Ways Clients & Readers Can Prevent Cold Reading
Cold reading is a psychological technique used by mentalists to elicit information from a querent and to perform in a way that causes the querent to perceive that the mentalist knows more than he or she does! By the more unscrupulous, it can be used as a way to misrepresent themselves as fortune tellers, causing genuine clients to avoid consulting fortune tellers altogether for fear of being made a fool. This is a very real problem, not only because of the potential for fraud to even the most intelligent of clients, but also because genuine fortune tellers may inadvertently use cold reading techniques, especially as they learn their trade. Thus, this article is written with tips to make some cold reading techniques impossible on clients and to wipe out some cold reading techniques that may have been mistakenly assimilated by well-meaning professionals. For further reading, I recommend
The Full Facts Book of Cold Reading by Ian Rowland.
For Clients:- Think critically without getting defensive. Start out by informing the professional of your concerns and your intention to not allow cold reading techniques to be a part of your reading. Some readers don't need information about you to get started, but often ask clients because they work with clients that want that. Letting your professional know ahead of time that you don't wish to share information will allow him or her to pick divination techniques that don't require information and to not arouse your suspicions with questions they may be accustomed to asking.
- Help your reader by pointing out if you notice that he or she is asking questions before or during your reading. Remind gently that you do not wish to answer them during your reading. It can be hard to break the habit if your reader is used to an interplay during the reading, and he or she may need a reminder. If you're comfortable giving your reader feedback after the reading has finished, remind him or her that the question and answer session can happen after the reading!
- Use your best poker face, and don't nod or shake your head or give information back. This is probably the cold reading blocking technique that you know about already. Good readers won't be insulted by this, especially since you've already informed them of your concerns and intent, and in fact may be used to it! I find that reading for males at fairs often causes the most fun poker-face sessions, followed by relieved feedback after the reading! If you feel unable to resist giving feedback during the reading, try an email reading!
For Professionals:- Reduce the amount of information you gather before your reading. For marketing purposes or for the sake of completion, many readers automatically ask for a birth date even if they are just performing a tarot reading without using any Astrological correspondences! Requiring names of everyone involved can make the reading flow easier, too. I urge you to experiment with using the least information needed. Only ask for full names for Numerology readings. If several people are involved, you can push yourself to provide descriptors, especially for email readings which can be easily subject to generalized cold reading Barnum Statements, which apply to everyone. If you struggle with clarity, you can also use other delineations. For example, tell the client to label them "guy number one" and "guy number two." her own mind before you get started.
- Reduce the habit of constant confirmation questions. For example, it is easy to end every sentence with a clarification to help you slow down like, "does that make sense?" Your intentions may be only to be understood! But, there is the potential to subconsciously direct the reading based on the client's response. A better alternative is to preface your reading by letting the client know that you may be going very fast, and that if anything is unclear, to feel free to stop you and ask questions only if desired. After the reading, ask if there's anything else you can help the client with, instead of pushing for feedback about the reading's contents.
- Eliminate accidental use of the Rainbow Ruse. This cold reading technique when a mentalist makes a statement that covers both ends of a spectrum so that it must always be true. For example: "You are a very honest person, but at times you can find yourself stretching the truth!" The Rainbow Ruse is most often accidentally used by inexperienced tarot readers when learning reversals. Each inverted card has a distinct meaning, but it can be easy to notice how much great feedback you're getting if you use both meanings even when they oppose one-another! Why? You're using the Rainbow Ruse! Stop it! Even though learning reversals the real way can be harder and longer to do, it will make you a better reader.