Angelo Stagnaro's Something From Nothing - A Guide To Modern Cold Reading.pdf - A - animga

Angelo Stagnaro's

S OMETHING FROM N OTHING :

A G UIDE TO M ODERN C OLD R EADING

A Mentalist's Guide to Reading People's

Minds & Futures for Fun & Profit

Cold Reading ⎯ 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.

C OLD R EADING

"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

Cold Reading

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

Cultural Anthropology

Generalizations Based on Gender & Age

Medical Observations

Charm

Psychology Forces

Ethics & Caveats

kinesics ⎯ 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

B ODY L ANGUAGE

"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:

Hands/Arms

Shaking hands

Eyes

Posture & Stance

Gait

Seated Position

Miscellaneous

Voice & Inflection

BITING ONE'S LIPS

Try these lines:

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

Try these lines:

Smirking expresses self-

satisfaction, resoluteness, mischief

and the joy of observing others.

"You are a good judge of character."

STEEPLED FINGERS

Try these lines:

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)

Try these lines:

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

Try these lines:

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)

Try these lines:

This person is seeking emotional control

and/or intimacy.

"You find yourself very lonely at times. Having

others around you who are supportive is very

important to you."

Description/Explanation

SHAKING HANDS (FIRM GRIP)

Try these lines:

This spectator is defensive, aggressive and

generally angry.

"Lately you have found that people are not meeting

your standards in terms of their behavior."

CONFIDENT WALK (men)

Try these lines:

This walk suggests vitality and

forcefulness which may or may not

actually be present. Men who concentrate

on their walking and the way in which they

present themselves to the world are

actually not truly confident at all. A truly

confident man moves only his hips. A

secretly unconfident man will move his

shoulders in an exaggerated swagger.

"Others perceive you as confident and you generally

can behave that way but, secretly, you are worried

that you might make a serious mistake from which

you might not recover."

CONFIDENT WALK (women)

Try these lines:

A confident woman will walk with her

shoulders held upright. Her walk is gently

swinging and tensionless, relaxed and

casual with a discreet swing of the hips.

"You are a person who is self-confident and is

largely sure of her plans in life."

KICKING BACK

Try these lines:

Spectators who sit with their hands clasped

behind their heads and their legs crossed

are supremely confident. They might

suffer from an exaggerated sense of self-

worth.

"You are a confident and self-possessed person.

With only minor exceptions, you feel life has been

generous to you."

CROSSED LEGS (with crossed arms)

Try these lines:

This spectator’s body is protected from all

"attacks." He or she is stubborn, restricted,

skeptical and disapproving. This person is

also strongly motivated.

"You can be stubborn when you need to be."

"You are a very directed person."

Description/Explanation

Angelo Stagnaro's Something From Nothing - A Guide To Modern Cold Reading.pdf

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