Are mentalizers born or made?
Actually, it could be both.
Let me explain: just as some of us have a
natural predisposition towards music, while
others are tone-deaf; and certain people have
a “scientific mind,” whereas others are
more artistic, the same could be said about
mentalism: some of us have, from a very young
age, special talents that enable us to tap
into our mind’s power easier that other
people.
However, that doesn’t mean that the field
of mentalism is limited only to those who
have a natural talent.
Any knowledge, including that associated with
mentalism, can be learned by anyone who …puts
his or her mind to it!
All that is needed is the willingness to learn
and practice.
There are certain skills that every aspiring
mentalizer must master but the good news is
that each of these skills is relatively simple
and everyone has the ability to learn them.
Actually, you may already have some of these
skills because you use them, to a certain
degree, in your daily life.
Others may require some more work but, as
I said before, mastering them is not exactly
rocket science – they are within anyone’s
reach.
As you know from the previous chapter, your
brain and mind work together to assimilate
and process all kinds of information, including
all the knowledge you need to have as a mentalizer.
So if you are not sure whether you can learn
everything you need to know, just remember
Buddha’s quote: “Whatever the mind can
conceive and believe, it can achieve.”
So let’s get started on this chapter, which
will explain what skills and character traits
you have to work on to become 
a mentalizer.
As 
you read it, remember that my shows are different
from the seminars and workshops I teach.
My shows are pure entertainment and include
a lot of gimmicks and techniques that aren't
what I call “Real Mentalism.”
Be all eyes and ears
I already mentioned to you in an earlier chapter
that a good mentalizer is like a good detective,
who possesses sharp powers of observation
and deduction.
But what exactly does this mean?
In one episode of the TV show “The Mentalist,”
Patrick Jane (played by Simon Baker), is asked
by someone who is amazed by his abilities:
“Are you a psychic?”
Patrick replies: “No, but I know how to
listen!”
And that, dear readers, is one of the most
important skills a mentalizer should possess:
the ability to LISTEN and 
PAY ATTENTION to what 
people tell you.
By the same token, the ability to FOCUS and
OBSERVE is just as important – if you listen,
pay attention, focus, and observe, and then
process all the information your mind registers,
you will boost your powers of observation
and deduction.
It sounds easy, doesn’t it, but you’d
be amazed at how many of us are too distracted
or too disinterested to hear, see, and process
these very basic verbal and non-verbal signals
that people send out, without even realizing
it.
Listen to this…
Has anyone ever asked you to “lend an ear?”
It is such a funny expression because it conjures
up images of someone tearing off his ear in
order to loan it to another person.
I have no idea who invented this saying - maybe
it was Vincent van Gogh!
Seriously though, being willing to “lend
an ear” is a very important quality for
a mentalizer.
Now, I bet you think that you are a pretty
good listener, and maybe you are.
But ask yourself this question: how much of
what you hear you actually remember?
Chances are you only retain a small part of
what people tell you.
In fact, studies suggest that we remember
only between 25 percent and 50 percent of
what we hear.
In other words, we forget between half and
three-quarters of the things people tell us
– as the saying goes, “in one ear and
out the other.”
That’s not good enough for a mentalizer!
So how can you sharpen your listening skills?
In the previous chapter, we talked about the
importance of clearing our minds and having
“tunnel vision.”
So the first step to becoming a better listener
and observer is to de-clutter your brain (using
a technique described in the previous chapter)
so it can receive the new information, and
also practice “tunnel vision” –mentioned
earlier as well.
Think of your mind as a garden, which is overgrown
with weeds that take every inch of space.
Before you can plant anything new in it, you
must first remove all those wild plants that
leave no room for anything else.
You get the message, right?
Be ACTIVE!
One effective technique that teaches you to
“catch” what people tell you (after your
brain has been cleared) is the so-called “active
listening.”
It could also be called “conscious” listening,
because you must really concentrate on and
pay full attention to what you are being told.
This technique may not come naturally or even
easily to many people because, as mentioned
previously, we’ve accustomed our brains
to multi-task.
But here’s what you can try to do, little
by little but on regular basis, to become
an active listener:
After using mind-decluttering techniques explained
in Chapter 2, sit down with another person
and listen carefully, attentively, and consciously
to what he or she says to you.
Focus not only on words, but, more importantly,
on the entire message the person conveys to
you.
Don’t interrupt or jump in mid-sentence
– you are not listening in order to reply,
but in order to learn.
Analyze, understand, and 
retain what you just heard (this is where
good memory will be very useful and we will
talk about it in future chapters).
The ability to LISTEN, FOCUS, OBSERVE, UNDERSTAND,
and MEMORIZE, are as essential to a mentalizer
as the knowledge of anatomy is to a doctor.
Obviously, there are more skills and qualities
a mentalizer needs to have, and we will talk
about them as we go on.
For now, I’d like to leave you with this
very wise ancient Chinese proverb – are
you listening?
“A wise old owl sat on an oak; The more
he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke
the more he heard; Why aren't we like that
wise old bird?”
I hope you found this chapter (as well as
the ones you hopefully watched previously)
interesting and informative.
Please stay on board for the next chapters,
where various techniques of mentalism will
be revealed to you in detail.
In the meantime, please keep sending me your
questions and don’t forget to add your comments
below – it’s always a pleasure to hear
from you!
If you haven’t done so already, be sure
to like, subscribe and comment on my video.
It helps us make the world a better place.
Till next time, see you soon!
