Chapter 24 - Benefit From Hypnotism

Perhaps you have read the foregoing chapters with the idea of becoming more popular socially. You are not a doctor and you do not desire to be a professional hypnotist. You do not need to be a professional to be the center of attraction at any social gathering. Just ask your friends if they would like to see a demonstration of hypnotism. If they agree, then ask if any of them would like to experience the thrilling and restful effects of the hypnotic sleep. You will get some volunteers, or you may arrange to have one or two subjects you have previously hypnotized present for the demonstration. Have the subjects seated, facing the others, and put them to sleep by any suitable method.

After the subjects are asleep, you must have them do amusing things for your friends or the audience. When I first began giving demonstrations of hypnotism, I found it difficult to think up things to do. I find it best to make a list of things to do on a card which I keep in my pocket for reference as the show progresses. This will not be necessary after a few performances.

In giving a performance, you may address the subjects by name or give each one a number and so address him. If you wish to prevent the subject hearing you as you address the audience, just touch him and say, "You cannot hear me until I touch you thus. You cannot hear me until I touch you again." Then say what you wish to say. When you wish him to hear you again, touch him as you did before and say, "You can hear me now." If you forget the subject's name or number, just ask him. He will tell you.

Suggestions For A Show Or Private Entertainment

In the next pages I will give you some suggestions for a show or a private party. Bear in mind, never make a person do anything which will humiliate him. Always tell your audience that you have the subjects do the things they do to amuse the audience, but that such acts demonstrate the great power the subconscious mind exercises over the body and that if properly used, it can be of great service to the human race. Also, you might add that you are giving the demonstration to interest them in using that power for their own good and the good pf others; that the power can be used for the accomplishment of good things, as well as for amusement.
Put the subject to sleep and ask him if he smokes. Tell him that you are going to wake him up and he will light a cigarette and that when you snap your finger, he will be unable to draw on it, but will blow on it instead. This causes screams of laughter.

Another subject may be told that when you snap your fingers, he will be unable to place a cigarette, glass of water, or anything else to his mouth, no matter how hard he tries, or that he will be unable to light a cigarette until you tell him he can.

Another may be told his thumb is stuck to his nose and that he cannot remove it, no matter how hard he may try. This may be made very funny.

Another may be told that when he awakens, his foot will be stuck to the floor, or he will be stuck in his chair and cannot get up, until you tell him he can.

Another may be regressed to the age of two years and told that his mother has just spanked him real hard and that it hurt and he is crying loudly. Make him actually cry. This is really funny if it happens to be a fat man or woman. BE SURE YOU RESTORE THE PERSON TO STATUS QUO BEFORE YOU AWAKEN HIM.

Another may be given a doll and handkerchief and told that the baby needs a change of diapers and that he will try to put the diaper on it but cannot fasten the pin.

Tell a woman subject that she is very displeased with her husband for wearing baggy pants and that when you awaken her she will turn to another subject whom she thinks is her husband and give him a lecture about his baggy pants; that when you snap your fingers, she will be unable to say another word until you say she can speak. This will create an uproar if you offer to sell the secret to the men.

Tell another subject she cannot see her pocket-book, or have her take off her shoes; that she cannot put them on, until you speak the word.

There are many old tricks which may be performed, such as fishing with an umbrella, riding a broom, picking roses in a garden, getting drunk on water, smelling ammonia, believing it is perfume.

A subject may be handed several blank pieces of paper and told they are thousand-dollar bills; that there are a lot of robbers in the audience and he had better hide them in his shoe. He will do this and put his shoe back on. Put him back to sleep and wake him up. Ask him what he has in his shoe. When he takes his shoe off and finds the blank paper, the expression on his face will create a storm of laughter.
Tell another that when he wakes up, he will light one of his favorite cigarettes. That when you snap your fingers, it will taste and smell just like burning rubber; that it will smell and taste so bad, that he will be compelled to stop smoking it. The surprised expression will bring howls of laughter from the audience, particularly if he tries to hide his sensations from the audience.

A demonstration of catalepsy always creates interest. The subject is told to stand and his body is made rigid as steel. He is then placed between two chairs and someone sits or stands on- his stomach. The chairs must be held down by two assistants or else they will tip over.

Have another stretch out his arm. Make it rigid and suggest that he has no feeling in his hand. Light a match and pass it below his hand, but do not let it remain in one spot too long, as it will burn the flesh. He will not flinch even though it does blister, but do not blister or burn him. Tell another that when you wake him up, he will try to move his chair out nearer the edge of the stage, but that it will weigh a ton and he will be unable to move it, no matter how hard he may try, until you snap your finger. Let him tug at it a few times and when he is pulling, snap your fingers. It will suddenly come up.

Tell another that you will awaken him and that when you snap your fingers his chair will suddenly become so hot that it will burn him; that he will get a terrific electric shock from it, and will have to jump up. This is terrific if you have a live wire youth for a subject.

The above are only a few suggestions for a show or social performance. If you give a public performance, it will be sufficient for two or more hours.

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