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For the moment, at least, he seems content to take ordinary audience members and turn them into fire-eating grandmas, glass-walking teenagers, and board-smashing children. Ostensibly, these demonstrations are conducted to prove that one's subconscious mind can indeed be programmed to perform in new ways. But it's hard to see how any of these skills will lead to the better relationships, better health, and increased financial success that Marshall promises. I suppose underachieving carnival performers might benefit from Marshall's instruction, but what of salesmen and business owners? Will the ability to eat a flaming stick somehow make a difference on those hard-to-close deals?
Probably not, but the various spectacles Marshall choreographs are certainly diverting. Before you know it, he's making his final fast-talking sales pitch and the 800 numbers are flashing on the screen one last time. Thus, Marshall manages to get through the entire half-hour infomercial without presenting any real information about the product he is selling. He never tells you how long it takes to learn the techniques that will allow you to program your subconscious mind. He never tells you how often and for how long you will have to hypnotize yourself to achieve the results you want. He never tells you if there are any negative consequences associated with an operation as seemingly delicate as programming one's mind. Indeed, if it really is similar to computer programming, as Marshall suggests, one can imagine all sorts of potential havoc; even experienced computer programmers routinely fall prey to bugs that cause their programs to behave in unexpected and unpredictable ways. What cerebral catastrophes might arise when novice mind programmers try to recode their thought processes? Maybe Marshall should consider making some kind of technical support line available to users of his product...
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