Cold readings

Cold Readings

For all the budding con artistes out there this article goes out for you. "Cold reading is a series of techniques used by mentalists, psychics, fortune-tellers, mediums and illusionists to determine or express details about another person, often in order to convince them that the reader knows much more about a subject than they actually do." is the first sentence on the Wikipedia article titled cold reading. Here are some cold reading techniques:

Shotgun Statement: "I'm sensing your card its a diamond, a heart...no its a spade." Using Franks' reaction a psychic can usually determine that it was a spade as Frank reacted differently on spade. Frank is now amazed as he had not believed in psychics before but yet you had guessed his card so you must be psychic.

Rainbow Ruse: "You are generally a good person but when someone angers you you retaliate." Frank is stunned by the psychic Rowena's statement. He is unable to believe that she could know something like that about him. Rainbow Ruses are saying an obvious statement that covers both sides of a matter and is vague. If you look at fortune cookies the technique is often used there. Although this technique combines with the trivia statement technique in which you say something vague it is a more complex version covering the entire spectrum of the rainbow so to speak.

Vanishing Negatives: "Frank you don't have an interesting job do you?" This statement can be answered either way and the psychic can be thought right. "I do actually. Wow. I'm an FBI agent."
or Frank could be undercover and answer. "Thats right. I don't. I sell shoes." By the rest of the audience the psychic could be considered right either way.