Mentalism is a performing art in which the practitioner, called a mentalist, creates the illusion of extraordinary mental or intuitive abilities such as mind reading, telepathy, precognition, and mind control. Mentalism employs a sophisticated blend of psychological techniques, suggestion, misdirection, cold reading, and an expert understanding of human behavior to convince audiences that the mentalist can access hidden thoughts or predict future events. Mentalism distinguishes itself from other branches of magic by focusing on the mind as the primary medium, often presenting effects that appear to transcend natural explanation while relying on natural human abilities and refined performance skills.

Mentalism performances may include demonstrations of apparent telepathy, clairvoyance, rapid calculation, memory feats, and psychokinesis. The mentalist’s toolkit often involves reading subtle cues such as body language, microexpressions, and vocal inflections, as well as employing methods like cold reading (making educated guesses based on observation) and hot reading (using prior knowledge about a participant). Unlike traditional magicians, many mentalists emphasize psychological realism and the art of suggestion, aiming to create experiences that blur the line between illusion and reality.

Notable figures in mentalism include Max Maven, The Amazing Kreskin, Banachek, Derren Brown, and Joseph Dunninger, each contributing to the evolution and popularization of the art form through innovative performances and public skepticism of supernatural claims. Mentalism continues to captivate audiences worldwide, both as a standalone discipline and as a specialized branch within the broader field of magic.