Category: Let's talk
on Friday night I watched a programme where Derren brown went to America to gain endorsements from respected individuals in 5 different fields... for those of you who have not heard of Derren brown, he is a psycho ilusionist. He does not claim to have any psychic powers, or any supernatural abilities, he purely uses techniques of suggestion and facial analyses to gage peoples' thoughts, and also to get people to do certain things ... it is not hipnosis either, it is more ilusional. The first person he went to see in the states was a known psychic. He convinced her that his psychic powers would enable him to see what picture he was drawing while she was in another room. He said various things to her ... I'm not sure exactly how he does it, but basically he talked to her, and eventually did guess the pictures she had drawn, and she went away believing that he genuinely did have a wonderful gift and she would give him the endorsement he required. The second person he went to see was the head of some church. He convinced him that he could convert non believers into believers purely by touch. He sat in a room full of people and pulled a woman out of the audience, he talked to her for a bit about why she did not believe, and he then touched her face, after that touch, she said that she felt a terrific power, like an inner hug, and thought that maybe there was something there after all. he then proceeded to talk to the rest of the room. having seen what he did to that woman, and to a subsequent person who he made fall backwards without touching him, the rest began to crack and all then admitted they did now believe in God. Again, the head of this church agreed to give him the endorsement in his field. The 3rd person he went to see was some woman in Vegas. he told her that he had invented a dream catching machine, and that if she switched it on for 5 nights, he could come back, and tell her what she had been dreaming. The machine, in actual fact, was nothing more than a box with a light inside, but with suggestion, he was able to tell her exactly what she had been dreaming, and once again, gained what he was looking for, an endorsement. The 4th person he went to see was a woman who is an expert and who has written several books about alien abduction. He claimed that, after he had been abducted by aliens 10 years ago, he had gained the power to be able to tell people if there was something medically wrong with them. he told the woman that she had had some surgery on her throat several years ago, he also told her she had a lack of sleep, and ... something else, can't remember now, but basically, it was word for word what was wrong with her. she reccommended that he should go to the highest, and most respected scientific journals with his gift. The last, and perhaps the most disturbing visit, was to an expert in the field of crossing over - i.e. those that talk to the dead. Again he had an audience of people, and again, with power of suggestion, he was able to apparently talk to their dead relatives and friends on the other side.
some of them came out saying that he had told them things that only they could have known. And yet he had not actually been talking to the dead, again, it had all been done using whatever techniques it is he use to gain information from people through suggestion etc. Again, the expert in the field acknowledged that Derren Brown in deed did possess the gift and again, offered him the endorsement. So, bearing all this in mind, if some ilusionist can be a fraud in 5 different fields like this, and openly admit to doing so, how many of these so called psychics, people that talk to the dead, even cult leaders who entice people into their so called christian groups, are really genuine? and more to the point, how many of them aren't? IS there really such a thing as psychic ability? can people really communicate with the dead? or is it all an illaborate technique to gain peoples' trust, respect, and most of all, money.
Whether or not people like that really exist, I don't think anyone will ever know for sure. However, I wish I could've watched that show myself. It sounds like it was interesting.
I don't know. I've heard so many stories about people who have talked to the dead. I wish I ocudl see it for myself. Or rather hear it. Rotfl.
Caitlin
I wouldn't have been surprised if the woman told him he guessed correctly about her dreams just to get rid of the weirdo.
James
Very interesting stuff. I too am unsure if this stuff is really true.
Troy
categorically yes! I've believed in it for 14 years.grin.
My brother is incredibly accurate and he has left us stunned more than once.
However we have discussed this before and in the end most of us agreed that there are a great many liars and charlatans who use the "gift" purely for money but there are 2 clues ..1 when they ask for info then use that info to predict certain every day events they feed off what you give them like Piranahs...2.A true psychic like my brother is forbidden from telling the listener bad news no matter how difficult that may be, they cannot disclose what they have been told.