Not sure if folks in these parts are familiar with Derren Brown . . . the UK mentalist (mind-based stage magic) who has had a number of shows, specials, and series on television who combines traditional stage mental magic (mind reading effects) with NLP and hypnosis. His “Mind Control” and “Trick of the Mind” series are quite good.
Anyhoo, there’s a clip floating around where he rigs a videogame (first person shooter, go shoot the zombies) to drop folks into trance (only really works on highly suggestible, or natural somnambulistic folks (20% of the population, albeit he puts it at 30% since he uses some other trickery).
Once a guy starts playing and drops into trance, Brown and crew carry him over into a nearby building which looks just like the halls of the videogame. They give the guy a toy gun and then wake him as actors dressed as zombies start shambling towards him . . . needless to say, he does freak out a bit more than much.
http://briandavidphillips.typepad.com/brian/2005/06/derren_brown_br.html
This effect is a lot creepier than Brown’s regular stuff but it is still compelling viewing.
BTW, while some of Brown’s effects really are based upon suggestion, many are presented as psychological effects but really use gimmicks, billets, or other magic trickery which is all okay as that is the sort of magician he is and he does NOT claim to be a psychic, as some pissheads do.
In a unit on critical thinking, I have used Brown’s Seance show in class then I do cold reading and the like the same as psychics do who claim to be talking to spirits (then teach half the class how to do it and have them read the other half, often with good results).
In any case, the link has the URL for the zombie game clip as well as another page with several of Brown’s clips (I love the Magic Doll effect and have done it as a pure suggestion effect complete with the voodoo doll and ring disappear . . . works fine).
All the best,
Brian