A mentalist will ask the viewer to focus on a set of numbers (such as their phone number). The mentalist will then ask the viewer to repeat the numbers in their head to add drama and emphasis. This trick requires a little more effort, but it's still one of the simplest you can do. Give your subject a folded paper napkin and a market.
You can exchange the item for a dollar bill, a magazine page, or even play cards. The technique of how mentalists guess names is explained in a number of ways. But what it isn't is telepathic mind reading. A mentalist uses his five senses to create the experience of a sixth sense.
These techniques involve the use of psychology, reading body language, or influencing through suggestions. When the mentalist asks him to repeat the number chosen in his mind, he gives the illusion that the mentalist is reading the person's mind. If you have more questions about mentalism or magic, I'll try to answer them (or specifically how mentalists guess names), please comment below with your questions. The main difference between a mentalist and a magician is that a mentalist tries to convince you that they have real abilities, whereas a magician never does.
Master Mentalism is an in-depth course that will show you the secrets behind most of the popular mentalist magic tricks out there. If you want to learn how to do incredible mentalist tricks that will make your friend gawk, check out the Master Mentalism course.