The Mystery Method is a method of seduction, first popularized by Erik Von Markovik a.k.a "Mystery". The system was initially outlined in posts on the newsgroup alt.seduction.fast. Since October 2006, Mystery is no longer part of the Mystery Method's website, which has grown and changed in his absence, and he has launched his own website.
Mystery is billed as "the World's Greatest Pickup Artist," (Elle Magazine, Saturday Night Magazine, etc.), and is responsible for coining a lot of terminology now used in the world of seduction: such as "3 second rule", "set", "peacocking", "indicator of interest", "indicator of disinterest", "last minute resistance", "routine", "neg hits", "canned material", etc. The Mystery Method is now marketed online, via books, DVD sets, and most notably, live seminars and coaching with various instructors, including Markovik himself.
The M3 ModelThe Mystery Method M3 Model is divided into 3 steps: Attraction, Comfort and Seduction, each of which is divided into 3 phases. The Method teaches a set of strategies and tactics for each phase to successfully move the interaction forward toward the end goal, which is the creation of an intimate sexual relationship.
Step 1: AttractionThe goals of the 'Attraction' phase are: to start a conversation with the target ('Opening'); demonstrate high 'value' to the 'target' in order to build her attraction to the pickup artist ('Female to Male interest'); and to appear to become increasingly attracted to her, for reasons other than her looks, while making her increasingly invested in the interaction ('Male to Female interest').
Step 2: ComfortIn the 'Comfort' phase, one should attempt to establish rapport, trust, connection and a sense that the interaction is real and genuine. According to the Mystery Method, "the game is played in comfort". It is the longest and most crucial step and generally takes several hours, possibly over the course of several days, to complete. Mystery writes that of the average 4 to 10 hours (cumulatively) it takes to build a connection sufficient for the initiation of a sexual relationship, as much as 90% will be spent in the comfort-building phase.
Step 3: SeductionThe 'Seduction' phase is the physical escalation towards sex and dealing with a woman's natural apprehension towards sex with a new partner. It also includes dealing with Last Minute Resistance (LMR), for which the Mystery Method advocates freeze-outs in which you purposely destroy the pleasant move by agreeing with the resistance ("you're right, we shouldn't be doing this"), withdrawing and re-directing the situation to something boring like playing cards.
'Negs'Media attention directed towards the Mystery Method often mentions the concept of 'negs' as an example of what the method teaches. The oft-quoted example is the comment:
"Nice nails, are they real? No? Oh, well they're nice anyway."
Negs are intended to be false disqualifiers and are intended to lower the target's comparative value to the seducer. Specifically, they are not insults; instead, they resemble the comments of a person who does not view the target as being sexually interesting.
In his television interview with The View, Neil Strauss explains that some men will demonstrate lack of interest by passively ignoring a woman; but since she doesn't notice him, she won't know that he is not interested. Therefore the purpose of the neg is to actively demonstrate lack of interest by disqualifying one's self as a suitor ("It's too bad I'm gay or you'd be so my type"), or by falsely disqualifying the target ("You are too much of a nice girl to me")
According to the method, a proper neg never makes the target feel insulted or degraded, but rather questions whether the man approaching her has fallen under her spell. Women of particular beauty often tend to assume males approaching them are interested in them solely as a result of their looks, and negs attempt to neutralize that assumption by demonstrating that the man is not (yet) interested in her, despite her beauty. A successful neg will make the target feel self-conscious and attempt to regain control of the situation by qualifying herself.
Disqualification theoryDisqualification Theory is an expansion of the neg. It is a social tactic based on the idea that what a woman can't have, she wants more. It is a large part of indirect game as it can disarm a woman by keeping her from thinking that the man is hitting on her. It can correlate to preselection theory as well; if a man is taken, he is like a forbidden fruit to other women.
A disqualifier is the direct application to the disqualification theory. Examples of disqualifiers:
"If I weren't gay, you'd be so my type."
"I've got something to tell you...there's something in your teeth."
"The ring? 30 years of bliss, honey. Who says doctors can't find happiness, right? Want a drink?"