did anyone see this pathetic charlatan on 'derren brown investigates' last night? who believes that you can talk to the dead for £40 through someone who 'sees' that you're one of 5 family members (I am) or you have relatives in the spirit world called john or julie or chris (I do) or that you're having problems at home?(always have)- just been on youtube looking at him ripping off stupid people - very funny, but does anyone go for this stuff?

I thought it was interesting, and Derren Brown was wonderful. He obviously thought the man was a fraud but was wise enough to stand back and let Joe Power show himself up.

He didn't show himself up at all !! It was Derrin Brown that made him do it....

HONEST ! :hihi::hihi::hihi:

I had a rather large heated discussion with the wife after watching that plonker make a fool of himself by taking the huff after Derrin exposed him for what he was. The wife has visited one of these Psycocks er hum ;) :loopy: Yup I married a fellow nutter... :D

He didn't show himself up at all !! It was Derrin Brown that made him do it....

HONEST ! :hihi::hihi::hihi:

I had a rather large heated discussion with the wife after watching that plonker make a fool of himself by taking the huff after Derrin exposed him for what he was. The wife has visited one of these Psycocks er hum ;) :loopy: Yup I married a fellow nutter... :D

that's what interests me - that anyone can believe in these people, I'm an atheist/don't believe in anything person, don't want to diss anyone's beliefs etc, but I'd want 'david smith who lived at 31 oak rd 'is coming through' - not 'paul' or 'christine'

I look forward to this:

Psychic: I'm getting a H ... an old man.
Young woman: My grandad, ... Harold. He died last month.
Psychic: Harold, yes. He says, ... 'have you watered me plants?'

I'm getting the word...............nonce (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuIbjpg4-aQ).

The only true psychic.

Did anyone notice that when Joe went into those two houses, before doing the reading, he asked to use the toilet. Strangley enough, so did Derren Brown when he first went into Joe's house at the beggining.

Did anyone notice that when Joe went into those two houses, before doing the reading, he asked to use the toilet. Strangley enough, so did Derren Brown when he first went into Joe's house at the beggining.

It makes sense, there are probably quite a few clues about your personality left around your bathroom, from what brand of soap you use to what colours you prefer, and let's not forget they can quickly sneek into your bedroom to sniff for further clues.

Did anyone notice that when Joe went into those two houses, before doing the reading, he asked to use the toilet. Strangley enough, so did Derren Brown when he first went into Joe's house at the beggining.

yeah I noticed that - it made me wonder what a 'psychic' would make of my bathroom! 'your dead grannie's complaining about toothpaste and grunge in your sink' - have a look at joe power's website, it's totally crass and pretty amazing - will he he be ruined as a 3rd rate grifter or will even more retarded scousers be queueing up to pay £ 40 for him to say that they are one of 5 family members?

yeah I noticed that - it made me wonder what a 'psychic' would make of my bathroom! 'your dead grannie's complaining about toothpaste and grunge in your sink' -

I think it would be more to do with getting the sense of the person themselves, i.e are they organised and tidy or chaotic and messy.
Other clues might include, does this person live alone or co habit (check the number of tooth brushes etc).
A dripping tap may also indicate that the person isn't a practical type who is confident of fixing minor DIY problems etc.

I think it would be more to do with getting the sense of the person themselves, i.e are they organised and tidy or chaotic and messy.
Other clues might include, does this person live alone or co habit (check the number of tooth brushes etc).
A dripping tap may also indicate that the person isn't a practical type who is confident of fixing minor DIY problems etc.

yeah you're right -also the sex of the residents - shaving stuff, perfumes etc - presence of kids which would help get his daft numbers right - if someone's died, then the number of toothbrushes plus 1 - I'm tempted to have a go.

I would also have thought that most of us have pictures of our family about the place.

I missed it.
Does anyone know if it's going to be repeated during the week?

It is on 4oD. (Link) (http://www.channel4.com/programmes/derren-brown-investigates/4od#3070704)

The bathroom thing was funny because it was so blatant!

Interesting too how many of the audience members had had sessions with Joe Power before but didn't seem to think anything of it when he *did really well* with them at the show. :confused:

One thing I respect Derren Brown for, and Richard Wiseman, which Richard Dawkins singularly lacks, is an allowance of the fact that even if it is scientifically nonsense, some people do get some comfort from it. If it helps bring people closure or set their mind at rest, it can still serve a purpose if people choose that route.

Joe Power was so inept that it was like shooting fish in a bucket. Brown's time would have been better spent with someone who was actually pretty good at 'reading'.

Brown was also way too standoff-ish. The bit where Power mentioned an affair to the girl from Hollyoaks which was despicable and Brown should have gone for the jugular.

I do like Brown. He's a nice guy, funny and amiable. But Louis Theroux does this stuff far better.

I don't really agree with the idea of it doing good either. Allowing yourself to think that gran/mum/rex whoever is OK in heaven because that nice man said so is not going through the grieving process probably. That some keep going back for more is indicative that they aren't really getting closure. Joe wouldn’t want them to.

I forgot about the mention of the affair. Gosh, yes that was really appalling!

The next episode is called 'The Man With X Ray Eyes'. From DB's website:

Derren Brown travels to Holland with Judy Dunk, a British lady who has been blind since 1995. Both Derren and Judy are intrigued by the claims made by Vyacheslav Bronnikov, founder of the Bronnikov method, a psychic programme that has its eyes set on world domination. Critics say it is fakery but practioners say it is an extraordinary psychic method which enables you to see without using your eyes.

Vyacheslav Bronnikov believes that he can create a new super man and everyone can benefit from this system. They believe they can teach the blind to see, even those without eyes.

Few claims come as large as this one so Derren goes on a journey to investigate the truth behind the method…

The third episode is about ghost hunters.

The bathroom thing was funny because it was so blatant!

Interesting too how many of the audience members had had sessions with Joe Power before but didn't seem to think anything of it when he *did really well* with them at the show. :confused:

One thing I respect Derren Brown for, and Richard Wiseman, which Richard Dawkins singularly lacks, is an allowance of the fact that even if it is scientifically nonsense, some people do get some comfort from it. If it helps bring people closure or set their mind at rest, it can still serve a purpose if people choose that route.
disagree - he isn't providing comfort , he's scamming £40 off a bereaved punter who's desperation makes them gullible, to me that makes him a near criminal

he's scamming £40 off a bereaved punter who's desperation makes them gullible,
I disagree, as much as it pains me. I'd love to see Joe Power get attacked by a group of women shouting "you tricked us", but sadly it won't happen. These people choose to visit him, they choose to pay him money, and he can claim he honestly believes he talks to dead people and nobody can take that away from him.

All anyone can do is what Derren Brown did, show the man for what he is.

I have to say I laughed myself into a coma. The bit where he said "I can feel a woman coming through, she's shouting daughter, it must be your mum" was hysterical.

As much as I despise these frauds - and every single one of them is a fraud - I also despise the attitude that because it gives comfort it must be in some way ok to exploit the grieving and vulnerable. Its completely despicable that this is allowed to go on but I have a solution.

Lock all the mediums up in solitary confinement in the dark and after a few weeks tell them that a close relative has died when they haven't and that if they can identify which one they'll be freed, if they then identify which relative has died then leave them there.

disagree - he isn't providing comfort , he's scamming £40 off a bereaved punter who's desperation makes them gullible, to me that makes him a near criminal


I didn't say he was 'providing comfort', I said some people get comfort from it - 'it' being the feeling or belief that their loved ones are in a better place (or whatever). Just because you don't agree or don't approve doesn't mean that for those individuals that do believe it, there isn't some comforting factor in the belief. I agree that taking advantage of those people is wrong, but I believe people should be free to follow that path if they so choose. I think out of all the options to relieve desperate grief, there's more danger in getting hooked on booze or drugs or becoming dependant on a predatory man, or whatever. When you're in a bad way you do what it takes, and seeing a medium is not nearly as harmful as some of the alternatives.

If someone goes to a priest, a counsellor or a sympathetic medium (and I wouldn't put Joe Power in that category from what I saw), we could argue and demand proof forever about whether there's any truth or what the practitioners' motivations or techniques are. But the ultimate healing effect in the mind of the person who sought help from them would be pretty much the same. People are free to make up their own mind IMO.

On a personal level I don't disrespect an individual's private wish to believe in heaven or spirits. Whether or not mediums are deliberately fraudulent is another thing entirely. Many or even most genuinely believe their talent is a 'gift' rather than a natural knack for a technique. If they genuinely believe it and provide a service for other people who genuinely believe it, I don't see how that can be seen as fraudulent. Again, I wasn't impressed by Joe Power's lack of integrity or wisdom. Maybe the ones who go onstage are the equivalent of egotistical religious gurus.

To be honest though, I think most people go to those shows out of curiosity and for fun, they just like feeling spooked. It's interesting that the Hollyoaks woman thought Derren was genuinely psychic even though he's 100% open about it being a technique. There's something wired into humans to want to believe stuff even in the face of the evidence. The reason I like Richard Wiseman is that he's genuinely interested in why and how people believe what they do in a psychological sense, rather than just trying to prove that they're stupid, which was what I meant in my first post. :)

disagree - he isn't providing comfort , he's scamming £40 off a bereaved punter who's desperation makes them gullible, to me that makes him a near criminal

People love it though and it's very popular. What amazes me is that people take it so calmly when a dead person is contacting them through a medium.

It would freak me out completely.

Lucky it's never going to happen :|

Why don't these "dead people" just tell their family members what it's actually like being dead?

They always seem too preoccupied with the colour they've painted the lounge, or that they like the new plasma TV they've just bought.

:hihi:

Why don't these "dead people" just tell their family members what it's actually like being dead?

They always seem too preoccupied with the colour they've painted the lounge, or that they like the new plasma TV they've just bought.

:hihi:

Yeah. Do you get a harp and what's old Jehovah up to at the moment?

Yeah. Do you get a harp and what's old Jehovah up to at the moment?

Or 'by the way tracey, I hid £150 under my mattress'. Never happens! Just someone shouting 'daughter, daughter'... If that was my dead mum I'd be shouting back 'I know I'm your chuffing daughter, now tell me something good because this is costing me forty quid'!

Also what is this fascination that the dead have with numbers?

"I'm getting the number '5'? Does that mean anything to anyone in the audience?"

"Ohhh, that must be me cos there's 5 in my family! Me, Paul, Susan, Dad and Ralf the dog!"

Heck, my mother doesn't know how many she's got when she's alive so I doubt that she'll be fretting about it when she's gone.

Also what is this fascination that the dead have with numbers?

"I'm getting the number '5'? Does that mean anything to anyone in the audience?"

"Ohhh, that must be me cos there's 5 in my family! Me, Paul, Susan, Dad and Ralf the dog!"

Heck, my mother doesn't know how many she's got when she's alive so I doubt that she'll be fretting about it when she's gone.

Now thats funny Cos I got 5 in my family too Me Mrs YouFo and two dogs and Damien and he keeps shouting kill kill kill in his sleep ?? I know he is dreaming of space invaders so leave him to it.. Do you think he may be getting messages from beyond :roll: :huh: :hihi::hihi: I dream of ufo's taking over the world... :confused:

Yeah its great gran coming through. You wants you to know that she's OK and loves you all and that she'd kill, kill, kill for a piece of Battenberg.

That'll be 40 quid.

I didn't say he was 'providing comfort', I said some people get comfort from it - 'it' being the feeling or belief that their loved ones are in a better place (or whatever). Just because you don't agree or don't approve doesn't mean that for those individuals that do believe it, there isn't some comforting factor in the belief. I agree that taking advantage of those people is wrong, but I believe people should be free to follow that path if they so choose. I think out of all the options to relieve desperate grief, there's more danger in getting hooked on booze or drugs or becoming dependant on a predatory man, or whatever. When you're in a bad way you do what it takes, and seeing a medium is not nearly as harmful as some of the alternatives.

If someone goes to a priest, a counsellor or a sympathetic medium (and I wouldn't put Joe Power in that category from what I saw), we could argue and demand proof forever about whether there's any truth or what the practitioners' motivations or techniques are. But the ultimate healing effect in the mind of the person who sought help from them would be pretty much the same. People are free to make up their own mind IMO.

On a personal level I don't disrespect an individual's private wish to believe in heaven or spirits. Whether or not mediums are deliberately fraudulent is another thing entirely. Many or even most genuinely believe their talent is a 'gift' rather than a natural knack for a technique. If they genuinely believe it and provide a service for other people who genuinely believe it, I don't see how that can be seen as fraudulent. Again, I wasn't impressed by Joe Power's lack of integrity or wisdom. Maybe the ones who go onstage are the equivalent of egotistical religious gurus.

To be honest though, I think most people go to those shows out of curiosity and for fun, they just like feeling spooked. It's interesting that the Hollyoaks woman thought Derren was genuinely psychic even though he's 100% open about it being a technique. There's something wired into humans to want to believe stuff even in the face of the evidence. The reason I like Richard Wiseman is that he's genuinely interested in why and how people believe what they do in a psychological sense, rather than just trying to prove that they're stupid, which was what I meant in my first post. :)

excellent post - agree with it almost entirely - if people get heartsease from religion, mediums/whatever then good luck to them - but joe power strikes me as not one of the good guys, his website is full of premium rate phone lines and he is an old fashioned grifter, he's learned cold reading ( i can do it very badly) which is a party trick, dressed it up as a 'gift' and chased every penny and bit of fame he can squeeze out of it - people become addicted and add unpayable phone bills to their grief ringing the dead when they feel depressed and desperate.

his arrogance is is astounding tho' - fancy agreeing to take on derren brown who's much better than him at it, and using sister's next door neighbour as his showpeice - must've reckoned no one would find out

excellent post - agree with it almost entirely - if people get heartsease from religion, mediums/whatever then good luck to them - but joe power strikes me as not one of the good guys, his website is full of premium rate phone lines and he is an old fashioned grifter, he's learned cold reading ( i can do it very badly) which is a party trick, dressed it up as a 'gift' and chased every penny and bit of fame he can squeeze out of it - people become addicted and add unpayable phone bills to their grief ringing the dead when they feel depressed and desperate.

his arrogance is is astounding tho' - fancy agreeing to take on derren brown who's much better than him at it, and using sister's next door neighbour as his showpeice - must've reckoned no one would find out

I love the photo of him with Shannon Matthews. Must be working on his credibility.

http://joepower.co.uk/crime.html

Derren was on last night in America with some bloke who thinks ghosts talk to him on a tape recorder. Anyone see it?

The demon hunter one the other night was *VERY* interesting.

I won't spoil it for anyone, but it's compelling viewing...

Derren was on last night in America with some bloke who thinks ghosts talk to him on a tape recorder. Anyone see it?

That bloke was Lou Gentile.

Sadly Lou died from cancer shortly after filming, If you watch the end credits it states this.

Lou was only in his early forties.

but it's compelling viewing...
I think the phrase that you were looking for was hysterical viewing.

Well, what I meant was: these people need help!

It's AMAZING what people will believe.

I don't want to start a religious debate, but the religious people I've met have often lived in a world that was more fantasy and fantastical than the Dungeons & Dragons I used to play. They actually believed demons were all around them and that they were in actual danger - every day - of demonic possession.

Didn't you get the feeling that the lady in the house probably indulges herself in 'witchy' stuff as well? You don't see many ladies of her age with lip rings and spiders web tattoos.

The Randi Foundation had Lou Gentile trying for the $1m Challenge a few years ago. Gentile pulled out before he had to prove anything. He was very insistent on using the one particular type to voice recorder - the one that makes the funny noises.

Didn't you get the feeling that the lady in the house probably indulges herself in 'witchy' stuff as well? You don't see many ladies of her age with lip rings and spiders web tattoos.

The Randi Foundation had Lou Gentile trying for the $1m Challenge a few years ago. Gentile pulled out before he had to prove anything. He was very insistent on using the one particular type to voice recorder - the one that makes the funny noises.

THAT's where I remember him from! It's amazing how he has 'proof' yet nothing at all when it comes to the crunch.

The voice recorder was just bizarre. Can you say 'clutching at straws'?

I was looking forward to the ghost photos, they're usually great fun, but I couldn't believe just how nothingy they were. A slug going up some stairs. :hihi:

Derren Brown's too nice for a programme like that. It's probably because Gentile didn't make money from it that he couldn't bring himself to confront him at the end. The previous episode with the Russian blindness scam was another matter, that was heinous.

Which category did you put Gentile into - charlatan or deluded? I couldn't quite make up my mind. I had a feeling that he was basically deluded but didn't want to face up to the truth even though he knew deep down that it was true. I suppose that makes him a bit of a charlatan too.

I think he's genuinely deluded, but after twenty years' worth of dedication to the cause he couldn't allow any credence to the scientific explanations as it would have meant he'd wasted all that time. He must have had so many people reacting to his 'evidence' in that same way as Derren did. I've heard 'ghost tapes' before and you can make out proper word sounds however they've been caused, but that was just embarrassing. That lady's cats probably speak more audible English than the ghosts did.