Why do I like Derren Brown:

Well, I put most of my reasons in the introduction, but I can elaborate them here!

If you have seen my
Alexkazam the magic man! website and lens, you will know that I perform magic for children, it is colourful, silly, noisy and just the sort of magic that children like. But, I have always been interested in what magicians call "mentalism". This is the magic of the mind.

Derren brown has taken this artform on to another level, not only does he perform amazing magic, he builds great theatre into his magic.

I have seen him on television and I have seen him live in the theatre, he leaves a lasting impression!

Derren is an educated skeptic, he will happily debunk pseudo-science and occult beliefs and I applaud this. It's one thing putting on an act of occult skills as entertainment, it's another to use fraud to take money or dignity from someone.

If you want to know more about
Derren Brown
and lift the lid on some of the secrets so, you, too, can perform amazing feats of mental magic- this is where to look. Derren brown has released some cutting edge books in his inimitable style, there are other great mental magic resources too.

Read, learn and mystify!

Derren Brown describes himself as a psychological illusionist which is a pretty accurate description. His first series said that it wasn't magic, it was "mind control". Later on, he mentioned misdirection and chicanery- which is a more honest description.

Derren had me fooled, really badly fooled when I first saw him and, I expect you'll feel the same way. I'd be a terrible magician if I said how he does any of his amazing effects-but I can tell you that he uses many different methods combined with magnificent presentational skills.

Magic is so much more than just knowing how it's done in the same way that knowing a joke doesn't make you a comedian. When I see Derren perform and I know how it's done, I'm in awe of his great sense of timing. mood and theatrics- now that, is the real secret!

If you enjoy watching Derren's shows and you're intrigued enough to want to learn how to do similar things- I can point you in the right direction.

I'm not going to give secrets away here- you'd only be disappointed by how simple some of them are, anyway!

The realm of "magic" that Derren does is known in the trade as mentalism- magic of the mind- it baffles people more than little balls appearing under cups- not that I'm knocking sleight of hand magic, it's great, just mentalism tends to have a more lasting effect.

If you wish to pursue this type of magic- you need to learn how to PRESENT a trick as if it were real mind reading. You need to be able to replicate what you'd feel, say and do if you were really mind reading- kind of like method acting.

When you get to find out the way some of these tricks are done- you really wont believe you were fooled by them in the first place. You then need to watch an excellent performer like Derren present his stuff and learn that it's 99% presentation. A word of warning here, DO NOT COPY someone else's style- at best you'll be a poor imitation, develop you own style, do what fits with your personality.

Join a local magic club and perform as often as you can- you're unlikely to reveal any secrets other magicians don't know and you can get feedback.

If you want to learn not only how to do a trick, but how a good presentation should look- buy magic DVD's so you get to see the performance before you see how it's done- and don't be disappointed when you find out it's so very simple- most mental magic is!

The hard part is the presentation- I cannot emphasise this enough!

So, if you really want to pursue this fascinating branch of magic, read and watch all you can, and remember, it's not how it's done, it's how you do it!

Derren Brown's television and stage performances have entranced and dumbfounded millions. His baffling illusions and stunning set pieces - such as "The Seance", "Russian Roulette" and "The Heist" - have set new standards of what's possible, as well as causing more than their fair share of controversy. Now, for the first time, he reveals the secrets behind his craft, what makes him tick and just why he grew that beard. "TRICKS OF THE MIND" takes you on a journey into the structure and pyschology of magic. Derren teaches you how to read clues in people's behavior and spot liars. He discusses the whys and wherefores of hypnosis and shows how to do it. And he investigates the power of suggestion and how you can massively improve your memory. He also takes a long hard look at the paranormal industry and why some of us feel the need to believe in it in the first place. Alternately hilarious, controversial and challenging, "Tricks of the Mind" is essential reading for Derren's legions of fans, and pretty bloody irresistible even if you don't like him that much...

If you want to know more about NLP then NLP FOR DUMMIES is a good introduction to this complex subject explained so that someone new to this can grasp the concepts and apply them.