Stage Hypnosis All Lessons

Lesson One: What is Hypnosis? 1.0 Introduction 1.1 The Basic Principles of Hypnosis 1.2 Having Fun with Hypnosis 1.3 The Dangers of Hypnosis 1.4 Exercises 1.5 Summary 1.0 Introduction by Wayne Perkins, Stage Hypnotist ------------------------------------------------------------Greetings and welcome to the wonderful world of professional stage hypnotism. My name is Wayne Perkins and I will be your instructor for these classes. I have been hypnotizing people of over 25 years and I am going to teach you the secrets and shortcuts involving stage hypnotism as well as the basic fundamentals. You can learn how to hypnotize other people to satisfy your curiosity, create a new income stream or learn a new fulltime profession. Regardless of your reason of downloading this class, I can help you achieve success in a very short time. The majority of stage hypnotists learned from reading a book and just trying the stuff out for themselves. Books are great and they will help you, however the quickest and easiest way is to get some great instructions and dive right into the material. Based upon the success habits of successful stage hypnotism students, here is the single most important tip that I can give you... Get off to a FAST and ORGANIZED start. To really organize you class, please print this E-mail and keep it in a 3-ring binder. When you are ready, e-mail the rest of the class in numerical order and place that in your binder as well. Make sure you write notes where you feel notes are appropriate. Get all the education you can. Lean to become the best Professional Stage Hypnotist you can! 1.1 The Basic Principles of Hypnosis ----------------------------------------------------------------Question: What is hypnosis? Hypnosis refers to the extraordinary power words have when surrounded by our complete attention. When you are hypnotized you are actually in a very focused state of concentration. Many people think a hypnotized person is asleep because of all the relaxation. But this is not true. As a person goes deeper and deeper into hypnosis the concentration gets more and more pronounced.

Back in the 1970s a professional boxer named Ken Norton would hypnotize himself before and while he was in the boxing ring. He became the heavyweight champion of the world by using hypnosis for concentration. Dolly Parton, the country singer/song-writer used hypnosis to improve her song writing ability. Lilly Tomlin used hypnosis to become more creative in her comedy writing and performing. Sylvester Stallone used hypnosis to become more self-confident when he was selling the idea of the "Rocky" movies to Hollywood movie producers. Many sports figures use hypnosis to help them improve their sports performances. Think of hypnosis as super concentration because that is exactly what it is. Question: What are the conscious mind and the subconscious mind? Answer: The conscious mind is the part of the mind that we use to analyze and make decisions regarding movement or activities to engage in. We use our conscious mind all day long. Question: What is the sub-conscious mind? The sub-conscious mind is the part of the mind that is always active but operates behind the scenes unless we call upon it through meditation or hypnosis. By operating behind the scenes I mean whenever we engage in an automatic activity such as singing a song we "know by heart," drive a car, run on a treadmill or listen to music we have heard over and over again. Those all would be conscious activities if we were learning the song for the first time, learning how to drive for the first few times, getting on a treadmill for the first time or listening carefully to a new song. Our subconscious mind is like a computer. Once it is programmed it works on its own. In order to change the activity you must change the program. A hypnotist is successful to the degree he can temporarily change the program, (with stage hypnosis) or permanently affect the program through hypnotherapy. For more information regarding frequently asked questions regarding hypnosis, go to the following URL when you are connected to the Internet. http://www.wayneperkins.net/hypnosis/faq.html 1.2 Having Fun with Hypnosis -----------------------------------------------------------------

Hypnosis is fun. It is fun for the hypnotist and it is fun for the person being hypnotized. It is also a great deal of fun for people watching your performance. Since most hypnotic inductions suggest relaxation of all of the muscle groups, most of your hypnotic subjects, also known as hypnotees, really enjoy the process. Question: Do people remember everything that happens to them when they are hypnotized? Answer: People will remember everything that happens to them when they are hypnotized, unless you instruct them to forget. Many stage hypnotists like to tell them they will forget everything that happened to them on stage. The reason for this is because it will be proof to that individual that he/she was really hypnotized as other people will ask that person what happened, or why did you ask so strange when you were on-stage? It will also prove to that person's friends that something strange really did happen. When I hypnotize on stage, sometimes I ask for "amnesia" and sometimes I don't. Remember that whenever you are hypnotizing an individual, keep in mind that they want to have fun and keep their interests and safety in the forefront of your mind. 1.3 The Dangers of Hypnosis ----------------------------------------------------------------When you hypnotize an individual or a group, you will be developing a very deep rapport with that individual or group. You can count on people following every suggestion you give them and following it to the letter. With that in mind, you need to give suggestions to people that will not harm them physically or emotionally. You would never want to hypnotize a stranger, lay that stranger between two chairs with his head resting on one end and his feet resting on the opposite chair and then walk across his/her stomach. Many hypnotists still do that bit, and you have no idea if that person just came out of stomach surgery or has a serious physical problem. Always keep the safety and well being of the subject foremost in your mine. Question: What is so dangerous about hypnosis other than standing on someone's stomach? Answer: If you are taking a person back in time, for example, you may trigger a very traumatic experience that doesn't lend itself to entertainment. You NEVER want to suggest that a person is getting an electric shock or that he is going to be physically

burned. Very suggestible subjects will not only feel the burns but also have physical burns appear on their bodies. There is no place for physical harm in a hypnotism show. There are thousands of hypnosis phenomena you can produce that are funny and will not harm anyone. Question: What about removing the affects of the show? Answer: You must always remove the affects of the show. If you made the hypnotic subject hot or cold, happy or sad, or affected any of the senses, you have to always make sure you suggest that all of the affects will be removed when the subject awakens from hypnosis. Otherwise the person may carry those affects into his conscious, waking state of mind. We will go into this further as you learn how to hypnotize your first subjects. 1.4 Hypnosis Exercises ----------------------------------------------------------------In order to get to know what hypnosis is really like I have created an exercise especially for you. During the exercise I want you to read the directions, memorize them and then follow the procedure. Exercise: Try Hypnosis on for Size Directions ----------1. Put on some soft music. 2. Light a candle and place it on a table in such a way that you will be able to see the flickering flame of the candle at about eye level when you are sitting comfortably in the chair. 3. Write down on a piece of paper that you want to focus on a wonderful even that you experienced some time ago. 4. Then sit down in the chair, read the words that you just have written and close your eyes when they begin to water or feel tired. 5. Listen to the music and think about that time in your life when you had a very wonderful experience. Memorize the steps above and then complete the exercise. Feedback ---------------After the exercise is over write down answers to these questions. You can write them down on this page. 1. How did you feel during the exercise? 2. How did your eyes feel staring at the flickering flame?

3. Did you feel peaceful and relaxed during the exercise? 4. How vividly did you remember the experience of the past? 1.5 Summary ----------------------------------------------------------------In this lesson you learned how to get a quick and organized start by creating a binder for each lesson. You include your own personal notes as you progress through the course. You learned the hypnosis is focused concentration. It is not sleep. Many movie and sports celebrities use hypnosis to improve their performance. In hypnosis you are communicating with your powerful subconscious mind, which acts as a computer. Although hypnosis is fun it can be dangerous. Make sure you always give suggestions that will not cause any harm. You will learn more about that in future lessons.

Lesson Two: How to Select Your First Hypnotic Subject 2.0 How to Select Your First Subject 2.1 Exercise 1: Making a List and checking it twice 2.2 How to guarantee success with your first subject 2.3 Pre-hypnosis Your Guarantee for Success! 2.4 Hypnosis Experiments in the Waking State 2.5 Exercises for Further Learning 2.6 Summary 2.0 How to Select Your First Hypnotic Subject ------------------------------------------------------------Questions: How do I select my very first subject? Why are you asking me before I have learned how to hypnotize? Answers: You need to begin thinking of who you would like to hypnotize. In the next lesson you will learn how to hypnotize and that lesson is coming quick. Who makes a good first subject? Everyone wants to be hypnotized! Yes, even your biggest skeptics want to be hypnotized. However, it's best to find a willing subject first. Even though the temptation is to ask a close friend or relative if they want to be hypnotized, I would wait until you have had many successes under your belt. Hypnosis is a very subjective state of mind. Belief in your abilities as a hypnotist is the key. Your close friends may know that you are just starting out and may fail only because they are trying too hard to please you. Or they may fail because deep down inside, they don't believe in your abilities to hypnotize. On the other hand, complete strangers make the best hypnotic subjects when starting out. If they have never been hypnotized before, even if you have a little knowledge, you are way ahead of them. You begin by finding strangers in social clubs you may belong to, or people that overhear you talking about hypnosis. Maybe you join a night class at a community college and when someone asks you what you do, you tell them, I am a hypnotist. Usually the inquiring person will say, "I have never been hypnotized before, will you hypnotize me?" Then they will ask, "How much do you charge?" Since you are new and don't really know how to hypnotize much less fix something that is wrong with them, you respond with. "I will work with you for free. I have a new technique I am trying out and I need volunteers to work with until I feel more comfortable with it. When would you like to be hypnotized?"

Then off you go. You have your first willing subject. Since you are not going to charge the person for your service, you will have someone who will work with you. If you ever decide to become a professional hypnotist and charge money for your services, you have someone that will praise your services, because of the successful experience he had with you. Keys to Success ---------------Hypnosis involves credibility. Subjects have to believe you have the skill to hypnotize. Hypnosis involves belief. The person has to believe that something will go on as a result of your personal intervention. Hypnosis requires rapport with your subjects. They have to trust you and like you. Even if they respond as a great hypnotic subject for someone else, they may not respond to you because they don't like you. Because all of this is happening at a subconscious level, they may not demonstrate the fact that they like or don't like you. 2.1 Exercise 1: Making a List and checking it Twice ------------------------------------------------------------Make a list of places you go to on a regular basis where you may engage in conversation with a stranger. Remember that strangers will make some of the best hypnotic subjects because they have no reason to doubt your abilities. Hypnotizing personal friends will work much better once you establish a reputation as a hypnotist. Along side the list of places you may find your first hypnotic subject, include names of people you meet that will be interested in becoming your first hypnotic subjects. Make a list of places you will find your first hypnotic subject and add to the list as you proceed through the stage hypnotism course. 1. Work ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ 2. Social organizations ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ 3. Church ____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________

4. Other ____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ 2.2 How to Guarantee Success with Your First Subject ----------------------------------------------------------------Once you have completed the exercises in this lesson on hypnotizing you will be coming back to this page to remind yourself how to guarantee success for your first subject. After completing the exercise in part 2.1 of this lesson, I want you to ask one of the above individuals to engage in a hypnosis experiment with you. Remember to say that you are trying out a new technique and you would appreciate the help in conducting the experiment. The subject will usually be excited about helping out and may share some previous hypnosis experiences with you. Make sure you listen to the person very carefully for he/she will give you some very good feedback on what worked and what didn't work during the previous session. If the person has had no previous experience being hypnotized, then your chances of success improve, as you will not be compared with somebody else. 2.3 Pre-hypnosis: Your Guarantee for Success! ----------------------------------------------------------------What is pre-hypnosis? --------------------Pre-hypnosis involves everything you say to a subject prior to the actual hypnotism ceremony. What you are trying to accomplish with pre-hypnosis is setting up favorable conditions for you and your subject to operate. People that are getting ready to become hypnotized for the first time have several issues you want to address before the session. This will help guarantee your success as a hypnotist. Here are the issues or questions the subject will be thinking about. 1. Will I remember everything that happened during the hypnotic session? 2. Can I get stuck in hypnosis? 3. Will I tell you something I don't want to tell you about my past? 4. How long will I be under? 5. Can I hear other things going on in the room while I am hypnotized? 6. Can you make me do something I don't want to do? Your Pre-hypnosis Briefing --------------------------

For your first subject as well as when you will be presenting stage hypnosis shows, you will want to use a pre-hypnosis briefing for all of your subjects and clients. I will give you a briefing that will include all six elements. Feel free to use this briefing word for word or re-design it any way you seem necessary. Make sure you include all six elements. This will be good practice for all of you future sessions with hypnotizing individuals and well as hypnotizing groups. Briefing -------This is going to be fun! Many people have concerns about hypnosis. At any time feel free to ask any questions but let me go over a few things most people are curious about. Many people wonder, if they will remember everything that happens during the hypnosis session. You will remember anything you wish to remember and forget anything you wish to forget. When subjects volunteer to do stage shows, many times they will forget most of the things going on because the things they do may be embarrassing to discuss with their friends attending the show. However, if they wish to remember everything that happens, they will remember everything that happens while under hypnosis. Another concern many people have is if they can get stuck in hypnosis. Hypnosis is a state of awareness and a state of total concentration. It takes a great deal of effort to concentrate intently. It is physically impossible to keep that concentration up for a very long time. Another concern many people have is if they will tell me something that they would never tell another person. For example, this may be a secret you don't want to reveal to anyone. Make sure you tell your subject the following. "I can assure you that you will not reveal anything to me that you don't wish to reveal." "In hypnosis you always retain the freedom of choice." "You may also wonder, how long will you be under hypnosis?" "You will be under hypnosis for just a couple of minutes." Another question everyone has is, "will I hear everything that is going on in the room?" "Many hypnotic subjects will hear every sound that is going on since hypnosis is a heightened state of consciousness." "Other people will only hear my voice." "They will tune out the normal sounds going on around them."

"The last concern people have is if I will make them do something they don't want to do." "The answer is no." "You always do what you wish to do." "I may ask you to do 10 things and you only do 8." "You may do all 10 things." "You determine how deeply and to what degree you will be hypnotized." "Do you have any other questions?" "If not, let us proceed." 2.4 Hypnosis Experiments In the Waking State ---------------------------------------------Now that you have answered all of the questions your subject may ask you are ready to proceed in experiments in the waking state. The waking state of hypnosis is actually a very light state of hypnosis. Many times this state is good enough for a stage show; however it is your goal to learn stage hypnosis in a very short period of time. Success at waking hypnosis helps you achieve success very quickly. It is also fun for the subject! We will work with three experiments in the state of waking hypnosis. We will not work with a specific hypnosis induction during this lesson. However, as you learn how to effectively deliver suggestions in the waking state, you can use this state to develop very rapid inductions where the subject will be deeply hypnotized in just a few seconds. So let's get started. Waking Hypnosis Experiment 1. Hands Raising and Lowering --------------------------------------------------------Purpose ------------The purpose of this exercise is to get your subject cooperating with you and the hypnotizing process. You are going to create subconscious activity and have a visual guide as to how effective you are giving suggestions. Hands Raising and Lowering For this exercise have the subject stand facing you. Tell the subject that you are going to test his/her imagination. Have the subject stand in front of you with arms outstretched, palms facing toward the ground. His legs will be spread apart about to shoulder width. Ask the subject to look at

his arms as they push out towards you to make sure they are perfectly level and perfectly straight. The subject's arms should be stretched out toward you and be parallel with the floor. This will make the subject appear as if he/she is sleepwalking. As the subject is standing, facing you with his/her arms outstretched toward you, say the following: "Look at your arms and make sure they are perfectly level, perfectly straight." "Now that you are assured that they are perfectly level, perfectly straight close your eyes down tight, shutting out the light." "Keep your hands and arms level outstretched and listen to the following suggestions." "Imagine that a heavy weight is tied to your right hand pulling it down toward the floor." "It is a very heavy weight and is pulling your hand down toward the floor." "At the same time, pretend that a helium filled balloon is tied to your left hand pulling it high up into the air." "Left hand going high up in the air, right hand going down, down down toward the floor." "Left hand going up, up, up in the air, right hand moving down, down, down toward the floor. “Your left hand is moving up, up, up in the air, right hand is moving down, down, toward the floor." "Now at the count of three open your eyes keeping your hands and arms exactly as they are right now." "All right, one, two, three eyes open." "Look at your arms." End of exercise ---------------------Hypnosis involves imagination. If your subject is very imaginative and is listening and following your directions you will find his/her arms separated by your suggestions of heavy weight and light balloon. If the arms are separated by about a foot or more in distance of travel either up or down, (Or Both) you can be assured that your subject is following your directions correctly and is using concentration that will lead into a deeper hypnotic state later on.

Congratulate your subject for his/her concentration and ask if volunteering for another exercise would be acceptable. Let us proceed now to the second exercise in waking hypnosis title, eyes locking. Waking Hypnosis Experiment 2. Eyes Locking ------------------------------------------Purpose -------------The purpose of this experiment is to activate the subject's imagination that will take him/her into the realm of doing something that is a little frightening. Many hypnotists do this experiment first, but I find I get a better response in stage shows if I can have the subject achieve something that is a little less frightening first. I don't want to send many stage volunteers back to their seats during a performance. Many subjects are afraid to give you this kind of control over them. You need to gain their confidence before challenging them in a situation that may have a high probability of failure. You be the judge as you experiment with your subjects. Eyes Locking ------------------Have your subject sitting up in a chair with his feet flat on the floor, hands resting on his lap. Fingers separated so they don't touch each other. Tell the subject that you are going to give some powerful suggestions that will lock his eyes shut temporarily. Tell him after he has tested his eyelids to make sure they are stuck you will give suggestions that will release his eyes and he will be able to open them easily. Here is what you will say. "Sit up in your chair with your feet flat on the floor and your hands resting in your lap. Separate your fingers so they do not touch." "Inhale deeply and as you exhale, push any tension out of your lungs." "Now in a moment I am going to count to three." "When I count three you will find that your eyelids will be stuck together so tightly that you will not be able to open them no matter how hard you try." "You will try as hard as you can to open your eyes at that time and as hard as you try, you will discover that your eyes will be locked tightly in place."

"I will then snap my finger directly by your ear. When you hear me snap my finger by your ear your eyes will open immediately." "To begin close your eyes down tight and fasten your eyelids down tightly." "One, your eye lids are locking down tight, tight, tight. "Two, your eyelids are locking down and sticking, tighter, tighter, tighter." "Three, your eyelids are closed and stuck that way, try as hard as you can to open them, try as hard as you can. It is impossible to open your eyelids, they are firmly stuck together." "I am now snapping my finger by your ear." (Snap your fingers loudly behind the subject's left or right ear. When you were challenging your subject to open his eyes let your voice rise in pitch and excitement. You want to allow the subject to experience of failing to open his eyes because of your suggestions) Once you have achieved the eye fastening technique that can be a very scary thing for your subject to go through, you can assume that your subject is ready to go deeper into hypnosis. Your subject will be a very willing subject. Now ask the subject how he/she feels and explain that you have one more experiment that will be fun. End of Exercise Waking Hypnosis Experiment 3. Altering the Sense of Balance ------------------------------------------------------------Purpose: ----------------The purpose of this experiment is to alter the sense of balance in such a way as to prove that there is a kind of invisible force that you are able to create in the mind of the subject. Once you are comfortable with performing this exercise, you will find it very interesting for audiences of your stage shows. Demonstrating movement is always a hit with audience. This is a convincer to the subject that something strange and different is happening and it is a convincer to the audience that the individual is under your "control." Altering the Sense of Balance ---------------------------------------

For this experiment you are going to affect your subject's sense of balance to literally knock your subject off of his feet. By now you have achieved a level of trust and rapport on the part of the subject. Before you begin take note that even though you will be asking the subject to fall back in your arms, every once in a while the subject will fall forward in exactly the opposite direction you are asking him/her to fall. Be on the alert. It may happen one out of a hundred times, but if it happens with your very first subject you may think that you are doing something wrong. You are not doing anything wrong. When the subject does exactly the opposite of what you are asking, he/she is concentrating in hypnosis but is resisting you personally for some reason. In a stage show you would just send the performer back to the audience, but since you are only working with one person in a personal experiment, you don't want to mention to your subject that he/she is resisting you. You will just congratulate your subject on the accomplishment of altering the sense of balance through the magic of suggestion and the magic of hypnosis. For this experiment you are going to have the subject stand about 4 feet from a wall and facing the wall. You are going to be standing directly behind the subject and you will be giving suggestions that imply that the subject's sense of balance will change and he/she will fall directly back into your arms. Direct the subject to stare at a spot on the wall or ceiling that is about 2 or 3 feet above his head so he has to raise his chin and look up to see the spot on the wall or ceiling. Then direct the subject to place his feet together and stand up as straight as he/she can and continue staring at the spot on the wall or ceiling. You are behind the subject at the time and position yourself to brace against the weight of your subject's body as your subject loses balance and falls back. Direct your subject like this: "With your feet together stand up straight and put your head back so you can view an imaginary spot on the wall or ceiling." "I am going to be directly behind you and will catch you as you lose your balance and fall directly back into my arms." "You will be perfectly safe as you fall back directly into my arms." "As you stare at the imaginary spot, you will feel an invisible force drawing you back into my arms." "You are falling back, back back into my arms."

(By this time you will see a rocking back and forth motion by your subject as he/she is losing balance. If there is no movement yet, continue to repeat the above statement until the rocking motion starts. If there is a visible rocking and swaying movement by your subject then continue with the following) "This invisible force is pulling you back, back, back into my arms." "You are falling back, back, back into my arms." "Safely falling back into my arms." "Over, over, over, back into my arms." Continue with the above statement until your subject has fallen into your arms. Never doubt in your mind that the subject will fall. He/she will fall as long as you give the suggestions positively and you see in your mind that the subject is falling back into your arms. Once the subject has fallen back into your arms, ask how he/she feels? You may notice a glazed look on the face of your subject. If you achieve that glazed look, you know you are on the right track. This subject will work very well for you in a stage hypnotism environment. If the subject does not have a glazed over look, that is okay as well. As long as you achieve the falling back into your arms effect you have accomplished what some people call Waking Hypnosis and Waking Suggestion. Even though you have not learned a single "hypnotic induction" yet, many hypnotic effects can be achieved with only the Waking Hypnosis condition present. This is very exciting. You have accomplished a great deal today on your road to success as a professional stage hypnotist. 2.5 Exercises for Further Learning ----------------------------------------------------------------In this lesson you learned how to find your first hypnotic subject. You also learned how to induce Waking Hypnosis using 3 exercises. During this week focus on getting at least 3 individuals to agree to your hypnosis experiments. Remember to "feel" you are the expert. Remember to practice your pre-hypnosis routine to cover the 6 questions that every subject wants answered. Then proceed with each of your subjects, one at a time and write down your notes about what happened during each session, either in the space below or on a separate page and include it in Lesson 2, in your three ring binder.

------------==>Notes from Your 3 Subjects<==-----------------Subject #1. Name: What happened during the session? Subject #2. Name: What happened during the session? Subject #3. Name: What happened during the session?

2.6 Summary "The Power of 3" -------------------------------------------------------You have taken the big step. You have told people that you are a hypnotist and you have completed your first hypnotic experiment. Don't go any further until you have successfully completed the 3 Waking Hypnosis Exercises on 3 individuals, during 3 separate appointments. The confidence you will pick up during these experiments will go a long way in helping you achieve success as a professional stage hypnotist in just a few weeks.

Lesson Three: Practice With Your First Hypnotic Induction Table of Contents 3.0 Elements of A Stage Hypnosis Induction 3.1 Your First Hypnotic Induction 3.2 Follow-up With Your Hypnotic Subject 3.3 Exercise for Success! 3.4 Exercises for Further Learning 3.5 Summary 3.0 Elements of A Stage Hypnosis Induction ------------------------------------------------------------There are seven elements to a great stage hypnosis induction. They are: 1. Expectation 2. Focus 3. Control 4. Relaxation 5. Deepening 6. Post-hypnotic suggestions 7. Awakening You must become expert of each of the steps in order to be assured successful inductions on stage. Memorize each step. You must memorize because you will be busy watching your hypnotic volunteers on stage. You will be watching the reaction of your audience. You will be doing 3 things at the same time. Each step then, must be memorized. After a few dozen shows, you may find other things that work well for you. By memorizing each step now and knowing where you are in the hypnotic process at all times, you will have a very high rate of success. 1. Expectation ---------------------------Your subjects must expect success during the hypnotic induction. You must expect success and your audience must expect success. The best way to guarantee success with your hypnotic induction is to set up your expectations. As a hypnotist you will find yourself setting up predictions on what is going to happen at the count of three or when you snap your fingers, or when you say a particular word. By setting up predictable outcomes, your volunteers have time to create and amplify your suggestions in their heads. They have time to create the situations that you are asking them to create.

For example, one of the first predictable outcomes you convey to your volunteers is: "You will find this experience to be an enjoyable one." "You will have fun as the result of your being here on stage." Once the show is over, if someone asks on of your subjects how he/she felt being hypnotized, he/she will say something like, "I found this experience to be an enjoyable one." "I had fun as a result of being on stage." 2. Focus ------------------------------Hypnosis is concentration. In order for your subjects to become hypnotized they must be able to concentrate. The problem is that people around them in the audience and even on stage will try to distract them. This is why you must teach each volunteer how to concentrate and get into the hypnotic state of mind quickly. You will tell your subjects to concentrate. You will tell them often in the hypnotic induction. Some statements you may use to get your subjects to concentrate better are the following: "Focus your attention on each and every word that I say." "Listen to each and every word that I say." "You are concentrating on each and every word that I say." Hypnosis is concentration. Many people believe it is sleep. It is not. Hypnosis is a heightened state of concentration. If you keep reminding your subjects to "concentrate" while being on stage, the laughter and noise of the audience will not distract them. Each volunteer on stage will feel as if you are just talking to him. 3. Control ----------------------------------------In order to have a great presentation you must maintain control. Sometimes it isn't easy. In fact if it is easy, everyone would be a stage hypnotist and no one would be able to make a living at it. The fact that you will conduct yourself as if everything is happening exactly as planned will separate you from the beginners. A stage hypnotism show is the most exciting show in entertainment, because you will never know exactly how things will turn out.

I was performing a stage show at a high school in Illinois many years ago and I knew I was in trouble when the principal greeted me in the office and told me that he wanted to surprise all of the students. He did not tell his students that a hypnotist would be the entertainment during an assembly program. None of these students had ever seen a stage hypnotist and none had any idea of what would go on. I gave my usual opening presentation where I explain what hypnosis is and what to expect. When I asked for volunteers, no one came forth. I couldn't believe it! If no one volunteers, there will be no show. Finally I told them they would have nothing to fear. I told them this was going to be fun. I told them by participating in this show they would get better test scores as a result. Then I motioned for people to come up on stage. The entire bleachers unloaded and every student and teacher ran to the 16 chairs that were set up on stage! It took about 10 minutes before I could get control and finally get just 16 people to stay and send everyone else back to the bleachers. The show finally started and it went well. Always remember, you need to do everything you can to maintain control. You control the principal by getting him to announce a head of time that a hypnotist is coming to the school to demonstrate some funny but amazing things using student volunteers. You control the students by explaining that you are going to ask for "16 volunteers to fill the seats, here on stage." You control by telling each of your volunteers that you will make this hypnosis experience an enjoyable one for him. One more thing, if you find someone resisting you or being a wise guy as he comes up to volunteer, you need to send that person back quickly. One person can ruin your show by pretending to be hypnotized and then as soon as your back is turned he winks at the audience and lets them know he is making a fool of you. In every case when I have sent someone back that has been exhibiting that behavior, your audiences will applause. The audience wants you and the volunteers to succeed. You will only be successful to the degree you maintain control. Remember this line: "When in doubt, toss him out."

Maintain control! 4. Relaxation ---------------------------------------Relaxation is great but it is not necessary for hypnosis! I bet you didn't know that before. The major reason you ask for hypnosis during an induction, is that it settles the volunteer down, it helps you establish control, and it allows the audience to see contrast with the active parts of the show. During the stage hypnotism demonstration, you need to keep the audience interested. You create more interest by using the contrast of relaxation and movement. Think of major action movies you have seen. Did you ever notice that the movies that seem to have the most action also have very slow moving sections? The reason you need relaxation in a stage hypnotism show is to create a more active show! 5. Deepening -----------------------------------Deepening the hypnotic condition or the hypnotic trance is something you do often during your hypnotic induction. You may also use deepening techniques during the show after you have completed the hypnotic induction. Hypnosis involves concentration and many times a volunteer can wake from the hypnotic condition and wonder what is going on. You need to re-hypnotize that individual and quickly deepen his trance condition. When you begin your hypnotic induction you want to make sure you use deepening techniques. Some methods of deepening the hypnotic induction include: A. Counting Backwards B. Touching the subject C. Using specific words and phrases D. Compounding suggestion I will demonstrate with examples for each technique of deepening. Once you read the actual induction you will be able to quickly identify deepening techniques. Use a variety of techniques because you can never tell how subjects will respond to any one technique. A. Counting Backwards -----------------------------

This is easy. During the hypnotic induction you will say something like this: "In a moment I am going to count down from 5 down to 1. With every count you will find yourself going deeper and deeper into hypnosis" Or you may say: "As I count from 50 down to 1, you will find yourself going deeper and deeper to sleep. 50, 49, 48, etc." B. Touching the Subject ----------------------------------Touching the subject is an extremely effective way of deepening the hypnotic condition. If you were volunteering to go up on stage and have a stranger have you do goofy things, wouldn't you want to get to know that person better? It can be scary on stage and my touching the subject you can erase any of his fears as well as establish a close bond with your subject. I usually touch the subject on the back of the neck, (if I can reach it) or I may touch subjects on their shoulders. I will set up the deepening effect by saying the following: "As I touch you on the back of the neck, you will relax the muscles of your neck allowing your head to fall forward on your chest." "When your head falls on your chest you will go deeper and deeper asleep." I will be using examples the rest of the lessons on additional deepening techniques. C. Using Specific Words or Phrases ------------------------------------------You may use specific words or phrases to deepen hypnosis. For example, you might say, "each and every time you hear me say the word "relaxation," you will relax instantly, going deeper and deeper into hypnosis." You might use a phrase like, "each time you hear me say, "Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here tonight," you will go deeper and deeper into hypnosis. D. Compounding Suggestion ------------------------------------You develop a natural deepening in your volunteers as you compound suggestion. Just as compounding interest on your savings plan is a good thing, compounding suggestion in your hypnosis inductions is a good thing.

One way to compound suggestion is to create expectation for the compounding by saying this: "Each and every activity that you perform will send you into a deeper state of relaxation." "Your success in achieving the hypnotic phenomena will allow you to go deeper and deeper asleep." You will see many more examples of compounding as we progress through the lessons. 6. Post-hypnotic suggestions ---------------------------------------Post hypnotic suggestions are used in every stage hypnosis induction. A post hypnotic suggestion is a suggestion or group of suggestions you give your subjects or volunteers just before you awaken them from hypnosis. You give your volunteers post-hypnotic suggestions that they will carry out when they are fully awake. The suggestions are given in a way that tells the volunteer that he will do something every time he hears or sees a specific cue. For example, you might say, "after you awaken from hypnosis, each and every time I point my finger directly at your forehead, you will go deeply to sleep." Or you might say, "at the count of 5 you will awaken from hypnosis. Each and every time you hear me say the word "sleep" you will instantly go deep into hypnosis." In the above examples you are setting the up the volunteer to become instantly hypnotized without a formal induction. Hypnotherapists use post-hypnotic suggestions to re-hypnotize their clients quickly for their client's additional scheduled visits. This allows the therapist more time to work on their client's problems. They don't have to spend as much time with the mechanics of the hypnotic induction. 7. Awakening ----------------------------------------As you can imagine, the awakening part of the hypnosis induction is very important. If you can't awaken your subject, there won't be much of a show. Awakening the subject is easy. Hypnosis is concentration. If you walked away for 15 minutes from your volunteers, most of them would awaken on their own. Their concentration would be broken by the fact that they are getting no more verbal input from you.

If you had a heart attack and died in front of your audience, they would awaken on their own rather quickly. However, you want to create a pleasant experience around awakening. It is great showmanship as well as it gives your subjects time to rid themselves of any hypnotic influences they don't want to carry back to their job or school. You will awaken your subjects at least two times during a typical stage show. You awaken your subjects when you want them to perform a post-hypnotic suggestion, and you awaken your subjects at the end of your show to send them back to the audience. Here is an example of how you awaken your subjects. You will say, "at the count of five you will be wide awake." "You will full of energy and you will feel like you are back to normal." "All hypnosis effects will be removed." All right, one, two, three, you are beginning to return to normal, four, FIVE." "Wide awake and alert. You are feeling good in every way." Note: This is the awakening at the end of the show. If you are giving your induction during the show and want them to perform, you would not remove the hypnosis effects. 3.1 Your First Hypnotic Induction ----------------------------------------------------------------You are about to give your first hypnotic induction. I am going to use all of the elements we discussed in your first induction. You will memorize your first induction. By committing your hypnosis induction to memory, you will be confident that you are giving the correct information to your subjects. Before giving the hypnotic induction use the three waking hypnosis exercises you practiced in lesson two. It will be much easier to hypnotize if you begin with the waking hypnosis exercises and then move into the hypnotic induction. What you are accomplishing here is the first five activities of your show. 1. You will use your pre-hypnosis speech in addressing your audience and volunteers. 2-4. You will give your volunteers three waking hypnosis exercises that will entertain your audience. 5. You will complete a hypnotic induction. As you practice your induction on your first hypnotic subjects, keep in mind the big picture. You will be using the same words and activities in you professional stage hypnotism show!

Begin With Your Previous Subjects ----------------------------------------To begin, let us use the same 3 hypnosis volunteers you used during the Waking Hypnosis Experiments. For this induction you will only work with one person. Working with only one individual will allow you to notice many of the physical changes that take place while someone is under hypnosis. Also, this induction may seem rather short to you. The reason that it is short is because the earlier experiments you perform on your hypnotic subjects as well as your prehypnosis talk have conditioned your subjects in a way that will make them enter the hypnotic condition rather quickly. Remember that you need to begin with the pre-hypnosis talk followed by the three experiments using waking hypnosis. Now you are ready to begin our first induction. This induction will be an eyes open induction. What that means is that your subjects begin the exercise with their eyes open. The induction begins immediately after the third experiment from lesson 2. Instructions -------------------Tell your subject to begin by sitting up in his chair with his feet flat on the floor, hands resting in his lap or on his thighs with his fingers separated so they do not touch. Next, use a glass marble, a crystal ball, or you can raise the palm of your hand and ask your subject to focus his attention on it. For this example, lets pretend you have your subject focusing on a crystal ball. Make sure that as your subject is watching the crystal ball that he/she has to look up at around a 45-degree angle. By looking up your subject's eyes will tire more quickly. Now here is an induction I want you to memorize that will contain all of the elements we discussed earlier in this lesson. Induction 1. Eyes Open --------------------------------------------"Focus your attention on the crystal ball as I move it from side to side" "As you focus on the crystal ball you will find that your body is relaxing, deeply relaxing" "All of your tension is just drifting away." "Listen to each and every word that I say."

"Soon you will be slipping into a very relaxing state of hypnosis." "Now we are going to take three, slow, deep breaths." "Ready, inhale slowly, hold it, now exhale." "Push all of the tension out of your lungs." "Let's take a second deep breath." "Hold it." "Let it go." "Let all of the tension leave your body, now." "Now take your third deep breath and as you do, close your eyelids down, shutting out the light." "This will help you relax even more." "Let all of the tension leave your lungs, now." "From head to toe, all of your muscles are relaxing." "Each and every breath that you take is sending you deeper and sounder into hypnosis." "Concentrate on each and every word that I say." "You are relaxing more with each and every breath that you take and each and every sound that you hear." "Now as you sit comfortably in your chair, I am going to count backward from ten down to one." "With every count you will find yourself going deeper and deeper into hypnosis." "Your mind will always be keen and alert as your body is relaxing, perfectly." "All right, 10, you are going deeper asleep, 9, deeper and sounder asleep, 8, 7, 6, relaxing more with every breath that you take, 5 going deeper and sounder asleep, 4, relaxing deeply, 3, going deeper and sounder asleep, 2, 1, you are deep asleep." "Nothing will disturb you, just listen to the sound of my voice." "In a moment, I am going to touch you on your back." "When I touch you on your back, let your head fall forward on your chest." "As your head falls forward, your neck muscles will relax, sending you deeper and sounder asleep." (Then touch his/her back) "Now you are relaxing deeply in hypnosis." "Even though we have been resting for just a few minutes, when you emerge from hypnosis you will feel as if you were sleeping deeply for a long time." "You will emerge from hypnosis feeling wonderfully alive and alert and better than you have ever felt before." In a moment I am going to count to five." At the count of five you will be wide awake, alert, feeling good in every way."

"Each and every time today when I ask you to sit back down in this chair you will go deeply into hypnosis." "In the future, each and every time I ask you to sit in this special chair you will go deeply into hypnosis." "All right, one you are beginning to emerge from this wonderful state of mind, two, three, prepare yourself now, four, FIVE." "Wide awake and alert." "You are feeling good in every way." "How do you feel?" 3.3 Exercise for Success! --------------------------------Congratulations! You have successfully induced hypnosis in your first volunteer. If you have successfully drive home the pre-hypnosis briefing and handled the 6 basic questions you will eliminate most of the objections centered on the hypnosis experience. Now you need to follow up with your volunteer to find out what he/she though of the experience. Here is a handy form to use. Notes: Induction Evaluation Form Record your reactions and thoughts to this induction by answering the following questions. 1. What was the first thing you thought about as you finished the exercise? 2. How did you feel during the exercise? 3. How do you feel now? 4. Did you have any unusual sensations as you were listening to your voice? 5. List anything that you felt was "memorable" during the exercise.

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3.4 Exercises for Further Learning -----------------------------------A. Record your inductions: Using a recording device, record your induction. Then play it back and listen to how you sound. What would you like to improve in your speech and delivery? Are you talking loud enough? Are you emphasizing words, like "sleep" "relax," and other words associated with hypnosis? If you were a subject listening to this induction what would you change in the way you deliver each word and phrase? Do you feel you are talking too fast or too slow? Record each hypnosis session and then listen to your efforts once you are away from your volunteers. Use your recordings as learning tools to get better. B. Evaluate each volunteer. After each session while you are working one on one, use the evaluation form questions to learn more about your volunteers' perception of hypnosis. You will learn more from studying these evaluations than reading all of the hypnosis books you can find. Every volunteer teaches you something new. I have been hypnotizing over 26 years and I still learn new things about the hypnosis experience. 3.5 Summary ---------------------------Congratulations! You have learned a great deal about the practice of stage hypnotism in the last two lessons. This lesson taught you the major components of a successful stage induction and then you learned a stage induction. Commit this information to memory because as you work with groups of people on stage, you will be doing a variety of things that you have to think about while the basic hypnosis script is just flowing, as it is a part of you. As you develop your show in the upcoming lessons, you will be able to get very creative and not rely on memory.