Victor Mids — pseudonym of Victor Middelkoop (Delft, 1 April 1987) — is the Dutch illusionist who, with his television programme Mindf*ck, brought illusion and the workings of the brain together on a grand scale. He qualified as a doctor but chose a life on stage and screen.
Visual reference
From a magic box to television
Middelkoop began doing magic at a young age: at four he received a magic box. In 2009 he appeared as a contestant on the television programme De nieuwe Uri Geller and became a recurring guest on the Freaknacht. In 2013 he completed his medical studies and qualified as a doctor.
Although he does not practise medicine, he says he uses his knowledge of the senses and the brain for his illusions — a combination that gives his work a recognisable character of its own.
Mindf*ck: illusion meets the brain
On 5 January 2015 his AVROTROS programme Mindf*ck began, in which he performs tricks and experiments about how the brain works and shows how our thinking can be influenced. As early as the second broadcast 763,000 Dutch viewers tuned in, and Mids stresses that he uses no actors in the programme.
He was also seen in Het beste brein van Nederland, in which he conducts experiments on location and explains how the brain works.
Books and wider fame
Together with Oscar Verpoort, Mids wrote the book Mindf*ck in 2016, based on his television programme. It was followed by Mindf*ck next level (2019) and Mindf*ck Challenges (2023), full of illusions and experiments to try yourself.
The programme Verborgen verleden revealed in 2019 that he is a distant relative of gymnast and Olympic champion Epke Zonderland — an unexpected detail that underlines the variety of his background.
Science or theatre?
Not everyone is unreservedly enthusiastic: philosophers of science have raised critical questions about the scientific explanations Mids gives for his tricks. That very debate shows how powerful his illusions are — they challenge viewers to distinguish between what they see and what they believe.
What is undisputed is that Victor Mids brought mentalism to a large new audience in the Netherlands and popularised the fascination with the brain.
Victor Mids shows how great the fascination is with the border between perception and reality. It is exactly that play with expectation and wonder that is also central to the work of Sudesh Roman.