Obviously cold readings is MUCH more than the lines you use, but I'm still curious what your favorite stock lines are. I'm not referring to reading the future, but reading the past or present.

For instance, by far my most effective line (see my post in the topic entitled "CoLD Reading") is that I sense a strong "association your subconcious is making for water with some kind of trauma".

The initial thought is a swimming accident which several have had. But I transition it to rain or "falling water, like rain". Sometimes they'll tell me of a horrible trauma that's very significant in their lives and I try to help them find water to associate somehow to that. Usually I can, if not I tell them to think about it or that it might be something more recent, etc. so the trauma might not be as bad as the previous incident mentioned but is stronger because it is more recent.

I use this as my springboard because I don't think it's ever failed me and is always the strongest one I use so it gets them talking big time and makes them a believer which helps the effectiveness of everything that comes after.

What have had the best reaction for you?

Jonathan Grant

Not exactly what you have in mind but...

Tony Andruzzi had a no-fail cold reading line I adore:

"You dislike driving in the dark. Especially nails."

"Their is something about you that you wish to change."

"At this point in your life, you are not where you think you should be."

"You have an untapped creative side that needs exploring"

These should get you going.


Blurr

Far be it for me to seem antagonistic BUT... If you get into the habit of using "stock" lines, you will end up getting the short end of the stick. Especially if you are attempting to make money from regular clients doing Readings; be it in the backroom after a show or Psi Party, or in a storefront operation.

From stage, for the sake of kicks & giggles... GO FOR IT!

That brings a good point. While I don't want to do full-out readings regularly, just a few one-time readings for the occasional person for publicity or fun...I am interested in moving on from stock lines better. Any suggestions to help someone like me who is just starting out doing readings and finding personalized readings (or just going beyond stock lines) very difficult?

The main reason besides curiousity, is just some lines to spice up an SAR reading in case they were to come up. I'm looking for some more specific type of lines, like "I'm looking out your window and seeing two cars, one of them white". It is very specific, yet almost always hits. When it doesn't I can easily make it fit into something. (what window are you looking out? Past or present, or future? Is it a neighbor? etc.

Jonathan Grant

Try Richard Websters quick and effective cold readings. It was one of the first books I got on cold readings. Its brilliant in my opinion. I've had three or four people in a bar and read them all at the same time and was able to find differences in each one. The good thing is you'l give them the same reading in a years time so it will be consistent. It uses palm reading for character readings. One of the things you can tell about someone is if they can be agressive or if they back down to easy. You should see the response you get. Even when you do two or more people simultaniously and get similar traits its when you get the different ones they always seem to agree and makes the readings stronger.

Another very cheap book by him is quick readings from numerlogy. This works really well as you use the birth date. Youl be able to tell where they have just come from and where they will be going over the next few years.

These two are perfect for quick readings anywhere anytime and really have a strong effect on almost anyone even skeptics.

Its a good place to start!

Plan on attending my workshop @ the 72-Hours of Mentalism gathering in Boston * Oct. 11-13... (this is NOT part of the convention!)

Actually, I haven't spoken to Andy about this, but I am offering a 4-hour Reader's Workshop in conjunction with my "Readings In Routine" lecture. If you are in northern KY, south-central OH, PA, MD, the NYC area and intersted drop me a note...

Darmoe, as I've already told Andy, I'm going to see if I can make it possible to be there for the convention -- and your workshop would be a plus. Right now, though, there's only about a 30% chance that both the time and the money will come together for the trip.

The rest of you, consider that an endorsement if you like

I have a favourite that I use in my variant of an old principle. It works a treat for me.

However, I will bring it up in Secret Sessions instead as it needs context to make sense. No time at this moment, but soon.

/bamba

Learn a divination system for real.
Tarot,Runes,numerology, are all excellent
systems that can give you "lines" to talk about for hours. Just really study that system.
Personally, I use the Robin Wood Tarot deck [Thank you Millard] I find it to be so accurate it's scary. OK, not scary, just accurate. The book Tarot palin and simple is
a great book written by a psychologist that uses Tarot in his therapy.

”What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?”

Millard and that dang Robin Wood deck... The Old Path Tarot is better

You are correct in the instruction of learning an actual system... start small and keep it simple Rider Waite Tarot is where most begin (because it's familiar)... the book series of Eileen Connolly will walk you through about 3 years of solid "everyday" learning.

Mark Strivings, Richard Webster and a ton of others ALL stress that this is the best foundation you can give yourself. I tell the magicians I work with to "throw away all that Cold REading garbbage you bought at the magic shop for at least two years..." I know that sounds harsh, but it gets in your way and will confuse you and even prevent you from learning how to be an effective Reader using the SCIENCE of divination as well as your own intuition (what Ian likes to belittle and call "a lucky guess"... lucky guesses in my case, deliver over a 92% accuracy factor... but I'm a fake, it's all phooney, etc )

Hope to see you ALL at the Con (BTW... it's not confirmed as of yet, but Joe did ask me a few months back if I'd do the "Readings In Routine" lecture at the ICBM gathering... so, if you miss the one with all the strange people, you can catch the one with the really weerd folks )

I'm a "Cosmic Tribe" man myself...

:evilgrin:

Anybody over the age of 30....


" I sense that recently there is a shift in a realtionship and things will never be the same again....you know what I mean don't you?"

You can't lose with at one. They have either just separated, living together but indifferent or just met someone new, or just got more serious about a recent boyfriend/girlfriend.

watch for the nonverbals you can guess easy which it is

My favorite line is:

“I see you in a romantic situation with someone … no, make that two other persons! You seem to have some issues with commitment to just one lover.”

Millard Longman

http://www.psychic-skills.com

Doesn't that miss a lot though?

I've been trying to get my hands on psychometery a to z but can't find it anywhere!!! That's what I really want. Let me know if you have any info.

Also, the real systems don't work for me because I stay away from that stuff. I go about it in a more psychological way. For instance, "I can tell by the way you picked up your glass...(name specific thing they did with the glass) that you subconsciously associate water with some sort of trauma" etc.

Also to add in to SAR readings (I can tell by this blue mark here that you subconsciously...etc.).

Jonathan Grant

Jonathan,
Just curious, but why do you "stay away from that stuff?"
Carl Jung was a big advocate of the Tarot.
Archetypes of human nature, found in all cultures. That's about as psychological as you can get.
Think of the Tarot as 78 different issues
within the human condition. When combined and mixed with each other, the possibilities
are endless.
If you worry about things such as "occult"
just remember that word only means "secret"

Greetings,

These lines seem to work for me when I am in my HBC character...

"You met your parents at an early age."

"You often sense deja vu."

"You like money but never seem to have enough of it."

"You have an aversion to pain."

"You often sense deja vu."

Sam Haine

I just found another couple of funny lines in the horoscope section of http://www.theonion.com

"Though it feels as if you'll live your whole life without anyone ever appreciating you, don't give up yet. There's still more than a week left."

"You will have one of the worst days of your life next week. However, since it's one of several thousand worst days of your life, it's not all that significant."

"You don't like to sit down on razor blades !"

"You feel really unsatisfied when you accidentally put your hand on the barbecue !"

Sorry, only a bad joke...