Trip to a clairvoyant on Tuesday!

[New Gal]

Hey all :-)

I am going to see a highly recommended clairvoyant this coming Tuesday.

I am more curious than anything, have seen a medium about 3/4 times who was quite vague, the last time I saw her was last Feb/Mar and she is so hard to get an appointment with!

This new woman has been visited by a good friend at work who says shes quite accurate so I thought I would give it a go!

She does tarot cards apparently, not telling her anything about me so be interesting to see what she says about my upcoming move!

I will keep you all posted but if anyone can think of any obscure/interesting questions to ask her please let me know!

xxx

[Hurghada Lady]

Can't wait to hear what she has to say

[New Gal]

Can't wait to hear what she has to say

Me either!!! I am counting down the hours till I see her!

[New Gal]

Well I visited the clairvoyant last Tuesday, meant to post something earlier, sorry peeps but I am so stressed out about shipping some of my stuff out to Hurghada!

Anyway, it was a really positive visit! Started out a bit strange, she said I wasn’t booked in (!) when I so obviously was and her nails scared me a little…they were a good 3 inches long and painted a shocking purple colour…it went lovely with her flame ginger hair!

Lovely lady though called Jessie! I didn’t tell her anything about me apart from my sun sign and she then went on to say that my move abroad would be very positive even though it would ruffle a few feathers and that I was to gain a lot of happiness and contentment from it and that I shouldn’t worry that it wont work out as I want it to as it will.

She also said that I had already met the man I would marry and that I would have a boy and a girl and be very happy but that our marriage would also not be acceptable to some people in my family.

She talked a lot about this bloke, god knows who he is but she said he had a wicked sense of humour and not wicked in the cool, down with the kids way, but wicked as he would poke a lot of fun at me, especially when I need it the most. I would be the more serious one in the relationship, surprise surprise but the first few months/years of our relationship would involve me thinking that hes not that into me but that this was a front.

Jessie also spoke of my family and was spot on that my brother is a Taurus and wears glasses so that was weird!

There were a few negatives as well as positives that I wont get into but all in all it was a good visit!

I've always been fascinated by this sort of thing, been to a medium as well in the past, went to one lady once and another about three times.

Still don’t know what my opinion is about it all though!

Any thoughts??? x

[FABlux]

Glad it helped put your mind at rest about your big adventure

[New Gal]

Glad it helped put your mind at rest about your big adventure

Thank you, I was always going to come but I was just so curious about whether or not stuff like the move would have been picked up and it was!

Dying to know who this bloke is though! Apparently, I will choose between two! As if!

Hard enough to find one good 'un!

xxx

[Ebikatsu]

I'm kind of torn between two opinions.

On the one hand don't they say that mediums are working with the devil? In Islam I mean. So they do tell the future, but we are to avoid them.

Then all I have ever read seems to point at 'cold reading'. They pick up on every single thing about you like obviously you are Asian right so she would mention travel because obviously your roots are abroad, then she watches for your reaction even as much as you try to hide it. The still on the Asian theme, she would mention family not being happy with marriage choice.............I thought of an Asian male student and saw a guy with glasses because they are often very studious, In everything she say's she will be 50% right.

One thing I am absolutely sure of though and only discovered this very recently is this.
People who practice witchcraft really can do bad things to you!!
How they manage it I don't know, but for sure I have no doubt they do cast spells and bring bad luck if you cross them or don't agree with them.
Their influence really is toxic and being around them can be very scary. You don't notice it at first, you say it is all ********, and you want to believe it is but when they do it to you, you really are in danger.
I hate to have to admit this but it is a force and it is very evil.
I was always a sceptic, but not now.

[Nilegoddess]

I am curious too and have had many a reading I think there are good and bad spirits at work in this world and its interested in what these claivoyants and spirtualist say. However you have 'free will' and I believe life can be what you make it.

Its entertaining, it can maybe guide you and give you some focus in your life but most of all it should never change the pathway which YOU feel is right for you. I also believe that is someone has a true gift they should not charge stupid fees for it too, as its a true gift from god and should not be abused.

[Ebikatsu]

Do you really think it is a gift from God?

is it maybe the devil as Islam say's

how can you be sure?

[New Gal]

I'm kind of torn between two opinions.

On the one hand don't they say that mediums are working with the devil? In Islam I mean. So they do tell the future, but we are to avoid them.

Then all I have ever read seems to point at 'cold reading'. They pick up on every single thing about you like obviously you are Asian right so she would mention travel because obviously your roots are abroad, then she watches for your reaction even as much as you try to hide it. The still on the Asian theme, she would mention family not being happy with marriage choice.............I thought of an Asian male student and saw a guy with glasses because they are often very studious, In everything she say's she will be 50% right.

One thing I am absolutely sure of though and only discovered this very recently is this.
People who practice witchcraft really can do bad things to you!!
How they manage it I don't know, but for sure I have no doubt they do cast spells and bring bad luck if you cross them or don't agree with them.
Their influence really is toxic and being around them can be very scary. You don't notice it at first, you say it is all B*llsh*t, and you want to believe it is but when they do it to you, you really are in danger.
I hate to have to admit this but it is a force and it is very evil.
I was always a sceptic, but not now.

Ebi, I have to admit that I am usually very cynical about people and their intentions and when this woman started jabbering on about me going abroad etc in my head I was thinking, "here we go, shes seen a brownish girl and shes thinking, pressure to marry, etc etc" what a cliché! That area, she may have been cold reading as you say but she did say some stuff that was spot on and not in an obvious way.

Asian boys (where we are anyway) are generally the drug dealer/taxi driver types and even if she played on another cliché there, she got it right that he was a Taurean!

With regards to the black magic thing, Islamically, its very possible to do things to people but its also very wrong.

What these people have to do is study the Quran excessively and also learn how to recite certain surahs backwards in order for a negative effect to be possible upon the person they wish to harm. They also usually spend time in graveyards, living there for up to a year I think during which time they practice black magic in and among spirits. They live there so the bad spirits or jinns, can see that the person is seriously considering going over to their side. They sometimes even open up graves and are shown terrible things in and around these graves by the jinns.

There is a lot of black magic practiced in India, Pakistan and some believe in the UK in communities from these countries.

My opinion? The practice, like any 'art' form can't be performed by just anyone and a lot of people do play up to it for attention or whatever but I think that it is used more than what people think and the effects can be devastating.

[New Gal]

I am curious too and have had many a reading I think there are good and bad spirits at work in this world and its interested in what these claivoyants and spirtualist say. However you have 'free will' and I believe life can be what you make it.

Its entertaining, it can maybe guide you and give you some focus in your life but most of all it should never change the pathway which YOU feel is right for you. I also believe that is someone has a true gift they should not charge stupid fees for it too, as its a true gift from god and should not be abused.

I agree, free will changes a lot constantly so any reading that one may have isn't ever going to be even 80% right at any time.

For me, its just curiosity about how a perfect stranger is somehow linked to me or knows about my life.

Islamically, it is said that some have a gift to be able to forsee but that they shouldn't ever tell as only God ever knows for sure. Charging for it, well, in this day and age, we all need the pennies so I don't think its a bad thing to do so, its that person's time that you are using and its a type of service isnt it?

[Ebikatsu]

What these people have to do is study the Quran excessively and also learn how to recite certain surahs backwards in order for a negative effect to be possible upon the person they wish to harm. They also usually spend time in graveyards, living there for up to a year I think during which time they practice black magic in and among spirits. They live there so the bad spirits or jinns, can see that the person is seriously considering going over to their side. They sometimes even open up graves and are shown terrible things in and around these graves by the jinns.

SCARY!!!

I believe that some of it is cold reading done by fake psychics and some is def witchcraft.....




Here is Derren Brown showing how it's done.





The following is our 13 point guide to cold reading - Study them well, then amaze your friends with your new found psychic powers!

1. Remember that the key ingredient of a successful character reading is confidence.

If you look and act as if you believe in what you are doing, you will be able to sell even a bad reading to most subjects. One danger of playing the role of reader is that you may actually begin to believe that you really are divining your subject's true character!

2. Make creative use of the latest statistical abstracts, polls and surveys.

These can provide you with much information about what various subclasses in our society believe, do, want , worry about etc. For example, if you can ascertain a subject's place of origin, educational level, and his/her parents' religion and vocations, you have gained information which should allow you to predict with high probability his/her voting preferences and attitudes to many subjects.

3. Set the stage for your reading.

Profess a modesty about your talents. Make no excessive claims. You will then catch your subject off guard. You are not challenging them to a battle of wits - You can read his/her character, whether he/she believes you or not.

4. Gain the subject's cooperation in advance.

Emphasise that the success of the reading depends as much on the subject's cooperation as on your efforts. (After all, you imply, you already have a successful career at character reading - You are not on trial, your subject is!) State that due to difficulties of language and communication, you may not always convey the meaning you intend. In these cases, the subject must strive to fit the reading to his/her own life. You accomplish two valuable ends with this dodge - Firstly, you have an alibi in case the reading doesn't click; it's the subject's fault, not yours! Secondly, your subject will strive to fit your generalities to his/her specific life circumstances. Later, when the subject recalls the reading, you will be credited with much more detail than you actually provided! This is crucial. Your reading will only succeed to the degree that the subject is made an active participant in the reading. The good reader is the one who , deliberately or unwittingly, forces the subject to search his/her mind to make sense of your statements.

5. Use a gimmick, such as Tarot cards, crystal ball, palm reading etc.

Use of props serves two valuable purposes. Firstly, it lends atmosphere to the reading. Secondly, (and more importantly) it gives you time to formulate your next question/statement. Instead of just sitting there, thinking of something to say, you can be intently studying the cards /crystal ball etc. You may opt to hold hands with your subject - This will help you feel the subject's reactions to your statements. If you are using , say, palmistry (the reading of hands) it will help if you have studied some manuals, and have learned the terminology. This will allow you to more quickly zero in on your subject's chief concerns - "do you wish to concentrate on the heart line or the wealth line?"

6. Have a list of stock phrases at the tip of your tongue.

Even during a cold reading, a liberal sprinkling of stock phrases will add body to the reading and will help you fill in time while you formulate more precise characterisations. Use them to start your readings. Palmistry, tarot and other fortune telling manuals are a key source of good phrases.

7. Keep your eyes open!

Use your other senses as well. Size the subject up by observing his/her clothes, jewellery, mannerisms and speech. Even a crude classification based on these can provide the basis for a good reading. Also, watch carefully for your subject's response to your statements - You will soon learn when you are hitting the mark!

8. Use the technique of fishing.

This is simply a device to get the subject to tell you about his/herself. Then you rephrase what you have been told and feed it back to the subject.

One way of fishing is to phrase each statement as question, then wait for the reply. If the reply or reaction is positive, then you turn the statement into a positive assertion. Often the subject will respond by answering the implied question and then some. Later, the subject will forget that he/she was the source of the information! By making your statements into questions, you also force the subject to search his/her memory to retrieve specific instances to fit your general statement.

9. Learn to be a good listener.

During the course of a reading your client will be bursting to talk about incidents that are brought up. The good reader allows the client to talk at will. On one occasion I observed a tealeaf reader. The client actually spent 75% of the time talking. Afterward when I questioned the client about the reading she vehemently insisted that she had not uttered a single word during the course of the reading. The client praised the reader for having astutely told her what in fact she herself had spoken.

Another value of listening is that most clients that seek the services of a reader actually want someone to listen to their problems. In addition, many clients have already made up their minds about what choices they are going to make. They merely want support to carry out their decision.

10. Dramatise your reading.

Give back what little information you do have or pick up a little bit at a time. Make it seem more than it is. Build word pictures around each divulgence. Don't be afraid of hamming it up.

11. Always give the impression that you know more than you are saying.

The successful reader, like the family doctor, always acts as if he/she knows much more. Once you have persuaded the subject that you know one item of information that you couldn't possibly have known (through normal channels) the subject will assume that you know all! At this point, the subject will open up and confide in you.

12. Don't be afraid to flatter your subject at every opportunity.

An occasional subject will protest, but will still lap it up. In such cases, you can add, "You are always suspicious of those who flatter you. You just can't believe that someone will say something good about you without an ulterior motive".

13. Remember the Golden Rule - always tell the subject what he/she wants to hear!

Some interesting stuff here on how it is done.

Steps

1. Choose a subject. The "subject" is the person on whom you will perform the cold reading.

* Sometimes cold readers will choose a subject well in advance based on information they know about that person but which that person does not know they know. Select the person you will "cold read" ahead of time if possible. The more time you have to learn about your subject, the better. Some cold readers actually have accomplices visit or interview the subject prior to the cold reading so that the cold reader can then use this information to dazzle the subject and the audience.
* Asking for a volunteer is also a good way to choose someone, as volunteers are likely to be receptive and, more importantly, will likely want to believe that you can communicate with the dead or that you can see things about them that you should have no way of knowing. However, watch out for skeptics (see Warnings below).
*
"Shotgun" the audience. Shotgunning is a technique in which you make one or more broad general statement, such as "I'm sensing someone who has had some marital problems recently," or "There's someone named, I think, Billy, that's asking to communicate with his granddaughter." As you address these statements to the audience, watch for reactions. There's almost certainly someone who has recently had marital problems or whose grandfather went by the name Billy. You, of course, don't yet know who, but people's reactions - especially their body language - will give them away. You can try to refine your "knowledge" by then making more specific assertions, such as, "This Billy, he lived a long life. He used to enjoy fishing, no hunting maybe - being in the outdoors." Focus on the people who reacted to your very broad first statement, and then look for further reactions. When you're pretty sure you've hit the mark with someone, call them up (if they haven't already run up to you jumping and screaming, "It's me!"). Using this technique allows you to gain the subject's confidence and to amaze the audience before the reading has even begun.
2. Observe your subject. Even if you have only a little time to get to know your subject, you can still learn a lot by "profiling" your subject.

* Look at readily available visual clues about the person that will tell you something about them. Their age, the way they dress, whether they have any deformities or unusual features, their height and weight, the presence or absence of a wedding ring - there are a multitude of clues that can help you immediately learn more about the person.
* Read the subject's body language. Before the reading starts and throughout your cold reading, watch the subject's body language carefully. Involuntary gestures, facial expressions, and changes in posture can tell you whether the person is becoming anxious, which is usually a good sign that you have said something that is correct or are about to do so. Looks of disappointment can signal that you've said something wrong, and if you correct yourself slyly and quickly, the person and the audience (if there is an audience present) will be amazed at your correction. Learn as much as you can about body language, but most importantly, just pay attention.
3. Make a mental list of assumptions about the person. As you observe the subject, think about certain things that you could reasonably guess about them. You don't actually want to make too many guesses, but it helps to sort of build a character in your mind. Some of your assumptions will be wrong, but you'll get around this little problem.
4. Prepare the subject. When you meet the person, look in their eyes and tell them, if you haven't already, that you can communicate with the spirit world. Introduce yourself and get the subject's name. Try to make them comfortable talking to you, but at the same time try to make them a little nervous about what is to come. Explain that the person on the "other side" really wants to communicate with them, but that you are merely a vessel or a go-between, and you will need the subject's help. This makes the reading more dramatic, prepares the subject for the possibility of mistakes, and enlists their cooperation. Be modest about your abilities, but display a quiet confidence.
5. Go fishing. If you're a professional, you may have studied statistical information about people, you may be trained to read body language, you may even have accomplices that help you, but let's face it: you still know hardly anything about the person sitting in front of you. If you just start making guesses, you'll almost certainly be wrong, but if you ask questions, you'll get the right answers from the subject himself. For example, you could clarify what you learned in shotgunning by asking, "Now, Billy, he's your grandfather?" Ask questions in such a way so that they can be perceived as statements. That way, if the subject affirms your question, it will seem as though you knew the answer. If the subject indicates that Billy was not his or her grandfather, however, it's okay--you were just asking a question.
6. Build on the answers to your questions. Most of the time, the subject will volunteer more information than is necessary. He might say something like, "No, Billy was my uncle. He lived on a farm." You now actually know something about your subject, which is more than you could say before. By using this information to ask more questions you can give the impression that you actually know quite a bit about the subject. This, obviously, requires fast thinking, but if you're a good listener - the most important quality for cold readers - you'll get up to speed quickly.
7. Use Barnum statements. Barnum statements, named after the circus showman P.T. Barnum, are statements that will apply to just about anybody but which will give the impression that you know something about the subject. Using Barnum statements is like shotgunning except you're just dealing with one person. For example, you could say, "You're on the verge of making a big decision in your life." Most people, at any given time, are dealing with a big decision, or at least one that seems big at the time. Still the subject will likely be somewhat impressed that you knew that about them, and they may even volunteer more information.
8. Make the subject's answers your own. Much of what a cold reader does is simply repeating back what the subject has said. Do this in such a way so that it appears you already knew the answer. If you manage to do this cleverly, the subject will tend to forget that it was he or she that gave you the information. Suppose the subject affirms that they are on the verge of making a big decision. You can simply say, "Yes, that's right," thereby claiming their answer as your own. You can even go further, by saying, "Yes, that's right. It's been troubling you for a while now." The more information the subject volunteers, the more information you can claim.
9.
How did you know?
How did you know?
Delve deeper. Once you're on a fruitful line of questioning (or "reading"), keep going. So the subject is making a decision. You could follow that with another Barnum statement, such as, "But this decision involves another person, too." Most decisions do involve at least one other person to some extent or another. If you're observant and brave, you might notice the subject's wedding ring and say instead, "But this decision needs to be made with your husband." If you're right - because the statement is so obvious yet also targeted toward an observable attribute of the person, you probably are right - you'll be that much more impressive.
10. Use pregnant pauses. One method of fishing around for information is to pause long enough for a reaction from your subject. If, for example, you mention that the decision needs to be made with her husband, you can wait a moment to see if the person has anything to say about that. He or she may immediately tell you you're right or wrong, or they may be expecting you to tell them more. In the latter case, watch their physical reaction. If you see some reaction that tells you you're on the right track, take up where you left off: "He's worried about the decision," for example.
11. Cover your errors. Since you are in fact just asking questions and repeating information back in a different way, you shouldn't really make mistakes as you would if you were guessing things. That said, sometimes a question will simply be off the mark, and this can ruin the illusion if you don't recover quickly and gracefully. Suppose, for example, that the person says they are not on the verge of making a big decision. There are myriad ways to handle this. One would be to say that poor, dead Uncle Bill (if you're communicating with the spirit world) must be talking about someone else that you both know, a relative perhaps. Another would be to change the time frame, to ask, "But you made a big decision in the past year, something of a new start." Still another way would be to subtly change the way the question is framed: "I'm sensing something new is happening in your life or is about to happen." You don't abandon the original line of questioning. Rather you twist it just a bit until it makes sense to the subject. After all, if they then admit that something new is happening in their life, they must feel a little foolish for not recognizing the psychic message you were getting about the decision.
12. Make a positive analysis of the situation. Once you've helped the subject to open up and you have some idea of what you're talking about (or at least the subject believes you know what you're talking about), you can bring the reading to a satisfying end by relaying a message from the deceased friend or relative, or by simply giving some prognostication based on your ability to see the future. You don't need to be exact, and you don't need to give advice. Just tell the subject what he or she wants to hear: that everything will go well. You could say, for example, "Billy wants you to know that he's always watching over you, and he misses you. He's happy, and he wants you to be happy, too. And you will be. You're going to make the right decision." You may, of course, want to warn of challenges ahead to give a more realistic tinge to your reading, but when all is said and done you want the person to feel good.

[New Gal]

What these people have to do is study the Quran excessively and also learn how to recite certain surahs backwards in order for a negative effect to be possible upon the person they wish to harm. They also usually spend time in graveyards, living there for up to a year I think during which time they practice black magic in and among spirits. They live there so the bad spirits or jinns, can see that the person is seriously considering going over to their side. They sometimes even open up graves and are shown terrible things in and around these graves by the jinns.

SCARY!!!

I believe that some of it is cold reading done by fake psychics and some is def witchcraft.....




Here is Derren Brown showing how it's done.





The following is our 13 point guide to cold reading - Study them well, then amaze your friends with your new found psychic powers!

1. Remember that the key ingredient of a successful character reading is confidence.

If you look and act as if you believe in what you are doing, you will be able to sell even a bad reading to most subjects. One danger of playing the role of reader is that you may actually begin to believe that you really are divining your subject's true character!

2. Make creative use of the latest statistical abstracts, polls and surveys.

These can provide you with much information about what various subclasses in our society believe, do, want , worry about etc. For example, if you can ascertain a subject's place of origin, educational level, and his/her parents' religion and vocations, you have gained information which should allow you to predict with high probability his/her voting preferences and attitudes to many subjects.

3. Set the stage for your reading.

Profess a modesty about your talents. Make no excessive claims. You will then catch your subject off guard. You are not challenging them to a battle of wits - You can read his/her character, whether he/she believes you or not.

4. Gain the subject's cooperation in advance.

Emphasise that the success of the reading depends as much on the subject's cooperation as on your efforts. (After all, you imply, you already have a successful career at character reading - You are not on trial, your subject is!) State that due to difficulties of language and communication, you may not always convey the meaning you intend. In these cases, the subject must strive to fit the reading to his/her own life. You accomplish two valuable ends with this dodge - Firstly, you have an alibi in case the reading doesn't click; it's the subject's fault, not yours! Secondly, your subject will strive to fit your generalities to his/her specific life circumstances. Later, when the subject recalls the reading, you will be credited with much more detail than you actually provided! This is crucial. Your reading will only succeed to the degree that the subject is made an active participant in the reading. The good reader is the one who , deliberately or unwittingly, forces the subject to search his/her mind to make sense of your statements.

5. Use a gimmick, such as Tarot cards, crystal ball, palm reading etc.

Use of props serves two valuable purposes. Firstly, it lends atmosphere to the reading. Secondly, (and more importantly) it gives you time to formulate your next question/statement. Instead of just sitting there, thinking of something to say, you can be intently studying the cards /crystal ball etc. You may opt to hold hands with your subject - This will help you feel the subject's reactions to your statements. If you are using , say, palmistry (the reading of hands) it will help if you have studied some manuals, and have learned the terminology. This will allow you to more quickly zero in on your subject's chief concerns - "do you wish to concentrate on the heart line or the wealth line?"

6. Have a list of stock phrases at the tip of your tongue.

Even during a cold reading, a liberal sprinkling of stock phrases will add body to the reading and will help you fill in time while you formulate more precise characterisations. Use them to start your readings. Palmistry, tarot and other fortune telling manuals are a key source of good phrases.

7. Keep your eyes open!

Use your other senses as well. Size the subject up by observing his/her clothes, jewellery, mannerisms and speech. Even a crude classification based on these can provide the basis for a good reading. Also, watch carefully for your subject's response to your statements - You will soon learn when you are hitting the mark!

8. Use the technique of fishing.

This is simply a device to get the subject to tell you about his/herself. Then you rephrase what you have been told and feed it back to the subject.

One way of fishing is to phrase each statement as question, then wait for the reply. If the reply or reaction is positive, then you turn the statement into a positive assertion. Often the subject will respond by answering the implied question and then some. Later, the subject will forget that he/she was the source of the information! By making your statements into questions, you also force the subject to search his/her memory to retrieve specific instances to fit your general statement.

9. Learn to be a good listener.

During the course of a reading your client will be bursting to talk about incidents that are brought up. The good reader allows the client to talk at will. On one occasion I observed a tealeaf reader. The client actually spent 75% of the time talking. Afterward when I questioned the client about the reading she vehemently insisted that she had not uttered a single word during the course of the reading. The client praised the reader for having astutely told her what in fact she herself had spoken.

Another value of listening is that most clients that seek the services of a reader actually want someone to listen to their problems. In addition, many clients have already made up their minds about what choices they are going to make. They merely want support to carry out their decision.

10. Dramatise your reading.

Give back what little information you do have or pick up a little bit at a time. Make it seem more than it is. Build word pictures around each divulgence. Don't be afraid of hamming it up.

11. Always give the impression that you know more than you are saying.

The successful reader, like the family doctor, always acts as if he/she knows much more. Once you have persuaded the subject that you know one item of information that you couldn't possibly have known (through normal channels) the subject will assume that you know all! At this point, the subject will open up and confide in you.

12. Don't be afraid to flatter your subject at every opportunity.

An occasional subject will protest, but will still lap it up. In such cases, you can add, "You are always suspicious of those who flatter you. You just can't believe that someone will say something good about you without an ulterior motive".

13. Remember the Golden Rule - always tell the subject what he/she wants to hear!

Some interesting stuff here on how it is done.

Steps

1. Choose a subject. The "subject" is the person on whom you will perform the cold reading.

* Sometimes cold readers will choose a subject well in advance based on information they know about that person but which that person does not know they know. Select the person you will "cold read" ahead of time if possible. The more time you have to learn about your subject, the better. Some cold readers actually have accomplices visit or interview the subject prior to the cold reading so that the cold reader can then use this information to dazzle the subject and the audience.
* Asking for a volunteer is also a good way to choose someone, as volunteers are likely to be receptive and, more importantly, will likely want to believe that you can communicate with the dead or that you can see things about them that you should have no way of knowing. However, watch out for skeptics (see Warnings below).
*
"Shotgun" the audience. Shotgunning is a technique in which you make one or more broad general statement, such as "I'm sensing someone who has had some marital problems recently," or "There's someone named, I think, Billy, that's asking to communicate with his granddaughter." As you address these statements to the audience, watch for reactions. There's almost certainly someone who has recently had marital problems or whose grandfather went by the name Billy. You, of course, don't yet know who, but people's reactions - especially their body language - will give them away. You can try to refine your "knowledge" by then making more specific assertions, such as, "This Billy, he lived a long life. He used to enjoy fishing, no hunting maybe - being in the outdoors." Focus on the people who reacted to your very broad first statement, and then look for further reactions. When you're pretty sure you've hit the mark with someone, call them up (if they haven't already run up to you jumping and screaming, "It's me!"). Using this technique allows you to gain the subject's confidence and to amaze the audience before the reading has even begun.
2. Observe your subject. Even if you have only a little time to get to know your subject, you can still learn a lot by "profiling" your subject.

* Look at readily available visual clues about the person that will tell you something about them. Their age, the way they dress, whether they have any deformities or unusual features, their height and weight, the presence or absence of a wedding ring - there are a multitude of clues that can help you immediately learn more about the person.
* Read the subject's body language. Before the reading starts and throughout your cold reading, watch the subject's body language carefully. Involuntary gestures, facial expressions, and changes in posture can tell you whether the person is becoming anxious, which is usually a good sign that you have said something that is correct or are about to do so. Looks of disappointment can signal that you've said something wrong, and if you correct yourself slyly and quickly, the person and the audience (if there is an audience present) will be amazed at your correction. Learn as much as you can about body language, but most importantly, just pay attention.
3. Make a mental list of assumptions about the person. As you observe the subject, think about certain things that you could reasonably guess about them. You don't actually want to make too many guesses, but it helps to sort of build a character in your mind. Some of your assumptions will be wrong, but you'll get around this little problem.
4. Prepare the subject. When you meet the person, look in their eyes and tell them, if you haven't already, that you can communicate with the spirit world. Introduce yourself and get the subject's name. Try to make them comfortable talking to you, but at the same time try to make them a little nervous about what is to come. Explain that the person on the "other side" really wants to communicate with them, but that you are merely a vessel or a go-between, and you will need the subject's help. This makes the reading more dramatic, prepares the subject for the possibility of mistakes, and enlists their cooperation. Be modest about your abilities, but display a quiet confidence.
5. Go fishing. If you're a professional, you may have studied statistical information about people, you may be trained to read body language, you may even have accomplices that help you, but let's face it: you still know hardly anything about the person sitting in front of you. If you just start making guesses, you'll almost certainly be wrong, but if you ask questions, you'll get the right answers from the subject himself. For example, you could clarify what you learned in shotgunning by asking, "Now, Billy, he's your grandfather?" Ask questions in such a way so that they can be perceived as statements. That way, if the subject affirms your question, it will seem as though you knew the answer. If the subject indicates that Billy was not his or her grandfather, however, it's okay--you were just asking a question.
6. Build on the answers to your questions. Most of the time, the subject will volunteer more information than is necessary. He might say something like, "No, Billy was my uncle. He lived on a farm." You now actually know something about your subject, which is more than you could say before. By using this information to ask more questions you can give the impression that you actually know quite a bit about the subject. This, obviously, requires fast thinking, but if you're a good listener - the most important quality for cold readers - you'll get up to speed quickly.
7. Use Barnum statements. Barnum statements, named after the circus showman P.T. Barnum, are statements that will apply to just about anybody but which will give the impression that you know something about the subject. Using Barnum statements is like shotgunning except you're just dealing with one person. For example, you could say, "You're on the verge of making a big decision in your life." Most people, at any given time, are dealing with a big decision, or at least one that seems big at the time. Still the subject will likely be somewhat impressed that you knew that about them, and they may even volunteer more information.
8. Make the subject's answers your own. Much of what a cold reader does is simply repeating back what the subject has said. Do this in such a way so that it appears you already knew the answer. If you manage to do this cleverly, the subject will tend to forget that it was he or she that gave you the information. Suppose the subject affirms that they are on the verge of making a big decision. You can simply say, "Yes, that's right," thereby claiming their answer as your own. You can even go further, by saying, "Yes, that's right. It's been troubling you for a while now." The more information the subject volunteers, the more information you can claim.
9.
How did you know?
How did you know?
Delve deeper. Once you're on a fruitful line of questioning (or "reading"), keep going. So the subject is making a decision. You could follow that with another Barnum statement, such as, "But this decision involves another person, too." Most decisions do involve at least one other person to some extent or another. If you're observant and brave, you might notice the subject's wedding ring and say instead, "But this decision needs to be made with your husband." If you're right - because the statement is so obvious yet also targeted toward an observable attribute of the person, you probably are right - you'll be that much more impressive.
10. Use pregnant pauses. One method of fishing around for information is to pause long enough for a reaction from your subject. If, for example, you mention that the decision needs to be made with her husband, you can wait a moment to see if the person has anything to say about that. He or she may immediately tell you you're right or wrong, or they may be expecting you to tell them more. In the latter case, watch their physical reaction. If you see some reaction that tells you you're on the right track, take up where you left off: "He's worried about the decision," for example.
11. Cover your errors. Since you are in fact just asking questions and repeating information back in a different way, you shouldn't really make mistakes as you would if you were guessing things. That said, sometimes a question will simply be off the mark, and this can ruin the illusion if you don't recover quickly and gracefully. Suppose, for example, that the person says they are not on the verge of making a big decision. There are myriad ways to handle this. One would be to say that poor, dead Uncle Bill (if you're communicating with the spirit world) must be talking about someone else that you both know, a relative perhaps. Another would be to change the time frame, to ask, "But you made a big decision in the past year, something of a new start." Still another way would be to subtly change the way the question is framed: "I'm sensing something new is happening in your life or is about to happen." You don't abandon the original line of questioning. Rather you twist it just a bit until it makes sense to the subject. After all, if they then admit that something new is happening in their life, they must feel a little foolish for not recognizing the psychic message you were getting about the decision.
12. Make a positive analysis of the situation. Once you've helped the subject to open up and you have some idea of what you're talking about (or at least the subject believes you know what you're talking about), you can bring the reading to a satisfying end by relaying a message from the deceased friend or relative, or by simply giving some prognostication based on your ability to see the future. You don't need to be exact, and you don't need to give advice. Just tell the subject what he or she wants to hear: that everything will go well. You could say, for example, "Billy wants you to know that he's always watching over you, and he misses you. He's happy, and he wants you to be happy, too. And you will be. You're going to make the right decision." You may, of course, want to warn of challenges ahead to give a more realistic tinge to your reading, but when all is said and done you want the person to feel good.

Ebi, you do make me laugh! And I thought I was a cynic!

[Ebikatsu]

[Nilegoddess]

gosh that took a lot of reading, I wore my eyeballs out !!

[New Gal]

gosh that took a lot of reading, I wore my eyeballs out !!

I giggled all the way through it

[CocoaButter]

I was taught in Islam this is no go area ,so i have never been but we are taught a lot of superstition .

[New Gal]

I was taught in Islam this is no go area ,so i have never been but we are taught a lot of superstition .

Whats your background if you don’t mind me asking?

[Susue]

New Gal I agree with Cocoa Butter....
as far as I knbow fortune tellers, spiritualists etc. are haram is Islam.
I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure on this one.

[New Gal]

New Gal I agree with Cocoa Butter....
as far as I knbow fortune tellers, spiritualists etc. are haram is Islam.
I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure on this one.

I think they are makroo, undesirable rather than haram, unlawful.

And I was just curious about CB's background more than anything else!