Chapter 3 - Your First Performance

I gave my first public demonstration of my ability to hypnotize before a large gathering of my friends and family, but I was sure that I would succeed before the exhibition began. I had been studying hypnotism for many years when I got acquainted with a hypnotist who afterwards became a good friend of mine. He demonstrated for me how he placed his subject under hypnosis. It was not long before I was able to hypnotize nearly everyone I tried to hypnotize. All of those years I was studying the subject, I never breathed a word about my ability to my family, or friends, because I was afraid they would make fun of me. It is a generally accepted fact that a person's family and friends are not to be among his first subjects, because the right mental attitude is not present. Always select a stranger, or one who has been hypnotized.

One night we were having a party at my home and I decided the time had come to astound my family and the neighbors. I enlisted the aid of some subjects, and at the right moment had them appear on the scene. I had previously hypnotized them and given post-hypnotic suggestions to the effect that they would go to sleep on command. They had some refreshments and afterwards I walked up to them and in the hearing of all present, commanded them to go to sleep. They were good subjects and promptly went sound asleep. The expressions on the faces of some of the friendly circle was a sight to behold. There were exclamations of surprise, disbelief and a few snide remarks. We always have that class in every group of so-called friends. Do not be surprised if you have one or two in your first audience. But when some of the disbelievers and smug old ladies tried to awaken the subjects and failed, the disbelief soon vanished and something akin to wonder crept into their faces. Then they sat very quiet and mystified while the subjects were made to do one startling thing after another, until I awakened them.

At your first performance, there is bound to be some person who will be loud in his expressions of disbelief or he will ask you to put him to sleep, hoping you will fail. If you are sure enough of your memory and can rattle off your sleep formula, just take him off in a room with one or two of your good subjects. Get him quiet and exclude all the others (except the good subjects). Seat him so he can see the other subjects and give them your best talk about how impossible it is for anyone to stay awake, if he cooperates. Get him to agree to cooperate. Ask him to do several things like moving his chair and fixing his feet just right, so that you can get him in an obedient mood. Then give them the sleep talk and drive it home. The good subjects will go to sleep and the chances are he will follow them. Then give him post-hypnotic suggestions of instant sleep on your command, or some signal. Tell him that he will be loud in criticizing hypnotism when he returns to the audience, etc. Do not awaken him, but tell him to open his eyes and go back into the room where the guests are. When he has said his say about hypnotism, just give the signal and see the crowd howl when he topples over. Above I have given you an account of how I learned to be a hypnotist and how I gave my first performance. You too can learn to become an expert hypnotist and amuse your friends and discomfit the unbelievers and the funsters, as viewed from the lighter side; or use it professionally, provided you only follow the simple rules laid down in this book.

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here...