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Channel: body language – Mentalist Ehud Segev (The Mentalizer) New York City NYC
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LESSON 1: What is Mentalism?

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Welcome to my brand new, exciting program that will give you an “inside” glimpse into the fascinating world of mentalism.
As I travel and give performances around the world, many people who come to see my shows ask me what it takes to become a “mentalizer” (conjecture of the words “mental” and “analyzer”) like myself. Are you one of those people whose curiosity has been piqued by my shows?
I thought the best way to respond and give you the information you want would be to introduce you, chapter by chapter, to all the basics of mentalism – the “what’s” and the “how’s.” All the “meaty” stuff you can really sink your teeth into – figuratively speaking, of course!
However, before I start revealing all the specific methods and techniques mentalizers routinely use, I’d like, in this and two following chapters that you will receive, to lay out the foundation of what mentalism is and isn’t, so that any misconceptions you might have about this amazing field are dispelled.
After all, you can’t master advanced calculus before learning the basics of math. The same applies to mentalism – to know how it is done, you first must have a general understanding of the field. But, don’t worry – we will build our way up to the actual techniques.
Let me add that my entertainment shows are different from the seminars and workshops I do. My shows are pure entertainment and include a lot of gimmicks and techniques that aren't what I call “Real Mentalism.”
Are you ready? Well then, let the adventure begin!

What exactly is mentalism?

Okay, so you may be a bit underwhelmed by this title because you want all the “juicy” tidbits revealed to you right away. But, as I mentioned before, we have to take this step-by-step and branch out from that. Remember that famous Chinese saying, which can be applied as well to mentalism as to any other area of life: “A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.”
So, what IS mentalism? Does it have anything to do with trickery, magic, crystal balls, or psychics and charlatans? The answer is: no, no, no, and no, but it’s not really surprising if this is what you thought. I meet lots of people in many parts of the world who have no idea what a mentalizer is or does, and actually think there is something “spooky” about it.
That’s one myth that should bite the dust once and for all!
Mentalists are just “regular” folks who have a deep knowledge (though not necessarily an academic degree) of human psychology and behavior, as well as sharp powers of observation and deduction. In many ways, a great mentalist is not that different from a great detective, who carefully collects verbal and non-verbal clues from which he can reach a conclusion.

Tap into your mind’s power!

Did you ever watch such TV shows as “Lie To Me,” “The Mentalist” or “Psych?” If you never did, try to catch some episodes, because they will give you a good idea of what mentalizers do. They use their highly developed mental acuity and powers of observation to read and analyze body language, or rely on Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) to help people achieve a higher level of personal or professional development. (The “how-to” of these two methods will be discussed in later chapters).


Of course, many mentalizers are also entertainers like me, but that’s a whole different kettle of fish!
Cal Lightman (the main character of “Lie To Me”) and Patrick Jane (“The Mentalist”) use their sharp mental powers to solve crime and other mysterious circumstances, but the great thing about mentalism is that all the different methods (the ones mentioned above and others we’ll discuss later) can be used in “ordinary” situations.
For example, mentalizer techniques such as memory training can help students assimilate their material more effectively; human resources personnel can use mentalism tools like body language to assess a candidate’s suitability for a job; and other methods can be used to improve relationships with people around us. We will explore all this in later chapters.
By now, you might be wondering whether you too have what it takes to be a menatlizer. The only way I can answer it is that all humans have the POTENTIAL and the CAPACITY to achieve this goal – if they really…put their mind to it!

A mentalizer’s essential toolkit

There are many “tools” a mentalizer needs to have (and I don’t mean a screwdriver or a drill) to be truly effective. A good thing is that they are all free and easily accessible to all of us. They are mostly mental skills and personality traits that can be learned or developed – we’ll talk about them in the third chapter of this program.
But just to give you a general idea of what I am hinting at, these, in a nutshell, are some (but not all) of the “tools” a good mentalizer should possess:

  • Physical and emotional awareness
  • Acuity – the ability to perceive even the smallest detail
  • Super memory
  • Ability to focus and observe
  • Good communication skills like the ability to listen, ask questions, be curious and open-minded
  • Be trustworthy and credible

Again, these are just SOME of the traits a mentalizer needs to have or develop and we’ll talk about them in more details in the third segment.
One thing you should know before you continue with this program is not to expect “miracles” overnight – even the most accomplished practitioners of mentalism have had to work at developing their special skills. It’s not a hocus-pocus that you can fake, but something that is real, genuine, and requires commitment and lots of practice.
So now you know: I won’t teach you how to pull rabbits out of a hat or hide coins in your ear, but I WILL show you how to master the REAL techniques that REAL mentalizers use.
It’s such a fascinating field and you are in for quite a ride, so welcome on board! Let the words of this wonderful song inspire you on this journey:

Welcome to my world
Built with you in mind
Knock and the door will open
Seek and you will find
Ask and you'll be given
The key to this world of mine

Very soon, you will receive the next topic, which will discuss the difference between “mind” and “brain.” I hope you will pay attention to it because this is something every mentalizer should know. Remember: knowledge is power!
As you watch every episode of this program, please feel free to share your thoughts with me (not necessarily telepathically – leaving a comment below is just fine). Your feedback is very valuable and much appreciated! So don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments section below and if you’re not yet subscribed to my channels – be sure to subscribe and follow me on Facebook Instagram and Twitter. Just search for The Mentalizer.

See you soon!

If you haven't subscribed to receive a notification when I publish a new lesson – please do so right now by clicking HERE.

The post LESSON 1: What is Mentalism? appeared first on Mentalist Ehud Segev (The Mentalizer) New York City NYC.


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