[UA] Re: UA digest, Vol 1 #403 - 17 msgs

[Rick Neal]

> On the Sci-Fi Channel (at least in America), there's a show called
> "Crossing Over with John Edward."  Anyone interested in spiritual chicanery
> should take a look at this one as it's a textbook example of cold reading.
> 
> For those of you who are unfamiliar with cold reading, it's the process
> of throwing out vague statements and getting people to fill in more
> information for you, then building more vague statements off of that, until
> they're convinced that you're in contact with their deceased relatives.
> (Sure, you could use it for other things, but the dead relatives seem to be
> most popular.)
> 
> Sadly, this all seems to be presented as a straight-up special ability
> that this guy has.  Today he's got two guys on the set and we're getting
> great stuff like, "Were either of your fathers involved in documentaries?
> Well, I'm seeing something to do with film.  Were either of your fathers
> involved in something that could have been filmed?" and "Your mother says
> she wants to mention John F. Kennedy.  Did she ever meet Kennedy or did she
> have strong feelings about him?"

Boy, he's not been keeping up on his research in the field if he's using
crappy old chestnuts like that.

The definitive works on how to do cold reading are The Art of Cold Reading
and Sequel to the Art of Cold Reading, by Robert A. Nelson. They were
written something like thirty to forty years ago (Sorry, I can't be more
precise, as my Mentalism books are packed away somewhere), and are
remarkably good at pointing out the things about people that just don't
change. Lee Earle, another great practitioner of Mentalism, has marketed a
book and tape collection called (I think) The Classic Cold Reading, which is
a pre-packaged set of twelve statements for you to mix and match that will
be (according to the statistics in the book) 80% accurate for the
population. The way they are phrased allows the Mentalist to pick up on
positive and negative reactions, and proceed accordingly. I have used the
material in these books in my act (when I used to have an act) and can
attest to the effectiveness. I was, in fact, offered a job as a telephone
psychic based on my Mentalism routine.

So much for Dionne Warwick and her friends.

Rick Neal

To do good for Mankind is the chivalrous plan,
One always most nobly requited.
So fight, then, for freedom, whenever you can,
And, if not shot or hanged, you'll get knighted.

Lord Byron, When a Man Hath No Freedom


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