Cold reading is what many psychics use when they give you your first reading if they've never met you before. It encompasses an array of different techniques but mostly it involves using general statements called Barnum statements that are general to most people but when executed correctly can make it look like an absolute miracle. When the cold reader or psychic gets it right it is called a hit. When they get it wrong or it doesn't match up with the person it's called a miss. By using Barnum statements and a few other methods you can make it look like you really know someone.

Many people may think cold reading is a lot more accurate than it really is because they've seen psychics or mentalists on TV saying stuff that seems impossible, some also think psychics cannot be using cold reading because of how accurate they can be. This is probably because TV psychics are using a mixture of cold and hot reading. Hot reading generally means they've acquired information before the show from a source which they can use to create a true miracle. Hot reading would be if I did a reading on someone I'd never met, but their friend had told me some private information about them before which I could now use in a reading. This is of course unbelievably deceptive and the person getting the reading is none the wiser.

So anyway, on to the point of me writing this little article and why you really want to carry on reading.. To learn cold reading properly takes years but I've discovered one cold reading question you can use along side your normal mind reading and mentalism tricks. Bear in mind, this is only to be used if you are able to perform ultimate mind reading tricks as a back up as it doesn't always hit, but when it does, my oh my, you have a serious miracle on your hands.

So, how do you do this.. Well all you say to someone is..

"Where's the broken door?", you need to say this in passing and it's best to say it inbetween an ultimate mind reading trick.

They are of course going to say "What?", you say, "I just got a reading off you about a broken door, where is it?"

They will usually need to time to think but then say something like, "Oh my god, It's in my house, the door to the utility room is broken" or something along those lines.

You then say, "Ah yes, I'd get that fixed if I were you" and carry on with your mind reading performance.

If it doesn't hit, you just say "Ok, keep a look out for a broken door, I get a feeling you will encounter one very soon"

This covers you for each eventuality and you've just got to put your own personal spin on it.

You're probably wondering why I use the line about the broken door, well it's basically because it's such a general thing that most people have encountered a broken door recently or even have one in their home, on their car, in the office etc. A broken door can also include a broken frame, door handle, cracked glass etc.

The beauty of this is that people will make it fit if you give them time to find the meaning. When they tell people about the trick. I've had people scream and run out of the room when I've dropped this little baby in. Go out and try it today but make sure you've got some ultimate mind reading tricks as a back up if it fails.