The secrets of stage hypnosis

Should I be scared of Hypnosis?

Many people are scared of hypnosis, but they don’t know why. Often this is based on what they’ve seen on stage shows, leaving them wondering if a visit to a hypnotherapist will mean they too, will end up walking in a silly way and clucking like a chicken. 

However, there are number of components to a stage show that make it seem magical, but is actually very different to a hypnotherapy session.

Stage Hypnosis - The process

To begin with, at a stage show there’s the general expectation of the audience that some strange and weird things will happen at this hypnotic event. Members of the audience already know that some of them will be selected to behave in an extraordinary manner and this suggestion alone, is enough to trigger off the exhibitionist tendencies that some of them have, especially if fuelled by alcoholic drinks beforehand.

Then, there are the many suggestibility tests that a stage hypnotist will carry out on the audience before selecting his candidates. These can be quite simple things such as asking people to stretch their hands out in front of them, close their eyes and imagine a strong glue being applied to their palms.

They’ll be told that this is an ultra-strong glue and they will struggle to release their hands. The people that follow this instruction and do indeed find themselves unable to separate their hands, are deemed to be highly suggestible and perfect for a stage performance. They can be selected and seated together.

It’s usual then for the stage hypnotist to ask for volunteers from this highly suggestible part of the audience. Those who put their hands up quickly will be chosen. Those who hesitate are rejected.

Further tests can be carried out. For example, it’s common to have a row of chairs on the stage - let’s say there are nine chairs. The hypnotist will then select ten people from the volunteers who raised their hands keenly in the previous exercise, to come up and take a seat. As there are only nine chairs on stage, the participant who is the slowest to respond will be without a chair and can therefore also be eliminated. In this way, the hypnotist is actively seeking out only those people who are super keen.

With nine people seated on the chairs, he could ask them all to stand up and then sit back down again. The slowest to sit down can be eliminated again. At this stage, he may even reduce the group to just four or five people. He’s only looking for people who can carry out his instructions immediately, without giving them a second thought.

Very likely, he’ll then ask them to do a few ridiculous exercises with him in front of the audience. He’ll be monitoring how they respond to the audience’s cheers of encouragement. Those who start to let themselves go and clearly enjoy putting on a performance will get to stay with him - the others will be sent back to their seats.

This simple process of elimination could take a whole hour, by which time the very last participant left on stage with the hypnotist is the most compliant, together with having strong exhibitionist tendencies. They’ll also be adrenaline-fuelled, pumped up and ready to perform.

This person is then able to behave as ridiculously as they choose, safe in the knowledge that they can hand over responsibility for their outrageous actions to the hypnotist. And at the end of it all, they can claim they can’t remember a thing and so are completely blameless.

A truly ‘hypnotised’ person would not be able to perform and dance around on stage, as the sign of a deep trance is actually complete stillness. Even when we are asleep, it’s common to fidget and move around, but a deliberately induced hypnotic state is an altogether much calmer place to be.

So, you can rest assured that a ‘stage show’ is just that – a stage show.  And, quite different from the kind of experience you’d be having in a session with a qualified hypnotherapist.

About the Author

Alicia Eaton is a Harley Street based Psychotherapist and Clinical Hypnotherapist and the author of four best-selling books. She’s also a Winner in the latest ‘Global Health & Pharma’ Mental Health Awards 2023. For more details of appointments see here: Consultations.