Episode 120 | Near death experiences & mind control w Dean Jacob - Season finale
Meet in the Mailbox - The official Meet in the Middle podcast newsletter
Welcome to this week’s newsletter! For our explosive season finale, we sat down with Ireland’s premier psychological illusionist, Dean Jacob.
From near-fatal stair falls to mind-bending live demonstrations, this episode pulled back the curtain on human psychology, magic, and survival. Let's jump straight in!
This episode drops tomorrow (Friday Aug 7th) on all podcast platforms and YouTube so dont miss it!
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🔮 The Man Behind the Mind Games
From Shy Kid in Waterford to the "Irish Houdini"
Known for giving half of Ireland psychological trauma in sold-out shows on Spike Island, Dean confessed that despite his high-intensity stage persona, he is actually a total introvert.
Growing up in Waterford, magic was his gateway to overcoming extreme childhood shyness:
The Inspiration: Inspired by fellow Waterford native Keith Barry, a young Dean asked for a simple Marvel magic set for Christmas.
The Progression: He quickly moved from making cups and balls disappear to vanishing rugby balls under buckets. He realized he had a real gift when his tricks began impressing adults even more than kids.
Psychology Shift: At 16, fascinated by Houdini’s crusade against fake psychics, Dean shifted away from traditional sleight-of-hand into pure psychology.
"There are five things you need to do magic or psychology: suggestion, showmanship, confidence, magic, and a set of balls - because you cannot be afraid of being wrong."
- Dean Jacob
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🤯 Live Mind Reading on the Podcast
New Orleans, "Spotted Dick," and the Bubblegum Trick
Dean proved his skills in real-time on the show, targeting Rachel with some eerie subconscious reading:
The Alphabet Test: While having Rachel recite the alphabet out loud to distract her conscious mind, Dean accurately picked up on a hyper-specific memory: a recent trip to New Orleans where a psychic gave a cold reading mentioning her grandmother and "spotted dick".
The Psychological Elimination: Dean wrote down a choice on a blank card and asked Rachel to pick between three imaginary objects: a phone battery, matches, and bubblegum. Through a series of elimination questions, he guided her exact choices, revealing he had pre-written "Bubblegum" on his card before the game even started!
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🩸 Hot Reading, Cold Reading & The Paranormal
Calling Out Fake Psychics & Unhappy Jehovah's Witnesses
Dean pulled no punches when explaining the mechanics behind psychic claims:
Cold Reading: Throwing out broad "Barnum statements" (e.g., "You have a large circle of friends, but only three or four you truly trust") that could apply to almost anyone, causing the listener's brain to fill in the blanks.
Hot Reading: Researching a target in advance via social media, LinkedIn, or local records to feed them shockingly accurate personal facts.
Street Magic Backfire: Dean recalled doing street magic as a teenager in Waterford when nearby Jehovah's Witnesses mistook his tricks for the literal work of the devil and began praying in terror.
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🏥 A Brush with Death at 21
Baggy Tracksuits, 20 Staples, and 9 Hours of Surgery
In a deeply raw moment, Dean shared the terrifying story of how he nearly lost his life at age 21:
The Fall: Wearing oversized tracksuit bottoms while running a bath, he caught his foot in the leg fabric and tumbled headfirst down a steep flight of stairs. Weighing over 400 lbs at the time, the sheer force shattered his tibia into millions of pieces - an injury doctors usually only see in high-speed car crashes.
The Complication: Weeks after having 20 metal staples removed, he suffered massive breathing difficulties.
The Emergency: Hospital scans revealed massive blood clots in both of his lungs and three out of the four chambers of his heart.
Clinically Dead: Rushed under police escort to Dublin for a 9-hour open-heart and lung surgery, Dean was clinically dead for nearly an hour on the operating table as surgeons fought repeatedly to restart his heart. Against a 98% prediction of fatal heart failure or stroke, he woke up from a medically induced coma just seven hours later.
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🏰 Season Finale Exclusive: Convictions at Spike Island
"Curiosity Has Consequences"
Dean officially announced his brand-new upcoming Halloween show on Spike Island: Convictions!
The Experience: Audience members take a night ferry over to the historic prison island, complete a pitch-black tour of off-limits prison areas, and enter a psychological performance designed to test the limits of suggestion and mind control.
The Tagline: "Curiosity has consequences."
Tickets: Available now at [spikeislandcork.ie](https://www.spikeislandcork.ie)!
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🎵 Special Finale Pick for the Middler Spotify Playlist
Rather than the host picks, Dean added a legendary Eurovision crossover track to the official Middler Soundtrack on Spotify:
Dean's Pick: Hold Me Now – Lordy (Covering Johnny Logan)
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☀️ See You in October!
That is officially a wrap on this season of Meet in the Middle! The gang is taking a quick summer break to recharge the batteries. Make sure to binge the back catalog and catch us back in your ears and screens on October 2nd!