Argumentum ad Derren Browniam

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Errors in skeptical debates: Argumentum ad Derren Browniam.

John Jackson © 2008

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OK, this is not a serious attempt to introduce a newly named logical fallacy! However, I would like to address the usage of the argument whereby people, and often skeptics, try to convince others that what psychics do isn’t real because Derren Brown can do the same things. I jokingly refer to this as the ‘Argumentum ad Derren Browniam’.

Usually, it is made as a response to someone claiming to be a psychic/medium or to have seen one whom they believe to be genuine. The argument goes something like: “well I don’t believe the medium you saw was genuine; after all, look at what Derren Brown can do – and he’s not psychic“.

There are two main problems with this argument:

1. The first problem with this argument is that Derren Brown’s ability to replicate what another person does in no way actually disproves it. It does weaken their claim as it shows that it can be replicated by normal means, but it doesn’t disprove it: he may simply be obtaining similar results by a different method.
   
   
2. Secondly, people making this argument make the assumption that Derren Brown is using some advanced psychological trickery and, by inference, that psychics/mediums are doing it the same way (using advanced and complex methods) – this is not the case: there’s nothing advanced or particularly complicated about an interaction where psychic belief and claimed ability are encountered that results in a successful reading. In fact, it’s remarkably simple.

In many instances, people state that Derren achieves his amazing psychological manipulations using things like subliminal messages (which don’t really work) or NLP (which is mostly bollocks). All this succeeds in doing is rejecting one form of nonsense (the psychic claim) for another (the bogus psychological explanations Derren gives).

Derren Brown is a magician; a mentalist. In order for mentalism (which really mimics claims of ESP) to work well it has to appear to be something mysterious. Many mentalist feats are performed – such as predicting a 3-digit number someone will choose by (apparently) writing it down first – and the trick leaves people cold because they know that it’s a trick; the problem being that the mentalist achieves his feat without a plausible mechanism or explanation as to how it’s done (unless he’s actually claiming to be psychic; but that’s another kettle of fish). What Derren does is create a plausible mechanism for doing his mentalism. He’s created a persona whereby he can psychologically manipulate people to choose whatever number/word/etc. he chooses to ‘implant’ in a person’s head. The trick is exactly the same as standard mentalism but he’s embellishing it.

It’s the embellishment of standard mentalist tricks that’s the reason that Derren Brown is so good at what he does – not some fantastical psychological ability or the use of advanced NLP techniques. This fallacy (that Derren uses advanced psychology etc.) comes up all over the place, but I do see skeptics (or at least people who don’t believe in psychics) using it too.

The psychology and NLP explanation for what Derren Brown can do is an intentionally false one. It’s what makes Derren’s mentalism ‘work’ and what makes him such a fascinating persona but the explanation is all a part of the illusion.

In summary: Derren Brown’s feats neither disprove nor explain psychic claims in any way.