Hot reading
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Hot reading is a technique used when giving a
This technique is used by some television psychics in conjunction with cold reading.[2] The psychics may have clients schedule their appearance ahead of time, and then collect information using collaborators who pose as religious missionaries, magazine sales people, or similar roles.[3] Such visitors can gain a wide understanding of a person from examining their home, where tickets for the show may have been sent in advance. The "psychic" may then be briefed on the information, and told where the person will sit in the audience.[4]
History
There are many methods that involve hot reading. In 1938, the magician John Mulholland wrote:[5]
Where do the mediums get the information? It is very easy. Look the person up in a telephone book. Talk to the corner grocer. Go to the house and try to sell a magazine subscription. Talk to the neighbours. Talk to the servants if there are any. If it is a small city go to the cemetery and look at the tombstones. It has to be done carefully but it is very easy.
Commenting on mediums from the early 20th century, historian Ruth Brandon noted:[6]
There were a number of recognized methods in use. Some were very down-to-earth. When a medium visited a new town, he was advised to visit the local cemetery and make a note of names, dates, and any other information to be obtained from the tombstones. He might also consult the "Blue Book" for the area, a compilation circulated among mediums listing, for an increasing number of places, the names of leading spiritualists likely to attend seances, with descriptions, family histories, and details (deceased spouses, children, parents, etc.) and other information likely to be of use.
Notable mediums from the past who were exposed as utilizing hot reading methods have included Rosina Thompson and George Valiantine.[8][9]
Modern examples of hot reading
Independent Investigation Group
A 2001 Time article reported that psychic John Edward allegedly used hot reading on his television show, Crossing Over, where an audience member who received a reading was suspicious of prior behaviour from Edward's aides, who had struck up conversations with audience members and asked them to fill out cards detailing their family trees.[14] In December 2001, Edward was alleged to have used foreknowledge to hot read in an interview on the television show Dateline, where a reading for a cameraman was based on knowledge gained in conversation some hours previously, yet presented as if he were unaware of the cameraman's background.[15] In his 2001 book, John Edward denied ever using foreknowledge, cold or hot reading.[16]
In March 2017, alleged psychic Thomas John Flanagan was found to have used information posted on social media by people coming to his shows, in order to accurately guess details about their lives while pretending to be communicating with the dead. He unknowingly used backstories from fake Facebook profiles previously prepared by a group of skeptics led by Susan Gerbic and Mark Edward. When Flanagan used that information while pretending to hear Gerbic's and Edward's dead relatives, the only possible way he could be aware of these details is if he or members of his team read the fake profiles while preparing for their performance, since even Gerbic and Edward themselves were not aware of the specific information placed on the profiles that matched the aliases they were using when attending the show. In 2021 Flanagan held a 2021 online meeting for children aged 5-12. Two of the supposed children had fake identities and one was much older than claimed (which Flanagan failed to detect). In his readings Flanagan gave information he had previously been given in e-mails. Flanagan also used actors on his television show Seatbelt Psychic, whose lives were well documented and easily discoverable on social media.[17][18]
John Oliver speculated in a February 2019 segment of Last Week Tonight that Tyler Henry may use hot reading in addition to cold reading. As an example, Oliver dissected Henry's reading of Matt Lauer concerning the father-son fishing trip that was part of the reading. Oliver showed examples of publicly available information about Lauer's love of fishing with his father, including Lauer stating this on his own show several times. Oliver summarized "Look, maybe Tyler Henry genuinely accessed the afterlife, an action which would fundamentally change our understanding of everything on Earth. Or maybe he just googled 'Matt Lauer Dad' and hit the fucking jackpot."[19][20]
See also
- Barnum effect
- Confidence trick
- Confirmation bias
- Kinesics
- List of parapsychology topics
- Mentalism
- Subjective validation
References
- ^ Robert Todd Carroll. "Hot Reading". The Skeptic's Dictionary. Retrieved 2006-06-14.
- ^ Colin Hunter. "Cold Reading: Confessions of a 'Psychic'". Skeptic Report. Archived from the original on 2007-09-23. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
- ^ Secrets of Psychics Revealed, NBC (2003)
- ^ Stagnaro, Angelo. Something from Nothing. Manipulix Books. 2004.
- ISBN 0-684-16181-8
- ISBN 0-297-78249-5
- ^ Gerbic, Susan. "Ten Tricks of the Psychics I Bet You Didn't Know". CSI. Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ McCabe, Joseph. (1920). Is Spiritualism Based On Fraud? The Evidence Given By Sir A.C. Doyle and Others Drastically Examined. London Watts & Co. p. 138. "Dr. Hodgson, that quint mixture of blunt criticism and occasional credulity, had six sittings with her, and roundly stated that she was a fraud. The correct information which she gave him was, he said, taken from letters to which she had access, or from works of references like Who's Who. In one case, which made a great impression, she gave some remarkably abstruse and correct information. It was afterwards found that the facts were stated in an old diary which had belonged to her husband."
- ^ Tabori, Price (1966). Harry Price: The Biography of a Ghosthunter. Living Books. p. 120
- ^ Randi, James (February 22, 2008). "NEW FOR TAM6!". James Randi Educational Foundation.
- Broadway.com.
- ^ Underdown, James (Sep–Oct 2003). "TV psychics John Edward and John Van Praagh". Skeptical Inquirer. 27 (5): 41–45.
- ^ "How come TV psychics seem so convincing?". The Straight Dope. 2003-11-18. Retrieved 2011-03-12.
- ^ Leon Jaroff (2001-02-25). "Talking to the Dead". Time. Archived from the original on 2013-01-04. Retrieved 2006-06-14.
- ^ Joe Nickell. "John Edward: Hustling the Bereaved". CSICOP. Archived from the original on 2006-12-16. Retrieved 2006-06-14.
- ISBN 978-1-58872-002-3.
- ^ Gerbic, Susan (February 21, 2019). "Operation Pizza Roll- Thomas John". Archived from the original on February 24, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ Gerbic, Susan (February 21, 2019). "Buckle Up - Seatbelt Psychic". Center for Inquiry. Archived from the original on February 24, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ Horton, Adrian (February 25, 2019). "John Oliver on psychics: 'A vast underworld of unscrupulous vultures'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 25, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
- ^ "Psychics: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)". Youtube. LastWeekTonight. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 25 February 2019.