Beginning Stage Hypnosis Career

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Comment by Candin on May 11, 2009 at 6:15pm

The session terminated before I could add to comment Bruce. I sent you a pm also. Demonstrations is probably the route I would like to go also. I am not pushing stage shows, but want to be open to it at my regular gig and when calls come in. I love this forum, please have patience with me, just a mentalist who can hypnotize the willing:)

Candin

Comment by Candin on May 11, 2009 at 5:56pm

Thanks, I love to hear from the new to stage show people, fresh ideas.

Candin

Comment by bruce on April 29, 2009 at 5:04am

Hi Chris,

It's a blast. I did my first two shows recently, and it was great. Of course, one of the important things if feigning great confidence, even if you're shaking in your boots. One of the guys who organized my first performace with me asked me just before I went on " are you sure you want to do this... does it really work (skeptically)." I replied " Just watch me..."

As far as inductions go, I keep on changing mine. If you want to talk with me about what I'm doing, I'd be happy to share. Send me a note. I think fast is good, but it's not everything. What I've seen is that almost every stage hypnotist takes about 15 - 20 minutes to get into the real routines. Of course, if you're uber-confident, maybe that can be less, and I haven't done drops, or shock inductions yet. That could speed things up perhaps.

Also, early routines are often deepeners. So when I say 15 -20 minutes, I'm including initial routines that also act as a deepener or a responsiveness test. For instance, playing imaginary piano might seem like an opening routine, but it's also a deepener.

One of the most important things for me was lying on my bed, dreaming about what I could do for the show. Dreamtime. It's really self-hypnosis of course... Think about what tone you want to your show. Then pick some standard routines that fit the tone. Re-write them in your own words.

After you do this for awhile, you'll see natural transitions between different routines... jump on those. I have examples... I just can't think of one at this particular moment.

Another thing: I'm pretty comfortable in front of groups when I know my stuff. But I needed a testing-ground for stage-style inductions. What I came up with was doing past-life regression demostrations in front of 20-30 people. That really helped.

I suppose I have a lot more to say... I think sometimes it helps to hear what somebody whose still on the early part of the learning curve has to say. A different perspective.

Good luck!

Comment by Geoff Ronning - www.StageHypnosisCenter.com on April 25, 2009 at 12:56pm

Justin,

We both seem to be saying that same thing; our preferred induction is one that does not bore the audience and rolls into the skits as fast as possible without being violent or dangerous or appearing that way.

Geoff

Comment by Justin James on April 24, 2009 at 7:29pm

Chris.... Go to School..! Get 150 hours of clinical training under your belt and then take courses not from one but several of the Stage trainers out there each have their strengths.

Geoff, I truly do applaud your marketing skills however I disagree with some of your material...

this in particular

You need a powerful induction that will drop them fast and be suitable for
the performing venue. What that means is that in most performing venues
you don't want to use a PR Induction (Progressive Relaxation) and you don't
want any instant inductions either.

A PR induction is one where you bore the person into hypnosis, the problem
is that you also bore the audience. An instant induction is usually one where you
shock a person into hypnosis. This usually appears very violent and dangerous
although it maybe neither.

While I have been tortured by several hypnotists who used long drawn out PR inductions (and you can usually tell what school they learned them from) a good Stage hypnotist using a progressive relaxation induction should be able to get the job done in 5 to 7 minutes...

As you very well know there are very few Hypnotists in the world who can go from an instant induction to show skits...
So the reality is using rapid inductions which for the most part are the same as an instant just a longer setup and frankly used to re induce and fractionate... There is no magical mystery there...

I am not attempting to start a pissing match I just think that your marketing jargon may be stretching things a bit.

Chris here's a safety checklist http://www.thehypnosiscompany.com/top20.htm I don't care how pretty your photos or website is if you get on stage and flop or are unsafe you will do far more damage to the industry and yourself then by investing in solid training .

Justin James,

WWW.thehypnosiscompany.com

Comment by Geoff Ronning - www.StageHypnosisCenter.com on April 23, 2009 at 10:14am

Chris,

This may answer a few questions:

The Five Components of a Successful Stage Hypnosis Show

#1 The Successful Stage Hypnosis Opening

The modern stage hypnosis show must get the audience laughing, gain the
audiences trust, create excitement, expectation and introduce you as an
hypnotic entertainer that is confident, skilled and personable.
If you fail to achieve your goals in the opening it will be a long, long,
miserable show! It won't be entertaining, you will have trouble getting
volunteers, it will be slow, and you'll end up doing a long induction, or
worse, not hypnotizing anyone!

You need to learn the specific steps to grab the audience and kick start your
show to guarantee your hypnosis show success.

#2 Calling for Hypnosis Show Volunteers

You call for volunteers and .........nobody stirs.......

Does this ever happen?

Yes!

Does it happen much?

No, not if you know how to avoid it!

Before you perform your first show you need how to call for volunteers and
have more volunteers then you can possibly use! This is one of the
ingredients for a successful show.

In addition you should consider how you will react when you call for
volunteers and nobody comes up. Make sure you develop specific
techniques so that you can remedy that and bail your program out of stage
hypnosis show hell.

#3 Hypnotizing your Show Volunteers

The success of your hypnotic induction is the cornerstone of your show. The
faster, more entertaining your induction, the more enjoyable your
performance will be for your audience.

You need a powerful induction that will drop them fast and be suitable for
the performing venue. What that means is that in most performing venues
you don't want to use a PR Induction (Progressive Relaxation) and you don't
want any instant inductions either.

A PR induction is one where you bore the person into hypnosis, the problem
is that you also bore the audience. An instant induction is usually one where you
shock a person into hypnosis. This usually appears very violent and dangerous
although it maybe neither.

It is not necessarily what is true that is important; it is what the audience perceives.

So if you are hypnotizing a CEO's wife he is probably not going to want
to see you do an instant on his wife (it looks violent) or if you are working a
school event you would not want to bore the audience to tears, nor do you want
to do an instant induction as the principle would never have you back.
That is not to say there are not places for those types of inductions. It is just
merely to point out that you need to be choosing the right induction based on
the needs of your audience. Only by having that type of induction will you be
able to focus on what you should be focused on: providing outstanding hypnotic
entertainment that your client will request again and again, year after year!

#4 The Show Routines

The modern show must create excitement, laughter and do so at a break
neck pace. You need to create two lengths of shows for marketing purposes;
one at sixty minutes and one at ninety minutes. The audience will judge your
show by the routines you use. This may be the most important consideration of
your show!

#5 Concluding the Successful Modern Stage Hypnosis Show

How you leave the audience often times dictates how they remember you.
Be sure to leave your audience wanting more, more, more! In addition understand
there are four main ways to end your show.

1) With post-hypnotics
2) Complete the show in the audience
3) Complete the show on stage
4) Offer suggestions for improvement

Conclude the show properly and you will end your program on a high note! You need not end it any one specific way, it just depends on your venue and your personality.

Geoff Ronning

Comment by Brian David Phillips on April 22, 2009 at 8:28pm

Agreed with Szeles above (he has a worthwhile site as well). Also, if you are not familiar with the structure then see a LOT of shows . . . if you can't see 'em live then get DVDs. If you don't have Ormond McGill's big blue encyclopaedia on stage hypnotism, get it. Jerry Valley's book also has solid intro with outlines to basic shows (get away from the provided outlines as soon as possible but they are solid structural examples). When I was starting out, I got my grubbies on as many shows as possible and sat down and outlined them in terms of gags and type of gag and then looked for underlying structures.

All the best,
Brian
http://www.briandavidphillips.com

Comment by chris john on April 22, 2009 at 12:44pm

Go do a stage course and learn everything about putting on a good show,
and if you pick a good tutor, you'll learn stage safety too.

Comment by Tommy Vee on April 22, 2009 at 10:50am

Hi Chris-

Good luck with the endeavor. Have you had any formal stage hypnosis or clinical training?

Tommy Vee