Event plays mind games in Cedar Grove

No hidden cameras, microphones, or secret assistants followed Flavian Petrulio into the Cedar Grove Library, he told his audience.

He wanted them to know he had no tricks up his sleeves for his performance. That way, when he spoke the word, number, or thought on their mind, they would be amazed.

“Not too many people do what I do,” Petrulio, of Caldwell, asserted, “and certainly nobody does it the way I do.”

Before an audience in the library, Petrulio led a variety of activities that all ended with him stating what was on the participant’s mind. For one, he handed an audience member a card with 50 words on it, 25 on each side. He asked the person to pick one and visualize it without telling anyone the word. Petrulio then came up with the word – ozone. 

Petrulio is quick to say that he does not believe he has any special powers or call himself a mind reader. 

“I don’t believe in supernatural phenomena,” he said, “and I would certainly never, ever call one of the psychic phone lines.”

He does believe in the power of the mind, however.

He defines what he does as “energy reading” by asking people to think of words, ideas or numbers, and then he will decipher it from there. Petrulio has been practicing energy reading professionally for 20 years and formerly had his own show on cable television. He taught himself at a young age through games he played with his sister, he said.  

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One of the audience members, Jane Ballinger, said she saw Petrulio two years earlier.

“I was amazed,” said Ballinger. “I am still amazed.”

In another portion of his show, Petrulio asked each audience member to select an activity they like off of a card with five listed. It led him to pick gardening, traveling, fishing, picnics and art shows as the ones selected by the audience. 

Cries of “how did he do that?” could be heard from the audience. One member, Dorothy Ricciardi, said she was “very taken by the whole thing.”

“I can’t imagine how he does all these numbers and what’s going on in my brain,” Ricciardi said. “I thought it was very interesting, and I’d like to do it again.”

The afternoon mind games event was part of an initiative to host more activities during the day, according to Library Director Catherine Wolverton. 

“I’m just kind of hoping that people enjoy it and have fun,” Wolverton said. 

Petrulio wished for the same. 

“Until we meet again,” Petrulio told his crowd, “may all your thoughts be good thoughts.”

Email: jongsma@northjersey.com