Hypnotism

When I went to hypnotist yesterday late at night, I sat wondering how it was like to be hypnotized and why it worked. For good reason, I felt like it was a lot of elaborate acting and not close to reality.

I heard that my group was going to go see a hypnotist and that made me want to get hypnotized because according to my friends, a half hour of hypnotism is equivalent to eight hours of sleep.

I got there and when the man asked for volunteers, I rose my hand a shouted along with about 40 others and strained my shoulder, but I didn't get picked.

He started it off by explaining the importance of the first five minutes. He said that this is what makes the show and that at your seat you could still become hypnotized. I was sitting on the floor, surrounded by people, so it was difficult following the instructions of "lean back in your chair and relax, you butt is now glued to your seat and you won't fall off," but I sat leant forward, head touching my chest, breathing shallowly whilst slowing becoming disconnected from the world.

I heard people remark and exclaim, but I didn't care, I sat in an almost trance in concentration while I was half listening to the hypnotist speak. I could tell I was about to fall under as it is called until someone hit my shoe and took my attention. I was wide awake and looked around, scorning the young woman to my right who was readjusting herself.

I looked at the men and women seated at the front of the group and they were all leaning odd directions, clearly near sleep. I was disappointed, but then I saw another audience member about five feet away laying down on one of his friend's lap.

As the people were put to "sleep," he sent them through very embarrassing tasks. The nearby man was not only following his commands, but also speaking seemingly of his own accord. He got attention of the hypnotist who promptly woke him and directed him to sit up and wait until he needed his help later.

He quickly fell back into the trance and even latched himself onto another member of the audience in desperation of warmth. The man was called to the front and sat down. Up there, he was the most expressive of the people up there and spoke, nodded and created his own adventures. He had a bald eagle fly away and screamed moo so often that he started to question his sanity.

I felt bad for him in the end, but I did wonder if he was just pretending to act the way he was. I didn't think that he would act like a stripper, but he did.

I really wish that I might experience this someday, because the hypnotist stated the way to find this trance in very similar methods to how you meditate to a state of peace with one's self. I can try, but I will never know how it's like until I try hard again to get chosen next year.

-The Observer