Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Britain's best-known hypnotist, primetime TV star, and best-selling self-help author.
On the island
Eight records
The lyric at the end is, And in the end, the love that you take is equal to the love that you make, which were the last words that Lennon and McCartney wrote together. And without wishing to be morbid, I suppose this is what I'd have at my funeral.
This was about the time, I think it would be about 79, 80, when I was really starting to work as a disc jockey. I used to work in Top Shop as a DJ when I was about 15, playing records, a fantastic job. And I love this. I think it's a great disco record.
very cliche choice, but it's still just one of the best records ever made and I believe at one stage was the most requested record in the world on the radio.
reminds me of that time at Capitol Radio, walking down Tottenham Court Road, that time when see, I believe we have moments where we can make a choice, a sort of a junction, a destiny moment, if you like.
following this court case, I, you know, had an opportunity to let off some steam and to really enjoy myself. And this song was playing in all the clubs, so you know, it reminds me of a time of sort of of euphoria, really.
I like music of repetitive beats and uh not everyone understands uh this kind of music... when I work out, it gives me that extra lift of motivation. This is definitely a reflection of who I am.
I Didn't Know I Was Looking for Love
I always thought if I if I ever got married I'd this would be a song I'd like to have played at my wedding, and it's a beautiful song.
Moving on UpFavourite
Bobby Gillespie, Andrew Innes and Robert Young
I've always liked this song and I found it very uplifting. The opening lyrics are I Was Blind and I Can See. Even when I hear it now, you know, it reminds me of this story and I am in the hope business because I don't know what is and what isn't possible, but I'm prepared to get stuck in and find out.
In conversation
Presenter asks
0:54How does it feel to be hypnotised?
Well, for everybody it's different, but usually it's deep relaxation. People find that instead of being aware of lots of things, we tend to focus on one idea at a time. You could probably compare it to meditation or, you know, in business, people do a thing called strategic planning... That seems to me to be just the same as hypnosis.
Presenter asks
2:18Can people be hypnotized to do absolutely anything?
No, people won't do things that violate their morals or values. However, people can be tricked, coerced and manipulated into that. We don't need hypnosis for that. Politicians are very good at persuading us to do things that are not necessarily in our best interest, as are high-pressure salespeople or cult leaders.
Presenter asks
4:46What was life like at home in the early days?
I grew up in North London. My father was a builder, my mother teacher. Um I was a nerdy, gimpy kid, I suppose. And I kind I I think I had a good childhood.
Presenter asks
The keepsakes
The book
Dennis Genpo Merzel
Your consciousness expands and you become at one with everything... this technique has significantly changed my life for the better.
Were you very unhappy at school, then?
Yeah, the the secondary school, absolutely. I thought it was a repressive environment. I don't like authority in many respects. If somebody I think is pushing me, it makes me want to push them back, you know, rather than conform. And there was cruelty.
Presenter asks
9:13Where did you get the confidence to think that you could sit in front of a microphone?
Well, the nice thing is with radio is there's not that many people looking at you. In fact, there is that saying, you know, has a perfect face for radio. And so many DJs, you know, have a fantastic voice and when you meet them, they don't look exactly as you'd imagine.
Presenter asks
17:07What was your reaction [to the 1997 court case where a man accused you of causing his schizophrenia]?
I was shocked... This gentleman does have schizophrenia, which is a biological brain disorder. And the whole incident you're referring to resulted in the High Court case... Even now, thinking about it, God, it was tough. It was a very tough time. Because this was not about the commercial ramifications. This was about the fundamental essence of my character.
Presenter asks
20:45Why didn't you choose traditional psychotherapy or analysis?
I'm not a fan of traditional psychoanalysis. Getting somebody to go back and remember in vivid technicolour rather than in a disassociated way... all of the worst things that have ever happened to them. To me, it's like taking somebody with a broken leg and throwing them down the stairs until they feel better.
“hypnosis is just another word for thinking. And when we use hypnosis, we can get extraordinary outcomes, but it's really just a way of thinking.”
“to me, all success in life comes down to people saying, I'll back you. That's what it is.”
“I see human beings very mechanically, and yet they're mysterious and wonderful and complex, but ultimately it's mechanics. Human beings, very much like a computer, we have programs that we learn as a kid... And what I do is help people to reprogram themselves like a computer programmer.”