Video: Illusionist Derren Brown turns atheists into believers
posted at 10:21 pm on November 17, 2006 by Allahpundit
Three clips from England’s renowned magician-slash-skeptic. The first two comprise his famous “instant conversion” demonstration, which looks to me like a case of group hypnosis. To which Brown no doubt would say, “Exactly.”
The third clip is self-explanatory. He’s not exactly out on a limb with the answers he gives the first two women — but how did he guess with the third? Regardless, it seems like a waste of his talents: why bother with elaborate mind games when all you really need is confidence?
If you like his stuff, there’s plenty more at YouTube.
Blowback
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Okay I don’t know what that crap was. First off how about telling that guy to get to the point. I don’t have time to sit through all that mess…
venmax on November 17, 2006 at 11:08 PM
I need to harness Browns tecnique for direct selling of my companies product. If the athiests came to the meeting in answer to an advertised spiritual event,to me that says they were searching for God. A spirit may have moved on them but mabey not neccesarily one of God. The English have a history of spirituallity, also not neccesarily of God. Thats my understanding . As for the preacher endorsing a charolatin. Yes a preacher is vunerable because of his pure heart and unjaded thinking. Now the women, well throw in good looks and a reputation for good lovin you will do just fine.That is back in the day,my day.
sonnyspats1 on November 17, 2006 at 11:09 PM
Sonny –
sorry, I’m a preacher, and I got mad jaded thoughts. And, sometimes my heart aint pure, either. I wanted to kick every single kid in the youth group last night. Hard. In the gut. (I didn’t by the way.) Teenagers – they suck. Guess I’m just saying, I’m human too.
But, Thank you for thinking the best of me!
nailinmyeye on November 17, 2006 at 11:17 PM
Is it possible for one guy to sit on tv, say Fox News stare at the tv for a while and do this stuff in mass? This how we get some societies, to behave a certain way? Islamic Terrorist , Nazi Germany , Liberals? This might explain Liberals. They have minds to fill.
StuLongIsland on November 17, 2006 at 11:18 PM
Maybe he can hyp-mo-tize liberals ( especially trolls ) into mature sensible adults. THAT would be impressive
….otherwise, he’s just another useless English twit
Janos Hunyadi on November 17, 2006 at 11:20 PM
But, Thank you for thinking the best of me!
nailinmyeye on November 17, 2006 at 11:17 PM
mabey I should have been a preacher! lol Well after rethinking my statement. The preacher became vulnerable to deception by an egotistcal desire to convert all the illegal immigrants in his area. Good luck with the youth group NIME
sonnyspats1 on November 17, 2006 at 11:29 PM
That’s one of the most disgusting displays I’ve ever seen in my life. This man exploited his audience. He lied to them in order to confirm his own belief in atheism. Those young people (whether they realised it or not) were seeking something greater than themsleves. Instead of finding Christianity they’ve been convinced that there’s no such thing as salvation. This man has lied to them to convince them that everyone lies.
aengus on November 17, 2006 at 11:49 PM
Thanks you! That was the first thing I thought. I’m like, why the hell would these atheists even go their?
Also, there was some heavy editing there and I’d like to see it uncut before I could make a full critique. I’m open to the possibility that these people were a bunch of actors. But I think it looks like hypnosis to me. I’ve seen it done at high scool graduation type events, and at the Champlain Valley Fair many times. So what the hell does this idiot think that proves? At the fair they make people bark like dogs or shiver or get pissed at someone for no reason or itch, or any number of things that entertain a crowd.
Again, I’ve seen, as I’m sure most of you have, that done many times. But sense you can hypnotize a group and make them believe they can’t speak but only bark like a dog, or that they are extremely cold when it’s a nice summer day out, who’s to say this douche bag didn’t put them in a state of hypnosis and tell them they would believe in God “when I snap my fingers” basically? Some of these hypnotists are good enough it wouldn’t even have to be that obvious, but I have to question the editing and wonder what he didn’t show us.
Key point to me is the grogginess of these people. It’s exactly like anyone I’ve ever seen hypnotized. I’ve seen the hypnotist tell them they don’t have a belly button and then when he snaps his fingers, they open their eyes and in a few minutes start figiting with their shirt with this stunnned confused look, then they jump up and lift their shirt and keep searching for it. But all the while they are like in this groggy weird state, oblivious to the hundreds of laughing people in the audience.
As for Allah’s take (which seems to be the same as mine) that it’s group hypnosis, but that Brown would reply “exactly!”… I think this guy needs to go to a church first, and second talk to Christians who have become Christians through a lot of study. Outside of Pentecostal Churches, the “just like in church” statement that the (hypothetical) “exactly” implies doesn’t wash. And even in Pentecostal Churches I don’t think they’re hypnotized, it’s more of an adrenaline thing and (sorry Pentecostals) many if not most are totally consciously faking it, even if many have convinced themselves they’re not. But that has nothing to do with whether they believe in God or not, and it’s certainly not what I’d call hypnosis. But again, they’re an extreme example. Look outside of that denomination and he’d be hard pressed to find Christians who act like hypnotized zombies, or whatever.
RightWinged on November 18, 2006 at 12:17 AM
Wow, I’m an idiot, I “botched” my first sentence (at least I didn’t insult the troops in the process of my botch anyway).
should read:
I know everyone here is smart enough to have figured that one out… but I don’t want to look like an idiot who didn’t even know.
RightWinged on November 18, 2006 at 12:19 AM
Thanks you! That was the first thing I thought. I’m like, why the hell would these atheists even go their?
Rightwinged I saw your post and I want to say Your Welcomes. kidding of course
sonnyspats1 on November 18, 2006 at 12:39 AM
Derren Brown is a bit on the shady side. He pretends to have all sorts of psychological methods he uses to get the information from his audience members. In reality, he uses pretty standard magical gimmicks.
In other words, his vague explanations for how he does what he does don’t pan out. He pretends to be giving explanations for his tricks but they really aren’t true.
Simon Singh, the author of one of my favorite books on cryptography, The Code Book, exposed some of his methods previously, http://www.simonsingh.net/Derren_FAQ.html
tommy1 on November 18, 2006 at 1:00 AM
In college, a friend of mine who was a business owner was co-sponsoring a show by a hypnotist who billed himself as “The Fastest Hypnotist In The World.” He’d ask you a couple of questions about yourself, wave his hand in front of your face, then girly-smack you on the forehead and say “Sleep Now” in his nasly Southern drawl; thereby putting his mostly 18-21 year-old subjects into a mental state that allowed him to suggest they do some embarrassing stuff onstage after a two drink minimum.
Because I was friends with the co-sponsor of this hypnotist’s gig, I got to meet him (nice enough guy) before the show and talk a bit about his craft. He immediately wanted to do a demonstration with me. We went through the schtick and when smacks me on the head and I don’t collapse in a heap in front of everyone…
…this upset “The Fastest Hypnotist In The World” to no end.
After two more goes at his schtick and me saying helping things like: “Dude, it’s not working on me” he enlisted a couple of my friends in attendance at this pre-show demo to perform “hypno-magic levitation” by lifting me up in the air using only their index fingers–better known as the leverage we’d use to foist our friends briefly over our heads at countless sleepovers practiced by American teenagers since 1947.
Hypnotism, mind-reading, and (unfortunately) 99% of faith healing is a scam. Someone has already pointed out that those atheists “coverted” by Brown responded to an ad about spiritualism, were searching for The Truth, The Way, and The Light but found nothing less than a callous, vindictive, liar. Yep, that’s good television.
Had those same atheists gone to discuss spirituality an honest man willing to share his faith, the outcome would likely have not been Must See TV(tm) because TV producers just know that there’s no drama and conflict in the lives of happy people living by God’s Grace and Christ’s Love.
Nope, they gotta sell that misery!
ScottMcC on November 18, 2006 at 1:55 AM
Derren is an entertainer, a performer. He has a contract with his audience – and that contract is that he is a magician, a hypnotist and performer – he uses a variety of techniques and applies them all in the show. He is a cut above your average performer, streets ahead of the pretentious ‘Criss Angel’ type nonsense – but he is essentially in the same category.
To view this as anything more than the entertainment it is intended as suggests that you would probably make an EXCELLENT stooge for Browns performances.
eminuu on November 18, 2006 at 5:11 AM
What he demostrates here is the same thing that most cults use to gain followers: They target the most vulnerable, disaffected, young people they can find; make them feel welcome in a group (they so want to belong to a group because they feel alone and different); and they fill them with false hope, maintaining the lies as long as they can.
He clearly demonstrates why there are so many nutty cults out there. But what he is doing is so evil it is considered the ONLY unforgivable sin. Blasphamy against the works of the Holy Spirit is unforgivable and, though it is not mine to judge, scripture teaches us that he will burn in Hell for eternity and I would certainly applaud that.
LonelyMassRepublican on November 18, 2006 at 8:13 AM
That girl mouths the line. And he is very suggestive and how many videos does he shoot that he just burns cause he didn’t guess right. Quick pace questions demanding quick answers and with the girls he tells them this the most difficult thing he does and it’s a woman’s nature to be helpful. So they go along
Drtuddle on November 18, 2006 at 10:28 AM
I’m almost afraid to make the comments I’m about to make because I know it will probably be misinterpreted by the wrong people. But I’ll say it anyway. This video only confirms my thoughts towards what some people call “Spirit-filled Churches”. I’ve always had a difficult time accepting them as valid because of these kinds of tricks and tactics. It’s like watching a movie with high-tech CGI and special effects without any real storyline or plot. It’s a visual feast without any substance. We unfortunately live in an era in which ignorance is overwhelming. Our citizens are ignorant of our political system and it’s foundation. Our voters are ignorant of the issues. And our Churches are ignorant of the Scripture. Romans 12:2 states that transformation is obtained by the renewal of the mind so that we can prove for ourselves what God’s Will is. In other words, educate yourself with the truth. Learn things. Know things. Don’t be ignorant. Waving hands around and screaming and falling all over the place doesn’t have anything to do with learning truth. It’s the truth that transforms Christians and that truth is found in the Scriputure, not in magician tricks and illusions.
Joshua P. Allem on November 18, 2006 at 11:42 AM
This is most probably pure theater. Good acting ala “The Blair Witch Project.” Having said that, Mr. Brown is tapping into the hard-wired hunger that we all have to fill that “God shaped void” inside us.
C.S. Lewis said he was dragged “screaming and kicking” into the kingdom of God. Mr. Brown won’t find his answer chatting up beautiful women, but God is always speaking to those who’ll listen.
Mojave Mark on November 18, 2006 at 11:53 AM
yEAH, AND HOW COME WE NEVER SEE THIS HEADLINE:
“PHYSIC WINS LOTTERY”?????
auspatriotman on November 18, 2006 at 12:19 PM
Derren Brown runs an entertainment business that has about as much to do with real world events as those “most haunted” shows that try to capitalize on Blair Witch (which was a heck of a marketing success) by running around in dark houses screaming and waving cameras in each others’ faces.
In other words, it ain’t hypnotism, it ain’t magic, it’s flim-flam.
The content isn’t worth discussion, because it’s all made up.
Merovign on November 18, 2006 at 12:24 PM
I don’t know, if as you were concerned about, anyone here will misinterpret your comments Joshua, but I totally agree, and basically said the same thing above (though maybe not as clearly, as I too was worried about a backlash).
HAha, so true. We’ve all heard that, but I had never really considered it more than in passing before.
RightWinged on November 18, 2006 at 12:26 PM
Illusionists and magicions and do one thing really well. They lie. It’s part of the game. So you’ve got this guy who is a “skeptic” and also a liar. Skeptics who are liars don’t impress me.
jjjen on November 18, 2006 at 12:46 PM
Derren Brown seems to be more of an Opportunist than an Illusionist. Illusionist usually work hard to entertain, leaving their audiences astonished and asking the question … how was that done ? After watching this video, were any of you astonished? Did you find yourself asking the question, how could that have possibly been done? If not, maybe we shouldn’t call him an Illusionist, maybe huckster is more fitting.
Now if he would have parted the Red Sea or brought someone back from the dead, then he would be onto something ! But gee… those things are really hard, especially when your an atheist, so Mr. Brown has taken a much easier path to stardom by joining himself with the leftist mantra that ridicules all things religious, especially, all things Christian. With his politically correct “values” firmly established, he is well on his way to becoming an instant media darling.
In case you missed it, this is what he said in the introduction of the first video:
Really? Many an atheists has begun a trek to prove the inaccuracy of the Bible. Most of them come back Christians. And circular belief ? I pray to the JEHOVAH God that makes direct intervention in my life daily, how is that a circular belief?
But a predominate belief among atheists, is evolution, which is the perfect example of circular belief. It goes like this:
There is no God. Yet life began. Evolution is true, because there is no God.
I’ll pray for you Mr. Brown, it’s not too late for you.
Maxx on November 18, 2006 at 4:41 PM
magicians :0)
jjjen on November 18, 2006 at 5:05 PM
Hey, before anyone reads this brief comment, read our discussion on what exactly it appears Mr. Brown has done here, before you read on, because this is a follow-up to my earlier comments….
Okay, you know how I was talking about seeing a number of hypnotisms at things like the local fair and high school graduation events, etc.? Well I also forgot to mention that at least one of those times, I wanted to get hypnotized and have them make me do something like bark like a dog or whatever. I just wanted to have the feeling I’d seen the others have, when they come off the stage in to their seats sort of in a daze and not really understanding what just happened.
So the one time, that I specifically remember getting my chance, they brought up like 20 or 30 of us. Then within a few minutes, he’d sent me and a few others back to our seats in the audience to watch, because it wasn’t working. It sucked because I actually wanted to experience it.
But notice at the end of the first video/start of the second above half the room leaves? “… a bit of an interuption there, because I think some people got a little bit uncomfortable with that, and have left so if it’s alright I’ll just carry on with you guys, thank you for staying, it’s fair enough…”
That bitch just edited the part out where he sent all those who weren’t hypnotizable (like myself) out of the room! Busted! (Note that I’ve been questioning the heavy editing since the beginning).
Quick side note: My brother tried to get hypnotized to quit smoking once. Didn’t work. My great-uncle on the other hand did it when he was in his 60s, maybe close to 70, and quit without a problem after a life of smoking.
RightWinged on November 18, 2006 at 5:06 PM
I haven’t got to it yet, but I’m kinda more interested in the “Derren Brown Pickup” video if you know what I mean?!
Ha.
Christoph on November 18, 2006 at 5:28 PM
YAWN
Let me get this straight. This man wants to convert people AWAY from faith by showing them that it’s all bogus, that an athiest making believers of people is just tricks, and hypnosis.
The one has nothing whatsoever to do with the other. Are many people weak minded and able to be influenced in such a way? Apparently so. That neither denies real faith, nor the existence of God. His whole shtick becomes a massive bait-and-switch tactic to make people question their beliefs.
AP, you regularly post things which present a questioning view of Christianity, or of all religions, and that’s not a bad thing, since every rational person should keep their thoughts clear on such issues. But when are you going to come clean on your position? You’ve hinted at many things that you don’t believe, but I’ve not read a word identifying what you do believe.
Freelancer on November 18, 2006 at 5:31 PM
eminuu,
Congratulations. A post with a single, lucid, directly presented thought. Who hypnotized you?
Joshua,
Never fear, you are right to have those concerns and thoughts about emotion-based worship services. Those are a mockery of the Scriptures command to be “filled with the Spirit”.
Imagine yourself as a being of unlimited scope and ability, in a place where your very word created reality. You could create a complete universe at a whim. And what would you fill it with? Every possible thing of beauty and interest to you? And then what? Do the things you created truly impress you, given that the effort required was insignificant? And that creation, does it have the ability to feel for you what you feel for it?
Ahh, create a being whom you can love, and who can love you in return. A being who will be impressed by and appreciative of the majesty of your creation. But how will that being love you without knowing you? And more importantly, if that being is created solely to love you, would that love be real and freely given, or intrinsic, and therefore of no true value?
Ok, the being must CHOOSE to love you, which means that the option of choosing NOT to love you must be included. Free will, hmm, that’s a huge can of worms, isn’t it? Is it worth it? You decide that to be loved by your creation simply because it wants to love you, is worth the risk.
Once Free Will is in play, the being has the option of disloyalty, disobedience, of completely ignoring that you exist. Not only that, but the option to do anything that comes into it’s mind to do, whether good or evil. Are you still sure it’s worth the risk, just to be loved?
Apparently God thinks it is worth the risk, for there is only one thing that He cannot create. A being which simultaneously loves Him freely, and is completely submitted to His will. A puppet does not love the puppet-master, a robot does not love its designer. Thank God we are so much more than robots. When a person asks the question of pain, “Why would a loving God allow so much evil in the world?”, the answer is in how much of His creation ignores Him and uses its Free Will for evil. God cannot be blamed that He wants to be loved. Every sentient creature in the universe craves love.
Shakespeare knows Hamlet. Hamlet does not know Shakespeare. How could Hamlet ever know Shakespeare?
Freelancer on November 18, 2006 at 5:57 PM
Didn’t anyone pick up on the part where everyone left the room with the same opinions they had before they walked into it?
We’re not talking about people who suddenly became Christians, we’re talking about people who fooled for a short time but were otherwise unchanged. There’s a story in the Bible like that.
Matthew 13:3-8, 18-23
Christianity is a choice one has to make. There is no magic word or magic touch. Things of that nature will only fade away.
Esthier on November 18, 2006 at 6:09 PM
Wow, Esthier wins the thread with that post! Awesome.
RightWinged on November 18, 2006 at 7:27 PM
He doesn’t mean to criticize anyone’s beliefs. Reading the new testament as a historical document finally rid him of any religious belief (does he mean a false historical document?). Atheists and non-believers gathered to discuss spirituality. Those who don’t buy the instant conversion depart, leaving who exactly?
Clearly, this man despises self-delusion. /sarcasm
Kevin on November 18, 2006 at 8:41 PM
All religion is something that has been passed down by generation. I agree somewhat with Esthier. We do choose to accept a certain religion, but what we’re choosing to accept is whether or not the stories we’ve been told are true or not.
All religion would be gone if it wasn’t practiced for two generations. It isn’t an innate thing.
Nonfactor on November 19, 2006 at 1:10 AM
Let me clarify. I do believe there is a slight (or large) feeling inside of everybody to want to believe that there is something larger than themselves in this universe, somehow responsible for their existence or fate or what will happen to them when they die. But this doesn’t have anything to do with religion.
Nonfactor on November 19, 2006 at 1:19 AM
Hmmm. That is precisely what Marxist/Leninists thought in 1917. Communists were convinced that religion could be eliminated by forbidding people to practice it. They were only half right. The Russian Orthodox church has largely been eliminated in Russia (it has almost no following, and almost no influence). Reports that I have heard from missionaries that have been in Russia within that past year, however, indicate that faith in God is alive and well in the former Soviet Union. Methinks that your argument is so much Swiss cheese. Religion is simply one type of outward manifestation of an inner belief in God.
CyberCipher on November 19, 2006 at 12:52 PM
Religion and belief in a god aren’t codependent.
Do you honestly think that if nobody in the world practiced or talked about a religion for two generations the religion would exist in the third generation?
I agree with your last sentence. We use religion to help us better understand the feeling most people have inside of themselves, but it does not make it true or right.
Nonfactor on November 19, 2006 at 3:36 PM
I’m the anti-Brown: Atheist until I turned 20. Then I saw Christianity change someone I knew well and I knew something real was going on. And when I read the New Testament for myself, it didn’t strike me as a myth at all. Lewis used to say: Whenever someone tells me Christianity is a myth I ask them ‘How many myths have you read?’
Atheism frequently relies on circular logic and self-referentially incoherent ideas. I pointed out examples in Dawkins’ HuffPost piece last week. Not that I’m attacking anyone’s beliefs…
Okay, maybe a little.
John on November 19, 2006 at 6:44 PM
John, I’m interested in your story. Why do you believe that the New Testament isn’t a myth? Did you go to church as well as read The Bible? How did the friend who “changed” change? Was it a lifestyle change, and would it have been possible absent religion?
Nonfactor on November 19, 2006 at 7:49 PM
Nonfactor, how do you define religion? Belief in stories? Belief in a particular morality? Religion is only irrelevant if you define it to be so.
Also, any human knowledge could be considered “lost” if it wasn’t passed on or practiced for two generations. Of course, that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be re-discovered.
Kevin on November 20, 2006 at 2:12 PM