Derren Brown Exposes Fraudulent "Psychics" with Richard Dawkins
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- Опубліковано 21 лис 2024
- Derren Brown is one of our leading conjurers, specializing in mentalism, the illusion of reading people’s minds. I interviewed him for my Channel 4 TV documentary, Enemies of Reason. We talked about cold reading and how the technique is used by frauds who pretend to communicate with the dead, as well as by honest conjurers.
Derren himself is an honest conjurer and a sharp critic of charlatans who abuse their skills, lucratively pretending to supernatural powers, which of course, they don’t have. I have just listened to the interview again, and I must say I find it one of the more interesting interviews I have done. See if you agree.
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My favourite story about a medium was an incident that took place in a theatre in Northern Ireland. After the medium had done her usual introductory stuff and asked if anyone had anything they'd like to ask her. A young man in the audience stood up and said, very emotionally, "I... I've lost me Da." "Oh, you poor dear," the medium responded. "I'm getting a J... Does J mean anything to you? Joe? John?" "James! His name is James", the young man replied, with surprise on his face. "Yes, James, my love. James is telling me he's in a good place, but he's missing you dreadfully. He wants you to know..." "Wait!", calls out the young man. "I've found him. Here he is!" and points at the elderly man sitting next to him, grinning from ear to ear.
Brown is a charlatan as well. Do you think his famous roulette trick was genuine? Do you think the multiple governing bodies involved in a production like that would allow a man to play Russian roulette with live ammo on television and in front of a crowd? Think about it.
This was in Dublin, but is totally true😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I read both Derren and Professor Dawkins books at a very formative age, when I was struggling with conspiracy theories and supernatural ideas. Both books set me on a much more empirical and rational trajectory, so thank you.
I know so many people who need to watch this. The trouble is, they still wouldn't be convinced it's all a load of bollocks...
Sounds like you might need a better circle of friends lol.
All?
Fraudulent psychics prove the fact of the unscrupulous - no revelation there.
The question remains open - does real psychic phenomena exist?
@@WeWillAlwaysHaveVALISI mean they could be family members or friends of friends.
But we have to keep trying though. At least interject a hint of disbelief. It will make them a bit harder to be scammed of all of their money and who knows? Eventually these scammers may become less popular and lying might not be as profitable. Baby steps.
In your opinion,not all mediums are fake,you just haven’t done any research.
Fascinating discussion between two very intelligent, rational thinkers. Big fan of both for their respective works.
The easy targets are often vulnerable people who are also targeted by some religious groups too. Many people are desperate for ‘answers’ or comfort. Sad that charlatans target them.
It’s always people searching for answers and have issues in their lives.. ALWAYS.. People want hope and these disgusting people exploit them.
Millions of penticostal church people have been conned for many years thankfully the next generation are smarter and seeing through the scam ...
@@hellabella8295 - Not always. Curiosity / Possessing a learning spirit / Being open-minded carries a humility and search grid that takes one to seemingly contradictory zones. At least to individuals who are more binary in their thought process.
@@machtnichtsseimannYou want to believe there is more out there than we know.. I guarantee you are scared of death.. if you think for one second ANYONE talks to the dead there is a problem.. the facts speak for themselves and ALL OF THE FACTS PROVE THEY CANT TALK TO THE DEAD..
They are also targets of people who believe in that stupid religion evolution
I remember this interview. On the subject of comforting people - just because it comforts people doesn't make it right. Heroin can comfort people as well...
But in many cases it does not comfort anybody really, to most of an audience it's just entertainment pandering to a fantasy that some mystery is left in this world and its all of no great significance to any of them. They all probably grasp the concept that it may or may not be true but leave it at that.
Don't be too quick to dismiss heroin.
@@TheCabbageRooster True. I've heard it's quite morish
@@emtibAlucard You are now a eripmav
@@Deppel57 rorrim eht ni ti ees tnac
Derran did a show a few years ago called 'Messiah'. It's on YT and is a fascinating insight into TV evangelism.
He also did a show on this very subject. He follows a real life stage psychic and tears apart his entire "act". It's basically this interview but you're seeing all the tricks they've discussed in private readings and in front of an audience. The "psychic" ends up coming across as a washed up Blackpool stage hypnotist, which is basically what he is
Seen it in me feed just before I clicked in this, il watch it after this so if your recommending it,cheers 👍
Penticostal church goers have been conned for decades ...its a sad reflection on education and common scence reasoning ...
He also staged a Seance - which was truly interesting. Watch it if you can find it. Apparently he got more complaints about it that his 'Russian roulette' stunt where he could have accidentally shot himself in the head.
I was the late Derek Acorah’s guest liaison officer when he visited the Oxford Union. Obviously he brought a film crew with him, which was somewhat in violation of the form at the time, but we let it go. The problem with his talk, which was of course cold-reading, was that the chamber was very different from the self-selecting audience he was used to; namely the recently-widowed looking for answers to their grief. The average age must have been about 19 - so mostly people who hadn’t experienced profoundly traumatic loss. But there was one lad who Acorah selected whose best friend (it turned out) had recently taken his own life aged 18. The young man politely informed that he thought Acorah’s cold-reading was a shameful and cynical exploitation of people’s real loss and distress. I turned to my neighbour and whispered, “I bet he’s a Balliol undergraduate in Philosophy”. I later discovered I was right, making it the only psychic intuition of the night. Incidentally, the moment that boy excoriated Acorah, the chair abruptly ended the event and Acorah fled the building with his crew.
Derek was famously exposed by Dr Ciaran O'Keeffe on Most Haunted in 2005. Anyone remember him getting possessed by the South African jailer Kreed Kafer lol?
He was a dreadful fraud thanks for this
'You know a John... a john, yes? John? James, maybe? Yes yes. A James. James. Thats right. James is a man, yes? Yes yes. Now James said something nice to you once, didn't he? Yes yes. And you liked that didnt you? Yes yes. And sometimes James would eat food, wouldn't he? Yes yes. And he'd chew the food and swallow it, yes? Yes yes. He wants me to tell you that something good is going to happen to you, and to be happy when it happens. Yes yes.'
Could you have meant Jenny ? Jenny was my aunt, she wasn't a man but she liked men... and food. Do you have the lottery numbers for Saturday's Lotto ?
@@SecuritySpecial Psychic: The numbers are 27, 13, 9, 29, 31, 5. Punter: Wow! How did you know?
Psychic: Was on tv last Saturday.
Very poor illusionists
It's thanks to the voices of people such as Richard Dawkins and Derren Brown that I'm still alive today. I would have ended it all a long time ago, were I to believe that I was the sole sane voice within an insane world.
This phenomenon is why people support crazy politicians no matter what they do.
Is there any other kind?
@@Bensp88that's a BINGO!
We just say bingo.
BINGO! How fun! - Inglorious Bastards
And crazy religion
The silly camera work makes this unwatchable.
@@executivesteps nice non sequitur you win tr um pers. the movie Idiocracy has become reality.
Great conversation, really interesting. The camera was rather unpleasant though, made me feel dizzy 😂😂😂
As if a tripod hasn't been discovered yet. Wobbly & all over the place.
Agreed. I'm feeling quite seasick but couldn't stop watching 'cause it's interesting.
I know what you mean. They could of had one camera focused on them both sat down. Also they could have set up two camera's and edited it after.
I disagree. So many interviews like this are edited celevely between multiple cameras. This one, by using just one going back and forth, adds proper authenticity to the conversation.
Why the awful close ups? I have no desire to see in ageing mens mouths.
This is very good, gentle and explains so much in ordinary language. first class
If you have never seen it, I highly recommend watching Johnny Carson and the Amazing Randy absolutely destroy Uri Geller.
The Truth about Uri Geller?
Who can say?
Here are Entries (30) (40) and (40a).
(BUT please do NOT forget: "The plural of anecdote is NOT data!")
james-plasketts-coincidence-diary.blogspot.com/2006/03/30-julian-barnes.html james-plasketts-coincidence-diary.blogspot.com/2006/03/39-two-knights-versus-pawn-for-first.html
James Randi embarrassed quite a few scam artists on Johnny Carson. Dude was a hero.
I’m also a huge fan of Derren Brown.
James Randi also proved the faith healer Peter Popoff to be a fraud. That was fabulous.
Randy cared about people deeply. Blessed are those who guide others thru the lies and darkness of religion mythology magic, con artists frauds and charlatans. All shared fantasy. Thank you Randy!
And Randi, Prof. Dawkins and Derren Brown are amongst my forty dinner party guests, too! Geller...? Hmmm.. james-plasketts-coincidence-diary.blogspot.com/2006/03/39-two-knights-versus-pawn-for-first.html
When I was about 20 I saw a palm reader for a laugh. She told me there was a blonde and a brunette in my life. My mother (blonde) and my girlfriend (brunette) were outside and could be seen through the window! She said I would marry the blonde! 😆😆😆 My mother was very young looking and often mistaken for a girlfriend!
So did you marry her?
@@GuessMyName234 I married another blonde!
@@martinward1767 😂
@@martinward1767There you go, then! 😂
I had a reading one time for a laugh. I was 30 and married with a career but I took off my wedding ring beforehand and looked very young. She told me I was going to choose my career path within the next few years and said within the year I was going to meet my soul mate...a brown-haired man. I'm married to a woman!
The problem is that if you search hard enough for ‘answers’ there will always be someone happy to charge you for the service - be it con artists or religions ( same thing really). The truth that comes with time is that there simply aren’t answers to some questions and that can be hard to accept.
I love Derren Brown, can't wait to watch this episode!
As long as I can remember when anyone asked me my star sign, I would always say one that wasn’t mine. Then invariably they would tell me a bunch of reasons why they can see why I am that sign, or read my fortune from the paper or whatever, and then when they are finished I sting them with “oh sorry wrong sign!” and then tell them my real one. 😂
😂👍
I would tell them another wrong one because they might answer: “It’s so typical for [new star sign] to be such a prankster.
I usually ask them to guess. Since each sign is supposed to have such specific characteristics it should be clear what sign I am!
Typical scorpion
😂 I've done exactly the same.
@@alanross1117😂
What I find amusing is why these “spirits” the psychics are communicating with give clues like “my name begins with J and I’m an old man” instead of just telling them their name and other info. But then after these vague clues they can give full coherent sentences like “well, your husband is telling me he loves you and is in a happy place”.
Your husband says his feelings for you begin with L, and he's in a place that starts with H
Like when Harry said a medium told him that his mom got a kick out of his son breaking the queen ornament on their tree. Yet she was able to be explicit about getting a kick out of it being broken but at the start, she must have been eating chips or mumbling as the medium said “was there something about an ornament?”
Wow, the greatest living debunker of the supernatural and Richard Dawkins.... TOGETHER,
Wonderful !
Pity Randi couldn't have joined them from the afterlife 😂
I remember James Randi being stumped by something on TV. It was said to be something impossible so must be paranormal. His answer was to do a card trick that did the 'impossible' . Moral being that impossible things are not impossible and not proof of the paranormal.
Or both deceived!😂😂
yes very good, I had psychic family and was taken to spirit readings. I noticed the way people fed the performer, and never saw a single instance of any powers. Yet had to listen to recantations of how good the readings had been. great video
I have a deeply religious family and they were taken in the same way by "prophets" (basically just psychics with a religious bent). I've seen a couple people upend their lives to fulfill a "Prophecy" that was made about them. Even as a religious person (at the time, not anymore) it seemed obvious to me that of course the "Prophecy" came true because they did everything humanly possible to fulfill it, then praised God for fulfilling prophecies in their life.🤔
After watching this interview I have decided to become a psychic. Lots of money, willing clients, and you only need to be passively good at it to be successful!
I sense your name begins with either a consonant or a vowel. And don't be awkward, as you'll be damaging the energy.
@@Spanner1971B😅
@@Spanner1971Bwrong is an F😂
@@flaviaaraiza2415 That's it, the reading is over. The energy is all wrong and the spirits are telling me to find another vict... er, client.
How in the clucking bell did you figure that out!?
Classic. This was an important interview to me in high school, and equipped me with a lot of sharp points for discussions with friends and family who believed in psychic phenomena.
Great chat but the camera work is making me seasick.
Close your eyes and just listen
A lot of Dawkins' interviews are like this - I've always thought the same thing - he must have employed the same person every time 😂
Im guessing this is because it’s kinda pulled from the raw footage of interviews without the editing or the post production. Imagine splicing up the angles + audio and b-rolls and narration
@@davidstaffellThese are part of the same series.
@@anthonycortez3423No. These were all broadcast like this on television in the mid-2000s.
Two very interesting people having a very interesting conversation. Spoilt though by the camera moving as if it were a Batman episode from the 1960's.
That's the 2000s British Documentary camera style. Just think of the cameraman as a third actor!
I find mentalists like Derren more fascinating and entertaining than those who describes themselves as psychics. To know it's a trick yet be amazed all the same is a marvellous feeling for the audience.
He has some incredible skills - I've seen him live several times and find him very charismatic.
Fascinating stuff! I am reminded of that line from the X-Files "I want to believe"
The year before last, I created a petition to ban people making money from tarot and spiritual readings in the UK. However, it only got 21 signatures 🙃
"Speaking as a numerologist..."
At least you tried !!!
This whole conversation should be shown to a much wider audience. The old BBC2 would have been the perfect platform.
Great episode thank you Richard. I agree with the last of Derren Browns comments when he said “ being open minded isn’t about rejecting evidence related to placebo, hypnosis etc “ . I personally think test everything regardless of whether one likes the results or not. I also think one should be honest with regards of not knowing the truth about something, whatever that something of the unknown is.
A fascinating discussion with two intelligent people. The only thing that made me feel a little uncomfortable was that they stood for over an hour! Have a seat and get comfortable!
They had a psychic night on at my local pub the other week. I just thought "Well in that case they already know that i'm not going to turn up."
Fantastic seeing you both together talking sense as always.
just a heads up for the viewers: great interview but this is very old, maybe 10-15 years.
I was wondering if his hair had miraculously grown back haha
Well obviously, especially since Dawkins is now largely retired.
I was thinking it must be. Thanks for confirming
17 years in fact.
Amazing that old auntie Jeannie is happy knowing that her late husband is in heaven with everything he could ever want but still loves her very much.
Sadly these psychics are unable to contact murder victims to help identify tbeir killer or burial place
I find it interesting that spirits can only remember their first initial. Maybe people struggle to remember their names when they die.
The show THE MENTALIST was fantastic.. especially the episode showing his childhood scamming a dying girl..
This is an excellent conversation but I could not help wonder why they both have this talk standing. I am impressed on how long they stand for lol.
Blood flow theory
There is an episode of South Park called 'The Biggest Douche in the Universe' about John Edwards that absolutely hit the nail on the head when it comes to psychics.
I love that episode!
South Park is a constant source of amazement for me. EVERYONE should watch it - fans of animated comedy or not. They are more often than not bang on the money.
“It comforts people”, just like blind faith.
It makes people feel better so what’s the harm in it?
Just like religion, and we know where that leads!
Yep, the take over of countries
Lots of harm in it, one shouldn't play with a person's mental health.
It's lying and deception which is not good for people
@@SamSpade-xt2pnThat’s why I don’t watch films. I know it’s Matt Damon so why does he keep claiming to be this ‘Jason Bourne’ fellow?
Obtaining money by deception.
Such a great discussion. Derren is such a great guy.
Many prefer comfort and do not want the truth in many different walks of life. Emotional reactions don’t require critical thinking.
Very enjoyable interview, however I feel all of these videos would benefit greatly from including the date of the interview, as they are generally some time ago now.
1st Feb 1969
How would the date enhance or devalue the content?
@@chrisb8075 cos if it's old we can consider it vintage porn
Great explanation of how those charlatans operate. You might want to ask your camerawo(man) to keep the camera steady and from a bit more distance. This was the most nervous video to watch 😄
it's unpleasant, right?!
What's a different word for "fraudulent psychics"?
Psychics!
God...
""fraudulent psychics"?"
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
@@harvinderrishiraj888 If you were trying to convey an idea - it did not work.
@@bobmusil1458 Convey or not, is the line true in physics?
@@bobmusil1458 So, if there are fraudsters, then it stands to reason, genuine ones are also out there.
I kept an open mind and of course had some serious issues in my life so sought out psychics. People I knew RECOMMENDED THEM to me because they were so accurate.. ABSOLUTELY NONE OF THEM GOT ANYTHING RIGHT and I always knew why they got things wrong.. For example I was so broke but drove a flash car so one well known psychic said ‘you don’t have money problems’.. I never reacted when they spoke and they got ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING WRONG.. EVERYTIME.. Then I went to see a few who did performances and again, THEY WERE ALL SCAMMERS and even I knew why they guessed things about the audience members .. for example a woman was EXTREMELY WRINKLY and it was obvious she had been a smoker and EVEN I SAW THAT.. and the psychic saw that as well.. 😂
great conversation, but what maniac did the camera work on this segment?
Excellent discussion and very eye opening.
it's so much harder to say "no" to someone, on stage, infront of other people, than to just go along with it being 'polite'... adhering to the social contract ...
Way back in the early days of UA-cam this fellow blew my mind with his chess video.
The book on cold reading is the key to all of this. The book that was written to debunk this deceitful industry is now used by that industry as an instructional manual for con artists masquerading as mediums!
These frauds are so annoying and I know so many people who go to these 'events'. Living out int the country, out local hall is forever having guest psychics. I wish I had the courage to show them up for what they are.
Reported it to the local police?
Can these people who invite Richard Dawkins to a discussion at least provide chairs?
Show me the evidence! 😂
I know right.. my back was hurting watching this.. 😂😂
Oh and the camera man zooming into Richard’s face.. 😂😂😂 I think he fell asleep..
I was just about to make the same comment 😅
Luckily it was a number of years ago when they were both younger men.
This was terrific! Excellent interview!
Old material…but insightful, fascinating, enlightening, and of course, timelessly topical on account of us mere mortal’s desperation to believe there is “magic” beyond that of Mother Nature’s “material sorcery”.
Wonderful conversation, thank you
My ex wife used to go and see some spiritualist and one time I found a tape of it, I'm known for not having close friends but on this tape she said to my ex that I was always out with my friends and my wife said yes he is !!!
To those wondering, this interview was made in 2008
Yeah and it's getting annoying with everybody uploading it as if it's something original.
I remember watching this 10 odd years ago watching this it's a great discussion.
Couldn't they afford some chairs? I'm tired just from looking at this (and also from the shaky camera movements).
So you couldn't bare with it? 😀
Today my dog seated and yawned
What’s this obsession with sitting? When i visit someone they always want me to sit down. As if they feel unsafe when i can easily move.
This is depressing. Right after I got divorced (2000) I went to a free Tarot card reading just for fun. She told me the usual tripe--I'll be a success at work, I'm going on a long trip, I'll soon be reconnecting with an old friend, etc. She then asked if i had any specific questions for her. I asked, in a tremulous voice, if I would ever have another man in my life (either boyfriend or husband). And this woman looked intently at the cards, and shook her head sadly and said, "I'm sorry, but I don't see any relationship cards in your layout at all." It was incredibly depressing. She could have at least LIED to me.
Prove her wrong. Make that your life’s mission 🙃
It's a con. The intended response is that you'll say "Surely not! Isn't there anything I can do?!" and thus the free reading leads to a paid service of some kind.
I have been to a reading that was very accurate...predicted things which did occur in the future...I don't think that all people can be called charlatans...
@@mrvenom88 It was a completely free reading at a convention. No money changed hands.
@@Felicity2121 Well, it's been almost a quarter of a century and I'm still alone, so...
Old good interview. Derren was z person which I was watching on BBC with his tricks and he provoked me to search deeper and then I found „God delusion”. Now I am finally an atheist.
Hope buying cup helps spreading this channel into world;)
Greetings from Poland!
His name is Derren not Darren.
@@jackwhitbread4583 corrected;)
Fold in an understanding of psychoanalysis and cognition as well as evolutionary psychology and you have some bullet proof theory's with tons of evidence. Nice one. ❤
I used to think strong intuition came from a special higher plane. actually I realize intuition is your latent memory of being in bad or difficult situations that you don't want to repeat so it is telling you to beware, be uncomfortable look out you have been sort of here before. fascinating aye.
Wouldn't it have been more comfortable just to sit down for such a long interview? 😉 A great one of course.
Richard, your shirt in the intro is superb.
Haven’t seen so much of Derren brown on the telly recently but the shows he did were absolutely fascinating and revealing beyond the core, the way he showed how easy it is to brainwash people. Often he would hold just enough back to keep you utterly fascinated. I remember he did one on betting. To this day nobody knows how he did it
The example he gave of the psychic asking "you either live on your own or with other people" reminds me of so many conversations I've had as a person with ASD with neurtypical people.
She seemed to have been taking advantage of NT communication which is not about facts but how each of you feels about the conversation. He was asking for clarification which is fact based communication.
She was angry because it meant she could no longer guide the conversation to where she wanted it to go.
This is exactly what it feels like having conversations with NTs when you are autistic, they get angry when you don't respond exactly as they want you to
100% this is also why its very hard to bullshit us autie's. my boss actually stopped inviting me to staff meetings as i would always see through her nonsense. She would get angry with me as a lot of nt's do when you dont respond in the way they want.
Such a great interview, Richard never seems to look any older!
Found this comment:
@IainG81
3 months ago (edited)
I remember watching this 10 odd years ago watching this it's a great discussion.
Its like the old fortune tellers it all works on the same principle , the end result, to cross the palm with silver , better than working for a living!
One thing with Tarot cards is that they can be a useful tool to help meditate on and explore a problem, arguably you could do it with a picture book or anything. There is a 'secular' tarot niche who don't attribute any magic to it
50:08 I saw the 60 minutes episode of the preacher in an American MegaChurch using the earpiece. The crowd completed information cards as they entered the church and handed them in to attendants.. The backroom was reafing them and feeding information from the cards to the preacher. In this way he was proving he had divine powers. Just another example of the lying that religion does so well.
World needs more people like Richard Dawkins and Carl Saga. Just imagine how amazing the world would be?
Watching videos mocking Terrence Howard's new ebook and Oxford Union talk should make anybody realise the ill effects on one's mental health of believing in pseudoscientific mumbo jumbo.
Knowing what isn't possible vs believing in psychics is like knowing the true shape of the Earth vs believing it's flat.
"Believing" is the key word.
I am from India....Even today religion is very dominant in India.
To the point where atheists are in grave danger, many have been murdered by the religious and the authorities refuse to press charges or investigate these horrific crimes.
Religion is far less evil than the ideology you represent.
08:53 To Mr. Dawkin's question:
My childhood best friend turned into a card reader and even appears on TV. He's already played with tarot cards in elementary school and performed his "fortune tellings", I used to think it was just a fun hobby for him, not to be taken seriously. But years after we've lost touch, my sister found him performing these tricks on the Internet. I'm sad to say that I'm convinced that he is convinced by himself, that he can really tell the future by shuffling cards and laying them on a table. (Although, his lifegoal has always been to be on TV and have an own show. But there's still no doubt for me that he does it only to get some attention/recognition on TV.)
Sort of interesting how even in this enlightened world, so many people cling to so much superstition. Horoscopes etc. 😂
I'd say a good majority of the world clings to superstition. Just think about how many people still believe God exists and worship in one way or another. That's what's scary considering 2024.
Now if people just believed and worshiped in the privacy of their homes and religion didn''t play any role whatsoever in laws or education or governments or society in general that's their business. It's when their "God" principle via those institutions affect me that I have a problem.
Excellent video from two very intelligent and interesting people 👍
Waiting in anticipation for R.D
Excellent, thoroughly enjoyed...
All of those who profess to ‘read’ must be so rich, knowing exactly each lottery or gaming results in advance, but ...no...
I see a psychic i didnt give anything away and from start to finish she told me things she could never of known very very accurate and read my mind something id only ever thought and never told anyone ! How did she do that then ? If its a trick its a good one !!!
It's strange how the spirits always use the same format to speak to the living From Doris Stokes to Theresa Caputo and Tyler Henry, you would think somewhere on the astral plane between life and death, they could learn to mix it up a bit.
I had a friend who became a psychic ‘healer’. It for sure filled a need in her to fulfil her massive ego!
The budget didn't allow chairs 😂
In a moment of dark despair and hopelessness years back god evidently arranged for me to find atheist content on UA-cam, which was exactly what I needed. I saw this binging those vids at the time. Well worth the second watch. Pity the superstition has increased monotonically and precipitously in the intervening years.
I love things like this ....the amazing Randy did the world a great justice by highlighting these people who prey on the desperate. The evangelists who use hidden ear pieces and introduction cards submitted by the parishioners attending the sham.......at the route of this ...MONEY
I must have been one of those rare kids when at the age of 14 believed in absolutely nothing and ofttimes would ask a "holy-joe" what god had for breakfast. Or a person who believed in ghosts, I would ask why do ghosts only work the nightshift. I firmly believe that people who believe in such garbage are either overly religious or a sandwich short of a picnic or burning a very dim bulb up stairs.
Cant help but think of James Randi. I miss him.
I remember seeing him on TV in UK masquerading as an actual psychic, using an anagram of James Randi. I recognised him immediately though so knew what I was seeing wasn't genuine but I was still astonished and bewildered at the accuracy of his statements - "You have a painting of a boat above your mantelpiece" "Your front door needs painting, the green paint is peeling off" sort of thing. Then he revealed his true identity and explained that all they'd done was to send researchers round to the addresses the audience had given to get their tickets for the show. Classic.
Darren Brown made you think of him.
Me too. A great thinker, teacher and advocate of the scientific method & rational thinking.
Room temperature reading:
I'm getting the name Bordeaux...I can see a dark..
yes a dark fruit!..it's a dark cherry...an orchard of dark cherries from the 'left bank'...There's a hint of vanilla too and a whisper of cinnamon...hmmm a delightful red with a cheeky nose..(slurp).
I once listened to a radio psychic who deployed one of the cleverest bits of cold reading I'd ever heard, and I think about it every time this topic comes up...
She was giving a reading to a middle aged woman, relaying messages from her departed dad. At the end of the call, she said "oh, and one final thing, he says you've got to sort out about the shoes... does that mean anything?"
It was an absolute bullseye for the caller - "oh my gosh, yes, I've been saying for years I need to sort through all the shoes in the bottom of my wardrobe... Dad was always on about why did I need so many pairs of shoes, so that's just the kind of thing he'd say".
Not only does basically every woman on the planet over the age of 30 have a wardrobe stuffed full of old pairs of shoes they don't know what to do with, but it could also have hit in about 10 different ways, all of which would have felt extremely precise. Maybe their kid needs a new pair of school shoes. Maybe the shoes they are wearing right now are their "good shoes" that give them blisters. Maybe they have their eyes on a pair of shoes they want to buy but haven't yet, Maybe their shoes broke recently and they need to get them fixed.... there's so many ways this can be a perfect bullseye, and the worst case scenario is that yes, the have a load of old shoes they need to sort through and clear out sometimes.
As much as I dislike the "psychic" industry, I had to give props to just how cleverly constructed that line was... a perfect bit of cold reading that can't miss, and looks incredibly specific about half the time it's said.
Prof Dawkins please extend your tour to include Australia!
After reading some of the comments i have no doubt that religions and superstitions have a common origin. Both appeal to the uneducated and gullible .😢
Of course!
Dogmatic prejudice of Mr Dawkins' tribe that (1) religion appeals to only the uneducated, and (2) recounts of supra - normal phenomena are invariably by fools or knaves.
Well yes and no. I don't believe in either superstitions or religion but I know people who do and are intelligent and educated. I think it's more complex than 'only stupid people believe these things.'
@@JoC-bg3tf superstition is an evolutionary survival trait, to give agency to things and react as if they are going to hurt you means even if you are wrong you survive, if you wait for more evidence, if you're "reasonable" and it turns out to be a lion, you get taken out of the gene pool, superstitious people, at least in hunter-gatherer times, survived longer. people are inherently superstitious (i hate it but i'm superstitious myself) but god and religion is organised and invented - it has to be taught.
It takes a fair amount of intelligence to hold unbelievable beliefs
R.Dawkins: "Where does your skepticism come from?"
D.Brown "I read a codex about it in the spirit realms etherial library".
Dawkins:"boom boom!".
As Ronnie Scott would say, 'lets hold hands and contact the living'.
Ronnie Scott of the legendary London jazz club?
@@FrictionFiveYes, Ronnie Scott, Jazz Musician/ Club owner,
Peace to all.
A clairvoyant told me I would never have children, then her crystal ball rolled off the table and crushed my knakkers.
Ha! Fun fact: crystal balls need to be covered with a cloth because when the sun shines through them... fire hazard.
Q: How do you identify a fraudulent psychic?
A: Find someone who identifies as a psychic.
Sorry you don't know any
I'm psychic. I tried to read your mind but there wasn't anything there to read.
Ask Are you a psychic fraud?
If they answer I knew you were going to ask that question then you know they are!
I have to admit that I was once a believer in psychics, mediums and sensitive people until I went to a show of a popular psychic. We left mid-way of the show after seeing how vague the readings were. After having a laugh over this experience, I felt sad for the people that actually believed in this person. To include an observation that I didn't hear discussed, it makes it easier for a psychic when they know family origin; for example if the person being read is Italian, more than likely there will be a father, uncle, cousin Vinny that will show up in their reading. If the person is Irish, there will be a Mary or Danny that shows up. Because these readings are so vague and the person being read is validating the psychic, it comes to mind that we aren't as unique and special as we may think. I still will entertain myself with a psychic or tarot reading from time-to-time but it is purely entertainment.
A psychic makes a vague prediction, the prediction convinces my friend that the psychic is genuine. I spend my next few months trying tobreassure my friend about a prediction she interpreted in a way that very much upset her (to do with her child and death of said child's father before all this). How do you reassure someone in this instance without insulting their belief in this time of mourning? So I shit on anyone that says this "practice" is harmless