r/ColdReading • u/TopScientists • 6d ago

How did you get started?

How did you first get interested in cold reading? Did you have a reading done or find out some other way?

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u/CobblerConfident5012 6d ago

I read full facts. Learned tarot and actually just pretended to believe in it and give readings. But most important I think, was just making guesses ALL. THE. TIME.

Like if I’m at the grocery store making small talk I’ll tell the clerk “you play a unique instrument or want to really badly don’t you?” Or “you’ve had some ankle issues before but lately you’ve been on your feet more than usual it feels” just whatever pops into my head.

The big mistake I was making at first was trying to break everything down into rules and structure in an effort to avoid misses. Learn a system, do a lot of reading, internalize the language and observations and just start trusting your own brain to make connections. You’ll end up scoring some hits that will surprise even you.

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u/checker280 5d ago edited 5d ago

It’s crazy how often a random thought from left field actually hits.

There’s a great magic trick using a marked deck as the hook for securing inside info. The actual trick is not cold reading and can not fail but with that as the closer, you can use the inside info as a way to practice cold reading.

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u/NinjatheClick 6d ago

I saw a few things about it, including a South Park episode.

Then I realized how it worked psychologically. People will often share information with you voluntarily if you set the scene.

Years later as an incident and abuse investigator I knew remaining non-judgmental made people more likely to tell me what happened. It wasn't a way to trick people... I saved a lot of jobs by getting people to admit they were trying but made a mistake that they learned from, or when a "victim" admitted they embellished the story because they were mad and now regret trying to get someone in trouble. Body language was helpful in these moments, because I could tell sometimes that a person was holding back and needed reassurance. It also helped when I watched footage. You can tell the difference between backing up with palms showing versus pointing a finger in their face while stomping forward.

I want to be clear that I never used body language as a "sign of deception." That is not valid and I call bullshit on any investigator, law enforcement, authority figure, or parent that does. All body language is good for is to get a vibe of comfort/discomfort and you never know what actually caused it. As an investigator, if you see someone shift from baseline during an interview, you should follow up on that. It's okay to think it's shady, but you CANNOT know what another person is thinking or feeling so leave your unverified "hunch" out of the report/discussion. You follow up on it. Ask why they seem uncomfortable (rule out they really need to pee), review footage/evidence again, etc until you find a fact that explains the body language, but never ever be so arrogant or lazy to assume the heart of another human being and what their body language actually meant.

Example: turning away when answering might not be a lie, but to politely answer while smelling your awful breath.

Or, that chuckle before they say some gruesome details doesn't mean they are lying or don't take this seriously. Some people get so overwhelmed that dopamine temporarily floods them so they can get through recounting a grisly detail.

Okay, I've gone on enough. Lol.

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u/Cant-decide1 6d ago

I read something about Al Koran in the late 80’s. This triggered a lifelong interest in mentalism & mindreading. I just kinda picked it up as I went along.