Becoming a Psychic Reader - Part II

[Craig Browning]

Becoming a Psychic Reader – Part 2

So, now we have a foundation. We’ve invested an exceptional amount of time learning how to do legitimate Readings based on the actual techniques and disciplines used by “psychics” the world over and since the earliest of times, what’s next?

More studying of course!

The “Second Step” is where cheating is introduced but not the kind of cheating most will be thinking about. Rather, it’s what I call “Legal Cheats”

“What’s a Legal Cheat?” you ask

A legal cheat is when you are still using an esoteric system or related concept as part of your Reading material – correspondences, for lack of a better description.

For an example, Palmistry is said to be tied directly to one’s Astrology. So if you know the person’s hand you have a decent idea what their Natal Chart is going to look like in around this particular point in time (when you are doing the Reading). Not only can you exploit that knowledge by feeding them lines that are Zodiac based vs. Palmistry, but if you are doing an Astrology Reading you can do the opposite, asking the client if you can look at their hands in order to verify something you are seeing in their chart.

There are numerous ways of using Legal Cheats. For an example, all have numeric values. If you are doing Quickie Readings for a group of people you can have each one draw a single card and based on both, the image and the value, you have more than enough information to feed back to them that better completes the Reading.

Another kind of Legal Cheat that I employ is when I find resources from within the New Age/Metaphysical or even arena that can both, benefit the Reading material as well as lend potential “help” to the patron… let me clarify something at this point…

“Helping” folks, which is what most Readers believe they are doing, happens only when we (the Reader) extend to them the tools & insight that will allow them to consciously help themselves. Setting yourself up as a full time guru is not on the agenda if you are working as a legit Reader; serving as a conduit or resource that can direct people to the things they need however, is. This is the precise attitude taken by New Age Queen Louise L. Hay back in the 80s and it literally took her from in the span of about 3 years.

I mention Louise because one of those related sources I speak of is her book “You Can Heal Your Life”; it is a book filled with correspondences tied to various illnesses or DIS-EASE as she would say. You will find a column describing the negative attitudes and thinking patterns that most likely created this condition in your life as well as a column offering the affirmation that will aid you in changing your stink’n think’n and thus, change the circumstances.

In that I’m writing a book that deals with how I use these bits of information I’ll not go into too much detail here, leave it to be said that knowing a person’s astrological sign, the health issues common to that sign along with these correspondences can give you some wonderful elements of advantage via which you gain a very high probability of a hard hit and when presented properly, credit for helping your patrons correct said malady.

Another avenue I enjoy walking down is the use of color. There are numerous ways of working with Color as part of a Reading, such as the colors found in a particular card and how it seems to be speaking to you as being something important. You might want to consider the colors being worn by your patron and their psychological significance. Though some might push the point here, claiming this is “cold reading” I can assure you it isn’t. It’s just a matter of common sense and how it can be used in a practical manner in a Reading circumstance.

When it Comes to Cold Readings I do not encourage students to jump into such until well after their first year to 18 months of working with legit systems and getting comfortable with them. Once they’ve come to that level I will encourage them to pick up a copy of Lee Earle’s “Gentle Art of Cold Reading” as a primer and shortly after that (about two months) I have them pick up Bob Cassidy’s “The Real Work on Cold Reading”, one of the single most important essays ever penned on the topic as far as I’m concerned. Mainly due to the fact that Bob punches some very important holes into the theory behind Cold Reading, Barnum Statements, etc.

The purpose of introducing the student to this material at this point in their journey is quite simple as well as cunning, cruel, manipulative and down right sinister…

I want them to have a rounded and honest experience as to what it is like working with the legit systems based on tradition before their head is filled with biased intellectualism.

Understand, I’m not pre-conditioning but I am affording the neophyte the opportunity to gain an un-jaded experience in order to see for themselves what is what. Then, by learning about the psychological side of the Reader’s art, they will be able to not only smooth out their own presentations, making them a bit better than they probably were, but they likewise discover the difference and thus, become capable of spotting the con-artists when they are out in the field doing the work.

We’ll take a deeper look into the Cold Reading issue in the next installment.

[ciscop]

really interesting Craig

have you heard about Draw Me a Tree by Rudy Hunter?

i just got it and i was watching it
i think is a great pseudoscientific way of reading somebody
they draw a tree and they sign their name and with that you get a ton of information
is kind of cute

(by pseudo scientific is, i know it is bunk, but people like to hear bunk, so as a entertainer one should provide)

[Craig Browning]

To tell you the truth I was a bit miffed when that came out because Tree Drawings were sort of a rare and "exclusive" thing I'd been doing for at least 15 years already... I actually learned the technique form Ray Buckland, believe it or not.

I have a blast doing Tree Readings with small groups, especially Office Party settings where getting in the little quirks about one another turns into a quasi roast that brings about lots of laughter and good humored fun... it's also the easiest $50.00 a head gig I ever do.

[NinjaPuppy]

[Craig Browning]

The one and only!

Met him in Vegas at the old Bell, Book & Candle. He overheard me giving a Reading so he and Lucky sat me down and showed me the method. It was quite fun.

[NinjaPuppy]

Well then... I do hope that 'what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas' when it comes to you giving us details of your experiences.

[Craig Browning]

My ex knew Ray much better than I in that she's done circle with him several times. I've only met him a couple of times and never really got to know the man all that well (mainly because everyone else was vying for his attention... reminded me of a Trek convention and watching poor Shatner or Nimoy being put on the spot by the kiddies).