TEXT ONLY SITE

People are too willing to accept ideas that make them feel secure, even when there's no evidence for them. New Age beliefs and alternative medicine may be comforting but they can be dangerous if they convince people that crystals or psychic powers can cure diseases.

We all indulge in woolly thinking but in the end, science, which demands that theories are tested, is of more use than blind faith in ideas that can never be proved. Gullibility makes people susceptible to all kinds of fake claims, as this trick of the mind shows.

Watch this video clip

See also:
» The lost taxi driver
» The abandoned wallet
» Are you feeling sleepy?
» Séance

For this trick of the mind I have chosen someone who is convinced by New Age philosophies and alternative medicine. There's nothing wrong in being open-minded about claims that crystals, spells or psychic phenomena have the power to heal, as long as you're prepared to test them. If not, you could find yourself being conned.

I start by establishing an atmosphere which will convince the woman that I have supernatural powers. To do this, I take her to Epping Forest, a wild and natural place, full of ancient trees. I have a doll, which, I tell her, contains a ring that belongs to her. When I tie up the doll's legs, she finds she cannot move her legs. When I tie up the doll's arms, she can't move her arms. I tie string round the doll's mouth and she finds she cannot speak. This fits in so well with her beliefs about how the world works that she is happy to accept that by putting her ring into the doll, I have given it her soul. As a result, her body mimics what I do to the doll.

In reality, the doll does not contain her ring and I have no supernatural powers. When I give the woman permission to question my powers, she finds she can move and speak.

Through this trick I wanted to illustrate the power of unquestioning belief and show how it can leave people open to being used and manipulated.

« Back to Trick of the Mind

Top of page