Mind Control or Trickery?

[Janus109]

I know this guy Derren Brown is very popular in the UK. I wish he were on TV here in the USA. The following clip is kinda spooky where he purportly turns someone into a zombie! lol! I know that he is an entertainer/magician but I just wanted to know what you think..not really sure what to make of it.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7688956389104405762&q=derren+brown


:lookwhats

[Derestanne]

I think what we have here is another fine example of "reality TV" - minus of course, reality.

Technology is a double-edge sword. It can reveal reality or it can manipulate and manufacture it.

I am not saying there is no such thing as a zombie, by the way. But I often wish there was no such thing as "reality TV"! LOL

I will say this, "Derren Brown got game"! :tarotwitc :hutone: :abanana: :fpeace: :awilly: :nyah: :eek: :spinner: _happydanc :durrrr: :bug: :abadpoker :antennae:

[Amber Wynd]

I'm not too sure what to think of it either, but it's really interesting and kind of creepy. It reminded me of that old movie where the guy somehow gets sucked into the game he's been playing.

[kal]

he is a trickster one show he did he was supposed to play russian roulette
but days later you found out the pistol had blanks instead of live ammo

[ValD]

Derren Brown is a professional magician - he works by suggestion, trickery and misdirection. He's a terrific performer, but never claims his act is at all paranormal.
Derren Brown's website (http://www.derrenbrown.co.uk/?flash=no)

[IrishDancer]

Well, that was mildly frigging upsetting.

Assuming that really did happen, his friends are bastards. I could never watch someone go through that, I would've stopped it.

[kardell]

Well, i'm sorry but that was terrible to watch, i dont know if it was cut but you didnt here one of his friends asking what the hell he has going to do with thier friend, especially when they put him on the stretcher, another example of people just going along and doing what they are told!

I think this was out of order, he may have hynotized this poor man but no-one can erase totally the effects this will have on his dreams and maybee his behaviour, not even someone like darren browne who i know is well traversed in the human mind can totally know what effect this will have on him,

It was interesting to watch that his female friend was very conserned and did not enjoy the experience, while his male friend was laughing at one point, weather this was nervous laughter or not, i dont know , but i think this is taking it too far.

stick to card tricks darren, the human mind is a very fragile thing.:awilly:

[Dragonladyofwater]

Even if it is only for entertainment and is a complete hoax it is disturbing and at worst completely irresponsible.

[XanderAmon]

stick to card tricks darren, the human mind is a very fragile thing.:awilly:

I don't know, he didn't seem too upset after he'd "woken up".
Probably thought he just had some kinda freaky dream?
Or maybe it's a fake, who knows.

All I know is I've seen hypnotism myself, so I know it's entirely possible this is true.

[jelly.belly]

I agree that it's weird that his friends weren't wondering what was happening. Plus, it's kind of mean when you think about it, but he didn't seem too upset about it... I have to admit I laughed a bit when he said "Wicked!" at the end but anyway... it's still kinda weird no one asked any questions...

[FaerieGothMommy]

I am really shocked! I couldn't believe what i was seeing, to be honest.
I've seen Derren Brown a lot before, and have always been interested by the way he hypnotizes and uses mind control over people.
This though.. i could feel the fear from that guy! I could never watch one of my friends go through that.
But it was weird that when he woke up at the end, he just thought it was the game. I'd have thought he would have known that he actually went through that.

It really shocked me though, it wasn't nice to watch.

[KaidaMidnight]

The first thing that went through my mind was.. Why are his friends just standing there? He "went to sleep" and his friends don't try shaking him awake or ask if he's ok.. second, they just let this guy take him on a stretcher, not saying anything. I would have been asking tons of questions. Third, I wouldn't have been able to see my friend go through that. I would have made them stop when he started screaming. Lastly, if he had just gone through that, you would have thought when he woke up at the end he would have still been screaming.... Just my opinions though.

[FaerieGothMommy]

The first thing that went through my mind was.. Why are his friends just standing there? He "went to sleep" and his friends don't try shaking him awake or ask if he's ok.. second, they just let this guy take him on a stretcher, not saying anything. I would have been asking tons of questions. Third, I wouldn't have been able to see my friend go through that. I would have made them stop when he started screaming. Lastly, if he had just gone through that, you would have thought when he woke up at the end he would have still been screaming.... Just my opinions though.

Yeh.. I was thinking "what the hell, why are those just standing there".. and then he takes them into that building, it's all dark, blood on the window, and they just go along with it.
The only thing i can think of, is that they know Derren Brown, he is very popular here in the UK, plus the cameras etc...
It was still shocking.

[XanderAmon]

if he had just gone through that, you would have thought when he woke up at the end he would have still been screaming.... Just my opinions though.

I wouldn't be so sure. He might not even remember 100% what happened. I've spoken to people who were hypnotized; they said they only have a vague reccollection of what happened to them.

[FaerieGothMommy]

I wouldn't be so sure. He might not even remember 100% what happened. I've spoken to people who were hypnotized; they said they only have a vague reccollection of what happened to them.

Ahh, so that explains it. Thanks.

[Anubis]

well.. what gets me is IF it's real.. this was done without the guys permission... which to me seems to be a sort of mental rape...
anyone else get that impression?

[ValD]

well.. what gets me is IF it's real.. this was done without the guys permission... which to me seems to be a sort of mental rape...
anyone else get that impression?
It simply could not have been broadcast without his written permission; that's part of the UK broadcasting rules. A TV company here was recently fined and censured for broadcasting a CCTV clip of a man attempting suicide, without asking the man concerned.

[KaidaMidnight]

well.. what gets me is IF it's real.. this was done without the guys permission... which to me seems to be a sort of mental rape...
anyone else get that impression?
Yes, that would have bugged me, if they had done that without first getting permission. Messing with people's minds while they know it is one thing.. but doing it to someone who has no clue... :nuhuh:

It simply could not have been broadcast without his written permission; that's part of the UK broadcasting rules. A TV company here was recently fined and censured for broadcasting a CCTV clip of a man attempting suicide, without asking the man concerned.

They couldn't air it without his permission, but the whole thing was to find an unsuspecting person. They did it before airing it, and then after filming, probably asked if they could air it.


I wouldn't be so sure. He might not even remember 100% what happened. I've spoken to people who were hypnotized; they said they only have a vague reccollection of what happened to them.
Ok, that makes more sense then. Before I knew that, I would have thought he'd still be screaming... but if he didn't remember a lot of it, then it would explain why he wasn't.

The only thing i can think of, is that they know Derren Brown, he is very popular here in the UK, plus the cameras etc...

True, but I still would have been hesitant to let him just take my friend... lol

[ValD]

I didn't see the show, but if it was one of his regular shows for Ch4, then the participants were all willing volunteers.
the Derren Brown Show (http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/M/mindcontrol/index.html):
Would you like the chance to take part in a Derren Brown show for Channel 4?
We are looking for volunteers for a new show with Derren Brown.
If interested, please visit www.appform.co.uk and fill in the online application form.
Participants of all ages and backgrounds are welcome, but you must be over 21 and currently employed.
There's a page on that site that tells you how he does some of his tricks - very interesting.
For instance: Are You Feeling Sleepy?
All through the series, people mysteriously fall asleep in public phone boxes. Have they fallen prey to a disease or am I carrying out some trick of the mind on the other end of the line? There are two factors at work here.
First, the group of people subjected to the stunt are particularly suggestible. I know this simply because they chose to answer a public phone that happened to be ringing as they walked past. Most people would ignore it, assuming it was nothing to do with them.
Secondly, once the person answers, I immediately bombard them with a rapid set of confusing instructions and facts. I do this for several minutes without giving give them a break, then follow it by telling them to fall asleep. As seen on the shows, this works.
Public speakers often capitalise on the same response. Have you ever listened to a politician giving rapid-fire statistics so fast that the audience can't possibly take them in, only to end the speech with a simple, memorable phrase? The soundbite comes as such a relief after all those facts and figures that this is all the listeners remember.