PHONY METHODS

1. Cold Reading. The telephone psychic throws out a list of possibilities and waits to hear which one gets a response. For example, he or she may say~, "Some people call me for advice about love." If there is no response, the psychic moves to another popular topic, like finances or jobs. When the person responds to a topic, the psychic works from there.

2. Stock Spiel. It sounds as though the psychic is giving a specific reading, but it could apply to anyone in a certain class of people. For example, the psychic could tell older people they are have trouble with their health.

3. Question Trick. The psychic asks a random question and listens for a response. If the psychic as~ks "Who is Susan?" the customer may respond, "That's my neighbor!" It appears the psychic has divined the name of the neighbor, but many people know a person named Susan. If the customer responds that he doesn't know a Susan, the psychic says one will come into the customer's life.

4. Retrofitting. This one may be used by psychics attempting to help police find a missing person. The psychic says he sees water, a church or the number seven in association with the case. The police then use their normal detective work to find the missing person. The psychic then makes the facts around the case fit the reading -- for example, if the person was found near a pond or water tower and there were seven people in the search party.

-- Source: Dr. Joe Nickell, senior research fellow with Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal.