Interview with Haim Goldenberg, Star of 'GoldMind'

Pic: Photos courtesy of Haim Goldenberg

Before you pass judgment on what a mentalist does, there’s one thing you must know: mentalists and psychics don’t usually hang out in the same crowds.

“The difference between a psychic and a mentalist is that psychics claim to have supernatural powers,” says mentalist Haim Goldenberg. “What I’m doing is using my natural abilities.”

So what are these abilities? Well, don’t get too excited, it’s not super strength but rather the ability to read body language and use 'strong intuition.' “I really believe that everybody can do it and everybody has those abilities,” shares Goldenberg. “The only difference is the experience. I’ve been doing it for more than 20 years.”

It all started when Goldenberg was growing up in Israel and he saw Uri Geller bend a spoon (allegedly with his mind) on TV, at the age of six. “For me he was like a superhero and I wanted to be like him as well, so I tried,” Goldenberg recounts. “I took a spoon and I tried to bend it. I think because I really believed in the power that we (humans) have, after two years of nonstop trying, I did it.”

Goldenberg then became the go-to magician for birthday parties in his neighbourhood. Then as a teen, he decided to focus on mentalism and after serving in the Israeli army, he travelled the world to perfect his craft. Goldenberg traveled across Europe, Africa, the U.S, and Canada, where he decided to move over five years ago.

Although Goldenberg has been performing in front of live audiences for years, he says he always wanted to perform to an audience at home. “All my life I did live shows for corporations mostly, and a TV show was in the back of my mind all the time,” he shares. “Then three years ago I met the creator of the show, Itamar Weiss.”

With the help of friends in Toronto, the two shot a pilot for “GoldMind” and pitched it to CanWest, who loved the idea and requested a first season.

Among the crazy stunts Goldenberg does on his show – which include driving blindfolded in heavy traffic, helping the Leafs win a hockey game and stopping his pulse in front of doctors – Goldenberg says his favourite stunt to-date on the show is the episode where he speaks with a radio host. “We talk about fears, fears of not being able to talk during a live show, and suddenly I touch his forehead and I give him a book and he can’t read,” says Goldenberg. “He’s not able to speak.”

Due to the success of the first season, “GoldMind” has been renewed for a second stint on TV. Goldenberg reveals he’s going to help someone win a lot of money “for real.”

“We talked about gambling in the first episode of the first season, but I never gave them the opportunity to win…for the first time I think ever on TV we will teach someone how to win money,” says Goldenberg. Although he did not reveal how, he did say it will be “very interesting.”

Having performed in Israel and Canada, Goldenberg says the audiences in the two countries are “totally different.” “In Israel the crowd is very, very difficult and I can understand it because of the lifestyle,” says Goldenberg. “Here in Canada people are very open-minded. They really want to believe and want to be a part of the experience.”

And according to Goldenberg, everyone can be a mentalist of some sort. “Everybody has intuition but nobody trusts their intuition,” he explains. “Even if you look at someone and read their body language, trust your intuition and you will get the information that you want. That’s something that I really believe in.”

“GoldMind” airs Sundays at 6 and 6:30 p.m. ET/PT on TVTropolis, Thursdays at 10 and 10:30 a.m. on Mystery TV.

For more information: www.GoldMindshow.com