TED Talks Daily - The art of reading minds | Oz Pearlman

Episode Date: October 21, 2025

Have you ever wanted to read someone's mind? Mentalist Oz Pearlman is billed as one of the world's greatest mind readers ... and yet, he says he doesn't have any special powers. In this spectacular talk meets psychic-inspired magic show, he demonstrates his skills on a live audience in the theater — and shows how anyone can learn the principles of mentalism.Interested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyouTEDAI San Francisco: ted.com/ai-sf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At Medcan, we know that life's greatest moments are built on a foundation of good health, from the big milestones to the quiet winds. That's why our annual health assessment offers a physician-led, full-body checkup that provides a clear picture of your health today and may uncover early signs of conditions like heart disease and cancer. The healthier you means more moments to cherish. Take control of your well-being and book an assessment today. Medcan. Live well for life.

Visit medcan.com slash moments to get started. Your idea of calm confidence happens here. Brought to you by RBC. Lock in, but don't burn out. Progress doesn't happen all at once. And taking a moment to pause is the key. It's not intensity that builds momentum. It's consistency.

$5 becomes 50. 50 becomes 500. And suddenly, you're further than you thought. Stay steady and no RBC can help make it happen. This episode is brought to you by Emirates. You know, we often think about our next getaway in familiar terms. Maybe Europe, maybe somewhere we've been before. But for your next holiday, why not look a little further to Dubai, a place that everyone talks about?

I've been fascinated by Dubai's approach to pushing boundaries. This is a city that doesn't just dream big. It builds big. From the world's tallest building to the world's largest water park, nothing is impossible. in Dubai. You'll find world-class hotels, record-breaking landmarks, and unforgettable adventures, whether you're exploring the innovative cityscape or venturing into the desert. And when you fly Emirates, your journey begins the moment you board. You get regionally inspired meals with complimentary drinks, up to 6,500 channels of entertainment and world-class service. It's not just

about getting there. It's about how you get there. Fly Emirates, fly better. Book on emirates.ca. You're listening to TED Talks Daily, where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day. I'm your host, Elise Hugh. Have you ever wanted to read someone else's mind? Well, mentalist O's Perlman is billed as one of the world's greatest mind readers, and yet he says he doesn't have any special powers. In this spectacular talk meets magic show, mentalist O's Perlman, opens up to a captivated audience, sharing why it all comes down to understanding the human spirit and mind. So close your eyes, if you can, please don't if you're driving, and imagine you're sitting in the TED Theater. O's is on stage, the house lights go up, and he walks out

into the audience. Over the next 15 minutes, he engages with multiple audience members he's never met before, wows everyone, and shows us how the principles of mentalism can be tools for living better and more connected lives at home, at work, and in our relationships. I am billed as the world's greatest mind reader, but guess what? I can't read minds. What I can do is read people. And people ask, a question all the time, which is, were you born with this? And the answer is, no, of course not, absolutely not. I do not possess any supernatural powers. I am not a psychic. This is a learnable skill that I feel anyone could do. But I've applied for about roughly three decades at reverse

engineering the human mind. If I know how you think, I know what you think. And I want to ask each and every one of you in this room a question. But before we do, take a deep breath in. Take a deep breath in. Exhale out and close your eyes. A little Zen mode. Okay? I see the people with trust issues, eyes wide open, holding their wallets and phones. Fellow New Yorkers. Here is my question. If you could have dinner, hypothetical, with someone famous, right? Some of you heard this question already. I didn't invent it. I love asking people. Someone famous, dead or alive, past or present, man, woman, whatever. I like to ask people, who would that person be for you?

It's fascinating. Everyone's different. And if you've already done it, open your eyes. Some of you have done it. Some of you are quick. I see nods. I see people that are decisive. If you haven't, you always need a deadline for creativity.

Three, two, one, crunch time. Open your eyes. Everyone out there, give me a big clap over your head. If you can see your person in your mind's eye. Give me a big clap. One more big clap. Notice the technique. Elbows locked on this man.

Michael Phelps would have been jealous of that streamline. Stand up, please. Stand up, please. Introduce yourself. Sorry, I'm Ian. Ian, question for you. Before you walked in this room and sat down, did you have any of you who I was or what I was going to do? No, actually, sorry.

Okay, that's cool. Nobody reads the agenda. Totally fine. Totally fine. Give me another clap. Give me another clap. I like that. Right here, you not only clap,

but threw in a little belly dance, I reward extra credits. She's hiding her. her name tag. She's like, I'm giving the mentalist nothing. Tell us, what is your name? Oh, hi, I'm Nanjira. Nanjira? Right. Stand up, please. Did I say that correctly? Nangira? Wonderful, wonderful. Give me another clap. Give me another clap. One more clap. This man and I just locked eyes. When we made eye contact, he closed his eyes tightly.

As if activating a camouflage shield where if he doesn't see me, would I still see him? I still see you, Jeff Johnson. Stand up. Please give all three helpers a round of applause. Notice the question and the way it was phrased. Dead or alive.

50-50. Like flipping a coin. All three of you, please, I don't read minds. I'm telling you the truth. I read people. Try not to react. If the person you thought of is alive,

then their heart is beating in their chest, the room is getting warm, like the blood flowing through their veins. They're happy. They're smiling. Warming up, warming up. Cold. You feel a shiver down your neck. Clear cut. 100%. Jeff Johnson, your person is alive and well. Am I right? You're right. The boisterous smile, the effervescence. 100%. Versus Ian, dead guy vibes written

all over this guy. Is it a dead guy? Yeah. Classic Ian. Classic. Ian, focus on this. Also, the lingering hands in pockets always indicator of another guy. Guy to guy interaction. Is it a guy? Of course it is. If it's a female, hands in front of the crotch. I don't know why. A few of you are going to get home and you see your husband like this, and you're like, who is she?

Ian, think of his first name, think of his last name. First name, last name. Come back to me. The first name, try to count the letters. This doesn't make sense. Listen to me. This doesn't make sense. when I asked about the last name.

He tried to shield it, but I saw it. Why was he confused? Then I asked the first name, count the letters. It was too long. Sit down if it's Alexander the Great. What? Hey, y'all, Elise here. Jumping in to say that Ian did, in fact, sit down at this moment

looking absolutely flabbergasted, meaning he was thinking of Alexander the Great. I'm as shocked as you are, honestly. You don't have to hold the applause inside, Ted. You can let it out. Now, you've seen a taste of what I do, and this is used primarily for the purpose of entertainment, but what I'd like to show you now

is how you could apply the principles of my craft, which is known as mentalism, to your everyday lives, at home, at work, in your relationships. How would guessing a celebrity out of a stranger's mind help you? Well, frankly, it really can't. But I have a situation, a scenario, well, knowing someone's name would be incredibly valuable.

Let me paint a portrait. You're at a party. You're at a work event. You've walked up to somebody new. You've looked them in the eye. You've shaken their hands. You've introduced yourselves to each other. And right at that moment,

you realize that you have completely forgotten the person's name who just told it to you one second ago. Raise your hand if you can share this experience. You raise your hand too, you liar. She's like, not me, not me. I want to give you a superpower from this day forward where you will never, ever, forget the name of someone you just met, ever. And how am I going to do this using? Can you guess?

Shampoo. Didn't see that one coming, did you? The back of every bottle of shampoo is a master class in brilliant marketing. Three words in the instructions. Lather, rinse, repeat. Right? Lather makes your hair smell good. Rinse makes it clean. Repeat. We got to sell some product.

I want to repurpose that catchphrase that each and every one of you will remember and take with you for the rest of your days. Listen, repeat, reply. Say it with me. Listen, repeat, reply. Listen, sounds like the most obvious thing. Well, of course, listen to the name. But that's where most of you falter. At the moment the person tells you the name, you are actually not listening. You are thinking about what you're going to say back. Do I know this person? Or what am I going to say next? Or am I hungry or a million other thoughts that pop into your head. It's not a memory issue. You didn't. forget the name, you never knew it. Imagine I give you a twig, and I tell you, write my name in the sand at the beach, and you try with the twig first wave, washes it away. But if I give you a thick branch, you carve it in, you repeat those letters, it's going to take a whole lot of waves until there's no trace. So here's what each of you is going to do. I challenge you, when you meet the next person, make your mind a blank for all of two seconds. When they say their name, truly listen, and now repeat. everybody say it with me repeat we are going to say their name twice back to them right

ashley is that right great to meet you ashley this serves two purposes one it's kind of repetitively ingrained it in our memory second you know how to pronounce it correctly nangira am i saying that right nangira see there was a reason i did that third third reply listen repeat reply reply is where we fully cement the name in here is how we do that i'll give you three examples first one, a compliment. Everyone loves a good compliment, right? Ashley, those earrings, I love those earrings, Ashley. Now she's Ashley with the earrings, a visual indicator. Next up, spelling. Do you spell that Ashley with an E-I-G-H or with an E-Y? E-Y, of course, that's the right spelling, Ashley. I knew, I knew. Or, third, a personal connection.

Ashley, that's so funny. My cousin's married to an Ashley. Is my cousin really married to and Ashley? Absolutely not. I'm a total liar. but none of you will forget the name Ashley and neither will I and neither will we forget Nanjira after I said her name multiple Nanjira I think again rouging of the cheeks little sweat your person is alive also am I correct

now what I do in my profession is I take things that appear to have limitless possibilities and break them down people that are famous there are several kind of categories I'm going to say them quickly. You don't have to nod, but we had a conqueror. Let's call it a historical figure. We have singers, movie stars. We have athletes, comedians, politicians already registered a hit.

Too funny. Too funny you did this. All right. Shouldn't have smiled. Tighten it up, Njira. Three days ago, I did a show in Dallas, Texas. Dallas, Texas. And the last person. person standing thought of a singer. It's always singers where this happens.

I got his singer correct, and he didn't sit down. And do you know what he said to me? I go, sir, you know, why isn't he sing down? He goes, oh, yeah, what song am I thinking of? I'm like, buddy, this is not Netflix. Around this time, someone from offstage hands owes a small whiteboard and a marker. He turns to Injira, and as he talks to her,

he writes down a name but doesn't reveal. feel it to the audience just yet. Always singers. Tell us all. Who in your mind is sitting across from you, having dinner? You're on the edge of your seat. Tell us all. What's their name?

Bob Dylan. Bob Dylan. I couldn't hear you. Bob Dylan. Can I ask you a question? I always like this. Everyone listen to me. I call this the grass is greener approach.

I can always see it when someone eyes shift. She goes, I like Bob Dylan. but I actually had someone else in my mind. You thought of someone else. It's in the back of your head, but you just shifted. Can you tell me I can... Folks, this is not my first rodeo.

Okay, folks, the camera swings back to Angira who is bouncing up and down as she stands talking to O's, and he's right. She wasn't actually thinking of Bob Dylan. Who is the first person you thought of? Phyllis. Trevor Noah. Oof, it's not a singer.

Don't ever doubt me again, Ted. Don't you ever doubt me again. It's true. The whiteboard turns to face us, and O's had in fact written down Trevor Noah on the small whiteboard, and Jira is truly shocked. Jeff, do you know what the most common question I get

at the end of a show is? O's turns back to the man in the audience, audience named Jeff, who he had spoken with earlier, a staff person hands him a small blank whiteboard and a marker. I get the question, other than, of course, how do you do it? Is, aren't you afraid of getting it wrong? That's what I get asked, because people understand that there is risk involved in what I do. This is not sleight-of-hand card tricks that work every time.

And so the answer is, yeah, of course. Of course I am. You know what? Because what's fascinating to me is people can feel the element of risk. And I think the number one factor in success, on stage in every facet of my life is an unshakable belief that it will work. It's self-fulfilling.

And in this case, it's not a belief that I'm going to guess your person. Been there, done that. I don't plateau, Jeff. I peek. So I am not going to read your mind. I want to empower someone in this room to do it instead.

This frisbee... At this point, O's is back on stage and he whips out a bright green collapsible frisbee... was purchased on Amazon Prime, free two-day shipping, 87 cents. It has a 1.5-star review. This is literally the worst frisbee in the world. Please, sir, grab that. Tell me your first name?

Dylan. That's correct. Stand up, Dylan. The frisbee is made out of mesh, everybody, which means if it hits you in the face, it will not hurt, but it will hurt your pride if this goes viral on TED Talks later. Everyone hands up in defensive posture. Dylan, close your eyes, so you can't even try to aim this piece of junk.

Throw it. Catch. Someone catch. Someone catch. Give it a throw. As you can imagine, Dylan throws it far up into the seats. Stay right. Please go.

Oh, my God, is that far. Please stand up. What is your name? Do you say, Brett? Yeah, Brett. Brett. Have you ever met or spoken a word to Jeff Johnson before? I actually haven't.

Okay. Maybe more networking at the next breakout session. Please, Brett, come on up. Give him a huge applause. Make your way up, Brett. Two T's. I like the way you roll, Brett. Not going to forget that name, are you now?

Pleasure to meet you, sir. Brett, I'm bringing you front and center. All right. Here's what you're going to do. I'm going to ask you in a moment. Have you ever spoken to me a word in your life? I haven't. He seemed happy about that.

That was weird. I'm going to ask him in a moment. to close his eyes. You need to believe it in order to achieve it. When you close your eyes, I am going to ask Jeff to uncap a marker and you're going to write the person. Now, very important, Jeff, you thought of one person.

Is that correct? That's right. Okay, because, you know, Nanzira is like having dinner. She is like, load it up. Let's get a six top. Brett, close your eyes. His eyes are closed. Brett, keep your eyes closed.

Jeff, open up your marker, please. as big as you can, so we can't see it right down the first and last name of the person you are imagining sitting down to dinner with. Brett, open your eyes. You have to believe it in order to achieve it. Look, not into his eyes. Look into his soul.

And when I snap my fingers, tell him, who is he having dinner with? Barack Obama. Turn it around! Show everybody. Show everybody. Well, you guessed it, folks. Jeff had indeed written down.

Thank you, Brett. Barack Obama. I am O'S Perlman. Thank you very much, everybody. That was O'S Perlman leaving us all speechless, said Ted 2025. And if you can, I would definitely recommend checking out the video of this talk over at TED.com. If you're curious about Ted's curation, find out more at TED.com slash curation guidelines. And that's it for today.

Talks Daily is part of the TED Audio Collective. This talk was fact-checked by the TED Research Team and produced and edited by our team, Martha Estefanos, Oliver Friedman, Brian Green, Lucy Little, and Tonica Sung Marnivong. This episode was mixed by Lucy Little. Additional support from Emma Tobner and Daniela Ballerazo. I'm Elise Hu. I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh idea for your feed.

Thanks for listening. This episode is sponsored by Bombas. As fall settles in, the cooler days are a reminder to bring a little more comfort into our routines for the cozy season. And honestly, nothing makes that shift more seamless than slipping into something from Bombas. You probably know Bombas for their socks. And yes, they really are as comfortable as people say. Think marino wool that adjusts with the weather and just feel like autumn. But they've got slippers, teas, and underwear, too.

all made with premium materials designed to keep you comfortable no matter what fall brings. And here's what really sets Bambas apart. For every item you purchase, they donate one to someone experiencing housing insecurity right here in Canada. That's over 150 million items donated so far. That's a whole lot of good. Plus, everything is backed by their happiness guarantee. No risk, all reward. Go to Bambas.ca slash TED and use code TED for 20% off your first purchase.

That's B-O-M-B-A-S-C-A-S-T-A-S-T-A-S-T-A-S-T-T at checkout. At Med-CAN, we know that life's greatest moments are built on a foundation of good health, from the big milestones to the quiet winds. That's why our annual health assessment offers a physician-led, full-body check-up that provides a clear picture of your health today and may uncover early signs of conditions like heart disease and cancer. The healthier you means more. More moments to cherish. Take control of your well-being and book an assessment today. Medcan. Live well for life.

Visit medcan.com slash moments to get started. Is your business struggling to keep up? When the world moves fast, relying on yesterday's technology will slow you down. Erickson powers your business with 5G and AI enterprise solutions. From local franchises to global companies, Erickson helps businesses like yours to operate smoothly, stay protected, and keep growing every day. Speed up and stay ahead. Visit us at ericson.com slash enterprise.