Giucas Casella reflects on 50 years of mentalism and career risks

Giucas Casella, a prominent figure in Italian television for over fifty years, has reflected on his career as a mentalist and parapsychologist. In recent interviews, he distinguished his work from traditional illusionism, stating that he seeks to ‘create emotions with the mind’ rather than performing mere illusions.

Casella shared several formative experiences, including a childhood incident where he claims to have used telepathy to alert his deaf-mute mother after falling into a well at age six. He also described how a childhood encounter with a viper led to his interest in hypnosis and experimentation with animals. He noted that a priest once reassured his mother that his abilities were a ‘gift’ and suggested the stage name ‘Giucas’.

Reflecting on the risks of his profession, Casella recounted surviving being buried under two meters of earth for 40 minutes using yoga and autogenic training. He also described a frightening incident during a live television broadcast where he was trapped in a trapdoor filled with water for six minutes.