show. Johnny never forgave them for that.
Are there any other fascinating tidbits about the book?
There are some very dramatic events that occurred in my life that are caught in the book as well - there's a variety of reasons why it's very special to me. You'll get your copy and you'll read it. The worst case scenario is you can always use it to keep your door open in your home.
No, no, no - no such thing. I'm sure I'll find it a great read because it's about you, one of the most fascinating personalities of our time. Besides, even when a book is a bad read, it still carries with it something to be gained.
I agree, each time you read it opens your mind to different perceptions.
I can clearly remember as a child seeing you on The Tonight Show in awe and wondering how you were able to do that. There has to be a unique sense that the average human being can't tap into in order to be able to see invaluable elements of life in the world and in people. I have always been fascinated by clairvoyance contrary to the belief of most people. Of all that you see, what is your deepest concern?
It's both an exciting time and a challenging time because of the multimedia, but we also seem to be becoming socially dysfunctional. People are not paying attention to each other the way they once did. Things are very quick remarks, distant communication, and incomplete sentences; it's just not the same as listening to someone, connecting with someone and touching them. When two people are in love, the communication is often non-verbal - it's the feelings, we're losing touch with that.
Very fascinating and very true, I completely agree with you.
Psychologists and sociologists are agreeing with me. We're not taking the time to step back and reflect on what we've heard. For instance, I jog for about an hour to an hour and a half every night. I don't wear earphones because I listen and I listen because I need a second opinion and everyone needs that. In my case, my second opinion is my unconscious mind. If you study the lives of successful entrepreneurs throughout history, they've found ways to stop the world for just a few moments. Conrad Hilton used to sit in solitude and play solitaire until all of the busyness of the world would fade away. After all the advice that President JFK would receive, he would shut himself off from the world and contemplate the advice while reading trash magazines. We're not giving ourselves that chance to digest what we receive from others. There was a time when people sat around the kitchen table and communicated.
Something tells me that this concern is connected with your predictions for 2013. Am I right?
Yes, Bryan you are.
Tell us, Mr. Kreskin; what are your predictions for 2013?
I predict that we are going to be facing the fact that all of that information is there on the internet and resting. We have opened Pandora's Box and we are trying to close it. I have something in my hand, this information that I shouldn't have because it's none of my business. A furious argument took place five years ago between two major multi-million dollar companies that were exchanging threats over e-mail with sensitive information - that sensitive information will soon be on the internet, and I don't know how it gets there but it does and it's something we'll have to contend with. Our fingerprints are no longer just on our hands. This is very serious and should be of concern to everyone.
Look for Conversations by Kreskin and visit his website theamazingkreskin.com.
Image Courtesy of 5W PR