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I agree with you Rob, on both accounts

At the Magic Convention in November, Derren did a 2 hour long Q&A session on the Sunday, and he told us about The Heist... even showed a couple of clips if I'm not mistaken, plus stuff from his new up-and-coming Mind Control special.

Anyway, he answered questions on stooges. I hope I can re-assure the sceptics amongst us that he doesn't use stooges. What would be the point? It would only take one of them to go to the press, and say 'Derren paid me to do this...' and that's his whole career compromised. No one would believe anything he did ever again.

He kept stating that he doesn't believe hypnosis exists, that everything he achieves is through suggestion and NLP. He usually states this at some point in his specials too, that nothing he does is special, it's just that he has practised it to the level of complete mastery he shows when he performs.

Most people say they'd go along, and 'Derren wouldn't fool me' etc etc. Maybe so, but then he wouldn't use them in his act, because he's got his art to such a level that he can tell those who aren't susceptible to his will within a couple of minutes.

I think he's a brilliant entertainer, and I love to watch him work his art. I'm looking forward to more shows from Mr Brown.

dat8962 wrote:DMagic wrote:

Does anyone here know how to hypnotise?

I may be wrong but I seem to recall Derren explaining that he was giving the impression that he was hypnotising when in fact he wasn't.

I'm not into the hypno thing and won't pretend that I am, or know anything about it but I am rather sceptical as I think that generally, there are a lot of people thinking and claiming that they can do this when in fact they can't.

Well, you're in and out of trance all day. Every time you daydream, or get home and realise you only vaguely remember the journey, or perhaps get lost in a book, or a card session, or whatever. Hypnosis is just guiding the subject into that state on purpose so that suggestions can be given undiluted directly to the subconscious.

Luckily, there are good conversational methods that don't require formal hypnotic induction, but can produce results no less dramatic and unexpected for the subject.

I'd agree with that Mark.

On Tomo's post, I've driven home on may occasion and wondered how I'd got there as I couldn't remeber the journey. What I was referring to in terms of my scepticism is not what Derren does but what many so called self acclaimed hypnotists claim that they can do.

Ah. I misread you. Anyway, a good piece of entertainment, I thought.

Hypnotism is not what the stage performers pretend it is and I was pleased that Derren acknowledged this.

A hypnotic trance is a stae of deep, deep relaxation and a condition called altered consciousness. At no time is a person who is in a trance be made to do anything they don't want to do. That is really important to understand. So, when stage hypnotists have people running around clucking like chickes it is either because the person is an expressive exhibitionis who is happy to do that or as is more likely they are stooges!

The use of hypnotism in a medical context is a respectable and respected alternative therapy which gets bad press from charlatans on stage.

Im after some help..the bit where he gets people to shout out 20 or so items and he memorizes them and teaches them how to do it.

I have seen in one of my books how to do this (i just cant find it) and if im right people who know will know and might help me!!! others will get confussed!

I'm trying to make a number/word list to help me but am having trouble remembering it has anyone got a list that is easy to remember!

kems wrote:Im after some help..the bit where he gets people to shout out 20 or so items and he memorizes them and teaches them how to do it.

I have seen in one of my books how to do this (i just cant find it) and if im right people who know will know and might help me!!! others will get confussed!

I'm trying to make a number/word list to help me but am having trouble remembering it has anyone got a list that is easy to remember!

They call it mind mapping, I think. Basically, think of a journey you know well. Mentally walk it and place at memorable points bizarre objects that remind you of each thing you need to remember. It takes a bit of practice, but you just re-walk the journey to recall individual items. The more you do it, the more context you get so it becomes easier. With practice, you can recall an astonishing number of things. I once worked with a salesman who could do this to an entire organisational chart and recall who works for who from admin assistants to chairman. Very impressive. Pity he couldn't also sell...

Have a look at http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/t ... ndcontrol/ and on to the Remember Remember section .

Thanks thats great... does anyone on here use that alot?

It's in 13 steps aswell, but a bit different to the method Derren uses. I find the method in 13 steps easier.

I thought it was interesting with the techniques he used ie) colour green, music etc. And i believe it was all real and it was clever how he got them to do the heist at the end. But I thought the heist was a bit lame, having someone run at an actor with a toy gun. I thought it would be more 'extreme'. I know it was still astonishing what he manged to get them to do but I thought it was a bit of an anti climax at the end. I thought it was interesting how he got the participants to feel good and proud about stealing sweets from a shop.

I don't want to be a Derren basher, I thought it was really interesting but the things I've heard from the public suggest they didn't like it very much.

T Ravalde

From an entertainment point of view, perhaps it was a bit anti-climactic.

I think though that in this instance it was more the message behind the action that was important - the fact that he did manage to get them to commit this act.

It paid off the set-up, definitely, and it really depends on which side you're viewing it from: if you were watching it purely for the entertainment factor then you may have been left feeling "is that it?", but you have to remember that there was only so much they could do, and getting them to go in to a bank and rob that would probably have been asking too much, if you get what I mean - everything was 'in place' for them and through Derren's suggestions they just went for it.

Quite chilling, really.

Well I believe this is the first time people have been made to commit a crime, or made to do something "against their will". I say "against their will" but of course is wasn't sticktly against their will. For me the best bit was how Derren made them want to do it and feel proud of it hmmm...

I wish I could watch these Derren Brown shows. All my info comes third-hand and (if I'm lucky) through compressed, low-quality online videos of things he's done.

Crummy English! You get all the good stuff!!!