What It Feels Like to be Hypnotized

The hypnotist began his show by asking, "Who wants to come up on stage and participate?" I thought, well .... why not? It was a quick decision and I figured that this was my chance to have an experience rather than just observe.

It started with about 25 people who went up to sit on the stage in chairs which faced the audience. He led us through some meditations as, what I assume was, a test to see who might be a good subject for hypnosis. Audience members participated at times, as well, and two people from the audience were invited on stage based on their results.

As I sat with my eyes closed listening to his voice, I would hear him sending people back to their chairs. I'm sure these were people who would not have been good subjects. I had no idea that when I finally opened my eyes I would be one of 4 people still on stage.

So, there we sat: 2 men and 2 women side by side on the stage. I felt surprised, but so relaxed.

How could I get up on stage in front of so many people and make myself so vulnerable? Well...I figured that the hypnotist knew what he was doing and I just didn't care what anyone might think. I put my trust in the hypnotist. I was very motivated to have an interesting experience, so I let go of all resistance and dove right into it.

I decided to go for a full experience in the moment and it sure worked.

Of course, I can't know for sure, but I feel that I remember everything that happened. On some level, I was aware, but I was also extremely relaxed and found myself reacting to whatever the hypnotist said. At times, I would think that what he was telling me wasn't possible, but I still found myself following his instruction. For example:

The Little Men in the Spaceship

He told me that a spaceship had landed outside and that when I looked out the window, I would see it, along with the little men who came out of it. He sent me to the window and asked me to describe what I saw, but I looked out and saw nothing unusual. I tried to find it but just couldn't see anything. I felt concerned about disappointing the hypnotist and as he prompted me again, I found myself talking all about the little men coming out of the ship and walking toward us. I wanted to keep going and tell more and more. I think that my ability to "see" the men from the spaceship had to do with having a very good imagination. It was as if the whole "story" and the images about the spaceship easily unfolded inside my head.

It was rather odd. I knew that I couldn't really see the spaceship outside, but I saw the whole thing in my imagination and felt compelled to tell all about it.

This was an "adult" show and meant to be humorous, so, as you might expect, there were a few times when the hypnotist would suggest off-color things. I resisted during those times; such as the time when he wanted us to name a race horse by coming up with an off-color word or phrase. I had a hard time finding anything. Apparently I was especially funny and entertaining at those times.

In one of the segments, I was to translate for a man whom I was told was an important Chinese official. (Please don't be offended anyone. I'm sure that nationality was chosen because the language is so very different from English, which made for a good show.) One of the other stage subjects was told that he was Chinese and would be challenging a rude man in the audience.

We went to the edge of the stage and the tirade began. I felt compelled to help this gentleman communicate. So, off I went at a rapid pace along with my colleague who was rambling in gibberish. I found myself easily "translating" his every word into English. I felt so good about helping this man tell off the horribly rude audience member (who had never actually said a thing). The 2 of us were convinced we had very effectively brought him down to size, so to speak.

I would guess that there is an inner part of me who has wanted to do this for a long time--tell off some rude person in public--because I was very into it.

No, at least not with me. I was not a "plant" in the audience. It was very legitimate. And, I definitely experienced a change in awareness and a loss of inhibition. I absolutely felt hypnotized, and I find it hard to describe what it's like. It is a bit like a dream.

During the show and after the performance, I felt an enormous kinship with the other people up on stage with me. I do seem to remember that we were given several suggestions that we were great friends, but I was surprised at the deep level of camaraderie I felt with them. I found myself laughing hysterically at them and at everything that was happening. I remember looking at them and they all looked so serious and bewildered. I thought that was hilarious. To me, everything was very important, but very funny at the same time.

The time on stage went by so quickly. I felt extremely relaxed and happy the whole time. At the end of the show, as he encouraged us to be more conscious...(we were not actually "asleep", just very relaxed), ...I felt strange. I started to walk off the stage and the hypnotist did something that would have triggered a response in me if I was still "under" and I guess I was. He sat me back down and talked me out of it again. He had to do it one more time as I was leaving the venue. Some people would say that I am already a bit spacey, and I guess it didn't take much to make me more so.

"One very common fallacy is that persons who are able to be hypnotized are weak-willed or feeble-minded. Naturally, the opposite is more accurate. The more intelligent and imaginative a person is, the easier it is for him/her to be hypnotized.", Jim Wand, stage hypnotist.

Well, I feel better now.