How Stage Hypnosis Works
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- Опубликовано: 17 фев 2013
- Heartbreak Hypnotist® Sean Wheeler explains how stage hypnosis works, and addresses the myth that hypnosis involves a loss of control.
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As a consulting hypnotist this is something that I’ve wrestled with for some time. I decided to throw out everything that I’ve read or been taught and go from what I can see for myself and experience. I’ve decided that we gather the loosely related phenomena of comedy hypnosis, hypnotherapy and conversational/covert hypnosis (maybe others) into a single thing called hypnotism. There is a slim connection between the three, but the differences between them are more significant than their similarities.
In hypnotherapy hypnotherapists "hot wire" their clients' REM state (per Tyrrell and Griffin). You can see the rapid-eye movement beneath the eye-lids; the even color (either pink or white) change of the face; the relaxation of the facial muscles; the change in breathing; the dark, waxy appearance of the eyelids; the relative immobility of the body. Watch a client's hand during a hand levitation. The movements are slow, jerky, fasciculated. The unconscious mind is not used to moving parts of the body without the support of the conscious mind.
That is not what I see in stage hypnosis. There's an element of social compliance in stage that is absent from hypnotherapy. People on stage smoothly parody the waking movements and actions like over-stimulated kids. They move, they dance, they move fluidly at whatever they are parodying unlike their hypnotherapy counterparts who can barely move. I see no evidence of the influence of REM state.
Conversational hypnosis is even more distinctive. Words are used to by-pass the conscious mind to persuade a listener to think in a way different than they would otherwise believe. No trance. No REM. No social compliance.
This idea that a hypnotist focuses anyone's attention doesn’t square with my own experience of hypnosis either. I've been hypnotized many times and I don’t really pay any attention consciously to what the hypnotist is saying or anything else. I drift off in a way not unlike those moments just before you go to sleep. The voice just goes into the background until the hypnotist starts the count of 5 to return me to full conscious. Then I start to emerge.
I also don’t believe "levels of hypnosis" is a useful way to indicate hypnotic engagement. It doesn’t fit what I’ve seen in my clients. I think a better term would be hypnotic flexibility. The more you enter trance the more flexible you become in that capacity. Some people are more naturally flexible hypnotically speaking than others, but everyone who experiences trance will loosen up with repetition. It's call fractionation.
I appreciate your posting this. Until we separate the phenomena into separate states, however, there's going to be a great deal of contradictory information about what "hypnosis" is.
You lost me at "as"
Very interesting.
Would you say that stage hypnosis also involves a state similar to the one just before sleep, with consciousness "drifting off" and the unconscious taking the lead, or do you think it only involves relaxation and compliance?
I've seen shows where the hypnotized (by a stage hypnotist) gets into icey water with no issue, when that would give him strong pain if he wasn't hypnotized, which makes me think that the person can't be completely conscious in that moment, in a similar way to what happens with anesthesia.
But then again, it's very difficult to know when these stage hypnosis are real and when they're acted, as stage magic is not performed in a scientific and controlled way.
@@VperVendetta1992 The experience of acute pain is the sum of 1/3 memories of pain from the past, 1/3 expectation of the pain and 1/3 the actually pain sensation itself. It doesn't take being in trance to modify two of the three ingredients. Hypnotherapist Dave Elman wrote in his book "Hypnotherapy" that anyone can control the pain of dental work if they just imagine themselves swimming. I once had a prostate sample taken with little local anesthetic. I told my doctor, "If you don't mind I'm going to start talking and tell you every story I know until you're done." He smiled and said, "You go right ahead." I did and I felt no discomfort at all and as a bonus the doctor learned about what it was like for me to grow up as a kid. It's a matter of distraction rather than altered mind state. (Chronic pain is different and beyond the scope of what we're talking about here.) I'm not saying that stage hypnosis isn't real (whatever that means). I'm saying it isn't the same thing as clinical hypnosis. Two different phenomena only loosely related by suggestion.
I'm the 1000 subscriber!
Really nice explanation! Great way to make people feel comfortable with the experience.
This was great, thanks, I have been researching "is hypnotising real" for a while now, and I think this has helped. You ever tried - Andrewlon Hypnotification Scheme - (should be on google have a look ) ? Ive heard some extraordinary things about it and my partner got cool success with it.
I came here expecting to hear an advocate of hypnosis defend the validity of this practice. Instead, what I've found was a hypnotherapist who totally destroyed stage hypnosis without even realizing it. Of course, skeptics already know that hypnosis involves cooperation from subjects and that nothing happens without the subjects' approval, but to hear a defender of this practice admit it is hilarious. Where's your trance state, your induction, your suggestion, your rapport, if all you're doing is implicitly telling a bunch of people "hey, now that you're here on stage, let's put on a good show for the people still seated"? What use is there for the term hypnosis when such an event is no different from this new wave of interactive theater performances or from being called up to the stage by your favorite band during a concert to perform along side them? It's just entertainment with no particular technique involved.
I think you misunderstand. What I'm saying here is that the induction puts people into a trance state, and the rapport that has been established gives the subjects the freedom to respond to suggestions without inhibition. The fact that they have chosen to participate and have followed the suggestions given in order to become hypnotized indicates that rapport has been achieved. The trance state must occur in order for the show to be authentic and believable.
I have a background in improvisational comedy as well. In those shows, we would occasionally use audience volunteers as props, etc. The kind of performance given by individuals in a fully conscious state is significantly different from that given by those in a state of hypnotic trance.
The main point of this video is that being hypnotized does not imply the loss of control. The things people do in the state of trance are in accordance with their own morals and values, and they remain fully capable of rejecting suggestions if they so choose.
Precisely, and I applaud your candor. You could be telling people that it involves certain successive techniques of rapport building, induction, so on, but instead you are truthful, you just throw their meaning out the window and roll all of those steps into one significant moment which is no more magical or technical than that moment when Metallica calls the guy in the front row to perform one song with them on stage.
I think a better way of explaining hypnosis is that it's state that happens spontaneously quite often, but is produced purposefully during formal induction of trance. It's a state of focused attention. Happens when daydreaming, on long road trips, when involved in repetitive/monotonous behavior and so on.
Many hypnotists like to make it seem like more than it is because it makes them look more powerful and their shows seem more impressive.
I don't think you need to be so mysterious about it to enjoy the phenomenon. My shows are entertaining even though I fully explain it to the audience beforehand.
Great video.. Have you heard of the theory that hypnosis puts people into REM state, so they're basically in a dream state, or in a kind of "controlled sleepwalk" ?
I’m just curious, do you know anyone who has experienced stage hypnosis? For example, when a hypnotist makes someone bark like a dog, lol. How does it feel for the person doing that? Are they consciously aware that their barking?
Quite the contrary! I'm the hypnotist who helps you get over a broken heart :)
I've been to a couple of these comedy shows. I've never been on stage, well because I don't think I could be hypnotized. Would this mental block prevent me from being hypnotized? Or do some people on stage think the samething?
I would say that it would make it more difficult for you. If you have presumptions of it being impossible, or .."fake." I big part of hypnosis is about getting you relaxed to the point of having a quiet mind (induction) -- & a critical mind isn't a quiet mind ( critical as in trying to see if it is real or not, or if it worked ) This is why volunteers are preferred for the entertainment.
I was on a stage years ago (college) with the thought "this won't work on me" and it didn't. At the same time, I'm no entertainer and I have less of a desire to get on stage and be ridiculous. I stumbled upon hypnosis videos very-recently and discover if I wear a pair of headphones the induction is pretty easy I still get distracted out of it easily ( maybe I have ADD? ), but it's just as easy to get snapped back in as well -- especially after trying a few times and getting used to the sensations of trance. The rest of the hypnosis is like a guided day dream (you are fully aware of), but the difference is that a relaxed body and a clear mind seem to have less ADD, more focus on the hypnotist's narrative, and a more sensory vibrant image/sensation in your head.
Hope this helps.
Come to think of it, I find it very interesting that footage of failed stage hypnosis is so rare. With the premise being that the subjects had not previously been instructed by the hypnotist but are random people from the audience, it seems that the success rate is too high. Suspiciously high.
reghin79 I've taken part in a show. It is a regular part of the show to let people know that there is no failure, and the hypnotist makes it part of the show to eliminate certain people -- it's entertaining and made to be a part of the show but it also serves the function of removing the less compliant participants. There is also some instances of stooging, but that's not completely necessary for extroverted stage hypnosis, unless you are requring an impossible task i.e. like a blind person to see, a cripple to walk, or a spanish only speaking person to speak swahili where the stooge already has these abilities , skills, etc.
Some people fake it. Cooperation is a form of control.
Some do, but the hypnotist usually knows what to look for when people fake it. There are certain cues that tell us someone is really in trance that can't be faked. But I do agree that cooperation is a form of control. It's how those cults can indoctrinate people or why people get so tricked into doing Multi-Level Marketing Pyramid Schemes. That cooperation is part of rapport. And if someone can gain rapport with you, you're more likely to do things that you wouldn't normally do. It's why Used Car Salesmen try to talk about the weather or 'I like those shoes' or whatever else before trying to talk you into buying some rusted clunker off the backlot. Rapport is a powerful way of getting control over people..
I would say that some individuals are more easily hypnotized in a stage setting than are others. It's not really a question of difficulty; it's more accurate to say that all people are different, so it may take a slightly different approach with some people. Age is relatively insignificant. Introversion and self-consciousness are also non-factors. Because hypnosis a natural state of mind, anyone can experience it if guided properly by a skilled hypnotist.
What about if someone is in a chronic pain situation so their mind is never fully relaxed at any time due to the constant pain signals being sent to the brain? Can they be hypnotized too?
Actually no one is easily hypnotized on OR off stage. You wanna know why? Because " Stage Hypnosis" is STAGED you fucking idiots.
Bullshit
I don't think your explanation covers someone eating an onion and thinking it's an apple. Based on the explanation the person would know they are eating an onion, would they not? Wouldn't it still taste awful?
I suspect you might get entirely different results in a stage hypnosis setting if volunteers were actually put in to proper trance. Sean's video doesn't explain flopping and non responsiveness in a stage environment. Some of the most suggestible people are clearly going in to trance at little more than the drop of a hat, but most people are just going along with it all, some of them hide it well, others don't. I'm really not sure why stage hypnotists send people off stage for not being "hypnotized" if there's no hypnotic state past the immobilization of a volunteer's critical thinking ability.
so hypnotized is sort of like getting drunk
interesting and poignant observation. Perhaps the same area of the brain is altered?
I remember seeing a women who was hypnotized and she started randomly talking about very personal info concerning the disappointing size of one of her ex-boyfriends private parts. She was later filmed and interviewed as she watched back the hypnosis session and she said that she gets exactly that way when she's drunk.
It can be. Consider that some people act really crazy when they are drunk and other people are more reserved. Sometimes you can't even tell they are drunk at all because they are acting the same. Often times, people use alcohol as an excuse for 'losing control' of themselves. Certainly, someone like that on a hypnosis stage show would be very entertaining because they'd use hypnosis as the excuse for doing crazy things too..
Are some individuals harder to hypnotize than others? Is age a major facor? Can very self-conscious or deeply introverted people be hypnotized too?
Pretty much anyone can be hypnotized. The people who are harder to hypnotize are people with low IQs who have trouble focusing enough to listen or understand suggestions. But everyone, including low IQ people, will still go into trance. It's been argued that we're never out of trance. That our brains are in their own little worlds anyway. Consider, they are locked away in our craniums and only understand 'reality' by interpreting what nerve impulses from touch or hearing or site actually mean. And none of them fully agree on what reality is cus they all 'see' it differently. That's why there are so many cults and religions and political views and opinions on everything. We are all tranced in our own little worlds pretending we have any idea what's really going on outside of our skulls...
in fact hypnosis is much more beyond that .. sometimes you can take full contorl of the subject . . even some people steal using hypnosis
What is a "Heartbreak Hypnotist"? Is it a hypnotist you hire who doesn't show up, thus, breaking your heart?
I don't agree. You lose control of yourself and you can't resist the instructions given. I don't know how it works and why it can't work in other environments.
That's why I would never volunteer to these things. I'd rather be a killjoy and be right than quack like a chicken and have fun. I've been hypnotized before, as a child, in a therapeutic setting, and it didn't work at all, but I pretended it did because it was supposed to.
so it is faked.
that's a pretty poor analysis.
Its and analysis with no euphemism.
I think the point is that it's not what it seems. "Faked" would imply deception, and that's not what's going on here. What's happening is that a hypnotist helps people to relax and enter a state in which they feel comfortable doing things they normally wouldn't. Is there a bit more to it than that? Sure... but it's not the same as being faked. "Faked" would be having volunteers "pretending" to be hypnotized when they're actually not. And that does happen, but it's not the norm in this business.
Well, they are pretending yes, but they just are mind persuaded with body language and persuasive psychology to do those things.
Rasputin Pootin yes
So what your saying is, that we should all behave like hypnotized lobsters?
Na, he's saying that if you didn't want to be a lobster, you would still have control over it. Trance is sort of like getting absorbed into a video game. You are hyperfocused but not really thinking of the things going on around you. But if all of a sudden a fire alarm went off or something you needed to deal with, you'd untrance from your game and deal with whatever the situation was. If you really didn't want to act like a lobster, you'd untrance just like with the fire alarm.
So hypnosis is peer pressure.
Not quite... you can't fake it.
This doesn't explain the immediate sleep response when commanded by the hypnotist. The subject seems to have zero power to prevent going to sleep (deep relaxed trance mode). That in itself illustrates control over the subject.
That response is actually a direct result of the subject accepting a suggestion during following the hypnotic induction. The suggestion is to collapse into a deep relaxation when the hypnotist looks at you and says the word "sleep." They absolutely have the ability to resist the suggestion, but have no real reason to resist. They have achieved the relaxing state of hypnosis by cooperating and following suggestions, so by choosing not to follow them, they'd be making a choice to disrupt an enjoyable experience. Hope that helps.
So...you saying Batman actually exists then?
Cooperation to make fools of people for entertainment. Degrading.
Or, you could say it's a bunch of people acting foolish to have a good bit of fun. Willingly having a good time. That's pretty far from degrading.
@@purehypnosis people fake sometimes, they just go along with it because of the setting.
Hmmmmmm. Stage hypnosis of minors? Well they look like minors. In which case I seriously disapprove.
Jesse Denwood yeah well young ones are more easily manipulated. I also disapprove.
Why would you disapprove?
Bulls