Hello,

Just wondering if many of you have read Super Psychic Readings by Ian Rowland ? I love Ian’s work and do have full facts of cold reading, so was wondering if there is enough difference between the two. Was worried that it would be a shorted diluted version so was hoping for some light to be shed ?

Thank you.

Café search might help.

I have read SPR - word for word, as I did the proofreading. It's completely different to the earlier book, more geared to giving readings yourself than in spotting CR techniques used by others. As I don't do readings myself, I'm not really qualified to comment on how practical the material is; it would probably work well if you have "the gift of the gab" and can improvise around the basic structure that Ian gives. Like all his books, it's a very entertaining read.

Barry

Thank you Barry, that was exactly the answer I was looking for! I do love Ian’s work as well so with your response in mind, I think it will be definitely worth the purchase!

There already is a thread about this book https://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/view......c=704921

Even tough many people wrote they don't like it I still bought it because the full facts book was that good. My recommendation is to not buy it. This book will maybe help you a bit with presentation, but overall its not worth it. It doesn't really teach what to say during readings, its more about the process around the readings. If you just want to know cold reading for supporting your mentalism, you are better of with FF of CR. Also there are other books like "Red Hot Cold Reading" that are supposed to be very good, maybe look into that before SPR. However if you really want to do readings that stand for themself, like tarot or palm reading sessions, then SPR may be something for you.

Not much substance really. I wouldn’t buy it again. I have some Ian stuff that is gold. But this is more like copper.

I've not read it, but books like this tend to be more useful after one's learnt a system rather than before. It's hard to apply the ideas about giving readings when you're not actually giving, erm, readings.

I have it, and I attended the workshop.

It's not an approach I would rely on in the real world.

The approach itself is missing content, (i.e. what do you actually say when the queen of cups reversed lands) and basically says "just make it up, but heres some useful guidelines that will help you make it up in an entertaining and useful manner" - or in other words, use your imagination (...so basically be psychic?)

It's much easier in that case to learn how to engage your intutive imagination in a structured manner - or, use a system. This was made evident when watching workshop attendees ham and haw their way through their "readings" based on this approach.

As bevvevvybev said, above, useful after learning via a system. But in this case, assuming you've learnt a good approach to using your intution in readings via systems, there's no need for this.

As I have counselled for many years, there is no book that will teach you to become an accomplished cold reader. There can't be.

There are many excellent books on cold reading, to be sure, but the vast majority of them are only useful (indeed, may only make sense) after you have acquired some basic cold reading skills.

So it would seem the real key is to find the inner confidence to actually go out and ‘give some readings’, or at least incorporate some of the ideas in your work?

KieranS wrote:
In a word: yes.

It's definitely a "learn by doing" art. I have offered suggestions on how to begin gradually (reducing the pressure on one's confidence), but there's definitely a need to "bite the bullet" and simply get on with it.

And it's not for everyone: a certain "gift of the gab" is an important asset, and you need to be someone who "presents well" to others (a little weird can be OK, but off-putting is not).

I like to quote my late friend (and skilled reader) John Wells, who wrote (in 2009), "You must be an interesting, intelligent, erudite, educated person before you can have any real success as a mentalist."

I really miss John Wells. We were never to the point of being friends, but we had some very friendly correspondence.

In particular, he suggested knowing an oracle (he suggested tarot to me, but also talked about novel uses of numerology). If you prefer not to show an oracle, it can still be a powerful mental tool. He had an example relating to seeing which of the major arcana a person reminds you of and simply describing the person as you would the card.

I don’t do much cold reading lately, but I did a stint at the local witchcraft shop as a resident palmist and card reader. I thought of John regularly.

Patrick

I also miss John. I'm not sure how much his extensive trove of knowledge was realized and/or appreciated, but his insights and contributions provided invaluable learned insights and reflections that were emmensely enriching. He left a great legacy as well as, alas, a tremendous void.