How to Read Minds

Stage magician and scientific skeptic James Randi offers a one million dollar prize to the first person who can prove psychic ability. To date, no one has collected. Reading minds isn't possible; but you can learn to pick up on clues about what another person is thinking. Follow these steps to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Information on current events
• Props

1. Get acquainted with the person whose mind you will later claim to be reading (the subject). Look for a wedding ring or infant toys sticking out of a purse. Ask questions about jobs and pets. Later, when you repeat this information, the person may have forgotten your earlier encounter.
2. Tell the subject that you are going to try to read his or her mind and ask him or her to help you. Claim that at times the thoughts you receive are hard to distinguish from background noise, and that you may need clarification. In this way, you can make a vague guess and the subject will provide specific information yet will still be amazed at your mind-reading ability.
3. Use props. While you're trying to think of what to say, pretend to be concentrating on a thought-focusing crystal in your hand or hold a photo of a dead relative to your head, claiming that the person assists you from "the other side." Take your time and be dramatic.
4. Perform a cold reading. Make a general statement and study how your subject reacts. If the subject does nothing, make another statement. Repeat this process, acting as if you're zeroing in on a specific thought until you get a reaction. If you are able to do this smoothly, your subject will forget your incorrect guesses. It helps if you are familiar with current events so you can make accurate guesses.
5. Say something obvious, such as "You're concerned that I might learn some secret about you." If the subject protests that the statement is obvious, insist that it is nevertheless what the subject was thinking at that moment.
   
6. Try shotgunning. If you're demonstrating your mind-reading ability in front of a group of people, make a statement and look around to see who reacts. Address that person directly, claiming to have heard his or her thoughts.
7. Listen. Once your subject is convinced that you've heard his or her thoughts, he or she will often talk extensively about things related to those thoughts. You can later repeat these things, and the subject will think you learned them through mind reading.

Tips & Warnings

• Always act as if you have complete confidence in your ability.
• Always flatter your subject so he or she will be inclined to continue to cooperate with your attempts to read minds.