Axel Hellstrom

Axel Hellstrom was a muscle readers, mentalist and stage magician. He re-defined the art of muscle reading in such a way that muscle reading's best known name is now "Hellstromism". Other common names are "cumberlandism" and "muscle reading".

Biography

Axel Hellstrom lived in Germany and fought in World War I where he watched a man perform an act of muscle reading. At the time, Germany did not allow mind reading unless it had a plausible explanation behind its means. The only type of mind reading allowed was muscle reading, and so Axel took advantage of it. He studied it carefully and taught himself everything. He entertained his fellow soldiers and became quite good at this old technique; and so, after the war, he and his wife moved to America where he knew his art form would be accepted by many - especially the magic audiences. He practiced and astonished many. Soon he was performing for professional magic audiences and amazed and bewildered all. After a short while mind readers, and even fellow hellstromists where questioning his ability.

During his live performances, (his manager spoke for him because his English vocabulary was limited) Hellstrom would successfully complete many different challenges such as locating hidden items, performing actions of which others were thinking and determining which object someone had selected out of many. The twist he put on this art form astonished everyone and he was soon known throughout the United States. Magic committees fought to have him in their group and people paid hundreds just to learn the secret behind his work. He lived a good and profitable life and set the bar high for future Hellstromists.

During the 1930s, the American magician and mentalist Robert A. Nelson published a book on Hellstrom's techniques, with his cooperation. This book, "Hellstromism," has remained an important reference on the subject of muscle reading well into the 21st century.