On the Hypnosis Technique Exchange email discussion list, I asked a question about Derren Brown that wasn’t really hypnosis related . . . except that he uses trance language as misdirection for his magical effects . . . but, I wanted to know if anyone knew of a site with a good episode guide for Derren Brown’s television appearances? Something beyond just the series name and episode numbers but something a bit more complete with an outline of what effects are in the episodes?
If any of our readers here at Life of Brian have a resource, it would be appreciated too. Any help in this would be appreciated.
If you don’t know who Derren Brown is . . . there are some nice clips of his Ch. 4 program here (the "magic" doll one is one of my favorite effects and I’ve done it a few times as well).
In response to my original query, my friend David Fonteneau, a stage hypnotist and magician himself, sent in a link to a clip of Brown’s I hadn’t seen before that incorporates hypnotic effects.
David is also a Derren Brown fan and hadn’t seen this one either. He said that as much as he likes to go out and experiment, this one was a bit beyond his ethical limits.
In the piece, Brown does a bit with a zombie first person shooter video game and hypnosis . . . see it here.
David, thanks! I love Derren Brown’s combination of trance language and mentalism and had not seen that one. I had heard about it but was wondering what the deal was so seeing gives much fuller understanding. The seemingly nonconsensual nature of the setup is disturbing, if it had been done completely at a conscious consent level, it would be less frightening to watch but it could still hang on to a lot of the kool aspect.
There are of course a lot easier ways for someone who is a natural somnambule to experience a video game as if it’s real . . . for the folks unfamiliar with previous discussions of this type, do a search for hyperempria, hyperacuity, rpg, and tranceplay, holonovel in the message archives at the technique exchange . . . or, look through the hyper/tranceplay category on this blog for several lengthy discussions on technique and the like . . . here.
Remember, keep it SAFE, SANE, and CONSENSUAL . . .
Personally, while I enjoy a good zombie shooter videogame, there is no way in the world I would want to find myself immersed in a zombie environment like that or even hypnotically . . . zombies give me the willies . . . big time willies . . . a bit more than simply Freud’s "uncanny effect" too . . . for me . . . a good zombie movie that is removed from reality like Resident Evil is fine, a nice escapist adventure . . . but anytime the zombies are presented anywhere close to real world contexts they give me the uberwillies . . . while I love Spaced and thought Shaun of the Dead was brilliant, I made the mistake of watching it at night and had trouble sleeping for some time after as even though it was parody, the context was so much more true to life than the typical zombie shooter.
As I’ve stated before, if you’re going to play with gaming and hypnosis, make certain that there is a safe environment and that you use positive rider suggestions to ensure that it is kept completely within the recreational context . . . it really isn’t a good idea to accidentally induce post traumatic stress disorder based upon a battle with orcs or zombies or alien hordes or whatever in a video game. There are simple ways to ensure that everything is aboveboard and fine . . . make sure you use them and then double use them.
This sort of intensified imaginative involvement can be wonderful for therapy or skill improvement as a deep trance modeling device and – when used appropriately – it can also be a wonderful recreational activity . . . just don’t muck about with it unless you know exactly what you’re doing (KNOW, not think) and you’ve got plenty of safeguards, safewords, sanctuary suggestions, and positive rider suggestions to keep it partially dissociated to the game entertainment level. Take a look at my previous articles on this stuff for some pointers and do report your own experiences (albeit, start small and work up – nonviolent experiences for experiencing alien worlds first before working into Halo 2 or Doom 3. 🙂
Had the guy in the video been consensually asked if he wished to experience the whole real life live action zombie hunter roleplay he could have enjoyed the experience much more rather than pissing his pants in fear and confusion.
BTW, Ryan of Virtual Hypnotist computer program fame is working on a videogame that incorporates in game hypnotic experiences. I’ve not done anything with it so I can’t report on it more than that.
An even bigger BTW, while flashing lights and commands might work for some folks with computer or video hypnosis, the flashing can be a problem with folks susceptible to certain types of seizures. Notice computer and videogame consoles now have warning disclaimers even for relatively flashless games because some folks may be susceptible or have conditions that are undiagnosed. First Person Perspective games (aka, FPS) also cause a sense of disorientation or nausea in some folks so check for that (some of it is loss of orientation to spatial cues) and work accordingly (if someone is uncomfortable then do something else . . . remember the mantra "if what you’re doing ain’t workin’ then do something else, anything else").
Other resources or discussions on the Derren Brown Zombies Game:
More here on how to do this sort of thing ethically, safely, and completely in tranceplay.
All the best,
Brian
