ex nihil - something from nothing
Angelo Stagnaro's
Something from Nothing:
A Guide to Modern Cold Reading
A Mentalist's Guide to Reading People's Minds & Futures for Fun & Profit
Cold Reading ¾ n : a general means used by professional mentalists, stage magicians and charlatans to ascertain ostensibly secret information in order to simulate psychic abilities such as ESP, telepathy and precognition. They largely do so by relaying on experiences common to humanity in general. Also known as the P.T. Barnum Effect.
Cold Reading
"Intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next."
- Dr. Jonas Salk
The "P. T. Barnum Effect."
Cold reading is very simple and is easily learned by most people. However, once learned, it requires practice. The following suggestions are taken directly from Ray Hyman's classic book, "The Elusive Quarry: A Scientific Appraisal of Psychical Research." These are the techniques "psychics" have been found to use to generate what seems like paranormal effects. Psychologists have identified these techniques as the "P. T. Barnum Effect" or the "Forer Effect." Despite what most people will claim, P. T. Barnum did not say "a sucker is born every minute" though, I'm sure, he firmly believed it. The expression was actually coined by his competitor, a banker named David Hannum, owner and perpetrator of the faked Cardiff Giant "Fossil."
Psychologist Paul Meehl, coined the term "Barnum Effect" due to the famed showman's reputation as a flimflam artist. P. T. Barnum is most often associated with circus sideshows but he also worked very hard at developing "psychics" from ordinary people who, though talented, had absolutely no preternatural skills. P. T. Barnum was first and foremost a business man and would not let a lie, or a series of them, get in the way of a profit. Like many other people in similar circumstances, he was an expert in human relations and marketing. He knew what motivated humanity and how to manipulate them for his own purposes. In keeping with this philosophy, I have produced an analysis herein of the principles of the P. T. Barnum Effect.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Appeal of Mentalism
Paranormal Research
A Philosophy of Mentalism
A Rose by Any Other Name
Ethics & Caveats
Augmenting a Cold Reading with a Hot Reading
Predicting the Future
The "P T Barnum Effect"
Why it Works: The Theory Behind Cold Reading
Practicing Cold Reading
An Introduction to Body Language
Hands/Arms
Shaking Hands
Eyes
Posture & Stance
Gait
Seated Position
Miscellaneous
Voice & Inflection
Reading People
Coldar
Developing an Intuitive Sense
Deductive Reasoning
Our Happiness & Goals in Life
Cultural Anthropology
Generalizations Based on Age
Basic Similarities in Our Lives
Conclusion
Muscle Reading
Equivoque
Casual Observations
Intuition
Contact Mind Reading
Generalizations Based on Gender & Age
Medical Observations
Charm
Psychology Forces
kinesics ¾ 1 : the psychological science that deals with the movements of the human body and their interpretations as to interior and subsequently hidden motives and emotional states
Body Language
"A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed."
- Ibsen (1828-1906) Norwegian poet and playwright
If psychic powers truly existed, as some would purport, there would be no need for a book like this. As mentalists, we're continually challenged to delve into spectators' private selves. One way in which the private self is already standing up and screaming to be noticed is through body language. Information derived from body language is completely fair game as far as I am concerned and it would be beneficial for us to learn to recognize these body signals. I hope that after you read this book and digest it, you'll see that everyone, with only some minor exceptions, can learn to read the tell-tale signs of what is going on inside our spectators' heads.
How many times have we been in a discussion with someone who agrees to your request but will stand crossed-armed and tense while he speaks to you? Or who, alternatively, will smile gratuitously and act agreeably but still gives you the impression that he has absolutely no intention whatsoever of fulfilling his promise to you?
Body language is described by psychologists as a language of signals. These scientists believe that we unconsciously express our feelings and thoughts in gestures, movements, aspects and attitudes. All of which can be utilized by mentalists. Kinesics, the study of body movements and their interpretation, suggests that approximately ninety-percent of the total information given off by an individual is conveyed through body language, tone of voice, facial expressions, stance, gait, gestures and pupil dilation. Studying these largely unconscious behaviors reveal pertinent information about a person's inner thoughts and emotions.
Interpreting body language involves more than simply seeing a single body motion and giving a pat explanation for its existence. This thinking could lead you into mistakes. Instead, you need to interpret the entire gestalt. Examine the spectator's gait and his demeanor. Look at the style, fit and condition of his clothes. What does the condition and appearance of his hands suggest to you? What does your intuition tell you about this person? Look into the spectator's eyes. What do his eyes reveal about his personality? Is the person relieved, happy or angry? Does he have a spark of intelligence or is he uncaring? Are his eyes tired and bloodshot suggesting a recent night out on the town? Does he have a glazed-over look suggesting that he might be on medication?
Much of what I've written here is common sense. Angry looks suggest anger and nervous jittering suggest nervousness. I offer this insight into human behavior to help you develop a sensitivity toward people and a theatrical response to that behavior to help develop your reputation as a mentalist. The movements that are described are divided into the following categories. Each will be discussed in turn:
3
Shaking hands
BITING ONE'S LIPS
#
Description/Explanation
Try these lines:
1
This suggests embarrassment or a lack of self-confidence. People bite their lips to prevent speaking rash words. This can also be the reaction of someone caught unawares in an embarrassing situation while thinking of something to say.
"You are a person who knows how to deal with people. Tactfulness is your best quality."
SMIRK
12
Smirking expresses self-satisfaction, resoluteness, mischief and the joy of observing others.
"You are a good judge of character."
STEEPLED FINGERS
19
Hands in this position suggest an authoritative personality.
"You are a gifted leader. You enjoy commanding others and have the ability to make others follow you."
CROSSED ARMS (hands hidden under armpits)
23
This person is cautiously hopeful. This posture symbolizes defensiveness and emotional and social barriers.
"You are not a person who willingly puts all of his eggs into one basket."
TOUCHING ONE'S NOSE
35
Touching and rubbing one's nose is a sign of a lie.
"You feel conflicted about a situation and feel guilty about a lie that is somehow involved."
SHAKING HANDS (Two-hander)
crassial