A recent endeavor of mine has been to strengthen my ability as a cold reader.
Its a topic Ive known of for a while and even did a little experimenting a couple of years back. I can give a cursory reading and get reactions but nothing to spectacular.
Ive read most of Kneppers Work on the subject, I recently read Craig Browning work along with Herb Dewey's. Ive never used a tool before (oracle as they are called in Craig's book) Such as tarot, palmistry, runes, or numerology. I cannot find a way to make them mesh with my preforming character. I have always went the route of claiming psychology and giving explanations in the realm of there posture facial expressions etc.
Ok now my question.
from what I understood from specifically Herb Dewey's book is that by indivuating the reading to the person through use of something like there birthday, the numbers formed by there name, or there shuffling the tarot cards. Causes them to perceive the reading as more accurate. Is using the explanation of reading body language accomplishing the same thing? Does body language qualify as an oracle?
a charming cheat
For starters, learning to become a READER of People takes time, the use of Oracles systems is a means by which to speed up that process, nothing more.
Secondly, you are approaching this as a Magician which is your first big mistake. . . unless you want to be seen as a fake, if that's the case then by all means keep up with the lie of "quick & easy ways of doing it".
I gave away the primary tool used by stage workers for delivering something other than a list of canned answers to patrons. . . what skeptics call "Cold Reading". Numerology is what Maven, Webster and the majority of other working pros impliment in their on-stage Readings but augment them with their own stock bits & pieces -- lines that might be applicable. They likewise employ techniques like Asian Face Reading and Body Morph Readings which (again) require time and discipline to learn. They are likewise esoteric (a.k.a. "Legitimate") divination tools as is Graphology/Handwriting Analysis. . .
Hmmm.... handwriting + people writing on little slips of paper. . . how could a Mentalist exploit such a combination?
HINT: A Classic Routine called PSIGRAPHICO. . . which I believe a version of it exist in Corinda.
To become a solid READER (forget about the "cold" part) you must invest time and effort, there are no short cuts! Not simple "tricks".
Yes, you can master George Armstrong's material but it likewise requires you to learn how to focus and understand a very specific framework. Same goes for Jerome Finley's $300.00 eBook on the subject; one of the most complete compilations going when it comes to On-Stage Readings and the Q&A.
Dewey's books almost all deal with one-on-one Readings even though he does give you profiling concepts; Herb WAS NOT a stage performer, he was a private Reader!
Body Language is was NLP used be called. . . or at least that's the pun behind things; NLP is B.S. for the most part, a contrived idea based on long established theories and methods that were placed into a single pile. No matter how you slice it though, it is not a 100% path of happenstance. . . many have seen dear ole Kenton fall flat trying to use his stuff on stage. Given the fact that he's beeing using this stuff for 30 years, what do you think your chance is in being effective as a newbie that don't want to invest the time into learning?
I'm saying it this way because your post sounds (to me at least) like a bunch of excuses vs. finding solutions... and I do make it quite clear in my FREE Book that Tarot, Runes, etc. are only for foundation and too, there were "oracles" like graphology, that can be used for those not comfortable with the esoteric. But there is one thing you seem to be missing; you don't have to use such tools on stage in a manner that allows the public to know that is what you are doing... the oracles are the "gimmick" for lack of a better term -- the device that allows you to deliver the solid Reading.
Hildford has a bit, I think it is marketed as "The Perfect Night Club Act" in which playing cards are used. I'll not go into details, but if you knew how to interpret playing cards for real (Cartomancy) you wouldn't need the cheat Docc suggests. That means that those of you addicted to the pasteboards can do the sinful act of "doing a cold reading as you reveal their card" and it isn't just a legit read, it will be accurate to the image vs. B.S. assumption based on faulty theories found in any number of skeptic written publications.
If you want to do the facial imaging thing I will tell you right now, that I've been studying FACS (the technique you are speaking of) for no less than 3 years and it's not as easy as it might seem. The system can be purchased for a few hundred dollars
on line here so again, we are looking at a valid "oracle" of sorts, that can be incorporated IN TIME. . . but until you are able to get the FACS techniques down pat, you might want to learn how to lie, claiming that is what you are using, while secretly relying on Numerology just like the majority of us do. . .
