Mentalist breaks Pi record

Bedfordview resident, mentalist and memory expert Michael Abrahamson has notched up a new record.

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He is the current holder of the Pi record for the most consecutive digits recited blindfolded from memory in under five and half minutes.

He achieved this on March 14, International Pi Day, when he recited the first 2 000 digits of Pi in a time of five minutes and 12 seconds.

This is the second time Abrahamson has set this record and he believes that it won’t easily be broken because the next person in line completed the task in eight minutes.

The first time he undertook the task was in 2019 when he recited the first 1 500 Pi digits from memory in just four minutes and seven seconds.

“It equates to over six digits a second,” he told the NEWS adding that in completing the challenge every second counts.

In 2020 he had his eye set on breaking his previous record but when the pandemic hit he decided to put the idea on the back burner.

“I also put the idea off in 2021 because there was an influx of new variants and everything was still a little uncertain.”

Abrahamson is South Africa’s longest-serving mentalist and he spent the last six months preparing for his new attempt.

He said that to be able to break the record was a combination of his ability to speak fast and his incredible memory.

“Most people, even if they can remember 2 000 digits, can’t speak fast enough to break the record in a shorter time.”

Even with over 25 years of experience in the memory game, Abrahamson said his attempt was no easy feat.

“I spent around five hours a day practising for the record. It has been a demanding task.”

In preparation for his new attempt, he created a computer programme to help him and he would record every single attempt and played it back.

He said that some days he would complete his test runs slower than other days.

“Some days I finished in 5:25 but then other days I would do it in 5:14.”

Growing up he was fascinated with magic after he was introduced to the art at the age of six.

“I spent years learning magic and even went to magic school. While I met interesting people I didn’t feel it was stimulating enough but then in the 1990’s, I went to a show for a mentalist visiting from the USA.

“I was amazed at what he could do. It all seemed so impossible,” Abrahamson said.

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He said that from that moment he was hooked and he started researching the art. Abrahamson found ways he could use his new skills in everyday life.

With a background in statistics, he started teaching at Wits University.

“My students would constantly ask how I could remember everyone’s names. They asked if I could teach them and that’s how I created my first course that was launched in 1997.”

After 25 years the courses crafted by Abrahamson are still used by school learners, university students and business people who want to learn how to remember important things in their daily lives.

Over the last two decades, the memory expert used has his memory to venture into the world of sports broadcasting.

“I’ve commentated during the 2010 World Cup, Olympic events and finals for cricket and rugby.”

He added that if he didn’t know about a specific sport he would simply read up on it and get to know as much as he could.

In 2019 he also took up another challenge and won Afrikaans hit game show Noot vir Noot.

“I spend countless hours listening to and memorising Afrikaans songs. I’m only the second English person to ever win on the show.”

What’s more, Abrahamson only had two weeks to prepare for the show.

It was just five years ago when he was introduced to the Pi challenge and not one to turn down a good memory challenge, Abrahamson stepped up.

With the record for the most consecutive Pi digits recalled from memory in the shortest time standing at 1 200, he knew he had a shot.

And in 2019 with four judges present he set the record that he has now broken.

While he doesn’t know if he’ll take up the Pi challenge again, he said he’s always on the lookout for a new challenge.

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