Hot reading

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Hot reading refers to giving a seance or other exhibition of psychic powers in which the psychic has actively researched beforehand the details he or she is expected to supply. This is usually by researching the dead relatives of prospective suckers, studying newspaper obituaries and other public documentation on the recently deceased, examining graveyards for recent tombstones, and exchanging information with other mediums, or even buying it. Nowadays, presumably, the Internet is also a useful tool for this purpose. This can be contrasted with cold reading where the purported psychic does not gather information before hand but instead relies on vague readings and generalizations that are universally true.

One interesting modern technique of hot reading, suited to the television age, is breathtaking in its simplicity. This is to ask audience members, before the show, for details of the person they wish to communicate with - this can be done by either an agent/researcher or even more gallingly, by the medium themselves. During the show the medium can repeat the information: "You want to talk to a lady called Daisy? Your grandmother? Passed over within the last six months or so? Her message is 'Susan,' --- your name is Susan, isn't it? --- 'Susan, I'm very happy here'." From the point of view of the audience member, the medium is merely confirming that she's got the right person, and has done nothing special (occasionally they can be taken in if they don't quite realise that this was the information that they volunteered earlier.). From the viewpoint of the television or live audience, however, the psychic is getting "hits" at a rate which cannot be explained by cold reading. This is often used to turn around failing shows where a medium isn't getting many positive hits.

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