Books - The Full Facts book of COLD READING
(Extract from Section 1 of Ian Rowlands book on Cold Reading)
Welcome to the Psychic Circus.
The Greatest Scam In History?
They are found throughout history.
They are found throughout the world.
And they defy explanation.
They are psychic readings, and everyone has either had one or knows someone who has. People find these readings astonishing, and with good reason, since they are ofeten intriguing and incredible. Let me descride what happens.
You go to see a psychic - someone to whom you are a complete stranger. The psychic, usually female, describes your personality with pin-point accuracy. She identifies events in your past and present. Her reading may include the names of people you know, and specific facts about your personal life, career, and plans for the future. She refers to your innermost thoughts and problems, abd provides wisdom and guidance which seems to make sense. She may also offer glimpses into the future which have an uncanny way of coming true.
This is a psychic reading, and it is the essence of today's psychic industry. Countless thousands have been moved, impressed and thrilled by such readings, and offer testimonials like this:
"I found my reading absolutely fantastic, I really enjoyed it. Everything that he said was absolutely spot on, and everything that he said that was going to happen to me seems to be absolutely fantastic. I was very impress actually. He did a personality analysis on me and it was really right - spot on."
There are many testimonials similar to the above if sincere and enthusiastic testmony were an infallible guide to truth, then no one could doubt the authenticity of psychic ability. But it is not. And it can.
The above is a real quote, from a real person. However, the reading she had been given was a complete sham. I know, because i gave the reading, and there was nothing psychic about it. Instead, i used "cold reading" - the psychologically deceptive technique which is the subject of this book.
This book is well written guide to the techniques used in "Cold Reading". The process by which psychics, mediums and other performers appear to read their subjects minds. This book is intended both as a manual to teach the techniques to its readers and a guide to debunking the claims of "real" psychics who charge for consultations. I thought it did both well. I found the book easily written and logically laid out, it's comfortable and intersting to read all the way through as a complete text, but the layout makes it easy to dip into if your looking for something specific. Ian Rowland examines the techniques used by professional mediums and psychics who claim that their powers are real. Once you have read Ian's book you will look at psychics in a new light and see how cold reading can work so effectively as a eans to an end.
Ian does not take himself too seriously as his website homepage suggests: Ian Rowland: The Mindreader, The Motivator (And fridget magnet)
Ian provides Masterclasses in Cold reading across the UK, think I will attend in the near future and let you know how I get on.
www.ianrowland.com/
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