Magic and Hypnosis
I’m currently working on a new stage show which combines magic and hypnosis. I don’t mean the kind of show where the first half is a magic show and the second half a stage hypnotist show. I mean a true “mash-up.” Mixing the two together, really blurring the lines.
Using mentalism, suggestion and fast hypnosis inductions on just a couple of volunteers at a time, with the intention that nobody can see where the illusion starts or the hypnosis ends. Nor am I talking about a “Derren Brown” type of psychological illusionist show, as mine is much more overtly a hypnosis stage show than that. So at the risk of being plagiarized the world over, I’ve decided to share some of my ideas here.
For those who don’t know me, my “thing” is instant and rapid inductions. I do street hypnosis and impromptu hypnosis in bars and train others to do the same. I also teach Induction Modification methods to speed up and improve any old hypnosis induction you might have heard of.
Being able to do such fast inductions (as many others can) under virtually any conditions and with a great success rate, started me thinking about how I could utilize the hypnosis in other ways – in addition to getting entertainment out of giving the usual suggestions; sticky/stiff/numb/forgetful/funny etc. (Not that there’s anything wrong with any of those!) So, on with the show:
1. Icebreakers
You will know that many stage hypnotists use suggestibility tests to select the somnambulists from the crowd. Personally, I’ve always felt a bit sorry for those whose hands don’t stick together or whatever. Sure, they get to see more of the show than the volunteers who end up on stage, but I can’t help feeling they must feel a bit left out at first. So, whilst delivering my version of the pre-talk, I combine traditional, “real” suggestibility tests with a number of other demonstrations of suggestibility.
These range from a couple of magic tricks with a suggestible angle to classic optical illusions (printed or projected large-scale) of the type where the brain creates movement or “fills in the blanks.” Not only are these interesting, informative and entertaining for the whole audience, but by carefully watching the reactions to these, I can easily select my volunteers for the stage demonstrations in the rest of the show.
2. Hypnosis as misdirection
Many of you will already know that hypnotic language, anchoring and other hypnotic techniques can all help to enhance the performance, atmosphere and perception of even the simplest of magic tricks. However, I often use a genuinely hypnotized volunteer to help with the misdirection of an illusion.
I.E. Having witnessed a trick involving a fully hypnotized volunteer, even magicians can be fooled into thinking that the hypnosis MUST have somehow played a part in the effect. Of course, that is hardly ever the case. An added bonus in this is that before emerging the subject, you can suggest they will have no memory of the actual workings of the illusion and so will not have to field any questions from curious spectators!
3. Magic as induction
Where an unhypnotized volunteer is sufficiently mystified/astounded/confused at the climax of a magic trick, I have them in the ideal state to lead right into a fast induction, so needless to say, I rarely waste that opportunity! That’s just one example of using a magic trick as the lead-in to an induction, but I also have built a collection of effects which can be used as a reinduction cue.
The idea of using something external as a reinduction cue first occurred to me during a hypnosis event in my local magic shop: I had one hypnotized subject focus on one of those rubber dome pop-up toys (The kind where you turn them inside out, place them on a flat surface and wait for them to pop up into the air) as I gave the suggestion that the moment it popped up, it would take them back into hypnosis, taking them even deeper than before.
Without giving away too many magical secrets, this use of an external, inanimate object for reinduction works really well with a number of “psychokinetic” (PK) type effects where there is usually a delayed sudden movement of a prop. I have since seen a video of another hypnotist using Banachek’s commercially available “PK Pen” to great effect in this way, and I’m only just beginning to scratch the surface.
4. Pseudo-psychology
Finally, I never use any of the so-called psychological forces, but I will often convince volunteers retrospectively that this has actually been the case. Once a prediction is revealed to be correct, I will convincingly improvise (lie) about how I influenced their choice of card, symbol or object etc. Often attributing this to the color of my shirt, the position of my hands, the shape of the table or anything else that springs to mind at the time! I find many easy, self-working tricks can similarly be enhanced by asking the volunteer a series of unrelated, closed questions to “assist me” in a seemingly miraculous divination.
To conclude:
I have found that if you’re a competent enough hypnotist, letting the audience in on some of the science of suggestibility (even if you do use a little bit of magic trickery and misdirection to reinforce some of it) takes nothing away from, and can even enhance the presentation of the wonderful art of hypnosis.
It’s all about making it appeal to a new generation of audience, but if you still think your audience will be entertained by seeing a subject perform like Madonna or Michael Jackson, then you’ll probably never encourage the Playstation generation off the couch and into your show.
OK. I’m out of here!
Reg Blackwood
Streetnosis Training Program
www.quicknotist.com
Reg Blackwood Hypnosis Training DVD
Based in Christchurch, New Zealand, Reg Blackwood is one of the world’s fastest hypnotists. He is the only Street Hypnotist in New Zealand, where he is known as The Quicknotist. He has also developed and leads a one day seminar in Induction Modification Theory and Instant and Rapid Inductions for those wishing to learn the art of Quicknosis.
With over fifteen years of experience as a comedian, magician, actor and writer, it would be nice to say he’s unforgettable. The truth is, you probably won’t remember meeting him. Reg is available to work as a roving act and for stage demonstrations or TV/Radio appearances.
1. January 2009 at 6:11 PM
Hi Reg, great article! Fun stuff, ain’t it? My show is I guess on the other side of the ‘hypnosis and magic’ spectrum, because I’m using a volunteer as a ‘bumbling magician’ type of thing.
Great ideas, love to chat sometime.
Jeremy