Sceptics wanted

[venta]

Having just read chrestomancy and leathellin's comments about horoscopes, I am reminded about an experiment I wanted to try.

Tarot cards. I have in the past had several very accurate tarot card readings done for me - however, they have been done by someone who knows me pretty well, and could quite probably have given me good advice without the use of 72 bits of coloured cardboard.

While in New Orleans[*], an acquaintance of kauket's, whom I'd never before met, did a tarot reading for me. It was pretty accurate, but I'm unconvinced... In general I'm quite happy to believe in the validity of Tarot cards and their ilk. However, I have a little bit of scientist in me which likes to pop up and challenge it. So, I found myself analysing everything that was said, and trying to work out how much could be intelligent guesswork, how much reaction to my reactions, how much was very generalised stuff, etc.

So. I need some people who don't believe in tarot cards to do tarot card readings for me. Basically, I want to see just how well people can bullshit.

Anyone offering to do this will be cooked for/bought drinks/both in return. Must provide own tarot cards, though, unless we can find someone willing to lend a set. I should mention that I have no idea what any of the tarot cards signify, so bluffing convincingly is far more important than getting that kind of thing right.

For obvious reasons, the less well the volunteer knows me, the better. Any offers?

[*]apologies to lathany (and anyone else who cares) for the failure in appearance of further holiday exploits. Life's been getting in the way.

Comments

Hmm dinner...

[leathellin.livejournal.com]

I'd volunteer because then I might get dinner, and i've got cards and everything. I'm not sure i'd help the whole scientific procedure thing though ;-)
Shouldn't you have a set of cards to provide so you can avoid a sample bias based on those who own Tarot cards?

And how dare you have a life to get in the way? ;-)

[zotz]

Not knowing you isn't going to help. Cold-reading can achieve amazing results. It's entirely possible for someone to learn it without realising, and become a very successful palmist, tarot reader, or whatever, honestly but without validity.

Have a quick google on "cold-reading". I'm sure there'll be some very informative articles out there.

[jiggery-pokery.livejournal.com]

Mmmn. I have a feeling that you explicitly stating that you want to perform this experiment may make it harder for you to take the results seriously - you won't know that someone isn't giving you a reading solely for the purpose of attempting this experiment. It's Schrodinger's Tarot.

As a thought-experiment, I counter-propose a "Faking It" arrangement. You might attend four tarot readers, three of which believe in tarot cards and perform readings, the fourth of which does not believe in tarot cards but still performs a reading. Your goal is to work out if there is one of the four who betrays the fact that they don't believe the cards.

I'm not convinced that that's ideal either - it's more about testing the skills of the readers than anything else. Perhaps it might be more appropriate if you do not know in advance how many readers do or do not believe what they're saying, other than that there will be several readers and it is definitely possible that some or all will believe it and it is definitely possible that some or all will not.

Are you ever still in touch with Andi Lucas? He'd quite probably be interested. I don't know whether he's a true believer or a member of the Bullshit Party. I can put you back in touch with him if you like.

[triskellian]

I have cards I'd be willing to lend (this is because I have too many sets - see the my desk thread on my journal bloody ages ago - and can't possibly be sentimental about all of them). I'm not sure I'm enough into the 'not believing in them' camp to offer to read them for you, though.

[augeas.livejournal.com]

Would bullshitting you with runes be acceptable, too?

Readings

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

"So. I need some people who don't believe in tarot cards to do tarot card readings for me. Basically, I want to see just how well people can bullshit."

I have a set of cards and would be happy to do a reading for you.

Assuming that by skeptical you mean "Does not believe in the supernatural" then I qualify spectacularly. I do, however, have some ideas about the science behind Tarot cards... it's not quite all bunk.

Sounds like fun

[cardinalsin.livejournal.com]

I've thought an experiment of this sort would be a good idea for some time. I have slightly different ideas on how to do them, but would require a budget of millions to accomplish them :)

I'd be happy to give this a try. I can get a set from frax or take triskellian up on her offer. I should add that I don't know much about the tarot, yet. I am in the process of doing some reading on the subject, as it happens. Don't know whether this is a problem or not.

[nevecat.livejournal.com]

Oh...the other obvious variant on 'get several people to do a reading' would be to lay out various spreads, record the cards & positions, and get different people to do their interpretations on the same given info.

Of course some people have rules about who can touch the cards & the like, but it sounds like you're breaking thyat one already, so you might as well get the 'scientific' side of giving people the same info.

This could also prevent/moderate the possible differences given out by your body language cues, wince you could write up the results & allow people to respond via email etc - ie no body language available.