Was it real?
That is the burning question. Was it real?
So you finally had a reading. Hopefully you found a genuine medium and had an amazing experience, with validation, messaging and guidance. If you are still not sure whether it was real, here are some techniques I believe are used by fake mediums and you may recognize.
Fly fishing
Just as it sounds. Continually casting and waiting for a bite. For a reader without psychic abilities, the client must be sold on the reading. A fake will feed you bits of information or "bait" often in rapid succession, which is meant to keep you off balance and forget that most of the bait was meaningless to you. If you hear a dozen bits of information and the twelfth one somehow fits, you will tell the reader and that is what they will focus on. The reader has then set the hook and will then try to reel you in, while making you forget about the other eleven pieces of bait that you didn't bite on.
Reeling you in and filling the net
This technique is part two of a fishing strategy. Once the hook is set, it is used to reel you in, or convince you. That initial piece of information you confirmed may be rephrased and repeated back to you. A fake reader with a good technique will quickly have you convinced that they learned this piece of information independent of your interaction.
Foundation of trust
That one piece of information that resonated with you while "fishing" will be used to build a foundation and try to fool you into trusting them. If the reading is in person, your body language and eye movements may be used to expand the initial "hook" and build your trust in the reader. Once you begin trusting the reader, you are more likely to "help" them by volunteering too much information and helping them "fill the net" even more.
Non-specific numbers
Some readers will say a number like "3" and start building a foundation around it. For example: "I am getting the number 3. Do you have 3 siblings or 3 children or does a loved one have 3 siblings or 3 children?" That brief sentence is nothing more than playing the odds. the odds are pretty high that you or one of your loved ones are associated with a family of three. Once the hook is set with a "bite" on a number, another foundation will be built. This technique can be stretched even further if your response somehow expands the parameters to include grandparents, etc. However, if there is something specific about a number then this can be a very useful tool for genuine validation. For example, The reader is getting the number 57 from your uncle bob and you verify that he was born in 1957 or passed at age 57.
We'll come back to that
Sometimes when a fake reader runs into a dead end and can't push you to confirm something, they will say "We'll come back to that." It is usually an escape for them from a dead end road that might expose them as a fake. Don't expect them to ever come back to that dead end road.
Building a database
Often a fake reader will ask a lot of questions under the guise of friendly conversation. Information such as marital status, number of children, occupation, a vacation or even the kind of car you drive can be stored away and brought up later. The reader will carefully package it later in creative context to distract you from remembering that it is something you actually told them.
Fear
I find this to be the most egregious abuse of trust. Fear is highly motivational and unethical people will use that to their advantage. If someone you went to for a reading claims you are cursed and the curse can be removed if you pay more money, take your money and run. This is an old trick that has given our profession a bad name. That is simply not how the universe works. I believe spirits are of light and love, with only good intentions. Negativity is borne within ourselves, our earthbound imagination and our own fears.
Faces and bodies and health, oh my These things can all be read by anyone trained in the arts of face reading or interpreting body language and health symptoms. Face reading is a legitimate ancient art but it is not from communication with spirit. It is based on the knowledge that every experience throughout our lives leaves either temporary or permanent imprints on our face and our health. Your face can be read by anyone educated in this art and they will be able to determine many things about your past and your personality type. If you volunteer any of your health conditions, this can also be used in the same way as a "wedge" to gain trust and credibility. Neither of these methods are communicated by spirit and should not be considered as validation from spirit.
Recording
Any legitimate medium should offer to record your session or allow you to record it. If they do not allow it, for whatever reason, you should ask yourself why.
Phone readings
I also believe mediums should offer phone readings. Some fakes do not because of reasons listed above. Many techniques used by fakes cannot be used during a phone reading. A reading can be just the reader and silence. That is the worst case scenario for a fake.
Non-confirming questions
I believe a genuine medium should not ask a lot of questions. Occasionally we are confused by something we see, hear or feel from spirit but some clarification should be the extent of questioning. If spirit is truly giving messages and guidance, it does not usually come in the form of questions. The main exception here is when guidance is in the form of a question because spirit intends for the client to reflect on some aspect of their own spirituality.
Complimentary statements
This can also be called "ticking the ears." You are more likely to remember the reading as a positive experience if the reader is highly complimentary of you and/or your passed loved ones. Take this with a grain of salt and try to be objective about the purpose of those compliments.
Summary
These are just a few of the techniques I believe fakes will use to fool people. I am not writing this to pass judgment on anyone but to help you make an informed decision. After all, you must believe and know in your soul that your loved ones communicated with you to attain your own peace and comfort.
