Richard Webster's many fans will enjoy the latest in his series of valuable essays, published by The Deceptionary, and available there for free download.

Yes. I read that as I read everything from Richard Webster. In fact I hardly look at any other information about readings from anyone else although I certainly used to years ago when I used to study this stuff remarkably thoroughly.

As far as persona goes for me personally I don't believe in anything fancy. No incense, psychic paraphenalia, candles, gypsy costumes or darkened room. It is just like going to see your doctor in his office. I just act like myself and nothing else. I tried to use Richard's idea of having the client on the same side of the table or on my right side but I just couldn't feel comfortable with it. I want them on the other side of the table opposite me. I can't do it any other way. I can see the logic of Richard's way as it is more friendly and intimate. Well, I ain't a friendly type so I have to do it my way.

For example one theory advanced by the late Herb Dewey was that you should do the reading on a glass table so you can see through it and watch the body language of the legs of the client. Not for me I am afraid. It sounds good in theory but I think it would make the client feel more exposed and less comfortable on a subconcious level and in fact it would have the same effect on me. That is why you have to be very careful indeed with a lot of advice out there on this stuff since so much of it is absolute nonsense.

I have produced two DVDs for International Magic on the art of readings. You can either obtain them from them, other dealers, or best of all from me. I made sure to recommend Richard's work thoroughly on not only these particular DVDs but in fact on any material I have put out on this stuff. Through the years I have produced 7 DVDs and two CDs on psychic readings. 11 hours of material altogether. It is the least known of all the material out there but naturally in my biased opinion the most worthwhile. Naturally I am far too modest to talk about it so instead I shall thoroughly recommend anything by Richard Webster.

As VisionQuest knows, I too have no "persona" that was created for when I do readings.

I do my readings dressed casually (bare feet and all) and I do not put on any graces. There is truth that there are clients for every reader and the clients I get often come to me BECAUSE I am true to myself.

Yes indeed. You are known as the "barefoot prophet" may God preserve us. And people here would be surprised to know that you are not all foot and mouth.
You have done literally THOUSANDS of readings! Other mentalists would have no idea of your experience in this activity. You probably have more experience of doing readings than 90% of your mentalist colleagues. There. That should depress you.

My experience with short readings is very meager compared to all of you on this page. But I do enjoy giving them. I have found that the reading is more successful (more accurate, and the sitter leaves feeling better about themselves, and their ability to handle their own problems) if I do the opposite of playing a persona-it seems to come easier if I make a deliberate decision to drop any persona, try to drop all pretense of playing a character, to release any barrier or social mask that might keep me from feeling that the human being sitting with me is in any way less than I. I have found it is really quite difficult to give-up the various masks I wear, especially with a stranger, but I also find that I enjoy doing so.
Or perhaps I am moving down the totally wrong road here, it does seem as tho I am disagreeing with Mr Webster, what do you much more experienced readers think?

My persona is a bit more outgoing than is my natural demeanor. My years as a clergyman haven't wholly left me.

I don't know why Balaram feels that he is disagreeing with Richard: that — in large measure — is pretty much what Richard said!

Richard plays a slightly amplified version of himself (as does John), something that a lot of entertainers do without even realizing it. And of course if you're naturally outgoing and effervescent, the amplification may not be necessary.

Balaram. I don't think you are disagreeing with Richard Webster at all. When he does readings he seems to be pretty much acting as himself too. I honestly believe the best way to do readings is just to be yourself. Come to think of it virtually all the psychics I know and that includes shut eyes don't seem to put on any particular act or persona. They just seem to be themselves. They don't act that differently when they are not doing readings than when they are.

I came of age in the 1960's, and the most popular bumper sticker was "Question Authority". This had 2 meanings: A) Don't believe everything told to you by "authority". and B) If you want to know something, find the guys at the top and ask your questions directly.
In the spirit of B, then, Gentlemen, thank you, it was the word "persona" that threw me.

In my day job, as a Physical Therapist, I do wear a sort of mask, a defined professional distance, which allows for a bit of detachment in the practice. This works for everyone's comfort, and is expected. Granted, at times the distance may be small, but it is always there. And as a performer of bizarre magic, the character is more obvious, and it's all for fun. No problem there.
With a reading tho I get to drop all the pretenses and simply relate naturally with a fellow human being-there is a joy just in that much, which I think is a good start.

Funny isn't it. When I give readings I have no persona whatsoever, you get the real me, whatever that is.

Putting on a mentalism performance is another matter entirely.

I hear what Balaram is saying about professional distance. For therapy I can imagine it's important for everyone concerned.

I'm with John Wells on this - a slightly exagerrated version of myself. It's not something I've ever consciously worked on - yeah ensuring my readings are presented as effectively as possible is work I've done but really my personality remains the same.

For a mentalism show I tend to wear the purple shirt with all the frills. You know who the mentalist is, because he looks like a reject from a Meatloaf lookalike competition.
But for readings I wear a sober suit. I don't know why that is. I tried it in the purple, in the white tux, and all the variations. I just seem to fake sincerity better more conservatively dressed. My mentalism is an amplified version of myself. My readings are a toned down (and more sympathetic) version of myself.

I still remember at one of the first psychic fairs I ever did a client saying to me, "the reason I came to you rather than any of the others is that you look ordinary. Quite a few of the other people here are dressed in robes or are trying to look a bit weird and mystical. I figure that you either have psychic ability or you don't. There is no need to dress up"

That fair was an exception. A lot of the psychics at that particular fair had flowing robes, weird hats and stuff like that. Generally speaking 90% of psychics at the fairs look perfectly ordinary except Paul Pacific who dresses like no normal human being. I still remember someone thinking he was a maintenance man rather than a psychic. And I have never seen a psychic with bare feet before. I still remember a psychic fair promoter asking him not to dress up a bit at the fair and there is a post somewhere on the internet commenting on his "gross tank top" at a psychic fair!

However, the point is that he was just being his normal self! He is like that all the time anyway! So yes. I think the general consensus is that you should just be yourself when doing a reading.

I think some here do not understand the meaning of "persona" ("one's public image or personality"). Everyone has one (or more): you can't "not have" a persona, unless you're deceased.

Richard's essay is about appropriate personas for private readings.

Doug is correct about not having a persona. However, it is perfectly possible not to have a personality. Look at the average mentalist for example. No personality whatsoever. Or if I wish to concede some generosity I shall simply say the personality of a dial tone. Of course very few mentalists are psychic readers and the ones that are may not necessarily be any good. Contrary to the standard wisdom that mentalists can do a better job at readings than shut eye psychics because of cold reading skills I have not found that to be the case. Most of the ones I have come across have been bloody useless.

Don't "hold back" Mark - Tell us what you really think!!

My experience is similar to Mark's. One of the fairs I work has a lady, overweight, middleaged, non-descript, who does more readings than anyone else. I sit near her and listen. She tells them nothing except they have good angels and everything will be fine, and she rakes it in. Objectively, they are awful "readings", by our standards, but they get the green.

I found that if I removed myself from the equation as much as possible, things were better. I was an interpreter, that was it.

Doug might be the smartest user here on the Café

I don't think that Doug is the smartest user on the Café. After all he STILL hasn't listed my psychic material on his website when it is clearly the best in the industry after Richard Webster. After all it must be perfectly obvious that I know more about this stuff than anyone else. On the other hand I am not sure I want his endorsement anyway since I am a very shy and retiring person.