Woman in Chinatown hypnotized by thieves (Link to article and video)

[siligut]

It seems unbelievable, but the scam has been reported in other cities in the US and in China.

(NECN: John Moroney, Boston) – Boston’s Chinatown is where an older Chinese woman says she was hypnotized on the street, turning money and other valuables to a group of scam artists while under a trance.

The woman - who speaks only Cantonese - says she was approached by three Asian women on Monday.

They tapped her on the shoulder, and started asking her questions about her family. After that, the woman told police, she was hypnotized.

She says she then went to her apartment - gathered up jewelry and $160,000 in cash and brought it to the Boston Common, where she gave it to the thieves.

http://www.necn.com/05/04/12/Woman-in-Chinatown-hypnotized-by-thieves/landing.html?blockID=702498&feedID=4206

[aikoaiko]

1. I'm doubtful...

[siligut]

2. It has been reported in other US cities and in China

I agree, it is hard to believe, but this isn't just one incident.

[1monster]

3. Years ago, I attended an evening with a party hypnotist. He was a cerified hypnotist who did

nightclub route.

A friend was one of the people who volunteered to by hynotized. He gave her a post-hynotic suggetion that when she heard a certain word, she would stand up and and yell, "Shut up! Tarzan. I'm trying to sing!" He then brought her out of the trance, told her she would remember everything that happened, and sent her back to her table. She swore it wasn't going to happen.

Then when the cue came, she was out of her seat yelling her line her line before she could stop herself. She was stunned that she reacted so instantly to the cue.

Most people will not do something that is repugnant to their feelings or beliefs, an able hypnotist would be able to implant a reason to get the victim to hand over his/her valubles. Be wary. One can resist hypnotism.

[siligut]

4. That is the thing about hypnotism, your conscious mind doesn't have control

What is so scary about the Chinatown incident is that the woman was just approached on the street.

[2pooped2pop]

24. yes, your conscious mind does remain in control

if u felt threatened in any way you would immediately cease your hypnosis. The only way they could have done this to this woman is by making it something she would have no objection to.

i believe drugs would have to be involved in this case unless the woman was a doddering old fool.

[drm604]

5. Your friend *volunteered* to be hypnotized.

She made the decision to be cooperative. That's much different than strangers engaging you in conversation. I don't know what's going on with these stories but I'm very skeptical that people are being hypnotized.

[siligut]

6. That is what makes it so interesting

It certainly doesn't sound like hypnotism as we commonly know it, but how else do you explain people handing over their valuables?

[drm604]

7. I can't explain it.

The fact that I can't explain it doesn't prove that it was hypnosis. It just proves that I don't know what happened.

There could be other explanations. For example, it could be an insurance scam. Hock all of your valuables, then claim that you were hypnotized and robbed and collect on the insurance.

[siligut]

9. I know a little bit about hypnosis and I believe it

If it were an insurance scam you had better believe that the insurance companies would expose it. I know you gave that as just an example, but I think you are looking for any explanation rather than believe something with such scary implications.

[drm604]

12. No. I'm looking for an explanation that actually makes sense.

[siligut]

15. You would have to educate yourself about mind-control if you want it to make sense to you.

I know a little bit about mind-control and even I am surprised.

[drm604]

18. We're just going to disagree on this.

[siligut]

19. You know, I think it is a topic like aliens or ESP

Some people believe in aliens and I just can't bring myself to. So I think that this may be like that.

[TorchTheWitch]

22. you need to educate yourself about hypnosis

Nobody can get instantly hypnotized on the street by a stranger. It will not work unless the person is completely physically and mentally relaxed in that zone between asleep and awake when the mind is most open to suggestion and barely conscious of where they are or what is going on around them. The patient must also be mentally willing... no one will do things suggested to them through hypnosis if there was not already a willingness to do such things... ie, you couldn't convince someone under hypnosis to murder someone unless there was already a conscious or unconscious willingness in the person to do so. By the same token, hypnosis won't work to quit smoking unless the patient WANTS to quit and voluntarily goes under hypnosis as an attempt to WILLINGLY kick the habit.

As for mind control... only happens over a long period of time when the person is deprived of their own Independence and the one attempting to control their mind is the sole provider of all needs and wants in an isolated environment.

It simply is not possible for someone to pluck someone out of a crowd and immediately either hypnotize them or seize control of their mind in order to make them do something they are not already inclined to do. The very idea is just ridiculous.

I underwent hypnosis therapy for my anxiety years ago. It took MONTHS to even get to a point where I could physically relax enough to go into that awake/asleep zone. In the end it ended up being a waste of time for me since my anxiety had me wound so tight mentally that I was totally unable to be open to suggestion.

[siligut]

28. It is possible that she had a predisposition to hypnosis

And this group, that used her, has the skills to identify their targets. As this scheme has been reported in other US cities and in China, I believe that it did happen. Did you read the article and watch the video? The group approached and acted very friendly, this must have put her at ease.

You have the common opinion about hypnosis and mind-control, because I have educated myself about both I have a differing opinion. I am glad you were finally able to get help for your anxiety.

[ret5hd]

8. are you sure (other than their word)...

that they did?

[siligut]

11. I posted it to get opinions

I believe it myself, but I also know a little bit about hypnosis. This is the first I have ever read about it being used like this.

[EX500rider]

10. "gathered up $160,000 in cash at her apt"??!?!?!

She ever hear of a bank or safety deposit box?!?

[1monster]

13. A lot of people don't trust banks... and with very good reason.

[Blue_Tires]

20. uh...FDIC?

or if she absolutely didn't want to start an account, there are safe-deposit boxes...

I know this is her story and she's sticking to it, but it reeks...Maybe she was holding something dirty for somebody, and someone else conned her out of it so this "story" is the only thing she can think of...

I'd like to know how three strange women knew to target her in the first place...

[1monster]

27. FDIC only comes in when the bank is robbed or fails. When the bank is the thief, you

are screwed.

[4th law of robotics]

26. Because banks will trick you out of your life savings by asking you simple questions?

[siligut]

14. She was from China

The video says she only spoke Cantonese. I have a Chinese friend and she has a box of Krugerrands under her bed.

[Blue_Tires]

30. i still say she was holding something dirty for someone else

why hypnotize when you can use a gun?

and just how long does this hypnosis take? since you're on a public street with witnesses?

[siligut]

31. If she was holding something dirty, why would she report it to the police?

Though I agree it is odd she had that much cash in her apartment, as I stated above, I have a friend from China and she has a box of Krugerrands under her bed.

Because we don't have information on the circumstances, I don't know how it was accomplished in a public place. It is possible that she had been hypnotized at an earlier date and the perps just had to use a phrase or motion to trigger the state again.

[Blue_Tires]

35. maybe she needed some built-in excuse or cover story

to whitewash the fact that she lost the money in an even more idiotic way than hypnosis?

[cthulu2016]

16. If hypnotism worked this would be an awesome story

[siligut]

17. What would be awesome about it?

That a woman was robbed? Oh, I get it, you just wanted to say that hypnotism doesn't work.

[Warpy]

21. Here we call it televangelism

It has the same result, people get sucked in and go into some sort of weird trance and hand money they can't afford to lose to some pompadoured fraud in a loud suit.

[2pooped2pop]

23. as a former hypnotist, I call bullshit

u are still aware while hypnotized and cannot be made to do something that would be against your desire to do so.

They would have had to also slip her a drug to make her agrreeable to something like that.

[siligut]

29. Well, I call bullshit on something else

And as a former bullshit artist, I know what I am talking about. You may be talking about hypnotherapy and that is different than hypnosis.

[2pooped2pop]

32. hypnosis is the basis for hypnotherapy

so it is needed for hypnotherapy. Hypnotherapy is not needed for hypnosis though. I have performed both. But neither will allow this behavior without previous hypnosis or help from some drug.

[siligut]

34. Then you must know the work of Milton Erickson

And yet you still maintain that this is not possible without "some drug" or previous hypnosis? While I concede that it would be much easier if she had been programmed, it is not impossible, but I am guessing that this sort of hypnosis is not what you would have been taught.

[4th law of robotics]

25. She had $160,000 laying around?

And is easily hypnotized?

This is horrible. I should start a help group for people who are both extremely gullible and keep large sums of untraceable cash on their person.

[TheMightyFavog]

33. Sounds like something from an old Charlie Chan movie...

Weird.