I had never heard of him, but SciFi has a show with him on it, Mind Control With Derren Brown, and I caught it tonight. A-fucking-mazing.
He really understands how the mind works, how to manipulate perceptions, and can cold read like a mo-fo. What he does seems like magic or ESP.
Really entertaining as well as enlightening. It was refreshing to see it being done with no claims of supernatural abilities, and be able to pick up on some of the language and movements he is using and know "that's some kind of subliminal persuasion"...yet still go "No WAY!".
I felt the same way seeing a stage hypnotist. I know it's all natural and explainable, but what our minds are capable of still blows me away.
Derren Brown