Does anyone perform tricks before a hypnosis show?
my friend loves to do an arm twisting effect (i don't know the name).
I've seen one popular hypnotist swallow fire.
anyone else?

Never saw the need.

I sometimes do a Drifters medley. That way the crowd can get involved in their own particular favourites. But near the end of the medley, just after Saturday Night at the Movies, I throw in The Four Tops version of McArthur Park (I'm told I do a great Levi Stubbs).
As they freeze there, mouths wide open, the audience have no idea that this, mild shock induction, is the commencement of the actual hypnosis show (tah - rah).

I come on to fast music and blow some fire, then do some gags which culminated in eating a balloon. Then one mentalism effect and into the hypnosis.

The reason I do this is that I do not do a lecture of any sort, or other pre-induction work. And you can't walk onto a stage cold and call for volunteers. My opening is designed to get my audience to like and trust me, to start laughing, and to realise that I am in control and can do what I say I can do.

This year I am making major changes in the show. The hypnotists I grew up seeing (and guys like Kreskin that I only read about) began by doing an hour of strong mentalism. Then there was a break, then an hour of hypnotism. I like this for so many reasons. One is that I feel two hours of the one act is too much, whereas an hour of mentalism followed by an hour of hypnotism (fifty minutes for both in reality) gives a move varied and interesting show.

Also I enjoy performing the mentalism.

Sometimes (under severe time constraints at a short college gig) I might just go on and call for volunteers and begin. Once (gig cut to twenty minutes between two bands) I just called for volunteers, shouted sleep!, and worked with those who dropped their heads. But I don't enjoy these shows as much. I prefer a leisurely approach.

One hypnotist over here, Adrian Knight, used to begin with a strong illusion set for thirty minutes, then call for volunteers. And Barry Sinclair always begins with half an hour or more of pure stand-up, occasionally throwing in an invisible deck or other trick. And both guys do very entertaining shows.

Another factor to consider is how long you are expected to perform for. In Ireland venues expect a full two hours. But if I was booked to do an hour long show I would approach it far differently; straing into the action. Sometimes I am lucky enough to have a stand-up open for me. Then I skip all the tricks and move on with the show. He has already done the warm-up and got the audience in the right mood. Tony.

Do not know if this fits. I have seen several do the spiral illusion. The one that usually spins with a drill. I have even seen on abuut 4 feet around.

I have tried an hour of mentalism followed by an hour of hypnosis. It works well.

Depending upon the type of audience. However I don't see any need for warm up tricks. Most of my shows have been pure hypno. And I really don't see what the problem is.

You get up you do a quick pre-talk throw in a few funny lines and get started.

Depending upon the show two hours of hypnosis is fine if you have enough good volunteers. All my bigger venues were two hours of hypnosis and it could easily have ran for much longer in most cases.

I saw one hypnotist do a book test to see if "our minds are in harmony."

Seemed like a time waster and a throw-away to me.

Shoot, I'm getting into this biz to get away from doing tricks. I'm tired of dealing with props and my body is tired of dealing with the stunts.

I have always just figured since people were showing up to see a hypnotist, that may as well be what they see.

I think that some of you are missing the point. of course there is no NEED to see something cool. humans only NEED food shelter and oxygen. there is no NEED for hypnotists or ANY entertainment at all.

thank you to all of you who contributed. if you don't have anything to contribute, there is no NEED for you to post.

I agree with Tony in the sense that sometimes I use a couple of mentalism effects as a warm up. It works very well because it catches everybody’s attention, gains the trust of the audience and builds up my hypnotist image. It is also very entertaining for the audience and gives variety to the show.

Giovanni.

Really? Is that what you think? Not a very well-mannered reply wasn't it?
What are you 12 years old? The highly experienced Danny Doyle just took the trouble to answer you. Mind your manners and say thankyou. And, in future, if you don't have any sensible questions there is no NEED for you to ask.

There IS a NEED for hypnosis that's why they hired you. To entertain them...

There is no need for anything else the hypnosis is enough. There is also nothing wrong with adding additional stuff if it works.

But there is no NEED.

Wow, turning nasty in here.

I Truely never intended to cause offence. I'd like to keep this friendly.

that being said, if there are any other highly experience professionals whom I am not worthy of learning from, there is no need for you to waste your valuable time to reply a with superfluous post that doesn't answer the original and highly unsensible question.


thank you to everyone else who did answer the question and I'm sorry that you had to witness all this childishness.

if anyone does use a trick or two in their show, I'd like to hear about it.
if you don't, there is no need to reply "no I don't".

thanks.

Scaress take it with a pinch of salt bobser is just playin with you. Or hes ran out of his tablets...again.

If you like doing tricks do them.

I was at a Reveen show many years ago. He was doing a mentalism effect at the beginning and the woman next to me said. " I hate the opening of his shows there so boaring I wish he would get on to the hypnosis stuff."

He opened with the giant memory and sold it as sort of self hypnosis. It was an amazing.

Reveen was brilliant !
BUT many people felt that the Hypnosis was what they came for....

AG

YOU were the one who turned the tone nasty. Go back and look.



This is true, but in context back in the day hypnotists in general did a much longer show than today also.

Raveen was one of the guys I mentioned who did a good show before the show. I loved it but that does not mean everyone else loved it. I have seen Barry Sinclair do wonderful stand-up sets, but some people are fidgeting waiting for the main show to begin. You can't win them all.

As for those of you who do nothing but hypnosis, I am delighted to see you participating in this discussion. Unlike the original poster I am very interested in who does, or does not, do non-hypnosis stuff during a hypnosis show.

I know a man who does a very solid show over here, and he begins with a ten to fifteen minute lecture on what hypnosis is and is not before calling for volunteers. He is a seriously funny guy and I think he would be better off spending that ten to fifteen minutes entertaining his audience, not bother with the lecture, then call for volunteers. I feel that people don't need to be told much in order for them to come up and participate. But I am open to correction on that. Any thoughts?