Meet the teenage mentalist taking on the world

When 17-year-old Nevo Abutbul joins the IDF next year, he’ll have the coolest job ever: he’ll be the army’s first-ever mentalist, spending his service wowing soldiers with his wit lively, his mind-reading abilities and his versatility. awesomeness.

“I am the youngest mentalist in Israel and the world,” Nevo told ISRAEL21c. “I started trying my hand at magic when I was six and mentalism when I was nine.”

It’s less about formal training and more about your own strength, he says.

“Ever since I can remember, I’ve been playing games like guessing which hand is holding a coin or how many coins I’m holding. I kept practicing the way people think,” he explains.

“What attracted me and made me curious were people’s reactions and how the brain works. I learned body language, NLP [neuro-linguistic programming]. I slowly but surely started to build myself a mentalist toolbox.

Nevo Abutbul says mentalism is about understanding the brain and body language, not magic. (Nir Slakman)

Over the next few years, Nevo performed on TV shows in Israel and abroad, appeared on the biggest stages and entertained VIP crowds. His plans for the next two years – in addition to donning a uniform – include taking the world by storm.

And his first stop is America.

Unlike Israel, which adores its homegrown mentalist veterans (hello, Uri Geller and Lior Suchard), the United States isn’t all that familiar with the field. Which is perfectly fine with Nevo.

“It’s not popular, and people overseas don’t know much about it, at least not in America. My goal is to combine mentalism with Nevo. I want to introduce people to the field and also inspire them to pursue their own dreams. No matter how old you are, you can still make your dream come true. This is a goal that is really important for me to promote,” he says.

Not like other high school students

“I’m in high school, and it’s not easy with all the shows and TV. I miss school a lot and it’s not easy. But I’m a good student, I put effort into my studies and it’s important to me, so I make sure to catch up,” Nevo says. “I live the dream and I realize myself every day anew.”

Although he has less time to hang out with his friends, “My friends love and encourage me, and I’m learning to balance school and a relationship. It’s the kind of thing that keeps you grounded and helps maintain balance.

Nevo Abutbul wows the crowd during a recent US tour. (Courtesy of Sarit&lorens)

To become a successful mentalist, even at a young age, certain basic traits are needed, he says.

“As a mentalist, you have to be very, very sharp, very focused, pay attention to the little details and think a few steps ahead,” he explains.

“You have to understand why things happen and influence how they happen. And, of course, you need charisma and performance. Without it, you can’t host an hour-long show with a focused audience.

mentalism versus magic

Many people don’t really know what differentiates mentalism from magic.

“Magic is about using movement – ​​hand movements, deceptive tricks,” Nevo explains.

“Mentalism has more to do with the brain, more with psychology and body language. I deal with the brain, not speed and things that deceive the eye.

Yet many people mistakenly think that mentalism is about methods.

“I’m actually in favor of this view because it makes it entertaining and gives people a lot of fun,” Nevo says.

“In Israel, of course, more people try to find out how you do all this, while elsewhere in the world they believe you more.

“But I don’t try to deceive people, only to make them happy and surprise them,” he concludes. “I really like doing it; this is my passion.”

Learn more about Nevo Abutbul here.

Produced in collaboration with ISRAEL21c.

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