Cold Reading

Hi

Interesting interview between Derren Brown, English magician, illusionist, mentalist, and Richard Dawkins, British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and popular science author. ...

This interview discusses the means and "tricks of the trade" purported to be used by psychics performing "Cold Readings"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xswt8B8-UTM

Quote Mr Dawkins " are they all fakes or do some of them fool themselves as well"?

He is talking here about practising psychics

OUCH! That hurt!!

All joking aside I find both Mr brown and Mr Dawkins extremely interesting and entertaining

I understand their approach to the psychic platform plausible and scientifically acceptable

What I find astonishing is they appear to grossly generalise their subject matter allowing everything to fit into "neat boxes"

Perhaps that is how we all work psychologically when we believe in something that we cannot emphatically prove?

During the Derren Brown programme recently screened in the UK ( Derren Brown: How to be a Psychic Spy- see below for the link) I found one item particularly interesting
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/derren-brown/4od#2970804

A gentleman called "Batman" was interviewed. Completely blind, he could sense objects around him by using sound, allowing him to recognise objects such as buildings, cars etc. He was even able to ride a bike! By creating a clucking sound with his mouth he relied on the resonance and acoustics to shape the actual objects that were around him. This process is similar to bats. hence his title. In emitting high-pitched sounds and listening to resultant echoes, the process used in radar technology, bats are able to locate prey and nearby objects. This is the process known as echolocation, the ability they similarly share with dolphins and whales.

I suggest that psychic ability could be described like this. Perhaps a psychic is able to switch on an internal radar scanner, emit inaudible sounds, absorb the resultant echoes and understand the results?
JUST A THOUGHT!

What's your view on psychics. Comment here. I'd love to know