"Cold reading": examples. The technique of "cold reading"

By cold reading, modern psychologists call subtle manipulation, which, with the help of certain techniques, can give the impression of a perceptive person who is very knowledgeable in extraneous matters. With the help of this technique, experts explain all the effects of predictions and clairvoyance produced by various kinds of workers in the sphere of transcendence - fortune tellers, astrologers and others. About what this method is and how it works, we'll talk below.

About cold reading

First of all, you need to place all the dots over i. Although the so-called cold reading does take place and allows us to explain some phenomena from the field of human interpersonal communication, it would be too reckless to explain to them all things considered supernatural. A university specialist with a higher psychological education, having learned this technology and having a hand in a series of trainings, can certainly play the role of an average fortune teller by giving a prediction or characterization in the spirit of a newspaper forecast. But it is unlikely that he will be able to impute knowledge and possession of this new-fashioned psychological pribluda to a rural old woman with the formation of a seven-grade Soviet village school, which, spreading out maps, is able to put the most accurate diagnoses and describe events, subjects and people in such details that are too far from ordinary streamlined Universal formulas. Cold reading often serves as an attempt for unscrupulous scientists to explain part of the whole to please their prejudices. Their findings turn out to be unreasonable, not confirmed by a sufficient number of studies and statistical material. Therefore, you should not flatter yourself and consider that having mastered a few techniques from this area, you will be level with Vanga and Nostradamus.

Cold reading technique

Now let us briefly review the technique, which will allow us to get acquainted in general terms with what is called cold reading. Keep in mind that far from all situations, their use is justified morally.

Select an object

To begin with, you need to make the choice of the person you will be reading. As far as possible, do it in advance. Professionals at this stage also help their assistants, who, as it were, accidentally meet and get acquainted with the object, tactfully and unobtrusively collecting information about it, which they then give the reader before the session. If possible, you can ask for a volunteer, as usually these people are more receptive. On the other hand, a person who is skeptical may volunteer to volunteer, which should be avoided in every way, since if in that case the person is cold reading, the technique may not work. If you are in a situation in which there is a certain audience, then you can make a little hitch in the spirit of "I see that one of you has recently experienced problems in personal relationships." That is, you need to operate on general phrases that are suitable for many, if not all, people. Then watch out for the reactions of people. As a rule, those who fall into the category of suitable ones will give themselves away with something. Then you can do some more general, but still more specific statements, and continue to look at the audience. In the end, you will choose the most suitable subject, which by that time will already be quite impressed and is located to your session.

Visual monitoring and analysis

Starting a cold reading of a person, carefully consider it. It is very important. Even if you have only a couple of seconds to do this, use them to the maximum. Isolated parts need to be analyzed in a comprehensive manner. Pay attention to such things as age, image, clothing brands, accessories, height, weight, the presence of jewelry (especially the wedding ring). Typically, such things can tell a lot to the attentive observer, and it is on their analysis, among other things, the method of cold reading is based.

Language of the body

Then go on to scan the body language. Nonverbal messages are a very important source of information, making it possible to make cold reading more spectacular and profound. Observe how the object changes the position of the body during the session, what gestures do, how the facial expressions of his face and eyes change. The most important thing is that you have to pick up three signals from this, indicating that you are saying either correctly or neutrally, that is, you are somewhere near, or what you said, as they say, "past the ticket office." When you realize that you've made a mistake, you need to correct yourself carefully and quickly - these corrections can produce quite a noticeable effect and play in your favor.

List of guesses

Further, the cold reading technique assumes that you are building a list of guesses about the object in your mind. Think about how you can characterize it, what you can imagine about him and his life. It does not matter that part of your assumptions turn out to be wrong. They will help you to collect a whole image and carry out an effective cold reading of a person.

Dialog with object

Now start the conversation. First of all introduce yourself and find out the name of your object. If possible, ask also about the name. If you arrange a show a la communication with a deceased relative, then conduct a corresponding samopiar. But still it's better to refrain from such quackery, as this is not entirely ethical in relation to the object, and discredits the serious practitioners from among the mediums.

Throwing the rods

Cold reading at this stage involves asking questions that are constructed as if they were statements. For example: "I see that you have problems. They are connected with a woman? "At the same time, if the object agrees, the impression will be as if you knew it in advance. And if he shakes his head negatively, then it does not matter, because you did not say anything, but just asked a question. In any case, you will clarify the situation, and in the future it will be easier for you to make the right conclusion.

Maintain feedback

Continue reading cold, supporting feedback. Starting from the answers of the object, build your assumptions about it and express them, diluting with interrogative constructs. More often than not, the object itself will give you more than enough information to draw logical conclusions and please it with your "clairvoyance." Just listen carefully and relate the facts to each other - this is the cold reading. Examples of such relationships in the set are found in everyday life. Here is one option: a young man loves his cat very much, but tells you that he is very saddened that he will have to be sent to another family. On his finger, the wedding ring flaunts, according to which you can assume that he lives with his family. Therefore parting with the animal will be most likely connected with one of them. Most often this is a banal allergy in newborn children.

Fixing the effect

Here you need to say something that wants to hear your object. It should be one simple positive phrase, which will encourage or morally support it. This will help to accentuate the success and the impression that your cold reading of the person took. Examples of this kind of phrases: "everything will get better," "you will all survive and you will still laugh at it," etc.

Advice

In conclusion, here are some tips to help make your session even more vivid and productive.

First, use the Barnum effect in your reading , that is, use general formulations that are suitable for almost everyone. Usually, after such a phrase, a person is ready to open up and give out a portion of more specific information.

Secondly, appropriate the information that you learn from a person. For example, after an object's response or its approval, pretend that you knew it without it and confirm what he said in phrases like "yes, that's right. And besides, your wife is very worried about this. " In addition, monitor the progress of his thoughts, that is, carry out a cold reading of thoughts. At first it can be a little difficult, but with practice it will become an automatic skill. Cold reading of thoughts for beginners is first of all the assimilation of the fact that the object usually speaks about its problems. That is, for example, phrases beginning with "I really love my wife," suggest that a person has some problem with his wife. You need to take this into account and express it before him, starting with the word "but", that is roughly like this: "But recently you have lost a sense of mutual understanding with it, and this worries both of you." Then you can turn around: "You are also worried about how this can affect your children ...".

Third, use pauses to track the reaction of the object and adjust your line according to it.

Fourth, do not admit your mistakes. Try to rebuild the wrong assumption so that it becomes meaningful for the object. For example, it is possible to wriggle out of the incorrect postulation of the object at work, saying that it is affected by someone's problems at work. Next, the object itself will find such a person.

Fifth, train artistry and be positive. Remember, half of the success is provided by charisma. Most people believe or want to believe in your insight, they are interested. Therefore, the ambiguous moments on the edge of which you are balancing, they will tend to interpret in your favor. If at the same time you will be sympathetic to them as a person, then your success, count, took place.