VALDOSTA – After two pages have been torn from a magazine, one page picked, then that page ripped in half again and again until only a small swatch of the page is left in hand, Michael Spremulli instructs the person to pick a word from that small piece of paper.

A longer word, not a one-syllable word. He says, again, the selected word like each piece of the ripped page kept is the person’s choice. Word selected? The person says yes.

Think of the word, Spremulli instructs. He asks if the word starts with the letter e. The person says no. The word starts with a p.

Spremulli instructs the person to think of the number of syllables in the word in rhythm. He watches the person for several seconds. Spremulli says, two syllables. The person agrees. 

He asks if the word ends in s. The person says no. He asks about the s again. The person says an s is the next to last letter.

Are you a crafty person? Spremulli asks. An artsy person? The person says he has been. Is the word something that would be used as a tool? Something that would be ruined if not properly washed after use?

Yes.

The word is paintbrush, Spremulli says. The person says yes.

Spremulli said he bases his ability on intuition. 

“I rely on my gut a lot,” he said.

Spremulli is scheduled to do a lot of relying on his gut reaction in the coming weeks as he headlines “Insights: An Evening of Mindreading” to benefit the Humane Society of Valdosta/Lowndes County and supported by PAWS: Pets Are Worth Saving, the Valdosta State University student service organization.

He is not a psychic, he said. He does not have powers.

“I’m not starting any religion,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m not a prophet. … I’m not going to speak to a dead pet. Or talk to a loved one who has passed away.”

Instead, he asks people questions then makes observations based on the answers. He relies on a combination of intuition and deduction, again stressing its mostly intuition. Something akin to a highly developed sense.

He began honing this sense, this skill, as a child. Cataracts affected his vision as a boy, he said. He relied on his gut to intuit things near him. He became attuned to things other people missed. He said the ability compensated for his limited sight.

He turned this ability into a career as a personality profiler. He started his company in 1998. He lives in Valdosta with wife Elizabeth Goode, a Valdosta State University music professor. He works with corporations to share skills with corporate leaders and employees and as an entertainer often for fundraising events.

He said he is forgoing any pay to help the Humane Society.

Emily Smith, director of the Humane Society of Valdosta-Lowndes County, said the organization needs community support to help with operations. She said she hopes the event will raise much-needed funds.

“We wanted to create a fundraising event that was different from all the others. Michael’s performance fits the bill perfectly. It’s going to be an unforgettable night,” Smith said.

“The organization and our volunteers have accomplished so much, but there is much more work to be done to reach our primary goal of making Valdosta a no-kill zone.”

She said the Humane Society is 100 percent funded by personal and corporate donations.

The event will hopefully raise funds and increase public awareness.

Will the event meet these goals?

Michael Spremulli certainly thinks so.

SHOWTIME

“Insights: An Evening of Mindreading with Michael Spremulli” benefits the Humane Society of Valdosta-Lowndes County.

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12.

Where: VSU University Center, off North Patterson Street.

More information, tickets: Visit www.humanesocietyofvaldosta.org.