Derren Brown - 'Trick of the Mind'

Derren Brown (shown on the left) has become famous for his powers of suggestion; seeing the future; art of distraction; recalling memories; and tricks of the mind. He states that it is an ability that he has had to learn, and labor hard over rather than something he was born with. It takes much time and practice to perfect the art of what he does.

His program on 4 is extremely popular and his work is became more and more known all over the world. Derren Brown thinks outside of the box and that's what makes his illusions stand out from the rest!

He works with everyone, from celebrities, to people on the street!

A lot of his stuff I believed could be linked to our philosophy or the way of the material world as it is all about the 'trick of the mind' - our worst enemy!

Below is a written description, in his own words, one of his recent tricks of the mind he conducted on his show on 4. The text in bold is my commentary.

When I leave a cash-filled wallet on the pavement in a busy street all day, I am playing with people's perceptions. By drawing a line around it, I disconcert them even more by making it look 'official'. (shown on the right)

No one touches the wallet because they think it's too weird or perhaps some sort of trap. People know that lines are drawn round the shape of the body if someone has died in suspicious circumstances, so that makes them feel the wallet has been put there by the authorities. The line makes it clear that it's not lying there by accident.

I don't think the trick would work without the line around the wallet. It makes the object look surreal, as though it has been put there for some unknown purpose. People walking past suspect that both they and the wallet might be being observed, so they don't touch it. The context and appearance of the wallet are too odd for people to be able to process the information that they have about it.

The aim of this trick of the mind is to make people feel so weird about picking up the wallet that they would rather play safe and not touch it. And it works!

Srila Prabhupada once said “If you sell diamonds, you cannot expect to have many customers. But a diamond is a diamond even if there are no customers.” Our philosophy and culture is like a diamond. It's value does not change whether people follow it or not as a diamonds value never drops but only increases.

Similarly, in this example, the cash-filled wallet can be compared to our philosophy and culture. As Derren Brown is playing with people's perceptions, Maya (illusion) has clouded our minds with materialism by drawing this line around Krishna.

People don't take up to spirituality easily as they are too tied up in themselves and their attachment to material possessions. Sometimes people also see spiritual life as a 'brain washing' mechanism, 'weird' or a 'trap'.

Maya is very clever at doing what Derren Brown is doing in this situation. Despite people knowing that what they are chasing (in this case money) is right there in front of them, Brown is able to put them off it using their OWN mind against them. Even when people know that Krishna Consciousness is the only way, Maya confuses the mind and makes it believe it is odd and surreal therefore despite their knowledge people reject it!

As Derren Brown says it works! The mind acts as such an enemy that people are reluctant to pick up the wallet, whereas in any other situation they would be more than happy to take it! Similarly our mind works against us in so many ways. Whether it be waking up early to chant; reading the scriptures; going tot he temple; following the four regulative principles; and just being disciplined.

Maya is using our mind to keep us away from what is best for us! Derren Brown has shown in this example that 'just a line' is able to separate people from the money. Maya is throwing all sorts of things at us: ignorance; laziness,;relationships; education; family duties; let alone our conditioning in this material world and neglect of Krishna for so many lifetimes.

The only way we can overcome Maya is by chanting the holy names of the lord. (arms raised) HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE, HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE! Praying that Krishna will give us his mercy by which we can get closer to him and really see what a diamond Krishna Consciousness is!

ADVERTS FROM HELL!

Scientific research and religious scriptures alike agree that children grasp the most or learn the most effectively between the ages of 0-5.

Therefore it's hard to understand why between those ages, children are literally bombarded with adverts of all kind that could be affecting there whole life! From newspapers to magazines; and billboards to the radio. But the main factor behind it, the major player is the idiot box or the one eyed monster - THE ONE AND ONLY - TV! Children are like sponges at those ages and they are soaking up completely the wrong kind of information, so what is being done about this?

Due to the recent increase in teenage crime influenced by movies and video games this is what has happened: Issue reviewed on 'The Wright Stuff' - Channel 5

'A pressure group is calling for a ban on all advertising to kids under seven claiming commercialism is destroying our kids’ childhoods - influencing everything from the way they eat to the way they play. But is a total advertising ban really going to achieve anything? After all, we’ve already banned junk food ads during kids’ TV and many would argue programming’s suffered as a result. Maybe that’s a price worth paying. What do you say?'

A respected authority in the Early Childhood Education Research Institution stated 'The first five years are the most critical. Many theorists have researched that certain subjects if not learned before a certain age simply cannot be learned.'

Our main concern should not only be the adverts but even the children's programs today are not educational or informative.


Recognise this guy? Think of the cinema...still not yet?...how about little Britain...orange mobile phone adverts? You must have by now!

This is Steve Furst, actor, comedian and writer. He appeared on the show and explained how he believes it is a price worth paying and that adverts should be banned. He also shed some light on how he takes care of his kids at home. He said that his kids are only allowed to watch kids DVDs of his choice. He spoke on the difference in his kids behaviour when they were watching cartoons or american tv channels compared to the DVDs. He said they were glued to the tv when the cartoons or american channels with the major advertising were on whereas the DVDs did not have their attention so much. He believes it is better to take your kids out and spend time with them!

So if you have any little brother's or sisters or know anyone who is being exposed to these sort of adverts stop them now! These adverts are more polluting to the mind then we think and know!