FWIW, Derren Brown portraits: https://www.google.fi/search?q=derren+brown+portraits&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=XJOMUuFchMTiBM3KgLgE&ved=0CCwQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=630 https://www.google.fi/search?q=derren+brown+portraits&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=XJOMUuFchMTiBM3KgLgE&ved=0CCwQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=630
---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, <cardemaister@...> wrote: NBD, but never occurred to me Derren could be gay, as he is... ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, <turquoiseb@...> wrote: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote: > > I sometimes see this as it is after another show I watch when I can. I would give it a grade of B (using my subjective scale for network TV here in the States). "B" sounds about right. It wasn't great, but it was often well done and thought-provoking, especially the episodes that centered not on *whether* someone was lying, but *why*. > ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, > s3raphita@ wrote: > > Speaking of such things, did you ever get a US TV series called "Lie To Me" there in the UK? > > ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, > turquoiseb@ wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, wrote: > > > > Re "Derren definitely possesses unusual abilities": > > > > Yes, but not *psychic* abilities. He uses NLP trickery (eye-movement > cues); lip-reading expertise; amazing memory recall; covert hypnosis; > muscle reading; old-fashioned conjuring ; . . . ; but nothing that can't > be understood by a hard-nosed scientist. > > > So do the psychics. > > That's his point. Funny how some miss it. > > Speaking of such things, did you ever get a US TV series called > "Lie To Me" there in the UK? It's definitely worth a watch, if > you did and it comes up on reruns. Tim Roth (always great) > plays a character based on the real work of Dr. Paul Ekman > and the Ekman Group on facial recognition and body > language. > > > > ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, awoelflebater@ wrote: > > > > I watched the whole thing and found it utterly fascinating. The > interesting thing is, Derren definitely possesses unusual abilities and > he knows this so the 'joke' is on us, the viewers, who are supposedly > 'in the know' about what he is doing to the 'unsuspecting' 5 experts. > The whole concept and execution was very watchable and I would like to > see more from this guy. > > > > ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, s3raphita@ wrote: > > > > On the thread Judy referenced there's a cynical message by one > curtisdeltablues "It makes more sense that his NLP skills are instantly > effective and magical on strangers. Yeah that makes much more sense. How > could anyone actually give money to another person for the purposes of > making it look like they had done something magical?": > > > > The clip he's talking about - where Derren gets strangers to hand > over their wallets and keys - is a common criminal scam. It relies on a > "pattern interrupt", as they say in NLP jargon, and body mirror imaging > and is clearly effective. (Apologies if link is blocked for US viewers.) > > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOdYgEDSm7E > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOdYgEDSm7E http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOdYgEDSm7E http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOdYgEDSm7E > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOdYgEDSm7E > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOdYgEDSm7E http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOdYgEDSm7E http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOdYgEDSm7E > > > > ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, s3raphita@ wrote: > > > > Re "As a confirmed skeptic, would he even recognize it if he were > getting genuine little nudges from the Beyond?": > > > > Yes, that's an intriguing suggestion. However, having taken a look at > the previous thread you referenced, I'm sure you've all got it wrong. > Yes, he does use NLP ideas in some tricks but this is essentially a > (covert) hypnosis session. At the point where he asks them if they now > believe in God - and they all say "Yes" - he could have got them to go > down on all fours and bark like a dog - the typical stage hypnosis > entertainment. > > He carries it off with panache though. > > > > Re "In any case, I do still think (as I said in the earlier > discussion) that he's creeeepy.": > > > > That's his act! He plays up to the Svengali archetype. That's the fun > of his show (and I've seen him live). > > > > The segment where he copied by "remote-viewing" what a psychic was > drawing was probably pulled off by him suggesting subliminally key > images as he talks to her. (What we see is edited, of course.) > > > > The segment where he knows what the woman had dreamed of over the > previous nights was another knock-out. "Pure effect" as Derren Brown > calls it. Still trying to figure that one out. > > > > He's a divisive figure in the UK. Some people (rationalists) really > loathe him as he's such a consummate professional he inevitably makes > viewers think, "Hey, maybe there's something genuinely psychic going > on". > > > > Most people, like me, recognise him as an outstanding magician and > just enjoy being baffled. Some of his stunts it has literally taken me > years of head-scratching to work out how he did them. > > > > ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend@ wrote: > > > > Yes, thank you. I've actually seen this segment before--someone > posted it here a few years ago and we had a bit of discussion about it > (the thread begins with #161279 if you want to have a look). > > > > Seeing it again, I find I've changed my mind somewhat about what's > going on. I think he may, in fact, have a "gift," but he doesn't know > it; and it may not be a benign "gift." He may--sometimes, not > necessarily always--be getting some help from sources that he's not > aware of because he's so focused on, and has such confidence in, his > various tricks and techniques. As a confirmed skeptic, would he even > recognize it if he were getting genuine little nudges from the Beyond? > > > > In any case, I do still think (as I said in the earlier discussion) > that he's creeeepy. > > > > What I'd like to see would be what would happen if one of his > subjects just flatly resisted him (even if he was telling them stuff > about themselves that was true). > > > > ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, s3raphita@ wrote: > > > > Does this site work for you? > > > > http://vimeo.com/46045821 http://vimeo.com/46045821 > > http://vimeo.com/46045821 http://vimeo.com/46045821 http://vimeo.com/46045821 http://vimeo.com/46045821 http://vimeo.com/46045821 http://vimeo.com/46045821 > > > > > > ---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com mailto:fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, authfriend@ wrote: > > > > The video ain't available in the U.S., sadly. > > > > > > ---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com mailto:FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, s3raphita@ wrote: > > > > Mind-control magician and skeptic Derren Brown takes his debunking > mission to America to show just how easy it is to dupe people into > believing impossible things before breakfast. He tried to convince five > leading figures that he had powers in their particular field of > expertise: Christian evangelism, alien abduction, psychic powers, New > Age theories and contacting the dead. > > The whole 50 minutes is a hoot but if you only take a peek check out > the segment from 13:11 where he demonstrates his power to convert > atheists with a touch. Derren is a friend and admirer of Richard Dawkins > - I'd love to see him do this to the Great Atheist. > > > > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLbesxxKzcM > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLbesxxKzcM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLbesxxKzcM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLbesxxKzcM > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLbesxxKzcM > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLbesxxKzcM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLbesxxKzcM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLbesxxKzcM > > > > > > It was on here but I missed it. Another one I never saw(!) was "The Mentalist" with Simon Baker which seems to mine similar territory. Would you recommend that one also? > > > I'm sure there are other similar series - looks like I've got a lot of viewing pleasure to look forward to. > > > > (I hate being drip fed TV series' episodes once a week. If I see a series I like the look of I prefer waiting until it comes out on a DVD box set then I can glut myself.) >
