entertainer intuition editorial
“Not many people know,” admits Jeff, “but I am actually barred from playing card games at a number of casinos across the province.” The bans came into effect as a result of one of his performances at the Casino Regina. “I was performing a piece from my show for a small group,” he explained. “During the performance I was able to sit across a poker table from a particular gentleman and know each and every card that he was holding in his hand.” In fact, Jeff Richards,Western Canada’s hottest mentalist, was able to go even further with his audience; he concluded his performance by having half a dozen audience members concentrate on numbers. He was then able to draw the numbers from the minds of his volunteers and reveal them out loud. Though his audience was left speechless, with many simply staring, jaws agape, Jeff did not endear himself to the Casino’s vigilant security staff. “About 10 minutes later I was gathering up to leave and I was pulled into a side office by one of the Casino's security detail. At that time I was informed that I would no longer be allowed to play table games at the Casinos Regina orMoose Jaw. Fortunately, I was never much of a gambler anyway,” he joked. Since the incident at the Casino Regina, a number of casinos in the province have followed suit and banned him from participating in table games.
Jeff, who is quickly becoming one of Canada’s premier mentalists, does not regret any aspect of his performance for a moment, and he continues to invite audiences to venture into the unknown territory of the human mind. His unique talents have been featured on both local and international TV and radio, and even garnered him a reputation as "the world's next Kreskin." By blending natural abilities and skills that he has mastered through rigorous research and tireless practice, Jeff has begun to test the limits of possibility, using intuition and the ability to communicate without words. Focusing on interactivity, energy, and swift action, Jeff has performed stage shows, personal readings, and at corporate events acrossCanada. His goal is to treat his audiences to an experience that goes beyond simple entertainment; from the moment he steps on stage he captures attention, and he refuses to let go until the final curtain drops.
Of course, Jeff has not always performed as a mentalist. “My roots are actually in performing magic,” he explained, “which I began at a very young age. I suppose I have always known that my career would lead me to unusual pursuits.” The life that he had become accustomed to would suddenly change, however, on a single winter evening. “I had a dream one night that I was involved in a car accident,” said Richards. “It was very vivid; I saw, felt, experienced every grisly aspect of the impact… and the aftermath.” Two days later, Jeff was involved in a four-car pileup while returning to his home and was bedridden for several weeks. “Ever since that moment, that moment when I recognized that I could not avoid the onrushing car, I knew I had to rethink what I believed about human intuition. I had had intuitive moments before, but never anything as vivid as that night. I became obsessed with trying to understand what my visions were, what my dreams meant.” Armed with the belief that déjà vu was more than a coincidence and that dreams are more than random thoughts, Jeff began to mould the skills that he uses to entertain audiences today.
Jeff has used his talents to enthrall people fromVancouver toPEI, often making predictions that leave his audiences amazed. He is, for example, responsible for predicting a number of global events long before they occurred, from the outcome of a major American trial, to the removal of Pluto’s planetary status, to the results of elections and national sporting events. It is, in fact, instilling a sense of wonder in his audience that Jeff cites as his reason for performing night after night. “I love when my work can change someone - can really affect them on a personal level,” he said. “I know this happens because I see it every time I work with an audience on stage.” It is not uncommon for participants in his shows to be moved to tears, because of a particularly emotional image or vision. On one occasion, Jeff saw a vision of a young bride and groom from the past of a woman in his audience. There was something not quite right about his vision of the groom, however; the vision was blurred. “I distinctly recall seeing her in the dress -- and seeing the groom, but he kept fading in and out of the picture. Turns out he had passed on shortly after they were married. But for that one brief moment, having her know that I could see them together - that brought her instant happiness.”
As considerable as Jeff’s talents are, not every vision has an immediately recognizable meaning. “On one occasion,” Jeff recalled with a smirk, “I kept receiving images of a bull whip, a Tilley-style adventure hat, and a red rose. What I saw next was an image of Indiana Jones! I wasn’t sure how to interpret the vision, the elements seemed entirely random to me, but I vocalized what I saw to the crowd hoping it might be meaningful to someone. No one responded outwardly, but there was a chuckle from the back of the room. I knew I had connected with someone! After the show she came up to talk to me. ‘I was thinking aboutIndiana!’ she said. ‘And the rose?’ I asked. As it turned out, she had been romantically linked to Mr. Harrison Ford! I suppose you never know what might come out, or how it might impact the audience!”
Wherever you find those interested in the power of intuition and prediction, you will find Jeff. Whether on stage, at one of his famed séances, or during a house show or personal consultation, Jeff will continue to amaze people across the country
