Show isn't magic, but it's magical

As a cultural anthropologist, magician, world traveler, TV host, singer, narrator and former professor, Paul Draper is well-acquainted with all sorts of personalities, myriad academic fields and countless cultures.

And for the things he has yet to experience, the Salt Lake native soaks up facts and figures from the books that fill the 16 cases of his home library from top to bottom — because it is continual learning that helps Draper with the occupation he loves most — mind reading.

After teaching anthropology at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and performing magic shows at the Venetian Hotel and Casino in his time off, Draper has created of his own breed of "magic show" called "Mysteries of the Mind Starring Paul Draper," which isn't really a magic show at all, Draper said.

"Kids would be bored in this show," he said. "There will not be rabbits or dunce hats. This is magic of the mind."

Draper insists that his skills are not paranormal, yet adds that "the paranormal is nothing more than the 'normal' we have yet to understand."

He said his job as a mind reader, or mentalist, as some call it, is a skill that can be learned by anyone who puts in the effort.

To illustrate this concept, Draper even goes so far as to teach the audience a few of the tricks of his trade.

The key to reading minds, he explains, is twofold: Get to know yourself and your habits, and then be observant of other people and cultures.

Bringing his anthropological studies of Native American Ghost Dancers, South American cannibals and spiritualists into the theory, he teaches how he is able to know anything from a person's occupation to their favorite fairy tale.

"It's like Sherlock Holmes — there are lots of observations," Draper said. "For instance, I can always pick out at least one engineer in the crowd. They see the world differently, in a very predictable way. They have a similar look in their eyes."

Studying human patterns and world truths, Draper said that once we recognize who we are and why we feel a certain way, we can see who others are and why they do certain things.

"We all suffer equally," he said. "All people are scared, feel alone, desire love. We all want to be understood. When we recognize this, we are reading the minds of everyone else."

Still, there are certain characteristics that make every individual tick, he said.

"Every person is a genius at something, be it the piano, mathematics, mechanics or cross stitching," Draper said. "If we can find what they are a genius at, we can connect to them in a very deep and powerful way."

Draper connects to his audiences by treating them like longtime friends, emphasizing his desire for the audience to succeed in whatever they are doing, thereby helping him succeed.