by Brigid Bishop

Created on: July 30, 2008

Mind reading is not simply improbable, it is impossible.

Charlatans that profess to have mind reading abilities are truly just very adept at reading people in general.

The meaning of the word "psychic" has been so bastardized that people think of anyone with psychic ability as akin to "mind reading" have some sort of supernatural power.

The term "psychic" actually refers to the ability to tap into the PSYCHE of another through psychological intelligence.

There are certain common human conditions that allow a charlatan to evoke a sense of confidence from a subject being read. Everyone has lost a love or had a first love, so they may say "there is someone in your past that meant a lot to you who you lost contact with", and the subject will be convinced that the mind reader has tapped into their childhood sweetheart, long since gone.

The physical appearance of the subject, style of clothes, jewelry and so forth will say a lot about the economic conditions they live in, so if someone appears middle class in today's economy, the mind reader can say, "You are concerned about being able to heat your home with the rising oil prices", and again, they have duped the subject.

The facial expressions and body language of the subject will also give the so-called mind reader a lot of ques. A smirk equates to "You are a skeptic at heart", a smile and open body language tells the mind reader that the subject is eager to hear what is on her mind, so the mind reader will say something to the effect of "You are an open and kind hearted person, you often feel misunderstood, you have a lot of love to give and you have been hurt terribly in the past, but true love is coming into your life".

Mind reading is not an actual reality, it is the ability of an individual to understand the body language and physical clues of any subject through psychological and emotional intelligence based on generalities. A hint of recognition on a subject's face during the cold read stage of mind reading will give the mind reader everything they need to know in order to make you believe that they have some special power, it is only a gift in psychology that allows this to happen.

This is not to say that there is no value or talent in being able to psychologically profile a subject, it is actually a very useful skill in many walks of life. Individuals that possess this pyschological intelligence can go very far in the business world, certainly in the criminal field and in therapeutic fields as well, but mind reading as an actuality? No, it does not exist.

Learn more about this author, Brigid Bishop.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.