I've become very interested in Cold Reading. Can anyone recommend online lectures I can purchase on the subject?

Thank You,

Christopher

Learn a system like the tarot. Once your good at it, you can ditch the cards and just rely on your mind and intuition to generate the info.

Best place to learn, hands down, is in Dusty White's school:

https://easytarotlessons.com/

First month for $1.

Over 80 hours of expert tuition.

you'll also need a copy of his book - easiest way to learn the tarot ever.

Oh and the book "Intuition of demand" will help too.

I wouldnt look to learn "cold reading" you wont get far in the real world.

I second that. Cold reading in itself is not likely to be impressive unless one is a real expert and very experienced.. As an add to something else like tarot, it can enhance the reading if used sparingly.

I am adding it to something I am already doing. I’ve been doing some reading more and more in my show over the years and just want to enhance it a bit. I am not looking to do an entire cold reading routine on its own.

In that case just use psychometry from A-Z principle by Richard Webster as well as star sign traits - Julian Moore’s book on speed learning this info is very good.

In addition, there is some free information here:

https://www.deceptionary.com/content-i.html

Thank you. I look into those.

It also depends on what you want your “cold reading” segment to look like..... do you want to tell the person about themselves? Delve into their past? Tell them what is happening in their life at the moment? Predict the future?help them overcome blocks? Etc

Ian Rowland also does private lessons by internet. If you have his book and think he might be helpful, drop him a line. I have always found him responsive and helpful.

Patrick

I can echo Patrick’s recommendation. Ian’s ACR system is invaulable and his lessons are very helpful. He has trained the FBI and other companies and you can really tell. Well worth the time and investment.

You may have to read. Nelson's work is good as is Richard Webster. I recommend you watch John Edwards or VanPragh for the best video lessons. They are making money off of it.

But don't do this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t07UzTcApMI

EDIT - I do love that clip because you can almost smell his rage at those women for not confirming anything...

"never married?"
"no"
"I thought so...you need to love yourself more..."

then he goes to the croaky woman at the back and immediately praises her...

great psychology - but please, please, please listen to how much tripe and rapid fire changes he makes...then please think about (statistically) what old men and women might suffer from in their dotage)…

then think about why they are popular too!

He can only read American thoughts. Not his fault. Pretty funny though. A good lesson here is if you are failing, go faster and throw more wrong stuff out there. If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullish....t.

I am not sure that CR is an effect unto itself -- unless the performer is doing readings.

Having said that I tend to agree with aligator. Cold reading is a solid adjunct to the majority of things we do as mentalists. A cen**e tear, for example. You KNOW what word/place/thing the volunteer is thinking of. But as opposed to revealing it straightway -- you use that information as a springboard into doing some 'warm' reading. (WARM as in having some information prior to starting the effect.)

An example? Let's say that you've asked the volunteer to consider their dream job -- the thing they would be doing if there were no barriers. They have written "Doctor."

An inexperienced mentalist will get to the reveal of 'doctor' very quickly, take applause and blaze on to the next effect.

But this is an example that is begging for a more entertaining reveal. Yes. You know the word is 'doctor.' What kind of person would choose this as their dream profession? There are a number of possible reasons: money, prestige...access to nurses. But chances are that, since you are talking about a Dream Profession, their 'passion' lies in something closer to their emotions.

So you can circle around the reveal. "I am seeing you in the role of a helper...someone who helps." "There is a face looking back at you. This person is waiting to hear what you are about to say..." You can become even more abstract at first and see blood and bone and the mystery that keeps it all moving. Take your time with the reveal and make it into a journey as opposed to a 'reveal.'

Cold Re**ing fits the vast majority of effects where the emotions are involved. Done properly it elevates a reveal from the interesting disclosure of a word/name etc. into a true miracle. The performer seems to have known so much about the volunteer -- things he could not have possibly known. THAT'S where the true impact comes from.

But doing CR well requires a lot of practice. You need to learn how to read subtleties and body language. You need to learn how to use the right words, how to pump without looking like you're pumping, how to pay attention to what the volunteer says and then feed back what they've just told you in a new way.

CR is one of the most important -- and difficult -- effects in your arsenal as a mentalist. I am not sure you can get more than a few pointers from a lecture. I'd respectfully suggest that you pick up some books by people like George Anderson and Ian Rowland. Learn about body language and how to read microexpressions. Get books like Websters Psychometry A to Z. When you've amassed a ton of knowledge go out and start doing it.

Offer free 'readings' to people and expect to look like a fool at first. But always work to be better and hone your skill. It's a long process...but well worth every second.

When you start to 'get' CR -- much of it becomes second nature because you'll know things without really realizing why or how you know them because you are truly reading your volunteer.

Forgive me because I know this isn't the answer to the question you posed about what lecture to watch. But I think it is more the answer you need...offered with respect.

David

Thank you very much for the valuable info. I’m very lucky because I perform a show twice a day six days a week and have done so for 15 years. About 20 minutes of the preshow improv work is just me getting to know the audience,and has been for the last 15 years. Overtime, I slowly have been able to not just asking the audience questions but to make statements about them clearing their occupation personality etc before I ever start interviewing them. Over the past year, I’ve had more and more people ask me how I know so much about audience members. To me it was just intuition after talking to 20 to 30 people per show twice a day
for almost 6000 shows. Last week I decided to just make it more of a presentation. It’s the perfect venue for me to test my techniques and to take some chances. If I happen to miss it doesn’t appear as though I’m trying to do any type of mentalism.

Another great one is "Something from Nothing: A Guide to Modern Cold Reading" by Angelo Stagnaro. It may be a little pricey / hard to track down, but is worth the time and money IMHO!