Mentalist shares a piece of his mind

I first spotted Derren Brown's freaky mind tricks on YouTube more than a year ago. He appears more charismatic than David Blaine and less enigmatic than Criss Angel, but nevertheless, a compelling mind-bender to watch mainly because he looks like a normal bloke.

A mentalist/ magician/ illusionist/ hypnotist/ entertainer, this Brit is capable of putting his subjects in a comatose state, carry out a heist or hand over personal belongings just by asking politely.

Those bemused by the inner workings of this strange craft will find Tricks Of The Mind highly informative as it deals mainly with human psychology and fundamental biases that we mortals commit without realising it (such as how we develop beliefs and aim to prove ourselves right instead of wrong).

Just do not expect to be told everything he knows and how he does it.

Brown's open admission in this book about how he steered away from his Christian roots over the years - having once been a fervent believer who took it upon himself to pray for the salvation of his friends - is a compelling read.

His skepticism blossomed over the years to the extent that he dismisses the notion of spirituality because he knows for a fact that he does not have to rely on the supernatural to perform his illusions and acts. (His personal take on Christianity is far more textured than what is summarised here. Brown can be read as primarily trying to combat close-mindedness when it comes to religion.)

Personal struggles of this sort are especially enlightening to read due to the nature of his occupation. It will be truly amazing if he can reconcile what he does with a belief in faith.

Not included in the book, though, was his recent coming out of the closet.

As Brown has always claimed to be honest about his dishonesty, his coming out sounds like a suspicious admission because one can never be sure if this could be read as a cheeky sleight-of-hand to divert attention.

It could easily be another of his ploys to mess with your mind.


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Human psychology explored
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