How To Be Psychic - Cold Reading Techniques

Step 1: Shotgunning

This technique requires that you quickly offer a huge quantity of very general information, hence the name shotgunning, and then to observe your subjects reactions and body language. For example; "I see a heart problem with a father-figure in your family, a father, grandfather, uncle, a cousin, brother..." Depending on how they react to this, narrow the scope of your statements accordingly, refining it with each of your subjects reactions.

Step 2: Barnum statements

Named after an American showman, Barnum statements seem personal, yet can apply to many people. For example, "I sense that you are sometimes insecure, especially with people you don't know very well." They often give the reader the maximum amount of 'wiggle-room' in a reading. If the subject believes you're wrong in this situation then you read into it that they have a lot of self confidence, and tailor you're statements accordingly. They rely on the eagerness of the subject to make connections between what you've said and some aspect of their own lives.

Step 3: Go Fishing

Try phasing each of your statements as a question, then wait for a reply. You can then rephrase what you have been told and feed it back to them. "Do you often like to go out with friends?" By making your statements into questions, you force the subject to search their memory to retrieve specific instances to fit your general statements. If the reply or reaction is positive, i.e. "Yes, I love spending time with others," then turn your next statement into a positive assertion, "I feel that you are a very sociable person."

Step 4: The Rainbow ruse

This is a statement that awards your subject a specific personality trait and the opposite of this. For example, "Most of the time you have a positive outlook, but there have been times when you have been down and upset." This allows you to cover all possibilities and appear to have made an accurate deduction, despite the fact that the statement you've just used is vague and contradictory.