Cold reading...?

Doyler92

Hi. I was down with a monk yesterday and he done a 'personality' type test. He told me the techniques after and i took them down. They consist of body language, jungion psychology and chi kung. I researched them but everything is far too complicated. I'm wondering if you can give me easy explanations to these. Bear in mind I did not know this man but yet a 5 minute conversation and everything was nearly 100% accurate. Thanks

sambuka41

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055320291&highlight=cold+reading

heres a link to info about cold reading from the skeptic forum. Its def something to be aware of when seeing any medium or psychic. There are con artists out there.

It doesn't mean all mediums are fake but if you go to see a medium try be aware of your body language, its harder than you think! Try keep a netural position and not react to statements.

Also only answer with yes or no. This is very hard because it goes against everything we have been taught as social creatures. Try remember it this way, the person in front of you is a stranger, would you tell intimate details to the person beside you on the bus? Prob not, try adapt the same approach here. All good mediums will say let them do the work, if your relative wants a message to get across they will find a way. In saying that a certain amount of participation is important but yes/ no answers should cover it.;)

Doyler92

Super. Thanks for that reply. Now that I think of it I did react a bit to statements with my body. But the things he said, he could not know from body language.

Oryx

Doyler92 wrote: »

Super. Thanks for that reply. Now that I think of it I did react a bit to statements with my body. But the things he said, he could not know from body language.

What kind of things? You can be vague on detail if you like, but Im interested to know the general idea of what he could tell that couldnt be based on body language.

Doyler92

Ok I went with my class. I'm only 17 and the only one driving there. He told to me to be
careful but I've only started driving. He told me I've a wall beside my bed and a monitor at the end. He said I sleep with one leg beside my body and one free flowing (I'm weird I have to sleep a certain way). He also said I've relatives in America in which I've cousins. He said a while ago I was big into fitness then I stopped for a bit and now I'm back into it. All of these details were one hundred percent accurate with me just answering yes and no answers. There was more which were true but cannot remember them currently. If I do I'll post asap.

Oryx

Doyler92 wrote: »

Ok I went with my class. I'm only 17 and the only one driving there. He told to me to be
careful but I've only started driving. He told me I've a wall beside my bed and a monitor at the end. He said I sleep with one leg beside my body and one free flowing (I'm weird I have to sleep a certain way). He also said I've relatives in America in which I've cousins. He said a while ago I was big into fitness then I stopped for a bit and now I'm back into it. All of these details were one hundred percent accurate with me just answering yes and no answers. There was more which were true but cannot remember them currently. If I do I'll post asap.

My stance is I do believe people can be read psychically. Just so you know where I come from. But of the statements above, I could accept 5 of them. Id be interested to see how many other posters could also accept. That is how cold reading and barnum statements work, they are precise enough to be accepted, but vague enough to apply to a lot of people. What makes a reading stand out more is when the reader gives information that only you can take. Say, in my case, that I went to my grad with a black eye my then bf gave me. That would be pretty unique.

oeb

Doyler92 wrote: »

Super. Thanks for that reply. Now that I think of it I did react a bit to statements with my body. But the things he said, he could not know from body language.

Cold reading is rarely preformed on 'body language' exclusively, while body language can offer verbal cues of hits or misses verbal statements made by the subject are generally a much better indication of a hit.

Once a hit is achieved, it's easy to keep on feeling out that line of enquiry which often results in major hits. People tend to accecpt nonsense like 'the powers are not exact' etc which will easily explain away all the inevitable misses.

When this is combined with the Barnum* and rainbow** style statements that fit so many people (The rubbish you read in the star signs column in the local rag would typically be Barnum and rainbow statements)

If you went into that meeting with a solid knowledge of the techniques and practices of a cold reader, you may have a very different impression of the 'personality tester'.

* Barnum statements generally deal with things that while they appear personal may effect many people or deal with attributes that most people would assign to themselves (Money worries, problem with a friend or relative, I sense you are a good person, a loyal person etc)

**Rainbow statements put contradicting personality attributes together to 'cover all the bases' (IE: I sense that while you are generally a compassionate caring person, but when someone crosses you or breaks your trust you feel great anger or resentment)

oeb

Doyler92 wrote: »

Ok I went with my class. I'm only 17 and the only one driving there. He told to me to be
careful but I've only started driving. He told me I've a wall beside my bed and a monitor at the end. He said I sleep with one leg beside my body and one free flowing (I'm weird I have to sleep a certain way). He also said I've relatives in America in which I've cousins. He said a while ago I was big into fitness then I stopped for a bit and now I'm back into it. All of these details were one hundred percent accurate with me just answering yes and no answers. There was more which were true but cannot remember them currently. If I do I'll post asap.

These are all Barnum statements. For example, you would be hard pressed to find an Irish person without relatives in the US (And even if they don't that will often get hits with people who have relatives in any foreign place.)

Doyler92

oeb wrote: »

These are all Barnum statements. For example, you would be hard pressed to find an Irish person without relatives in the US (And even if they don't that will often get hits with people who have relatives in any foreign place.)

I see exactly where you are coming from. So are you trying to say he's not a good reader? I'm not trying to sound snappy here just looking for an answer as I'm completely new to this.

oeb

No. He is a good reader, he must be, two posts ago you were telling everyone that he knew tgings about you that there was no way that he could know. I'm just telling you it's all explainable with an easilly aquired skill.

Oryx

Based on the info you gave op, all we can give is opinion on whether we think he was cold reading or not. Nothing youve said so far would indicate anything more, but we didnt sit in front of him, so we dont know the complete details.