Deception (Discovery Channel)

Has anyone been keeping up with the new show "Deception" on the Discovery Channel? I have seen two of the episodes (Tivo grabbed them for me) but I think only 3 have been aired so far.

The last episode I saw was about hypnosis. It was pretty interesting but some of the stuff he claimed to be able to do seemed far-fetched. I have very little experience with hypnosis in general apart from being told by a psychiatrist friend in the Army with me that I'd probably be a bad subject. He said introverts are less likely to be hypnotized and they said something similar in the show.

Anyway, as I have no real experience with it, how about you? A lot of his "abilities" on the show seemed like magic tricks and such.

Anyone have experience with hynosis - first-hand?

And, more generally, what are your thoughts on the show? The host? Anyone know anything about him and his credentials?

Oh. I thought about where to put this but since it's about a TV show, I thought this would be best. If not, feel free to move...

reply to post by 35Foxtrot


I have not seen the show so sadly I cannot comment on it, but if I get the chance I will watch it.

I went to a hypnotherapist about 10 years ago to help me quit smoking (seemed like a good idea at the time) but I, too, am one of those people who cannot be hypnotised.

Incidently, I don't know if this was mentioned in the show that whilst the power of suggestion when it comes to hypnosis, is strong; I read somewhere that you cannot make someone under hypnosis do something they would be completely unwilling to do in real life ie kill someone / commit a crime etc

I have had an experience with hypnosis. Me and a friend of mine went out and they were having a hypnotist show at the place we went to. I had heard about them and kinda knew that if I wanted to do it, and not be asked to do anything ridiculous, to do the 1st round (he did 2). It was definitely bizarre. The guy told us at the beginning that strong willed people are the easiest to hypnotize, because hypnotizing a person is half the hypnotizer and half the hypnotizee (is that a word? lol). You have to have the ability to concentrate, and that you will NOT do anything that goes against your will (ie they can't tell you to go kill someone and then you do it, unless you wanted to kill that person in the first place), and that if you try and make someone do something they don't want to do, they will immediately come right out of it. When he got us under, (there were 10 of us that volunteered the 1st round), it was strange, I could hear everyone, I knew what was going on around me, I was just so relaxed I no longer cared. He started showing the audience just how relaxed we all were. When he got to me, he grabbed my arm and twisted it to an impossible angle (this is what my friend told me later, I could feel it, but not how far it went). He then proceeded to mess with everyone (of course lol), had us do some silly stuff but nothing vulgar (he saved that stuff for the 2nd round). As the round was ending, he made everyone but me leave the dance floor area. (I think he picked me because of what I was wearing, I had on a crop top and low riding pants so my entire stomach area was exposed). He then started to tell me I was a strong tree, totally unbendable and totally unbreakable, but in order to be that tree I had to be stiff. He then kept telling me stiffer until I was ready. He then had 2 guys sit backwards on 2 chairs, then had 2 other guys lift me up and put me between those 2 chairs. The he got up and stood on me (this was a HUGE man and I only weigh 120lbs). The funny thing was, I knew all that was going on, I could feel him standing on me, hear the gasps of the crowd (my friend said he put all of his weight on me), but I could feel nothing but pressure. I remember thinking Wow this is so easy. After that he woke me up. Later on though, while he was putting everyone under for the 2nd round, I had to have my friend talk to me because I could feel myself going back under. One lady in my group fell off her chair, back under hypnosis during the second round. I will say though, I have never been more relaxed or refreshed then after being hypnotized, would probably even do it again if the opportunity presented itself.

reply to post by 35Foxtrot


His web page; Keith Barry.
Says he is "Mentalist of the year".

You both mention making someone do something they don't want to as being impossible. This is one thing about the episode that I was thinking about. I had always heard some version of that myself. But, the host is able to make some of his "victims" do things that are most definitely things that upset them and they did not want to do. He even has to put a couple back "under" again to help them cope. The last guy he actually does make drug or kill a guy. The kid says, "I killed that guy!" when he watches himself on video (very upset). They're all actors so nobody is really hurt but the kid doesn't know it until everything is over.

reply to post by tomten


Thanks. I couldn't search for video on this machine but that looks like the hypnosis episode. he makes that guy beg for change on the street in LA.