To Claim or Not to Claim
Every now and then I have a conversation with someone who has seen a couple of my shows, but hasn’t read my books or writings, and believes I claim to do all sorts of things that I really don’t. As I had such a discussion last night, and as I’ve been talking about the importance of testing psychic claims that could be fraudulent, I thought I would clarify a few points regarding my own work for anyone in any doubt.
Firstly, regarding the ‘tricks’ as performed in the older shows:
1. I have never used stooges. People generally imagine I must do if they can find no other explanation. But I don’t: it would be artistically repugnant, totally unnecessary, impractical, and would spell career suicide.
2. My techniques are rooted in conjuring magic and hypnosis. All else is most likely misdirection and should be taken with a hefty pinch of salt.
3. I have never claimed to use NLP to achieve my ‘tricks’. On the contrary, I have written very critically about it in ‘Tricks of the Mind’. I reserve the same scepticism for subliminal messaging, as well as a lot of body-language reading and the like.
Now, I have largely moved on from performing those sorts of tricks. So, as regards the specials, such as ‘The Experiments’ and others:
1. Again, the people used are never stooges or set up in any way. They generally apply through an open audition process, whereby we meet or interview them and look at various qualities they possess which would be useful (for example their jobs, beliefs, or how suggestible they are).
2. The contributors are always psychologically screened if they are going to go through a ‘tough’ experience. Without giving away what the show is, or giving them any clue that they will be used in it, we arrange for our preferred participants to have interviews with an independent psychologist who ensures that they will be ‘robust’ enough for the show. This is an important part of our duty of care, which we take very seriously throughout the entire process of making the programmes. And the ‘heroes’ of these specials always emerge exhilarated and delighted to have been part of it.
3. If I make a statement on these shows, it will be true. Nowadays, the Channel 4 lawyers check every word to make sure there is no misleading of the viewer: this is a huge issue in the TV industry at the moment. The joke in the office is that a magician can’t even say ‘this is a normal deck of cards’ on TV nowadays if it isn’t, and I don’t think that’s an exaggeration.
I know that fans will know all this already, but it’s always worth repeating. Have lovely days and enjoy tonight’s show if you’re watching.
Dx
To all those commenting and wondering why no one reacted or panicked when Stephen Fry was shot I presumed it was for a couple of reasons.
Combining the fact that the actors in the balcony didn’t react at all and the fact that most people didn’t know where the gunman was, most would have suspected that it was an ‘act’ on the part of Stephen, and were waiting for it to play out. Throw in the Bystander Effect and then you get the result which was what we all saw.
I reckon if the actors on the balcony shouted out and fought with the gunman in full view of the audience before and after Fry was shot, mayhem may have ensued…
Your lies are obvious and transparent to Ming.
Your lips aren’t even moving as you make this statement, betraying the falsehood of every word.
Ha HAAAAAAA ha-ha-ha-heeeeeeuh.
Don’t believe a word of it… And you’ve used a stooge to write this blog post!
yours Faithfully, or should that be Sincerely,
ABCDEFGHI…KLMN… 😛 x
Just tell the truth already, it’s clearly black magic!
To back up what Mel stated…
As a psychologist I find crowd behaviour fascinating! (Though my background is in Neuropsychology). What we saw in the audience at The Assasin experiment was a brilliant example of the Bystander Effect and Diffusion of Responsibility – ‘Google’ it, I’m sure you’ll be impressed if this is something you have not come across before; you should also be able to find plenty of video examples – Best of which may be ‘The Smoke Filled Room experiment (Darley and Latané 1960).
In any case though, brilliant work, have not seen a show I didn’t enjoy!
I can vouch for Derren when he says he doesn’t use stooges or actors as I was in the audience for ‘The Gameshow’ and believe me everything was real. (Well apart from the end,but I thought it was real at the time) We were there for a good 3 and a half hours and what you saw was only an edited 1 hour show. Some things didn’t go to plan so we had to wait till Kris e.g left the bar and go to the shop. I am beginning to think it was an amazing experience, it didn’t feel like it this week with certain comments I have read which the whole point of the programme was based on…To read all the audience are c_nts wasn’t nice.I Will always admire Derren and love what he does as it is so different and fresh. We also got to hear Derren’s Stewie impression again so it was all worth the nasty comments X
I guess the only way to prove that you don’t use stooges to the haters is to use everyone in a 1 on 1 trick..
Start with me though.. :L
i can’t wait for tonight’s show!!!
Yeah, Yeah – we know you’re really just a Warlock. 😉
Love all the shows and programmes you have done. You picked my bf out of the audience in Svengali (6th May,Stoke on Trent) to participate in the main trick which made the show even more amazing and just proved to us you don’t use stooges! Keep up the amazing work (did like the old tricks too tho! Don’t give them up completely) :op X
I often quote a line you used in one of your shows and say – ‘In the words of Derren Brown, ‘I’m not a f***ing mind reader”.
The mind tricks ‘n’ shiz you use are just superb and we are all enjoying your latest offerings. Now we’re just waiting to see if you will come back to our local theatre. Fingers crossed (and everything else). Maybe I should send a (not so) subliminal message – ‘come to Crawley, come to Crawley, come to Crawley’.
What a nice post. Being a fan of your work, it has opened my mind and I don’t always go for the easy answer now I look to research and discover new things. Everything has an explanation. 😀 I have tried to get some of my friends who are into these kinds of things you do and watch. I have converted some successfully lol. Unfortunately they still believe you use stooges and I know you don’t as i’ve been to some of your live shows and every time we discuss your work it leads to the very subject and i have to say every time, he doesn’t use stooges!
Anyway, we’ll be watching tonight. Sorry for the long post and keep up the good work guys! x
I think that should answer most skeptics but then again there will always be doubters etc I am sure this won’t deter you from carrying on you’re excellent shows all the best
How embarrassing for the person who engaged in conversation without first understanding all the facts. We know the facts Derren, you don’t need to keep telling your real fans!
Will be watching tonight
How about “The Lottery”?
Do you really want us to believe that the explanation you gave to your audience during the show was reliable?
Msg from Derren: If you watch the end of that show, I completely undercut and throw away that rather fishy explanation at the end and say it was just a trick. (But I know what you’re getting at. That show is something I’ve never been happy with – there was a big ‘twist’ extra section at the end offering a completely different explanation, which we had to drop at the last minute. It would have balanced it out a bit into something more playful.)
Lies I tell thee all lies, you possess super natural powers. Look at you, you have horns!! Burn the witch!!
THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! Trying to explain anything to someone that has not seen or heard all the facts is pointless. You should not have to explain yourself Derren. Too many people love and respect what you do to require this. I am a magician and people often ask ‘who is your favourite magician?’ When I say ‘Derren Brown’ they invariably say ‘well, he isn’t a magician!’ This, I assume, is the response you have built a career aiming for. You have worked hard to establish yourself as NOT being a magician, in the classic sense, and do not need to explain yourself. You have done and are doing a fantastic job for the magic community! And watching to evolution of your character is very rewarding and exciting. You are touching nerves and they are trying to discredit you…impossible to do!
Hi Derren. Just wanted to say that you’re amazing and really talented. I really respect your work and I have just bought a copy of your ‘Tricks of the mind’ book. I’ve only read a few pages, but I’m really enjoying the read. Sadly I can’t afford a T.V license, but I’m watching all your shows once they’re up on 4od.com. Keep up the great work that you’re doing!
Sounds like a VERY Awkward convo…
You are such a gentleman at the end! =P
OK Show’s just finished and all’s well that ends well and Jody seems ok so I forgive you but found it very difficult to watch what you put that poor boy through. I hope you did wipe out all the guilt triggers/anchors and return him to his lovely normal self. I do wonder about the ethics of messing with someone’s mind just for popular entertainment but I am still a fan Mr Brown and look forward to next week’s experiment.
It would a dream come true if I was picked as a contestant as one of Derrens experiment.
The chances are as little as winning the lottery 🙁
Hawt as ever!
Derren,
There is something about The Experiments that bother me. In the one where Stephen Fry was ‘shot’ I felt that this could have been far too shocking for some people in the audience. Do you psychologically screen your audience? Even someone with a heart condition could have suffered a heart attack watching Stephen Fry get shot, not to mention the fear of getting shot themselves.
Then in the experiment where the audience found themselves coercing. In the reveal, this again could have been too much for some people to digest. Some people may need to have a lot of support as it dawns on them that they were capable of losing their better judgement and becoming part of a vicious mob.
This strikes me as unethical. Please comment on this.
What i love most about all this is the fact Derren says what he’s gonna do – how he’s gonna do it (effectivlly giving the secret away)
Then it STILL blows your mind!
who else could do that – give the secret away first – then does it – and you are still like – what the hell just happend?
Total genuis – seriouslly
Yeah, people have made comments about you and that the whole thing is a setup and the person who has taken part in the show is also an actor…..Plus other things about your shows….so now I can just direct them here. Love you! I hate when people say negative things about you. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Loving the shows.
@David, did you even read his post?
You’re such a sweetie! How could anyone not love you? I’m perplexed as to how you do a lot of what you do, but I believe what you say about how/what you do/don’t do it. Anyway, I think you totally rock!! xoxo
It’s always enjoyable watching you derren. I’m going to ask my psychic if your’e telling the truth lol x
Bought my five year old daughter a magic set recently. She was kinda sad that it wasnt the full on Harry potter magic she expected. Something changed in her when she realised that the three cups didnt really make the cotton wool ball disappear. People want to believe, no matter how much you might admit it to the contrary. Love the shows. Geo
You are a genious SERIOUSLY to be in your mind to be as creative with what you do ..i .i .i just cant believe how you come up with it your a genious ha gotta laugh at the lil twinkle you have in your eye when your plan all comes together hahaa ..looking forward to seeing you in the olympia theatre in dublin in march ..i hope to be front and centre in all the madness wooo wooooo xx
Nice post. i have had to explain those points to people even way over here in Canada.
Certain famous magicians and mentalists in the US have said, unprofessionally, a lot of those things about Derren to my friends in certain skeptic communities. They claim that he let’s people believe that it isn’t a trick, ie. the lottery event and spirit cabinet tricks and so he is unprofessional and harmful to rational skepticism. The ridiculous thing is that i have seen those same people doing exactly what they are complaining about. It’s entertainment… Finally i say, ‘look you’ve never complained that your favourite movie didn’t have a disclaimer that the events and spaceships aren’t real… and you are watching a mentalist show, the performer says, not to just believe in stuff/ be skeptical.
@Leon:
I assume you’re talking about point #2? He says the contributors are screened, not everyone watching. Contributors are people who contribute, not mere bystanders – ie: Stephen Fry, the gun instructor, etc. Not the audience. In fact, as Derren said in the show (and must be true, according to point #3) no-one else in the audience knew what was about to happen.
Therefore, someone could very well have had a heart attack or traumatic flashback, since they DIDN’T have prior knowledge as to that a shooting was about to take place, making David’s point very valid. I think it was you that didn’t read the post/see the show.
But I’d like to think there were some measures (if not actual prior screening itself) to ensure any bad reactions would be dealt with in kind, helpful hands.
WHAT THE *****!? That is the most impressive thing I have ever seen!
After seeing the Assassin episode, I’ve decided that Amnesia must have been induced in the entire audience, then they told him all their personal details and then *snap* back in the room lol. Aww…wish there was an answer!
Will he one day reveal?? I kinda don’t want to know, but I do!
By the way, watching the guy in the assassin episode take his shoes off was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in ages!
My previous post was regarding Oracle Act by the way. Deleted it by accident. I know it’s been like three years but yes, I’m still on it. It just…it just doesn’t make any sense….
“or how suggestible they are” Please elaborate because to me that sounds like naivety or gullibility which also sounds like manipulation.
With regards to psychologically screening you can only ever reduce the odds of something going wrong and never be certain that it will not.
From a legal point of view you are professionally protected by implementing these measures but which ever way you shake it you are still playing dice.
Academically speaking constructs can be created and explored with a morally acceptable infrastructure which is risk assessed by professionals in the required fields, but when that risk assessment relates to the workings of the mind then risk always remains because no professional fully understands the workings of every mind.
Psychologists play dice too.
You have to be the biggest legend ever! My boyfriend and I are huge fans, especially him, he’s now going to study psychology in university because of you! You must come to Belfast on your next tour, would make his year to see you live. Oh and your art is unbelievable, remember watching a show about you and you were in your house and as casual as anything you showed some of you portraits, they amazed me so much! You really are a genius please come to Belfast! 🙂
Derren: My previous comment is probably a bit harsh as I believe most of your shows and experiments will have little impact on the people involved, although I do still have concerns about the person involved in The Assassin.
I also forgot to say that you do come across as a really nice chap who is a brave enough to be very open about many aspects of your personality which is a quality I have always admired and try to practice myself.
Obviously I know this is just one of millions of comments you receive and is probably as significant as a rain drop in a storm, but I thought I would just make the effort to explain my previous comment a bit more.
Great post ! – Loved the show this week also.
Derren, I always wonder if I am responsive to hypnosis? I have been to your shows and think I am always aware of what may happen to me if I am put under so cannot drift off ?? :0). I’m such a huge fan of your work. Lovely man too, so so friendly ! – And, by the way, I was part of The Gameshow and can confirm that I was not a stooge. (I love and still have my mask and nearly scared the sh*t out of my husband after my long journey home after the show) :0) x
You can’t get away from it there’ll always be ignorant gits out there! I love what you do Derren, for me it serves to enlighten and entertain. Your ideas are intelligent and really are addressing some very important truths within our everyday lives. You have enriched my life and fired up my quest to have a truly open mind.. x
Sorry – this has opened the floodgates and we’re getting a huge deluge of people asking for methods for tricks, so we’re sorry but we’ll have to end comments now! Thank you so much for all your comments and questions.