By giving the impression of reading your mind, you can impress your friends. If you are convincing enough, even your enemies will hesitate to think badly of you! However, to read the signals necessary to make other people believe that you can interpret their thoughts you need observation skills and an excellent knowledge of the subject. Add some tricks or techniques to this base and everyone will wonder if you can really read their mind.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Exercising Your Mind Reading Skills
Step 1. Study psychology
This science deals with the mind and behavior of man, so it can be very useful for your goal. If you understand how people think, you can predict what they think. A general psychology course is a great starting point for learning to "read minds". Many mentalists, who perform by pretending to interpret the thoughts of others, spend a lot of time studying the human psyche.
- Probably the easiest way to develop a basic understanding of psychology is to take a course on this topic. You can do this for free at public universities.
- Practice your psychology every day by analyzing the behavioral patterns of the people you hang out with. You can write down what you see in a notebook, so that you have references based on your experience. This will also help you hone your observation skills.
Step 2. Research people's behavior patterns and trends
Although psychology studies human thought and behavior patterns, you should thoroughly analyze statistical trends regarding the actions we perform. For example, knowing that if a person is offered four choices, there is a 92% chance that they will choose the third without any influence on your part, you will be able to predict with good accuracy what they think in a similar situation.
A recent emerging study of man's sincerity, in some cases known as lie-spotting, can help you "read" a person's mind. Just catch her lying, point it out and when she asks "How do you know?", Simply answer "I can read your mind"
Step 3. Develop and show empathy
This advice serves a dual purpose. If the person you are trying to "read" the mind of is comfortable, they will be less closed. This means that you will have more information to predict what he thinks. Also, if she considers you similar to her, cells will activate in her brain that will put her in tune with you, simplifying your task.
- When you try to read people's minds, make them comfortable by mimicking their movements. You don't have to repeat exactly what they do, but try to use the same gestures and it will lead them to trust you.
- Also imitate the words and expressions the person you are studying uses to gain their trust. If she is shy, start talking to her shyly. On the other hand, if she is bold and direct, joke with her and be more daring.
Step 4. Practice deductive reasoning and put it into practice
With this technique, you apply generally true rules to your observations about the person whose mind you are trying to read. This way you can discover or predict information you don't know. For example, if you know that all people eat, that they usually have lunch around one o'clock, and you notice a red speck shortly after noon on the shirt of the subject you are analyzing, you can assume that they ate a pizza for lunch, because pizza is based on tomato sauce.
By making logical connections and exploiting statistically true statements about people, particularly in relation to the specific observations you have made about the subject you are analyzing, you will have a better chance of making correct predictions. Thanks to your accuracy, you will really give the impression of reading minds
Part 2 of 3: Using Microexpressions
Step 1. Learn to recognize microexpressions
These small gestures are sincere emotional expressions that appear on our faces, whether we realize it or not. They are divided into seven universal emotions: disgust, anger, fear, sadness, happiness, contempt and surprise. By learning to recognize these involuntary facial expressions, you can develop a better understanding of another person's real opinion about what you are saying, and you can use this awareness to your advantage when you pretend to read minds.
Microexpressions are very fast. Even if you know what to look for, it's not easy to recognize them. Practice looking for videos on YouTube that show these expressions in slow motion, so that you develop the ability to spot them when trying to "read" the mind
Step 2. Make general statements
You will use them as a network to "capture" microexpressions. The person your mind is "reading" to will subconsciously respond to what you are saying with small, involuntary facial gestures, so use all the general information you know to insert targeted statements into a normal conversation. You can comment on clothing, posture, accessories, or even your choice of vocabulary.
- Start by saying to the other person, "I'm going to ask you a few questions first, so you can get in tune with your mind and be able to read it better." In this way, you will get used to the subject's body language, gathering more precise information about him.
- To give you more room for maneuver, start by saying "Mind reading is very difficult. In some cases I gather wrong information from other people. However, I assure you that if you are patient, I will give you proof that I can read your mind."
- For example, you may notice that the other person is unkempt, but seems to care a lot about their appearance. You can say to her, "Today has been a difficult day for you. Or maybe it's been all week? I have a feeling you've been having problems in your personal life lately. Is that true?" Microexpressions in reaction to your questions and statements will help you understand if your intuition is correct.
- You can also tell a story or shoot a series of quick affirmations and interpret the micro-expressions that appear on the person's face when he hears them. Try to stay as vague as possible. Talk about topics like work, girls, boys, animals, physical activity, family, and so on.
Step 3. Learn to recognize looks of disgust
The characteristic signal of this emotion is to wrinkle the nose. You should also notice the upper lids, lower lip, and raised cheeks. In this expression, almost all the lines of the face descend below the lower eyelid. Imagine the face you make when you smell bad.
People usually avoid things they are disgusted with. For example, if you notice an expression of disgust when talking about babies or children, you can reasonably assume that that person never wanted to have them
Step 4. Notice and avoid anger
Anger is characterized by bulging eyes or staring. You should also notice the tension in the lower lid and lips, which will compress into a square. Vertical lines should also appear between the eyebrows, which will be low and close together. Usually, the lower jaw is slightly out in this expression.
- If the subject you're reading minds feels anger, your performance can be ruined, even if all your predictions are correct. An angry person may decide to contradict you out of spite.
- Do what you can to calm the other person down and prevent their anger from ruining your attempt to read their mind. You can try saying, "When I read minds I try to respect people's privacy; if I have been too intrusive, I apologize. Shall we change the subject?".
Step 5. Look for signs of fear
If you pay attention, you will notice that fear causes raised, flat, centered lines between the eyebrows, which are usually joined together. Those who feel this emotion raise their upper eyelids, while the lower ones are stretched and also oriented upwards. You should see the whites of the eyes above the iris and not below, while the mouth should be slightly open and tense.
- Decide how to react based on the situation you are in. In most cases, if you notice micro-expressions of fear, you should change the subject; this emotion can lead people to withdraw and consequently it would be more difficult to steal information.
- In some cases, fear may indicate that you have guessed an intimate or personal detail. If you don't want to embarrass the subject in front of viewers, shift your predictions to another topic.
Step 6. Identify the sadness
You can recognize this emotion by the inverted triangle that forms under the eyebrows. The corners of the lips are oriented downwards, while the lower jaw rises slightly. You may also notice that the lower lip is curled.
In some cases, sadness can indicate a recent loss. Some people don't like you to "read" their minds about these matters. Use common sense in all situations
Step 7. Recognize happiness in people
This emotion is indicated by a cheerful appearance. The cheeks and corners of the mouth will be lifted, pulled back and up. You should notice a wrinkle from the outside of the nose to the outside of the lips. Crow's feet usually appear near the eyes.
- This microexpression can be a sign that you have hit the mark with your deductions. When you see the microexpressions of happiness in the subject, delve further into your deductive reasoning on the subject.
- Happy people are more likely to partner with you. Cooperation is important to succeed in your fake mind-reading attempt. To make correct predictions, you need to convince the other person to inadvertently give you information.
Step 8. Notice the looks of contempt
This emotion is characterized by a lack of symmetry. In general, hatred and contempt cause part of the mouth to lift, which creates an oblique shape. You may also notice frowns, in which deep, central lines form between the eyebrows, accompanied by a steady gaze.
Contempt is an emotion that leads to isolation, so it will be more difficult to steal information from the other person. If you notice contempt on the face of the person you are trying to read minds, you should do what you can to make him feel included
Step 9. Acknowledge the surprise
This emotion is accompanied by raised and curved eyebrows. You should notice that the skin in that area is slightly stretched, the wrinkles on the forehead should be oriented from left to right, and the jaw should drop at least a few inches, but without tension. Usually the eyes remain open, revealing the white all around the iris.
Surprise may indicate that you have guessed something meaningful to the other person. If you notice this expression in reaction to some general statement you made in the course of the conversation, try to find out more
Part 3 of 3: Reading the Mind
Step 1. Choose your subject carefully
Not all people are ideal candidates for this type of makeup. Some reveal a lot of information at first glance, while others are inscrutable even for experts. By choosing your "victims" well, your mind-reading attempts will be much more successful.
- Don't choose people who are too enthusiastic about having their minds read. It often means they're more interested in being the center of attention and 15 minutes of stardom than interacting with you.
- Prioritize people who are slightly reserved but who respond positively to your humor and your attempts to make conversation. In most cases these people are focused on you and what you are saying, so they are ideal targets for interpreting body language and reading microexpressions.
Step 2. Prepare yourself well for the situations in which you will practice your tricks
If you know that a situation is coming where your mind reading skills will be tested, prepare in advance. Study the people you are going to analyze, their backgrounds, beliefs and attitudes, so you can better understand what they think.
- For example, you might get the information in advance that a group of people you need to analyze comes from a rural area. In this case, just notice the lightly soiled boots and the keychain of a pick-up to understand that it is a farmer; everyone will think you can really read minds.
- If your research indicates that a large proportion of the people you will read minds to are very religious, you can say, "I have a feeling that religion has had a great influence in your life."
Step 3. Use the subject's gut reactions
In particular, try placing your hand on his shoulder to interpret his muscular response to what you are saying. While some people manage to hide the facial expressions of their emotions, very few can control the instinctive muscle responses to the things they hear. This principle is also exploited by the lie detector.
Another trick you can use to read a person's muscle response to what you are saying is to hold their hand. You could explain your attitude by saying, "Physical contact improves mental connection."
Step 4. If necessary, admit you were wrong
Even the most experienced mentalists, who make a living from mind reading tricks, can misinterpret the signals given by a subject. The best thing to do in these situations is to offer an explanation, keep a positive attitude, and try again.
- When you make a mistake, try to defend yourself by saying that there is "psychic interference". You can also say that you have been disturbed by the psychic signals of a close person.
- Before you learn how to interpret people's appearance and reactions with such precision that they give the impression of reading minds, you will be wrong many times. As you train your skills, you will become more and more adept at picking up the right signals.
