Greetings,

I have a question for those who are versed in the arts of Cold Reading. Specifically, are there different approaches or scripts for different ethinc groups or cultures?

I realize that many Cold Reading concepts are universal. After all, we are all human and we all have the same basic needs of which we can derive material for readings. However, wouldn't the readings be more beneficial, meaningful, and accurate if we could account for specific cultures?

For those who do this professionally, do you change your approach when someone comes into your London or New York place of business for a reading and they are Chinese or Jamacian? If so, how do you adapt your reading to account for cultural differences?

Is there any literature on readings for different cultures for mentalists? If so, what are some good sources?

Thanks,
Conlaw

Herb Dewey wrote about different cultures in his books--you can try looking in there.

In London or New York, however, it shouldn't make a difference, since they're both very sophisticated cities (which produce sophisticated people).

Thanks for the reply.

I was trying to point out major difference between say the London and New York cultures and the Chinese culture by using the London and New York reference. What I meant is if you are from somewhere in the West (at least a "westernized" country) how would you deal with a sitter/client who is from a starkly different culture like the Chinese culture? There are huge cultural differences that I assume would affect how you would do a reading. Another example would be if you were hired to do a corporate gig in another country - one with a culture different than your own - and had to do some private readings for the CEO (or anyone else) how would one tackle suce a reading?

Thanks again. I am off to look up Herb Dewy.

Conlaw

Have you done readings? It shouldn't be much different. There are five major topics you have to think about; one or two you want to focus on... everyone, regardless of where they live, experiences similar problems.

The only real consideration I can think of is incorporating your work into a familiar cultural context. For instance, when I was in Bolivia, I talked about magic (actually, what mentalists call "magick") in relation to nature, because Bolivians only truly understand magic in relation to nature. But all that really takes is a few thoughtful questions. The technique was still the same.

Globalization--of nearly every modern convenience--has narrowed the cultural gap. In terms of the "human condition," there is very little difference; people have the same money problems in China as they do in Russia as they do in the US. To an experienced reader, it should not make any difference.

While I have had limited exposure to diverse cultures in my mentalism, I have made very good use of Kenton's COMPLETELY COLD. It is not a script per say, but rather a technique. It responds to universals that I imagine are concerns of people of all cultures. The ability of turning negative responses to positive ones and positive ones to even more positive hits have aided me in my own losely scripted readings.

A short booklet. You can pretty much do it after one read through.

Good luck!

tg

I agree with this. If you are doing readings in a city like NY or London, for example, you will be reading for people who has pretty much the same set of concerns, the same problems, even if they originally came from any other country. Of course, there are cultural differences, but these shouldn’t affect your reading if you focus on human condition, feelings, worries, emotions and day to day problems.

Now, for stock readings, you should be careful. Many lines that get you hits with an occidental client may not work with an asian. I guess that’s your concern, right? Stay away of automatic readings and you will do fine.

I was doing readings at a college in south Wisconsin a few years back. When starting a reading (palm) I would always ask for their date of birth. I had read a number of Cambodians when one told me something interesting.

It turns out that where they come from in the Cambodian countryside they don't have birthdays. They are born in a season, spring, summer, fall, or winter. The reason all knew a birthdate to give me was when they applied to come to the USA they had to put a date down, so they all guessed.

People are people everywhere. In my opinion individual differences are more important than cultural differences. I more recently did a summer picnic at an international community in Iowa (!), literally people from all over the world. When they found out I was doing palmistry I found myself looking at tables full of hopeful faces and raised hands...it's called the flood. All the cultures reacted the same.

Let's see how I can put this for a PG audience using an R rated real life experience.

I once had a female assistant/partner to whom I taught cold reading methods and Tarot. We also had a personal relationship for a while.

When we parted company -- she started dating a man who eventually told her he also had another girlfriend who was pregnant. My ex partner/friend discovered who the pregnant girlfriend was -- and gave her a "free" Tarot reading. After the reading, the pregnant girlfirend gave up my ex's new boyfriend. The Ex also gave a Tarot reading to the new boyfriend -- and within a week they were married.

All the above are from a different culture -- a superstitious culture which believes in shamans for cancer, herbs for broken bones -- and true fortune telling. These newly immigrated Americans also have been known to pay large sums to have an evil eye dispelled (old egg trick). They bury statues facing one way to protect their house -- another to help sell it.

And yes -- cold reading culturaly has a much different impact on their lives. Now whether the Tarot will hold the marriage together????

Honestly -- you could not get a better plot from a soap opera -- or more bizarre twist.

So -- I guess I will just continue in my studies of how man has evolved into ESP, pyschokinesis, seances to reach the dead -- and use cold reading to part (legally and ethically) our audience from their money.

Remember -- use your powers for good -- teach only the worthy -- and eventually????

Hi ya, Conlaw...

You know when someone says to you..."hey, you know that building on the corner of so & so" ?...and you see that corner in your minds eye ? That is what I will mean when I say "mental image" here. I just wanted to get that clear. Here is your first lesson in cold reading 101.

Years ago, when I lived in Cambridge, I was doing cold readings, but what I learned did not come from a book...I learned to read my gut feeling. I swear, I had strangers coming to my door looking for readings, that's how fast the word spread...that and the fact that I did it for free !.

When you first meet the person, you'll get an over all feeling inside, go with that to start. When reading them, look directly into their eyes...you'll get mental images coming to you, work with those, but never, ever, try to guess about the person.

8 times out of 10, you'll be right

If you recieve no images with looking into their eyes...focus on the forehead and even around their head..,again, keep your feelings open and don't try to guess. There will be some people you just can't read. Some people will start off tough but you'll soon start to get images, so don't be too distressed if this happens to you. I told them that the reading is free and not to put the barrier up to block me.

I never looked at clothing, jewelry, how they spoke...nothing like that, it will only get in your way. NEVER, EVER, start guessing

Again, I'll say that it's very important to keep your mind passive, your feelings open. I was hitting stuff that was way to detailed to have been a guess. It got to the point where I could do it from just hearing the persons voice. I tried it on stage one night, instead of doing my usual blindfold routine, I was just blindfolded , sat on a stool and answered questions from the audience.

Nothing was written down...it wasn't a billet routine...just me, them, and my feelings. All I asked of them was to ask serious questions, don't try to trick me and to be sincere.

I was doing about 65 to 75% accurate readings...I was shocking the heck out myself. The secret...a passive mind and open feelings...

~Rick~

Great post Rick. I know what you are talking about. That’s the difference between Instinct and Reason, I guess. Something that can be very difficult to put into words.

As usual, Gregg points something extremely important: maybe human problems are the same all around, but the way people reacts to a reading may vary deeply among different cultures.

Some great points have been brought to the fore but I'd like to repeat something every Reader worth his/her weight will tell you (if they know either side of the "game") FIND A DIVINATION SYSTEM YOU LIKE AND LEARN IT!

SCREW ALL THE MAGICIAN'S PSYCHO BABBLE JUNK! It can (and more than likely will) get you in trouble if and when you start working full time as a Reader. Though it has its place, 85% of what's been shared within the community comes from persons that are admitted skeptics hosting an analytical mind vs. those who tend to be lead more by their gut and passion (emotions). This simple difference of self-expression and general conscience makes a whole world of difference when it comes to how YOU play the game and learn all the in's & out's associated with the trade.

Remember that this is a life-long journey and there is no "magic key" to becoming a top of the line Reader (other than steady work, daily practice, and constant research/experimentation). The thing is, if you lean too heavily upon the "scientific" perspectives, you'll become blind, mute and disconnected and thus, incapable of connecting and interacting with your patrons at an empathic or intuitive level.

The other reason I personally encourage people to learn a "legit" divination system and set the opinion of the arm-chair experts to the side, is because of the cultural differences that are out there. David Lees, author of "The LEATH Technique" (which I highly recommend, if you can find it)points this out in the opening of his book, suggesting that this is one of the reasons behind his release of a more "Universal" approach to solid Cold Reading (and the LEATH Technique is one of the most solid and flexible techniques I've seen in nearly 30-years!)

If you want to know the basics just as a matter of reference then by all means pick up and study resources like TRADECRAFT, the Rowland Book "Full Facts of Cold Reading" and most importantly, Bob Cassidy's dissertation on said topic. I'll also recommend a review of the older Nelson and Larsen materials that cover this topic as well as everything Herb Dewey ever thought about producing. BUT, augment every bit of this with actual "shut-eye" resources as well. You can't transmit something you ain't got and if you are using all the magic-based BS in your Readings and not aligning yourself as one versed in the more traditional nomenclature... YOU'RE SCREWED! You'll never make a living at it!

Speaking of which... when it comes to the "business" of being a Reader. You may want to check our Philemon Vanderbeck's OORT, Blair Robertson's "Money Making Methods" series, and of course, my own Psychic Technologies books (soon to be re-released for general purchase vs. subscription).

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I'll resume control of the discussion to you kind folks...

Here, Here. Re-read what was written above! Cold reading has NOTHING to do with an actual psychic reading! An actual reading has to do with the connection made between the sitter and the reader. It has to do with the relationship that is established, the give and take, the flow that moves between them. It has to do with HELPING people, not entertaining them. A reading is NOT about telling them generalities about themselves it is about giving them actual thoughtful, insightful advice and direction, it is about them, not you as a performer and while can be very fullfiling it is NOT for everyone as you can wind up carrying a lot of baggage if you are not trained and ready for the problems that do come up while doing readings. An actual psychic reader is a counsellor that helps with problems, not someone who entertains with a deck of cards and while many seem to lump them together and many (usually the uninitiated or the clueless that merely read about it and assume they know everything about it) say it is nothing but a sham and about handing out stock lines and generalities) say it is just a sham and a way to make money, it is not.

Cold reading is called that because it is about starting out with NO information about a person and apparently telling them things about themselves that you should not be able to know. That in itself is NOT the basis of a reading. Cold reading is a valuable tool for a mentalist and a psychic entertainer BUT it is not a tool that is required of a reader, psychological background and counselling skills are.

PSIncerely Yours,
Paul Alberstat

I couldn't agree more...it is more work, and less effective, to fake things. Do something well-known, like Tarot or Palm. If you want to do short readings learn Richard Webster's tic-tac-toe numerology, plus you can learn this system fast.

I can’t agree more.


The great thing about this statements is that, while is absolutely true, is also extremely impopular among magicians and mentalist.

Bravo Paul!

You have, as usual, hit the nail on the head -- thrice. Person, reader, context. Connect or not is how success is measured.

I know how hard you have worked on and in several systems, and how your ultimate goals in readings color everything you do. As an ethical practitioner, I doubt that there is anyone who leaves from a reading of yours who has not been uplifted and advised in some way.

I think also -- too many magicians want to buy a skill, that as you have demonstrated, must be practiced and earned, with as much intensity as any profession. Books can help order your thnought, offer a few chops and insites, but if you are bad with people and push into them just what we as practitioners want or hope to be true, it is unethical -- and bad practice. Unhappily this is an area where no one gets sued for malpractice until they are well into the land of Fraud.

One of the biggest problems I am now finding in the lower 48 is that vocabulary amongst those being read is sadly lacking -- so shading reading nuance to an understandable reading for those with not a first class education while presenting not just a formula -- can be a challenge.