Cons & Confidence Men: How Not to Get Taken, Class 6

[magdaofslovenia.livejournal.com]

"I hope you're all mostly recovered from last weekend's ordeals," Sophie said, settling in to the Danger Shop (not got up to resemble your average mall) with a cup of coffee. "Today we're covering neuro-linguistic programming; the art of associating positive images and emotions with something you're trying to buy or sell to someone else. The key to making it work is a series of 'beats' and gestures that focus your target's subconscious on the words that you're saying. Moving their eyes from left, to right, while you attempt to convince them; 'anchoring' their thoughts while touching them or using keywords as you touch other objects... In short, it's a very basic type of hypnosis. People are more suggestible than they believe." She tilted her head. "Some people, of course, are making money on hosting seminars in how to do so they can pick up members of the opposite sex. But that's a more basic type of scam."

Sophie smiled. "Watch this video here, on this monitor, and then either discern when salespeople are trying the techniques on you, or attempt to convince bystanders here in this mall to loan you money for a cab, a phone call, or whatever else you think you'll need, by using the techniques."

[OCD on its way up!]