talkmagic.co.uk

I'm posting this here because I have no idea of where else it would fit (and I've checked with the moderators that it's OK to do so).

Question - Is there a published source of demographics that could be useful in a mentalism/cold reading act? For example, a common thing would be to mention a 'blue car' knowing that the majority of cars are blue or suggesting a female name ending in 'A'. An example of the sort of thing I'm looking for was shown in the Steve Martin film "Leap of Faith" where a database determines the most popular Catholic girl's name - although that's maybe a bit too specific.

The government statistics office gives the most popular names for a selected few years but that's only a starting point. I know that there's at least one American publication that has this type of info. Does anyone know of sources for the UK?

Thanks

PhiltheBear

I think you'd need several different sources.

One place to start would be here

Been there, done that - but thanks anyway

PhiltheBear

sounds like something that would be included into the basement archives, when you have some details please feel free to stick them in a document and post it here or perhaps mail one of the mods.

not sure were to send you m8 but I'm sure some of the learned people on this forum will come up with some ideas, i for one would be interested in this sort of info most of what i know about cold reading must be well out of date by now.

I think this is something you may have to work on yourself, because of the rate of change of manny things and the distances people travell aroundthese days i dont treally think you can pin specific statistics for a verry long tie before they dramaticaly change!!

one option i can think of is if your doing a gig for a wedding or a corporate prty, the you could request seating plans from the organizers!! then you have everyones names..from this depending on how well your memory is you could then discretly watch people as they enter the party, see if they drove, what colour their car was, if they got a lift, number plates, who they shared their car with, did they take anything out of the boot of the car, golf clubs, tennis racket?? sports person.. and if you had the time you could create a short profile on specific people, even better with the advent of photo phines,,,yeah i know its all begining to sound a bit secret agent type,,,you could discretely photograph people and take notes..

not exactly demographics, but enough specific info on people at a party to cause a mentalistic stir!!

of course it all boils down to how much time you have to prepeare !!

Research on individuals is, you are quite right, the best way. According to a book called "The Psychic Mafia" there's an underground network of 'psychics' that trade this type of information. However, what I'm looking for is something along the lines of, say, most common dog or cat names in a period.

Seems like it might be a bit too much of a hope!!

Vets customer lists...???????

Does seem like one of those things which you thought would be available but isnt..
I remember seing in, i thingk it was Banachek's book Psychic subilities about lists of cards which people most thought of first in different parts of america..eg, the jack of clubs was the card thought of first in north america over a study of 100 people or so...i think thats the book i saw it in ill have to check though... it may be a starting point

That's the kind of thing. Anything similar also welcome