Erik von Markovik
| Erik Von Markovik | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Erik James Horvat-Marković[1] September 24, 1971[2] |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Other names | Mystery |
| Occupation | Pick-up artist, writer, TV personality, illusionist |
| Known for | Mystery Method, VH1's The Pickup Artist |
Erik Von Markovik, more popularly known by his stage name, Mystery, is a Canadian pickup artist who developed a system of attracting women called The Mystery Method which gained him popularity in the PUA community.[3][4][5][6] This in turn led to him getting a VH1 show called The Pickup Artist.[2][7]
Biography
The character Mystery was created by Erik von Markovic in the late 1990s for his performances as a mentalist, titled Natural Magic. It has done magic performances in many places, including Toronto, Las Vegas and Hollywood. The name Mystery was also used by von Markovik as an internet username. He is the author of The Mystery Method: How to Get Beautiful Women Into Bed.
Mystery describes himself as a "late bloomer" and acknowledges that he spent his early life playing Dungeons and Dragons and he had little or no success with women. However, his desire to love and be loved by women prompted him to go clubbing every night, practicing and testing various ways to implement social interactions with people. Over a period of trial and error of more than ten years, "and many, many mistakes," Mystery created what has evolved into what is now known as Love Systems (formerly Mystery Method).
He closely observed how people act with each other during the "courtship" of a relationship, and combining these observations with various theories of evolutionary psychology, he created a system of techniques and strategies designed to help men succeed with women in different social situations such as bars, clubs, cafes and similar places. He shared his theories in a discussion group on Usenet, alt.seduction.fast, and became famous for his analytical approach in the field of seduction and the "reports" he detailed.
Mystery taught and then befriended the writer Neil Strauss, who would become Mystery's wingman and eventually a mentor in the seduction community. Along with a group of other former students, Mystery and Strauss shared a mansion in Hollywood ("Project Hollywood"), which soon became a focal point for potential students. Their friendship is told in the book of Strauss's method, The Game.
In 2004, Mystery formed a partnership with another dating advisor, Nick Savoy, to form the Mystery Method Corporation, although Mystery stopped teaching in regular programs in mid-2005. However, the company continued to grow, and was adding a dozen new trainers until the end of 2006, when Mystery left to found his own company, called Venusian Arts. The Mystery Method Corporation continued without him but with most of the instructors, and has since changed its name to Love Systems.[1]
Bibliography
- The Venusian Arts Handbook, Mystery Method Corp., 2005 (E-Book)
- The Mystery Method: How to Get Beautiful Women Into Bed, St. Martin's Press, 2005. ISBN 978-0-312-36011-5
- Revelation (2008). Mystery, Chris Odom, James Matador. Venusian Arts. ISBN 978-0-9818733-0-5
- The Pickup Artist: The New and Improved Art of Seduction, Mystery, Chris Odom. Villard Books. ISBN 978-0-345-51819-4
References
- 1 2 "Mystery Method Corporation v. Erik von Markovik" (PDF). Web.archive.org. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
- 1 2 Getlen, Larry (2007-08-05). "HOT SEAT | New York Post". Nypost.com. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
- ↑ "A Portrait of the Pickup Artist as a Young Man". Boston. Retrieved 2014-11-16.
- ↑ "Attraction is Not a Choice". Urban Times. Retrieved 2014-11-16.
- ↑ "The artful seducer". Salon. Retrieved 2014-11-09.
- ↑ "HE AIMS! HE SHOOTS! YES!!". New York Times. Retrieved 2014-11-16.
- ↑ "The Hot Seat: Mystery". Time out. Retrieved 2014-11-16.