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Paul McKenna

Kirsty Young's castaway is hypnotist Paul McKenna.

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is Paul McKenna. He is Britain's best known hypnotist and made his name on prime-time TV. Millions used to watch on Saturday nights as he mesmerised ordinary people into doing extraordinary things. But he has found an even larger audience - and riches to match - through his series of self-help books. With titles like I Can Make You Thin and Change Your Life in Seven Days he taps into the angst-ridden preoccupations of our age with promises of serenity, contentment and control.

He is, he says, an example of his own success - having been a geeky, unconfident child who was bullied at school he has now taught himself to abandon those self-doubts. Human beings are like computers, he says, and sometimes need to be reprogrammed so they function better.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Movin' On Up by Primal Scream
Book: The Path of the Human Being by Dennis Genpo Merzel
Luxury: Collage of photos of family and friends.

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Fri 1 Jun 2007 09:00

Music Played

  • The Beatles

    The End

    • Abbey Road.
    • Parlophone.
  • Sister Sledge

    He's the Greatest Dancer

    • The Best Disco Album in the World Ever!.
    • Virgin.
  • Led Zeppelin

    Stairway To Heaven

    • Best of Led Zeppelin.
    • Atlantic.
  • Banderas

    This is Your Life

    • Greatest Hits of 91: Vol 2.
    • Telstar.
  • Jamiroquai

    Space Cowboy

    • Virtual Insanity Mixes.
    • Sony.
  • Leftfield

    Space Shanty

    • Leftism.
    • Hard Hands.
  • Everything but the Girl

    I Didn't Know I Was Looking for Love

    • Everything But the Girl.
    • Blanco Y Negro.
  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Primal Scream

      Movin' On Up

      • Dixie Narco EP.
      • Creation.
  • Book Choice

    • The Path of the Human Being - Dennis Genpo Merzel

  • Luxury Choice

    • Collage of photos of family and friends

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Kirsty Young
Interviewed Guest Paul McKenna

Broadcasts

  • Sun 27 May 2007 11:15
  • Fri 1 Jun 2007 09:00

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