Instant Conversion
Mentalist Derren Brown poses as James Lawrence who claims to be able to convert atheists into believing in God with a touch of his hand. Derren makes the following statement at the beginning of each episode of 'Trick of the Mind':
Part II:
"This program fuses magic, suggestion, psychology, misdirection and showmanship. I achieve all the results you'll see through a varied mixture of those techniques. At no point are actors or stooges used in the show."Part I:
Part II:
Comments
Anyway, I was totally blown away by this experiment. I think its similar to how people can be hypnotized with the power of suggestion.
I can compare it to what I experienced yesterday. I was at a funeral service, but it felt like a drawn out alter call. Emotions were running high and the pastor used this to "call people to christ," almost as if they didn't have a choice! I can see how unbelieving relatives could be emotionally manipulated by being told that the only way they could see their dearly departed would be to accept jesus. It's too bad that such a beautiful service was marred by the irritating preaching.
And isn't it strange how people feel god in their upper chest area, the same area that responds to stress, anger, anxiety, love, and happiness. How come our brains never see images of god, or how come we never hear him, we just "feel" him in our "hearts." I'm no doctor, but I bet that feeling has to do with the release of adrenalin or endorphins or dopamine, not the holy spirit.
I have been so strung out on anxiety that I literally felt I was possessed, but it was all in my mind. Our minds have incredible power to make us believe the strangest things. I think these people got caught up in the moment and mystery of the meeting, that's all.
Regardless of there being a spirit behind our brain power, I believe the power is there, and this mentalist illustrated it.
He also succeded at showing how impressionable we humans are--how easy it is to get to us.
For those reasons I believe that it ain't Jesus who makes people feel emotional. It is just our brains while under the influence of our own or someone else's persuasive tricks.
You are exactly right! Our brain responds to what our eyes sees(and our own internal thoughts)therefore our brain sends adrenalin to the blood stream in responce to our brain's perception. This allows the heart to react to the amount of adrenalin the brain triggers and this enters into the blood stream thus alowing the heart to pump more blood in faster amounts in order to escape the treat imposed by the brains interpretation of the treat.
This is the reason the ignorant Bible writers wrote about the Heart as being the center of all thought and emotion, they had no knowledge of a brain, nor chemical brain responce.
This proves that the Bible writers wrote solely based upon the reaction of their heart which was based in fear, not inspired by an invisible holy spirit!
This informantion needs to be spread all across the world!
And yes it's just a total shame that preachers jump at the chance to use an out-stretched dead body to sell their religious poison!
The one thing I'm curious about, is that last person who was still standing after the end of part two. Did the show focus on her (?) at all, and that was just left out in the YouTube showing, or did he not talk to that person at all?
I want to see him convert a true believer to atheism, though! ;)
People can be led by the power of suggestion and a feeling of group peer pressure, if they are so inclined.
Michelle, that's awful that the funeral service became an altar call, though I remember my dad's funeral service being like a church service as he and most of my family are xians and several pastors spoke. My agnostic brother was quite broken up by our dad's death and all I could think was, I hope his wife, who is a JW, doesn't try to take advantage of this and pressure him to become a JW.
I remember an ecstatic feeling in my chest when I got into goddess worship for a brief time after deconverting from xianity. I had never had a feeling like this before, even when I was baptized in the Holy Spook. This feeling scared me so much that I quit the goddess thing.
All the behavior exhibited seemed to be standard evangelical stuff. The girl was fully expected to feel something and is asked about it in front of a group of people. Falling backwards seems to be a staple of evangelical churches.. and he completely sets it up w/ phrases like "don't worry, i'll catch you", turning the guy around and standing behind him on a "stage". The subject fully knows what is expected of him in this case.
I would be curious the guy would have been as likely to fall if he was told that there would be no one there to catch him, or that God himself would slow his fall and prevent any injury.
None-the-less, is was an impressive display of suggestion and people reading. I would bet that man is an excellent reader of people, and chose both of the first two participants very specifically. Just as modern day illisionists and magicians do. Also similar is that he is almost constantly talking in a rather soothing and hypnothic tone of voice, which I believe either further hypnotizes the crowd or serves as a sort of sleight of hand distraction.
In any case, it would be interesting compare how successfully he were able to obtain the same results if he were to meet each person one on one, w/o any other observers.
Also interesting is that each one responded to believing only one "god" which rather betrays their current mindset. They don't seem to entertain the possibility that it could be another god, or gods, or esp or some superhuman power. The power of suggestion? peer pressure? or ignorance?
i would have been impressed if the standing guy suddenly started acting a monkey =)
He tells the guy that, "when I say I am right behind you, you fall backwards and I will catch you. That is your cue to act like you have been transformed, etc..."
After a quick rehearsal, they start taping.
Then he tells them "After we view the tape and edit it, you all will get your $50."
Easy!, Dannnnno
anyway, i did a search on the "derren brown" on youtube and turned up more interesting videos. Especially check out the voodoo, psychic, messiah, bmx and subliminal ones. also do a search for his name on google to find out background and controversy over what people think of what he does. then look up nlp, hypnosis, etc. The wiki page provides quite a bit of background as well
I thought the demonstration powerful, since it exposes the seemy underbelly of an age-old con, when one thinks of a savvy, charismatic preacher who brings the spirit into the hearts of a congregation (most of whom are there for the very reason of receiving the holy spirit and accepting jesus as their savior, anyway).
I think ALL converts at megachurches should see this, personally
Lee
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