Quote:matt what does cold reading mean exactly deanna
These are my own words, I expect others here can describe it better.
Skeptics believe that false pyschics or mediums can use two methods to get their hits.
Hot reading is acquiring the information via established means (such as other people, books, the internet, microphones etc). The medium/psychic then includes these pieces of information as part of the reading.
Cold reading is the technique of more or less letting the sitter give you the information.The medium would use what information is said by the sitter to build on hits. It is also the technique of going with common sense theories (young boy and middle age woman sitters = medium would hedge for a "older male figure" (father). The medium uses these techniques to get the hits.
After seeing John Edwards show tonight I would have to say that he could not do what he does with cold reading techniques alone...no way!
That leaves true mediumship or hot reading/ cold reading combo.
I cannot honestly believe that he would have lasted this long without a media/skeptic pounding if he is using hot reading. There was talk a while back of mic conversations but surely at least one sitter would have looked up and said during the show "hmm thats a little odd you have mentioned that as I was talking to another audience member about that... you are listening to the mic's!!"
So if hot reading is not being used AND since he cannot be doing it by pure cold reading techniques then if this a 3 horse race of :-
cold reading
hot/cold
genuine
If I was told I would win 5000 pounds if I picked the winner I would honestly go for genuine at this present time.