Demonstrating cold reading for a Channel 4 documentary when I was young and had long, amusing hair

What Is Cold Reading?

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The term 'cold reading' usually refers to the 'psychic' industry. In simple terms, it means 'how to talk to somone as if you're psychic. More formally, 'cold reading' is a set of communication techniques that allow you to make apparently meaningful and accurate statements to a complete stranger about their life.

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Every year, all around the world, people go for 'psychiic' readings of one type of another. The reading could be based on tarot cards, astrology, spiritualism (relaying messages from the dead), graphology (based on your handwriting), palmistry (based on the lines of your palm), psychometry (based on 'vibrations' from an object you own and often have on or near you), the 'I Ching' (popular in Asia) or many other things.

The essential intrigue of these readings is that the 'psychic' or person giving the reading usually seems able to make perceptive, meaningful and accurate statements to the client, even though they've never met before. Clients often go away amazed, saying things like, 'She told me things she couldn't possibly have known'.

How is the 'psychic' able to do this? If you want to believe that psychic and paranormal powers exist, then you need no further explanation. If you don't believe in such things, then the alternative answer is that the psychic is using cold reading techniques.

Just to explain the trade jargon: 
 

• 'Hot' reading means giving a reading to someone when you have secretly or covertly obtained some information about them in advance. There are many ways to do this.

• 'Cold' reading means giving the reading without this advance knowledge or information.

I've written three books on cold reading that you can get from Amazon.

'The Full Facts Book of Cold Reading' describes how cold reading works in the psychic industry. Among other things, it descrives 37 different techniques for making seemingly meaningful statements to a complete stranger. It's primarily a descriptive book and not meant to teach you how to give readings. 

'Super Psychic Readings' teaches the system I personally use. It enables you to give any type of reading you want, to anyone. Every reading is improvised so the reading is different every time and there are no 'stock' or 'standard' lines to learn. 

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'Cold Reading For Business' explaings how to apply some aspects of cold reading psychology to business contexts such as management and selling.​​​​​

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