by Robin Shane

Created on: December 19, 2008

Mind reading can be a real thing but not necessarily in some supernatural or technological manner. Much of reading what is on someone's mind is common sense and has been done since the beginning of time. There are various ways to read what someone is thinking.

1. The current conversation and the given situation lend much to what a person is thinking. If I ask my daughter if she'd like to go to any number of burger joints for lunch and she turns down all of those offers but suggests chicken instead, I can figure out that she is not in the mood for burgers right now.

2. Voice inflection tells much about what a person is thinking as well. When I ask a co-worker if she would mind doing a particular task and she responds, "I guess" with a less than enthusiastic tone, it is apparent that she would rather not do the task despite her actual response to the question.

3. Body language speaks volumes about what a person is thinking. Crossed arms and an evil glare from the top of my teenager's eyes while I am lecturing her makes it quite clear that she thinks I have no idea what I am talking about and that I am totally not relating to her.

4. People who are very close to each other, such as "soul mates", often find themselves saying the exact same thing at the exact same time. This happens for many various reasons. If the pair are trying to decide what recreational activity to do for the day, and they haven't done one of their favorite things in quite some time, there may be a resounding, "Let's go thrift store shopping!" from both of them at the same time. If, while thrift store shopping they often had chinese food for lunch on their shopping route, one may suggest it while the other says, "That's just what I was thinking."

5. Some people are just ridiculously obvious. This would actually fall under body language. If I am waiting in line at the grocery store all dressed up for a Friday night date and a man nearby is looking me up and down and grinning, I know with great certainty that he is having some sort of sexual thought.

Reading minds is not rocket science in most situations. There are technological advances that aid in the process of determining if someone may be lying, but delving into the minds of someone you are in no contact with is not possible and not meant to be possible. If we have no other privacy in this world we have our private thoughts. However, when in any form of communication with another person, our thoughts are an open book to an observant person who is paying attention to our body, our voice, and the given situation.

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