Check this out from todays UK newpapers, similar stories in most of them today:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv_and_rad...ticle_continue
So in summary we have a new style of entertainment here in the UK pioneered by master illusionist and hypnotist Derren Brown. He set up a "motivational" seminar for middle managers where he fed them a few of his techniques, plus a load of subliminal suggestions without telling them to rob a security guard near the bank of England at gunpoint. With the streets sealed off and supervised by the British Police, he ran an empirical experiment four times where the subject was prepared to be angry at anyone in a uniform, carrying a realistic toy gun as a "motivational" tool, and with delusional feelings of their own personal power. As each one entered the deserted Sunady street alone, near the Bank of England, a passing car played specific music, the exact colour green was on painted on the security van and a billboard had the subliminal messages, all crafted to induce the specific out of character behaviour of robbing the guard at gunpoint.
I personally trained in many of the techniques Derren Brown uses, they are real.
You can see my own comments on this at www.derrenbrownforum.com