I want to do stage hypnosis, I have Mastering Hypnosis from trick shop and it's pretty good. The farthest I got to hypnotizing someone was getting her eyes stuck shut. Is there a video course that would be good? I was thinking on getting Bill O'Connells Deluxe Stage Hypnosis course but I would like to know which is best to get. This course comes with a certificate also. I don't have a way to have a hypnotist train me personally...thanks

I guess one question I have is, what type of show are you interested in presenting? "Stage hypnosis" is a bit like saying "magic" -- there's an awful lot between both ends of that stick.

John LeBlanc
Houston, TX

Well I do Mentalism but I want to do stage hypnosis too. Have them do role playing and and all the comedy stuff like that.

Hypnosis is a lot like religion -- there are many denominations, and each's adherants believe their's is the True Religion which, of course, is silly.

I have attended the Church of Erikson since the late 80's so I'm not going to be a whole lot of help here.

But I will suggest that you focus on your end result, and remember that you've made yourself a part of the world of conjuring. Lots of ways to skin that cat...

John LeBlanc
Houston, TX

Find a copy of the New Encyclopedia of Stage Hypnotism by Ormand McGill. It is the stage hypnotists' bible.

Collect many different systems and study them all. I have found that there is not one true Stage Hyp system that is all inclusive. You have to wade through many pages of what you already have learned to pick up each piece of the puzzle from each course. Some are good at the induction, some the pre-talk and others cover those little odds and ends that the previous courses seemed to have forgotten. It is not a be a stage hypnotist in 2 weeks it takes lots of research and lots of asking questions here til you get the answers.

The Forum is not the blueprint that we would all like it to be. This is good for us all as it makes us work for it and is much more valuable when we finish than if it had just been handed to us at the start.

Good Luck in your pursuit. Many of us are at different points in the same journey you are starting. And as Tantrik said get a copy of The New Encyclopedia of Stage Hypnotism.

I agree that Ormond McGill's "New Encyclopedia" is the single essential volume for every stage hypnotist. But I do question whether it's a good idea to get every single system that's ever been put together (whether in books, e-books, manuscripts, videos, DVDs, CDs and cassettes) before actually doing your show. A better idea - I would suggest - is to write - and completely memorise - a script for a show that contains routines you like, and thoroughly master one or more of the basic inductions in the "New Encyclopedia". Then perform that show to real people in the real world. Once you've gained some experience, it is then worth looking at the other material out there.

The drawbacks of reading a mass of material before actually doing a show are as follows:

(1) An inexperienced person is likely to be "thrown" by the sheer mass of words and variations on induction techniques and might lose track of where to start.

(2) The temptation is there to dabble in a bit of this and a bit of that, imperfectly mastering inductions and routines and being a "jack of all trades". It is much better to know just one powerful induction technique and use it effectively and consistently that to have partial knowledge of two dozen, applying them poorly.

(3) Sometimes the authors simply repeat what others have said, sometimes they contradict what others have written (not surprisingly, since each is an individual), so the reader can get confused and unsure of what to do.

(4) Some of the material has been produced by people with little or no experience of actually performing stage hypnosis shows and can therefore be misleading.

(5) As most stage hypnosis products (and seminars) are pricey, it's easy to blow a lot of money unnecessarily on them. Better to spend the money on tickets to actual live stage hypnosis shows - where you can learn a lot - and get ideas for your own routines - at a very reasonable cost. For instance, there are several shows playing in Las Vegas, so you can see three or four in a single trip there.

What's the most powerful induction and where can I find it?

Mike, I think you have the wrong end of the evil eye here.

Learn to hypnotize people slowly and by the book, so you can react accordingly to what is going on. Find a trusted friend or relative to help you so you can discuss what is happening and find out what it feels like to be hypnotized from the audience perspective.

There's no such thing as a 'most powerful induction' when it's in the hands of the untrained. Hypnotizing people is so much more than that.

If you can't talk someone into it, you're going to be useless once they're 'under'. So there's no point trying to find 'the fastest way to get someone into deep hypnosis known to man' when you can't follow through with all the suggestion you're going to need to implant afterwards.

Ok, so you've done small muscle groups.
Then try larger muscle groups.
Then try just talking the 'sleep talk' and bringing someone around once they've 'gone under'.

Only then will you see what this hypnotizing is all about. Read one good book on it, and take the pigeon steps they suggest. Or you're not going to learn anything.

Hypnotism can only really be learned through experience. And you won't get experience unless your 'victims' are willing to discuss the sessions.

Thank you Dr. Omni for that informative post. I have been feeling inundated with material. Mostly my pre occupation has not been with learning many different inductions it was with the pre-talk and putting the show together and gathering the material for your skits that I had collected the variety of information. I do agree that you need to learn one good induction and stick with it so that you can start doing shows. The first book that I have found to give you a step by step from beginning to doing shows is an ebook by Wayne Perkins. But here too I find his material is lacking in the pre-talk that I have perfected through use of Geoffrey Ronning’s tape on the matter and Blair Robertson’s Rapid Induction program.

Yes it can get rather pricey, but I don't want to see the magician who buys his new trick in the morning and performs it in that evenings show to think that is what he can do with Stage Hypnosis. I think we will both agree that it is a longer learning curve than that.

When we do these first shows, should they be for pay or done as freebies. I don't really want someone to have to pay me for bombing if that should happen when I first start out. I do believe though that if you put together a good pre-talk that makes volunteers come up and learn your induction well, that should be less likely to happen.

I do like your idea about going to all the Stage shows you can. A live show is what really sparked my interest in all this in the first place. I live near Shreveport so I guess I'll have to check that out.

Thank you Dr. Omni for your input.

Dr. Omni's advice is SOLID GOLD!

I might add, Ormond McGill's "New Encyclopedia" will give you a good solid understanding of stage hypnosis but I think it can be a bit overwelming for a budding Hypnotist.

I would highly recommend "Inside Secrets of Stage Hypnotism" by Jerry Valley. It gives you preshow scripts, inductions, and many skits to chose from, all in a logical easy to digest book.

v/r
TruTh

Do yourself a favour and check out the next time ormond mcgill and jerry valley are holding their stage hypnotism course...much more interesting than the book and you will find plenty of willing people on the same course to practice your inductions with.
good luck.
hmk

I've learned something of value from virtually all of the video courses I've taken. When you get the "certification" from them, however, what good is it? IMO, the only certification that really matters is from recognized institutions such as the National Guild of Hypnotists or American Board of Hypnotherapy.

I would like to add that perhaps nothing is more important than the 30-second to 2-minute pre-talk BEFORE you hit the stage. That pre-talk must set you up as an expert, give you prestige, and get the audience hyped to be hypnotized. When you come out, you get rid of any doubts they might have (nobody will do anything they don't want to do, etc.) and add to the build up. Once your audience has gone through this you could literally wave your hand and say, "Sleep," and the most suggestible will be in a trance.

IMO, the actual induction is not as important as what is said before you go one, what you say before the inductions, the examples before induction, the skits, and someone to help watch over the people on stage.

Keep up the work!

With luck, sometime before this summer, I should be releasing an e-book on the inside info on stage hypnosis. Not the inductions and skits so much as what things will make your show happen, how to get volunteers on stage, room set ups that will help and kill you and the like.

Since I've been doing stage hypnosis since about 1969 or so informally and formally since about 1972, I've been all over the US, Canada and the Caribbean doing shows in places ranging from Sandals Resorts to biker bars and everything in-between.

The chapter on grad parties and post proms will be filled with information and war stories to illustrate my points in a more real-world way than my usual pontificating.

The book will only be available to real performers and those who can prove that they are serious about performing, so distribution will be somewhat limited.

Anyone interested? The price should be in the $25-$25 range (US).

Lee Darrow, C.Ht.
http://www.leedarrow.com