Chatham University events often span a large range of topics, and the “Hypnotist Extravaganza” was no exception. As someone who has always approached the concept of hypnotism with a fair amount of skepticism, I found myself both intrigued and hesitant to indulge in something I initially perceived as a mere entertaining gimmick. I ultimately decided to walk in with an open mind; perhaps I’d leave with a newfound appreciation for the practice of hypnotism?
The event took place on the night of Friday, Oct. 25, in Eddy Theatre. Upon arrival, I was immediately put at ease by the sheer charisma of the night’s performer, Jason Christopher.
He specializes in a form of hypnotism that puts the audience’s best interests at the forefront of his performance, seamlessly incorporating comedy and illusionary work along the way. As I took my seat, he personally approached me to perform a one-on-one rubber band illusion and left me both impressed and excited for what more was to come.
The show commenced with an introductory talk about the benefits and misconceptions around hypnotism. Christopher assured us that there would be no “losing control,” getting stuck in a hypnotic state or involuntarily spilling any deeply personal secrets, just as so many depictions of hypnotism in various media we consume sometimes lead us to believe.
Instead, this would act as several of the audience members’ introduction to the many advantages of hypnosis, including its capacity to induce relaxation. In his opening spiel, he noted that one session could provide benefits comparable to eight hours of sleep, sparking an increased amount of anticipation and excitement from several of the audience members — including myself — as we perked up a bit in our chairs and really tuned in.
Shortly thereafter, participating audience members were prompted to take center stage, as an array of chairs sat invitingly on the Eddy stage. As I took my seat, Christopher almost immediately jumped straight into the performance.
We were instructed to relax every muscle in our bodies, focus on our breathing and visualize a single image — all elements that I expected to be incorporated into the show, even with my limited knowledge on the act of hypnotism.
What really shifted my skepticism was one particular moment in which we were instructed to picture our own eyes becoming heavier, deeper and even glued shut. Once we were invited to open our eyes once more, gasps and laughter filled the room as many of us found it to be a challenging task. After just a few moments however, the effect wore off, allowing us to open our eyes once more.
Throughout the rest of the performance, Christopher took us on an imagintory joyride through Pittsburgh and a getaway vacation to the Bahamas. While these particular instances didn’t have quite the same impact on me as the first portion of his act, I still found myself laughing and having an unexpectedly great time alongside the rest of the participants.
In one of his final segments, Christopher asked us to envision our personal pinnacle aspirations. While I could easily attribute this to a placebo effect, I was taken aback by how vividly and clearly I could see this vision.
It may sound unbelievable, but I think I gained much more from this experience than just an unforseen enjoyable way to spend a Friday night on campus. I’ve been able to develop a newfound appreciation for venturing into new experiences and fully embracing the opportunities around me — something I’ll definitely keep in mind the next time a curious event comes my way.
To explore more of Christopher’s work, check out @jasoncshow on Instagram. To stay informed about future events on campus, be sure to visit the Chatham Events page at my.chatham.edu and follow @chathamstudentengagement on Instagram.
