Do you want to be the star of the next party? Cold reading is a classic trick used by magicians, fortune tellers, television seers, and other entertainers and charlatans. By asking the right questions to a person, listening carefully and taking a little guesswork, you can convince even many skeptics of your ability to communicate with the spirit world.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Choose a Subject
Step 1. Choose a subject
The "subject" is the person on whom you will apply the cold reading.
- Choose the person in advance if possible. The more time you have to study your subject, the better. Some readers also have accomplices who meet or interview the subject before reading, so that the reader can use this information to impress the subject and the audience.
- Asking for a volunteer is also a good way to choose someone, as it is easier for volunteers to be receptive and, above all, to want to believe in your ability to talk to the dead or see private facts that you would have no way of knowing. Either way, steer clear of skeptics.
- “Throw a hook” among the spectators. With this technique, make a general and broad statement, such as "I sense the presence of someone who is having marital problems right now" or "There is someone I think is called Giovanni who is asking to communicate with his granddaughter". Once these sentences are said, observe the reactions of the audience. There is almost certainly someone who has had marital problems recently or whose grandfather was called Giovanni.
- If you want to narrow the circle even further, at this point you can try to refine your “knowledge” with more specific statements, such as “This John has lived a long time. He used to appreciate fishing, maybe he didn't like hunting so much, but he loved being outdoors ". Focus on those who reacted to your first vague statement and then look for new reactions. This technique allows you to gain the trust of the subject and impress the audience even before reading begins.
Step 2. Observe your subject
Even if you only have a short time to get to know him better, you can still learn more by tracing his "profile".
- Look for easily accessible clues that can reveal something about the person. Age, clothing, height, weight and the presence or absence of wedding rings are just some of the many clues to help you discover more details about that person.
- Read the subject's body language. Before starting cold reading and during reading, carefully observe the body language. Involuntary gestures, facial expressions and postural changes can suggest the person's level of anxiety, usually a good sign, since it means that you have said or are about to say something correct. Looks of disappointment can signal some of your mistakes. If you stealthily and quickly correct yourself, the person and audience (if there is one) will be shocked by the correction.
Step 3. Make a mental list of assumptions about the person
As you observe the subject, think of certain things that you could plausibly guess about him. Some assumptions may be wrong, but they are all helpful in building the character in your mind.
Step 4. Prepare the subject
Introduce yourself and be told the name. Look him in the eye and tell him, if you haven't done so yet, that you are able to communicate with the afterlife. Explain that the person on the "other side" really wants to communicate with him, but you are a simple intermediary and you will need the help of the subject. This makes the reading more melodramatic, prepares the subject for the possibility of errors and ensures his cooperation.
Method 2 of 3: Start Reading
Step 1. Proceed by trial and error
By asking questions, you will often get the right answers directly from the subject. For example, you could clarify what you learned earlier by asking "Now, is John your grandfather?" Ask questions in such a way that they can be perceived as affirmations. That way, if the subject confirms, it will appear that you know the answer. If the subject denies that John was his grandfather, that's okay, because you were just asking a question.
Step 2. Build from the responses you receive
Many times, the subject will voluntarily give more information than necessary. He might say something like “No, Giovanni was my uncle. He lived on a farm”. Now you know a little more about the subject. By using this information to ask further questions, you can give the impression that you are aware of various facts about the subject. If you are a good listener, you can quickly get results.
Step 3. Dig deeper
Once you have reached a series of helpful questions, continue on that path. If, for example, the subject says he is making a decision, you can follow with a statement such as "But this decision also affects another person". Most decisions involve at least one other person in one way or another. If you are attentive and courageous, you may notice the subject's wedding ring and instead say "But this decision must be made with your husband". If you are right - since the statement is so obvious, but also aimed at a visible characteristic of the person - you will be even more impressive.
Step 4. Make a positive analysis of the situation
Once you have helped the subject to open up and have acquired an idea on the subject, you can bring the reading to a satisfactory conclusion by delivering a message from a deceased friend or relative. You don't have to be precise and you don't have to give advice. Simply tell the subject what they want to hear: that everything will be for the best.
You could say, for example, “John wants you to know that he protects you from up there and he misses you. He's happy and he wants you to be too. And you will be. You will make the right decision”. You may want to warn the subject about the challenges that await him, to give a more realistic touch to the reading, but the most important thing is to make him feel good
Method 3 of 3: Cover Your Tracks
Step 1. Aim for the Barnum Effect
The statements Barnum, from the name of the circus P. T. Barnum, these are statements that will suit virtually anyone, but will give the impression that you know something about the subject. The use of this technique is a bit like "throwing the hook", but applied to only one person.
For example, you might say "You are about to make a big decision in your life." Many people, at any given moment, are facing an important decision. The subject will likely be impressed that you knew that thing about him and may even want more information
Step 2. Approve the subject's responses
Basically, a cold reader simply repeats what the subject said. Do this so that it looks like you already know the answer. If you can do it intelligently, the subject will tend to forget that he was the one who gave you the information.
We assume that the subject confirms that he is about to make an important decision. You can simply say “Yes, that's right”, thus making his answer yours. You can even go further by saying “Yes, that's right. You've been thinking about it for a while ". The more information the subject voluntarily gives, the more information you can make yours
Step 3. Use meaningful breaks
One method of guessing is to pause long enough to provoke a reaction from the subject.
For example, if you tell a woman that the decision must be made with her husband, you can wait a moment to see if she has something to say about it. He may immediately tell you that you are right or wrong, or he may expect you to say something else. In the latter case, observe his physical reaction. If any signs indicate that you are on the right path, pick up where you came from with a phrase like "This decision worries him"
Step 4. Cover up your mistakes
Sometimes a question will simply be misleading and this could break the illusion, unless you recover quickly and elegantly.
Suppose, for example, the person says they don't see big decisions in their near future. There are various ways to handle this situation. One would be to say that the spirit you are communicating with is probably referring to someone else you both know. Another would be the time shift, with a sentence like "But you made a big decision last year, you experienced a kind of new beginning". You can also change the question structure with a sentence such as "I feel that something new is happening in your life or is about to happen". Reverse the way you ask the question until it makes sense to the subject
Advice
- Some accessories, such as tarot cards or tea leaves, can increase suspense and divert part of the attention from actual thought reading.
- Keep the meeting short and mysterious. If you know that you will soon meet the person again, develop other points based on future visions and insights.
- Choose people who believe in the paranormal, or want to think something is true or false. It is easier to persuade them as they want to believe and respect you.
- Practice your mastery of the stage. Learn a few popular words. Learn to act convincingly. Set the mood.
- Employees who wear name tags often forget they are wearing it. A simple cold reading consists in guessing the person's name. Most of the time, it is the person's mother who chooses it. Mentioning this fact could reinforce her confidence in your special powers.
- The "rainbow trick" is similar to Barnum's claims. In this case, you make a generic observation on a character trait of the subject, but you are also evasive (and push the subject to open up), attributing the opposite trait to him at the same time. For example, you might say, "You like to make decisions carefully and patiently, but sometimes you are impulsive."
- Remember, it is easy for the subject to want to believe in your "powers" and you just need to solidify that belief. It will then attribute to you more knowledge than you have actually shown.
Warnings
- There are many cold readers and unscrupulous "seers". Although many of them just want to make some money, others are more dangerous. Santons and criminals, for example, often use these techniques to impress their victims.
- It should be a fun activity. No matter how good you get, it's still a trick.
- Some skeptics will volunteer just to make a scene and reveal the tricks of the trade. If you hear someone bragging about their skepticism, or if a potential subject seems too dismissive, choose someone else.
- Watch out for the effects you might have on someone. Be very cautious about giving advice, bad news, or reopening emotional wounds. After reading, let the subject know that it was pure entertainment.
- Be very careful in choosing who to apply this technique to. There are people who won't react well to finding out it's just a trick (and you always have to reveal it). By touching the wrong buttons, they may react with anger or pain. Interfering with people's feelings in any way is cruel and not without consequences.
