Joe Diamond

Explore Mesmerism and other 19th Century Curiosities Through Interactive Experiments, Psychological Illusions and Compelling Storytelling.

In the mid-19th century, science and the supernatural shared the same parlor. Spiritualists claimed the dead could speak, mesmerists healed with a touch, and early psychologists began seriously studying belief, suggestion, and perception.

In Mesmerized, cognitive scientist and magician Dr. Anthony Barnhart joins forces with acclaimed mentalist Joe Diamond for an immersive afternoon inspired by that strange and fascinating era.

Dr. Barnhart, whose research focuses on attention, perception, and the psychology of belief, has lectured and performed at institutions including Carthage College, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Richmond, blending rigorous science with live demonstrations that reveal how easily the mind can be influenced.

Joe Diamond, known nationally as “The Midwest Mystic,” has appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us and has performed for theaters, corporations, and universities across the country, earning a reputation for intelligent, theatrical, deeply interactive performances that place the audience at the center of the mystery. This is not a hypnosis show and no one is embarrassed or singled out; instead, you’ll experience elegant psychological illusions and participatory experiments that may challenge what you believe about your own mind.