[1][2] The psychics may have clients schedule their appearance ahead of time, and then collect information using collaborators who pose as religious missionaries, magazine sales people, or similar roles.
He might also consult the "Blue Book" for the area, a compilation circulated among mediums listing, for an increasing number of places, the names of leading spiritualists likely to attend seances, with descriptions, family histories, and details (deceased spouses, children, parents, etc.)
[7] Notable mediums from the past who were exposed as utilizing hot reading methods have included Rosina Thompson and George Valiantine.
In 1986, James Randi and his associate Steve Shaw, an illusionist known professionally as Banachek, organized Project Beta with technical assistance from the crime scene analyst and electronics expert Alexander Jason.
[12][13] A 2001 Time article reported that psychic John Edward allegedly used hot reading on his television show, Crossing Over, where an audience member who received a reading was suspicious of prior behaviour from Edward's aides, who had struck up conversations with audience members and asked them to fill out cards detailing their family trees.
[16] In March 2017, alleged psychic Thomas John Flanagan was found to have used information posted on social media by people coming to his shows, in order to accurately guess details about their lives while pretending to be communicating with the dead.
He unknowingly used backstories from fake Facebook profiles previously prepared by a group of skeptics led by Susan Gerbic and Mark Edward.
When Flanagan used that information while pretending to hear Gerbic's and Edward's dead relatives, the only possible way he could be aware of these details is if he or members of his team read the fake profiles while preparing for their performance, since even Gerbic and Edward themselves were not aware of the specific information placed on the profiles that matched the aliases they were using when attending the show.
Oliver summarized "Look, maybe Tyler Henry genuinely accessed the afterlife, an action which would fundamentally change our understanding of everything on Earth.