A situation I often find myself in - when hypnotising peoples in private at parties/family gatherings (which is all I do for now anyway), is that I will have 2-3 people very succesfully hypnotised - almost somnambulistic...but I have a lot of trouble getting any 'laughs' out of them. Often these are people who are very naturally shy - very introverted, and maybe not the greatest most vivid imagination. They are generally 'quite' people. So what sort of routines are the best to do with these sort of people? You tell them the number 3 doesn't exist..they count 6 fingers on their hand..they are just embarrased about the fact they have 6 fingers and don't say anything. Anything that would involve them looking 'silly' - ie maybe dancing, doesn't work...telling them they are the worlds greatest liar which can be very very funny usually is just boring as they aren't really that creative.... and so on.
Are there any kind of routines, which are guaranteed to be funny, no matter who the subject is?

The key here is YOU have trouble. Its you that's the problem not them. I have book coming out that guarantees you take the **** out of anyone. Even if they are dead. Death is the ultimate deep trance state and not enough has been written about it. It has been underground - until now!.

But its not cheap.

'...and this will seem hilarious to you'

I tend to use arm levitation to face early on and link this to feeling good losing inhibitions and eventually corpsing with laughter.

If zapped their shyness should not be a problem. If it is then suggest it away early on.

Ant

>>>>Anything that would involve them looking 'silly' - ie maybe dancing, doesn't work...telling them they are the worlds greatest liar which can be very very funny usually is just boring as they aren't really that creative.... and so on.<<<<

Perhaps shy people are also smart. Who wants to look silly? I don't. If you ask me you need to pick better subjects.

Hello hypnoivan
put a hippo into a glass of water,
have them win the lotto,
get them drunk on water
tell them they are invisible
use YOUR imagination
coax a reaction
regards

Hypnoivan, Andyboy knows what he's talking about. I watched him do a show last week and he had a really shy guy dancing, screaming (especially giving birth to that hedgehog) and when he won the lottery he turned into a raving extrovert. Honest. I've also watched Ant suggeting to someone that they'll simply feel like corpsing (during the arm levitation), then laughing out loud, and they do of course. As he said: " If zapped..."
However I told think we can call them: 'them'. In other words they're all indiiduals and each one potentially slightly different in reaction. Albeit mindpunisher has been doing this stuff for some time.

Hypnoivan, you've set up the question by parading a limiting belief. That is you believe certain people are shy, what you call "shy people."

Respectfully, there are no "shy people." Rather, there are people who have behaviors we describe as shyness. Behaviors are simply things people do. People are not their behaviors.

A focus of hypnotherapy is to help people change unwanted behaviors to different behaviors that are desired. Hypnotherapists do this daily.

With the tests you do before bringing actors on stage, you should be able to determine whether a person at the show is ready to be suggestible <i>and</i> active. Without that activity they don't make great performers who will entertain the audience and I wouldn't advise using them.

In sum, shyness is simply a behavior pattern and irrelevant to any showmanship you can bring out. If your tests show they will be active, use them as you would use any person. If the tests show them to be uninterested ("not easily and highly suggestible") don't use them, just as you wouldn't use any person who doesn't seem to be appropriate for the show.

Remember, stage hypnosis is all about the show. Shyness, being nothing but a behavior, has nothing to do with the show any more than an interest in novels has anything to do with the show. If you want to help someone change from exhibiting behaviors we call "shy" to being more of an extrovert, take some training in hypnotherapy.

Dmkraig, that's what I was trying to say!!
you put it way better.
thanks!

>>>Respectfully, there are no "shy people." Rather, there are people who have behaviors we describe as shyness. Behaviors are simply things people do. People are not their behaviors. <<<<

Picking good subjects is as much of an art as anything else. Also certain situations (where everyone knows each other for example) can stack the odds against you finding subjects that are receptive to stage hypnosis.

Some people are just plain boring in and out of trance.

>>Are there any kind of routines, which are guaranteed to be funny, no matter who the subject is?<<<

No its always about finding the right subjects and being in the right situations to maximamize hypnosis for entertainment. And also the routines are irelevant its how you "coach" them to go to the extreme's of behaviour.

Hypno was referring to 2-3 people under at a party. I know I read this on another thread but this would present a limited supply of individuals to pick from.

I think Richard suggested hypnotizing everyone and then making a pick from those under. Observing the behaviour "before" putting them under would be best would it not?

MP: Really kills me because most of the events I do are corporate etc where most know each other. Im trying to come up with something unique and has mentalism to fall back on. Its just suggestibility tests for now until I can get in the grove.
I would love to market to high schools but Im not "there" yet. That would certainly increase the supply pool to pick from. Looking at some of the clips from HS shows, it almost seems they would not even have to be under at all and you would still have a funny, entertaining show.

PS: Please don't treat me like a magician on the mentalist thread. I have OCD and ACHD. When I was growing up they just called it hyper.

Candin
Disclaimer:
Stage Experience
Hypnotist Novice

MP,

Couldn't you just start out with the suggestibility tests and gauge who would male good candidates?


At a workshop I attended, some of the people there told me it is the word hypnotise that puts people off. They would just use terms like relaxation, concentration and imagination experiments. SInce there are "experts" who still do not believe that hypnosis exist, whos fault is it when they don't go under?


Candin

I found in my early day that sometimes after my induction some of the volunteers went wild for me, while others sat there and did very little. Some were internalising the instructions, rather than acting them out.
Now I have speeded up my induction substantially. And I begin to speed up my patter towards the end of the induction. The sleepy tone is lost, and I become more energetic. The subjects respond to this, and I don't get non-responders much any more.
Basically your subjects are not shy. They are just not getting the proper instruction to make their reactions more energetic.

Excellent advice. I need to start a notebook soon. Thanks

Candin

If the word hypnotise put them off they wouldn't be volunteering. If they are up there and you are telling them they are going to be hypnotised then that's a suggestion in itself. Its no ones fault when they don't "go under".

However it may mean that more skill is needed or better audiences. or both.
Can't really be answered in a post.

I agree with MP. I know of many hypnotherapists who shy away from the term "hypnosis" and use all sorts of invented terms to explain what they do. Personally, I think that being direct and honest is the best policy.

However, I would "semi-disagree" with MP that it's "no one's fault" when someone doesn't go under. I say semi-disagree because I don't like the term "fault." However, there is definitely a responsibility, here. While some might say it is the fault of the volunteer because he or she chooses not to go into trance, I would contend that it is the hypnotist's responsibility for a) not recognizing that a volunteer doesn't want to participate or b) not establishing a level of rapport where the volunteer will trust enough to completely follow directions.

If all fails, have you thought of a bag of ferrets laughing gas and a base ball bat. It will at least keep you entertained while the subjects bore the crowd .
I agree with the above.
You can ask them before you induce "what would they do if you gave them £10000 ?". That way you can find the ones with the best imagination

I's spend it on more speed induction DVDs.

Candin