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The art of cold reading: adapted from Ian Rowland's The Full Facts of Cold Reading.

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HI!

I'M IAN ROWLAND. MOST OF US KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN TO A PSYCHIC, OR THEY HAVE SEEN PSYCHICS ON TV. I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW SOMEONE WHO IS NOT PSYCHIC CAN PRETEND TO BE =30 USING A SET OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRATEGIES KNOWN AS "COLD READING." AS A PERFORMER ON STAGE I OFTEN CREATE THE ILLUSION THAT I HAVE PSYCHIC POWERS LIKE TELEPATHY.

HOWEVER I ALWAYS ADMIT THIS IS AN ILLUSION, AND THAT ITS JUST FOR ENTERTAINMENT. WHILE I DON'T GIVE PSYCHIC READINGS FOR MONEY, I DO DEMONSTRATE COLD READING TECHNIQUES IN SOME OF MY TALKS. EVEN SO, I HONOR THE MAGICIAN'S CODE AND NEVER REVEAL THE SECRETS.

WHAT IS A PSYCHIC, READING?

GIVING PSYCHIC READING AND TELLING FORTUNES ARE ANCIENT ARTS-PERHAPS AS OLD AS CIVILIZATION ITSELF. LIFE IS FULL OF UNEXPECTED SURPRISES AND HUMANKIND HAS ALWAYS LONGED TO KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE WILL BRING.

THERE ARE MANY KINDS OF PSYCHICS. SOME WORK ONE ON ONE-OTHERS PERFORM FOR A TELEVISION AUDIENCE OF MILLIONS. THERE ARE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL "PHONE PSYCHICS" WHO READ THE SAME PREPARED SCRIPT FOR ANYONE WHO CALLS, AND OTHERS WHO CAREFULLY TAILOR EACH READING TO THE PERSON PAYING FOR IT. PSYCHICS MAY USE TAROT CARDS, PATTERNS OF TEA LEAVES, OR CRYSTAL BALLS, OR STUDY STARS, LINES ON THE PALMS, OR HANDWRITING, OR EVEN USE NO PROPS AT ALL. SOME EXPLAIN THAT THEIR KNOWLEDGE COMES FROM AN EXTRAORDINARILY WELL-DEVELOPED INTUITION, WHILE OTHERS INSIST THEY CAN ACTUALLY CONTACT THE DEAD.

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THE ONE THING THEY HAVE IN COMMON IS THEY ALL CLAIM TO HAVE SOME SPECIAL ABILITY TO ADVISE YOU ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER OR YOUR FUTURE. THEY SEEM TO KNOW THINGS BEYOND WHAT CAN BE KNOWN THROUGH THE ORDINARY SENSES, AND THEY SEEM TO BE TOO ACCURATE FOR LUCK OR CHANCE TO BE AN EXPLANATION.

HOW CAN WE TELL IF PSYCHICS ARE REAL?

MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD A PSYCHIC READING SAY IT WAS SO ACCURATE IT HAD TO BE REAL. BUT THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO FAKE A PSYCHIC READING.

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THIS ARTICLE EXPLORES COLD READING BECAUSE IT IS THE MOST COMMON WAY TO PRETEND TO BE PSYCHIC. I ONLY HAVE SPACE TO COVER A FEW OF THE MANY COLD READING TECHNIQUES THAT EXIST. BUT HOPEFULLY AFTER READING THIS ARTICLE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TELL WHEN SOMEONE IS USING COLD READING.

NOT EVERY "PSYCHIC" WHO USES COLD READING IS KNOWINGLY DISHONEST. SOME OF THEM SINCERELY, IF MISTAKENLY, BELIEVE THEY HAVE REAL POWERS. THEY DEVELOP GOOD COLD READING SKILLS WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING IT, JUST BY GIVING LOTS OF READINGS AND DISCOVERING WHAT WORKS.

IT HAS BEEN ESTIMATED THAT PSYCHIC READINGS ARE A BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY, BUT WHAT ARE CLIENTS ACTUALLY GETTING FOR THEIR MONEY? IF SOMEONE CLAIMS TO BE TRULY PSYCHIC IT'S UNFAIR IF THEY ARE REALLY JUST GETTING A COLD READING. WHILE MANY PEOPLE GET A READING FOR FUN, AND OTHERS CLAIM THAT IT'S A HARMLESS FORM OF THERAPY, THERE IS A DARK SIDE TO THE PSYCHIC INDUSTRY. SOME PSYCHICS TAKE UNFAIR ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE'S INSECURITIES AND FEARS, OR THEY EXPLOIT PEOPLE'S GRIEF AND DESIRE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE DEAD. OTHERS ARE OUTRIGHT CROOKS WHO WILL USE THEIR SKILLS TO TAKE YOUR LAST DOLLAR.

HOT READING V. COLD READING

A SMALL NUMBER OF FAKE PSYCHICS SECRETLY OBTAIN INFORMATION AHEAD OF TIME ABOUT THE PEOPLE THEY GIVE READING TO. THIS IS CALLED "HOT READING." BUT, PEOPLE WHO GIVE READINGS DON'T NEED TO GET ADVANCE INFORMATION. IT IS POSSIBLE TO CONVINCE A COMPLETE STRANGER THAT YOU KNOW MANY THINGS ABOUT THEM. THIS KIND OF READING IS DONE "COLD"--WITHOUT ANY ADVANCE PREPARATION OR KNOWLEDGE OF THE PERSON, THAT IS WHY IT IS KNOWN AS "COLD READINGS."

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MAGIC TRICKS

COLD READING IS NOT THE ONLY WAY TO FAKE PSYCHIC ABILITY. MAGICIANS KNOW MANY WAYS TO...

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