Hypnotized in the City: Recap of Last Night's 20s/30s Event

When the organizer asked me to hold off on the start of the event for a few minutes to accommodate a few late arriving guests, I jumped at the opportunity to test out some new stand-up material I’ve been working on.

Disney shtick.  Check.  The trials and tribulations of performing at a high school after prom party.  Done.  Ridiculous stereotypes in stand-up comedy.  Gotcha.

Ten minutes later I had a sobering reminder of why I perform “Hypnotic Experience,” rather than focusing solely on stand-up.  It’s hard…and I am only kind of amusing.

So…on with the event!  It was hosted last night in Washington, DC by one of the largest and most active meet-up groups in the country.  I have a long-standing relationship with the group’s founder and lead organizer.  In fact, this is our third year collaborating.

A couple of thoughts in follow-up to what was an incredibly successful evening:

1. Insightful Pre-Talk.  During my pre-talk, I now do a better job of setting audience expectations about the program.  Much of this is based on feedback I’ve received in the past from performances for this group. 

Rather than a comedy hypnosis show one might find at a club or casino, Hypnotic Experience is designed to a fun and entertaining exploration of how a person can use the practice of positive visualization for health, wellness and exceptional living.

My goals are to engage the audience, educate them about what hypnosis is and its meaningful applications, and have those who are interested give a basic hypnotic induction a try.

In no way do I knock comedy hypnosis.  There is a well earned place for that at appropriate venues and I perform a pure-play comedy version of my show, when asked.  Here is an article I wrote last year about a hypnosis show on the Carnival Cruise Line.

2. Exceptional Guests = Totally Awesome Vibe.  The event last night attracted wonderful guests.  It was a group of culturally diverse professionals who work in an interesting mix of careers, including law, music, arts and education.  This contributed to a positive vibe in the room throughout the evening.

Interestingly, the nearly 50 guests were split evenly between men and women.  A typical Hypnotic Experience show tends to attract a predominantly female audience. 

3.  Volunteers Galore.  The organizer arranged 12 chairs up front for guests who were interested in trying a hypnotic induction.  This was a totally appropriate number, based on our past events working together.

So…imagine my pleasant surprise when we needed to add chairs to accommodate volunteers.  Plus, I had a handful of people who were in the audience also go through the hypnosis process.

4.  Colors, Smells and Smiles.  So…what was the volunteer response to hypnosis?

Just as I had hoped, it was predominantly positive and unique for each individual.  Some volunteers experienced colors during the confidence visualization, including blues, greens and reds.  One participant reported a heightened sense of smell during the relaxation induction, which is a response I seldom come across.

All in all, the guests who were open to hypnosis came away from the experience feeling energized, confident and stress-free.  That’s exactly what I aim for!  

This is a photo from last year's "Hypnotic Experience" show for the 20s/30s MeetUp group.  Last night's event attracted an equally fun and engaged group of guests.