Georgetown University's Hypnotic Experience

When the fall semester kicks off at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, the school hosts a Welcome Week for new and returning students which include a series of events and activities.  A highlight of these festivities is a Midnight Carnival that features food, music, carnival rides and entertainment. 

 

This past Friday evening I had the privilege to perform Hypnotic Experience for about 75 students at the Carnival and then hang around for nearly 90 minutes after the show for a series of informal demonstrations of the power of positive visualization.

My participation at Welcome Week was particularly gratifying for a few reasons.  First, this was my second year at the event after a successful performance in 2012.  It’s always nice to be invited back by an event organizer.

And second, I have a close connection to Georgetown because of my proximity to the campus.  My family attends a number of sports events and theatrical productions each year.

Here are a few observations from Friday evening’s show:

1) A successful performance is very much about setting audience expectations.  There are a myriad of misconceptions about hypnosis and what might happen on-stage. 

Hypnotic Experience is not a Las Vegas-style show defined by outlandish volunteer antics.  Rather, it’s an entertaining demonstration of hypnosis and how it can be harnessed as a tool to improve health, wellness, self-confidence, and athletic, academic and career performance.

My goal is to leave an audience with a positive view of hypnosis and visualization.

2) With that in mind, I keep the suggestions simple and fairly vanilla.  My “go to” is the instant induction, which typically draws a reaction from the crowd when they witness how quickly a volunteer can re-enter hypnosis.

I do try to introduce more complex suggestions (i.e. visualize competing in an American Idol completion), yet these are more challenging to pull off and based on volunteer suggest-ability.

3) Volunteer comfort and a positive impression of hypnosis are paramount.  That’s why I focus on two post-hypnotic suggestions related to confidence and wellness.  I want my volunteers to tell friends, family, etc. they tried hypnosis and it was fun and helpful.

A simple sign encourages students to enjoy a hypnotic induction.