The question we asked was simply, Does Derren Brown use NLP? Strong feelings were held on both sides of the debate, but the voting was one-sided:
77% of voters said DB does use NLP
23% said he does not
A total of 37 people voted. Here are some of the comments:
1. You use what works, and magicians do find ways to use what works to pull off the most elaborate events.
2. I'm an avid DB fan and have seen him use rapport and mirroring in very obvious ways. I think he buys into a few NLP techniques but dissmisses the rest as hogwash.
3. Derren has always openly said he uses a whole mis mash of techniques to bring about an effect for the purposes of entertainment. He has previously said that some NLP techniques have value, and therefore why not use them! Obviously NLP does not do everything it (now at least) claims to do, but certainly some aspects of it are surprisingly effective!
4. NLP among other things...I think Derren boost Jason’s self esteem with a lot of different techniques. No doubt about it. But editing is a big factor here. You can make the reality you want with 20-30 answers from different girls. Notice how the girls are not so good looking in the second round of speed dating. I think the hero-act is only remotely related to his new self esteem – maybe there was more to the mirroring-exercise than shown to us.
5. The mental imaging, where Jason was told to visualize himself as confident in bright color etc. is an NLP technique. Whether or not this was merely done for the benefit of the camera as misdirection is open to debate.
6. NLP requires more than what he conveys.
As I noted in the prior entry, DB has been somewhat critical of NLP. Most of his criticism, however, seems targeted at the way certain fans treat NLP as the ultimate secret to the universe when, in DB's view, it is just one of many useful tools.
Stay tuned for discussion of the Trick or Treat 2 finale...
2 comments:
Ever see the DB trick where he hypnotizes someone and has them look at a card and then start drawing? He then brings another person onto the stage and hypnotizes them and has the two individuals "syncrhonized".
The lift their arms at the same time, think of the same number etc..etc..
The trick is done by the concept of "dual reality" & some very clever hypnotic suggestion with trick cards & a trick pen. The cards contain the answers. The people when they exit the hypnotic trance are directed to forget what happened so they never realize they were reading cards.
But DB masterfully uses NLP lingo about mirroring and rapport to misdirect the audience.
I think DB is having a bit of fun with people. Somehow or another the buzz started that DB was a NLP practitioner and he just gently fans the flames more and more.
BTW, the one trick that has always made me wonder was the Invisible Punch.
I've seen video of Asian martial artists pull this off with "Chi" (or in Japan 'ki') & I can only speculate that DB learned their tricks.
Seriously - is he a witch ;-) ? If anyone can post a spoiler for how he does that I will be forever in your debt!!!
-Mike
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