My reading by a "psychic".

[wasapi]

Did this psychic appear to be popular? Was there a waiting room full of clients?

No. From what I gathered, she came to this shop once a month, and the shop owner did a low-key, local advertising, though mostly it was word of mouth. We saw her as soon as we entered, and as we were leaving, 2 or 3 other people were waiting to have readings done.

For one evening a month, giving readings at a starting price of $25, she could easily bring in $300. I don't know, but assume, she does her 'gig' at other places in town. She could be bringing home a couple of thousand or more, a month.

 

[Cris]

is there hot reading?

 

[abaddon]

is there hot reading?

Yes. Why do you ask?

 

[Cris]

I want to know.

 

[abaddon]

I want to know.

OK Hot reading is a very well known technique among so called psychics. It is used to collect information before a reading in order to give the appearance of psychic ability on the part of the psychic. It is trivially easy. Yet people still fall for it. And have been caught doing it. Hell, I have done it, albeit in an entertainment context and not to make money. It has become a tradition that I perform some mind bending act of magic post christmas dinner every year. I never reveal how I really did the apparently impossible feat. It always amazes, and it often requires hot reading. It's a hobby. And it annoys my kids when I do it, because I wont even tell them how it is done.

They all know up front that it is entirely mundane and I make no money from it. It is entirely for fun. A christmas party piece, if you will.

 

[Cris]

an example of hot reading and cold reading?

 

[arthwollipot]

an example of hot reading and cold reading?

Hot reading is when I look you up on Facebook before your reading, find out that your father's name is Mike and that he's deceased, and then during the reading telling you that I'm receiving messages from your deceased father Mike.

Cold reading is when during the reading I tell you that I'm getting a message from someone in the beyond with an M name, or perhaps N, perhaps Nick, or Mark, or Mike and then you tell me that's your deceased father's name.

 

[wasapi]

I really believe it was cold reading. A friend who she also 'read', was told an architect, an attractive man would be in her life. The friend very much wants a boyfriend, and that was picked up on with a little intuition.

Nope. He hasn't shown up yet.

 

[Cris]

have other examples?

 

[arthwollipot]

is there warm reading?

You might describe a performance that uses elements of both hot and cold reading as a warm reading, but generally no. Hot reading and cold reading are specific techniques that the performer uses to create the illusion of being psychic.

 

[abaddon]

an example of hot reading and cold reading?

I can read Tarot cards to a stranger accurately, apparently. I can cast astrological birth charts for a person I have never even seen, also apparently accurately. I can dowse by pendulum or traditional twig. Sight unseen, I am rated spot on. And there is a method behind that. That is cold reading. One knows nothing aforehand. It might seem odd to you, but it has a methodology that always works.

Warm reading is different in that one has a working awareness of at least some detail of the intended mark. And one simply "blends" that in to a straight cold reading because one is equipped with foreknowledge that the recipient and audience thinks you cannot possibly know.

Hot reading entails finding hard facts about the recipient beforehand, and then revealing those facts as a matter of awe and astonishment. It is actively invasive and I don't much care for it. Particularly when practitioners pretend that it is real. I make a point of that. It is merely a puzzle to attempt to work out how I carried off the seemingly impossible, it is not an invitation to imagine that all of the various superstitions have any reality.

 

[Pixel42]

an example of hot reading and cold reading?

Some mediums plant people in the audience who strike up conversations with people in the next seat or the queue for the loos - "hi, I'm hoping to get a message from my dead husband, is there anyone you'd like to hear from?" - and then pass everything they learn back to the medium for use during the performance. There was also one who kept every letter sent to her by desperate bereaved people organised by location, and then sent free tickets to the ones who'd given her useful information about their dead loved ones the next time she gave a performance in that town. Those are both examples of hot reading.

Cold reading is basically making intelligent guesses and reading body language.

 

[Hellbound]

The movie "Leap of Faith' from a few years back gave good examples of some techniques. Dramatized, of course, but not too far outside what's done for some of the big shows and similar.