MANILA, Philippines - Sometimes what unfolds before your eyes does not easily convince you, especially if it has something to do with mentalism. Your judgment will be put to a test because you try to figure out the authenticity of a certain act or mental skill and what hits you next is the curiosity of finding out if it’s real or just a trick.
Just recently, I and some members of the entertainment press were invited to watch the first taping day of GMA 7’s Mind Master which will air for four Saturdays beginning April 30. Guest Barbie Forteza wanted to find out if mentalist Nomer Lasala could exactly tell what’s on her mind without relying on her body movements or facial expression.
“Minsan kasi di ba iba ang kinikilos sa iniisip talaga natin,” Barbie opined.
Of course, most of us had mixed feelings — excited, nervous and scared — when Nomer ascended on an improvised stage for an open mic show at Baluarte de San Diego Gardens in Intramuros. He picked one from the audience to help him show his ability to tell the last word of the sentence in a book written on the first line of page 45. Nomer then wrote his answer on a paper, asked the man to say the word aloud while showing to the audience the word he wrote. He, too, showed how one person could exactly feel what the other felt. His “spoon bending” ability was one amazing act.
Impressed and still curious, someone asked Nomer if he could tell the winning Lotto numbers and he said “No.”
“First, machines do not have brains. But if you will be thinking of a number, I can tell what it is. That’s why I was banned from casinos when I was younger because I could read the dealer’s mind and predict what the winning numbers would be,” he added.
But just like any talent, Nomer believes everybody has the ability to read minds, all he needs is to develop it. In his case, he discovered his talent when he was nine when he accidentally did a telekinesis.
“I was in a hurry because the school bus was already there and when I looked at my lunch box, it slid towards me,” he offered. “Although I cannot do it (telekinesis) now.”
The decision to harness his skill came when he was in college. He was mentored by a Swiss named David, one of the top mentalists in Europe.
Is there a difference between mentalism and magic?
“Mentalism is a mixture of psychology and psychic but we borrow the theatrics of magic because our advocacy is to present psychic to people in a convincing way. Mentalists are referred as psychic entertainers,” Nomer answered.
He admitted some who knew about his ability are scared to get close at him because he might do something bad.
“But I can control, I turn it (gift) off whenever I’m out on the streets because I don’t want to hear or know people’s thoughts,” Nomer said then proceeded to tell our aura/color and even the future of one of the showbiz writers.
Asked if he knows his own future and if the end is really coming in 2012, Nomer replied, “I don’t look at my future and if I give you the answer then I will be playing God. I don’t look at death and catastrophes, only the good vibes because I believe in the law of attraction; if you’re a positive thinker then the universe will reciprocate at ‘yun ang ibibigay sa ‘yo.”
Nomer first appeared on Mel and Joey after host Joey de Leon invited him to perform at his daughter Jocas’ birthday celebration. Joey was impressed with his performance that he invited him to guest on the show.
Mind Master will air after 24 Oras Weekend. Ogie Alcasid also guests in the pilot episode.