Recently my ex-girlfriend posted on FaceBook that she's been to Derek Ogilvie. Derek Ogilvie is a Scottish charlatan, sorry 'Ghost Whisperer' who entertains the gullible Dutch (mainly female) audiences with bullshit readings.
Initially Derek Ogilvie was the infamous Baby Whisperer and the only 'psychic' who dared to step up to the Randi's JREF challenge; Which in itself is admirable because most psychics are too smart to disclose themselves as hobbyist magicians, which suggest to me that back then he was an unconscious-coldreader. An unconscious-coldreader is someone who unconsciously uses coldreading techniques and picks up on body language and changes their story based on those reactions. In doing so, they seemingly create correct statements as if they knew them from the start.
Derek failed the scientific test that Randi had devised as a Baby Whisperer.
After that Epic fail he returned (like most charlatans do) now as someone who does 'psychic readings' by taking to Ghosts and gullible people wanting to know how it is with their deceased loved one or whether they will make that trip to Africa one day flee to the theatres where they pay 37.50 euros to go see his stage show--conveniently backed and represented by RTL4 (Dutch commercial TV station). Where on Derek's site there's a disclaimer stating this is for entertainment purposes only -- basically saying in not too many words: "People this bullshit and nothing more than a lovely magic show."
As a mentalist I look straight through the bullshit but I am amazed how many people become fierce when you ask them: "couldn't he just be cheating? After all it says he's an entertainer" Words like: "You don't know until you've seen him! The details he tells people are unbelievable! This must be real!", "He uses energy but you don't understand that as a skeptic non-believer", "What do you know? Are you psychic?"
No I am not a psychic! Nor do I pretend to be one, I (much like Derren Brown) am honest about my dishonesty. I always say in my shows that even though it may seem paranormal I can assure you it is not and that everybody can learn this -- that is when you prefer 40k of college load and an in inspiring job on a podium. All I do is take my 5 senses (lovely line from Banachek) and combine them with my knowledge of: psychology, misdirection, science, suggestion and hypnosis (borrowed and reshaped from Derren's disclaimer); Banacheck and Derren Brown have been the biggest influence on me. Nothing I do is mystical and even then after the show people still ask me if that last effect did have something to do with the paranormal.... It goes to show you how vulnerable people are into believing in extraordinary things! Even when you tell them the truth they tend to believe in their mental concoctions.
In case of Derek Ogilvie what he does is a mere and simple Question and Answer (Q&A) routine. Its been around since the Victorian ages and probably before that. Basically what a Q&A is, is creating a dual reality. Some people have provided information about themselves (knowingly or unknowingly) and this information is basically fed back -- with a lot of showmanship (though Derek lacks that in my opinion as well) and great added cold reading phrases. To the people who have not provided any information (or have forgotten they did) it seems enormously magical -- well that's the purpose of magic and mentalism. For people who provided information and are aware of it for them its still wonderful because they did not see the performer read their information or even get close to it.
There are different methods of having some audience members provide information, usually cards are filled out in advance by a hand full of people. They provide their questions they want to have answered and some personal details only they could possibly know. The suggestion posed is that this information never gets to the performer -- after all if it did it would not be very impressive.
Many church faith healings have a collection box with lock that has those cards in them (most often with a generous donation as well, so that god hears you requests).
A TV priest in the USA would sell tickets for his sermons. When buying tickets its very common (and owe so convenient for the mischievous charlatans) to leave your phone number and/or address when you purchase tickets. His henchmen would call or visit these people and pose themselves as someone doing research- or as a friendly person giving out small comps. During this chat information was obtained about the person -- often 2 or 3 weeks before the show. This has long been forgotten by that time. Then a third method is that there are so called 'plants' in the audience. When things are rough and you cannot get proper hits with all the standard cold and warm reading techniques --or you are just flat out lazy-- you pick your stooges (who are more than happy to play a long for a wealthy paycheck) and low-and-behold we created another miracle. A good performer (because that's what these people are) can combine any of these methods with proper cold reading techniques and create seeming miracles.
Why is it that when you ask those believers: "Wouldn't it be possible that he may have stooges in the audience?" They (much like religious people) instantly react: "No!!! What do you know?! He's an honest and sincere human being, he's there to help people." -- I mean honest and sincere charging you 37,50 for a ticket to a magic show without huge props and illusions? My second question is: "Then why are you there? Do you need help?" most decline or say that they've some questions. I look and I say those questions involve: health and relationships don't they? But since they see me as a skeptic they dig their own grave by saying: "Yes but that's not impressive". Whereas I would do this claiming to be a psychic they would gasp slightly and confirm.
It is very simple all people have questions for involve: Relationship, Health, Travel, Money, Education, Ambition -- depending on the age of the person you can make educated guesses.
I bet you that 99% of the people in that theater with Derek are people who are believers in religious and/or therapeutic stuff like: hypnotherapy, crystal therapy, theta therapy, religious people believing in spirits whatever. I bet you there's not a single person there (unless he's there to see through the tricks) that are firm skeptics. Someone who has somewhat of an ability to disassociate herself of the proceedings could come up with ways to make this happen. Yet they don't.... very interesting.... When you provide them with obvious solutions they become fierce because its to them the same as blasfemie.
So why are people (especially females) so impressed with a supposed psychic who is nothing but a story teller and amateur magician? It truly is beyond me except that perhaps women are a fool for a good sob story. See it for what it actually is, entertainment with the emotions of people nothing more than that.
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