Christopher Carter is not a mind reader, but a self-proclaimed freak-out artist.

“I don’t have special powers, but I am pretty convincing,” Carter said.

Carter has been a performer for the past 17 years, performing what he says is “a little hard to describe.” Carter said it is bits of psychic layered with show.

“It looks like I can read minds – but I can’t literally read minds,” Carter said.

Carter will be performing at the Great Hall in the Memorial Union at 9 p.m. Friday. The event, sponsored by ISU AfterDark, is free of charge for students.

This will not be Carter’s first visit to Iowa State. He has performed a variety of times at Iowa State throughout his tenure as a performer.

When the magic started

Carter’s interest in magic started early with the standard rabbit-in-a-hat trick.

He found his start as a freak-out artist while he was watching his uncle play poker. His uncle happened to be a great bridge player but a “god-awful” poker player because his body language gave him away.

Carter shared this observation with his mother, a psychologist, who in turn gave him a book on body language.

This action was the catalyst that instigated Carter’s desire to learn how to interrogate and read people by interpreting their body language.

When he began to “read minds” through this interpretation, peoples’ reactions were extraordinary. He had a no-props approach and received reactions like, “You’re inside my head.”

On the contrary, Carter describes the inside of his head as disorganized. He said his mental process is flighty, but is not ADD.

His imagination is constantly probing people to figure out what it is like to be like them. He tries to place himself parallel to others in order to think like other people.

Regardless, Carter said he is much more focused than most people due to a matter of strategy and practice. He knows how to concentrate. Carter uses self-hypnosis, which he describes as a sort of meditation without religion.

Carter’s life as a performer

Carter tours extensively throughout the college school year, half the time flying to locations and the other half driving. During his last tour, he was gone for 24 days straight.

Although Carter would like to perform in other countries, he is unable to because what he does is language-oriented.

So you want to learn the trade?

Carter went to the small Illinois Wesleyan University for his undergraduate education majoring in theater and business. Receiving discouragement to pursue his current career, Carter went to graduate school at University of Michigan to become a theater history professor.

Carter is self-taught in the field of “freak-out-ology,” but has helped a number of people learn different techniques. Carter said he takes on people with promise without charge, even if they offer compensation. Until a degree is offered in “freak-out-ology,” aspiring mentalists will have to learn from professionals such as Carter.

What can you expect to see at the show?

The audience “will see the absolutely weirdest show they will ever see. You can’t dream about weirder. It will be a very strange experience,” Carter said.

The show will be full of ideas Carter has invented by exploiting scientific principles. For example, Carter will have his eyes duct taped shut by someone from the audience.

He will then be delivered objects from audience members. Carter will describe the objects and then describe amusing experiences about the objects’ owners.

Carter will also give light bulbs he has never touched to audience members. He will then make the light bulbs light up. In addition, Carter will predict things the audience members will be doing throughout the show.

“The show will be funny, really funny. It is about people’s personal lives. It is personal. I can only do this stuff in person because people tell me things through their body,” Carter said. “I have had some audience members run screaming from the room. But they come back.”