“Making Them Do Things: The Show”
3. And the show goes on
My second subject for the evening was rather skeptical. When I talked to her prior to the show, she admitted being unsure that hypnosis was real, and to having doubts that she could be hypnotized. My covert suggestibility tests lead me to believe otherwise, yet I pressed her as to why she wanted to volunteer. She told me that she was curious. With a bit more low-key and friendly persuasion, I got her to admit that she hoped to be able to prove that hypnosis was “bunk,” but that she was also willing to give it a fair shot. I could see during the interview that she figured her honesty had lost her her chance. Selecting her was a bit of a risk, but one that might pay off, particularly since her sexual attitudes seemed quite liberal. When I called her name as my second volunteer, she looked quite surprised, and just a bit pleased.
“What do you think about what you just saw, Melody?”
“Ummm, I’m not sure.”
“You’re dubious, aren’t you? You have doubts about whether what you saw was real. Isn’t that right?”
“Yes.”
“You wonder if perhaps she was faking, and, in fact, you’re not sure that hypnosis is real, isn’t that so?”
“Yes.”
“But you’re also curious, aren’t you? Although you’re skeptical about hypnosis being real, if it is real, you wonder what it would feel like, and you also wonder if it is real, if you might be made to do things you wouldn’t do when awake. You wonder how that would work; what it would be like for you. That’s all true, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“I suspect you’re a bit surprised that I understand your doubts, your skepticism and your curiosity. You’re also surprised at my willingness to reveal this to the audience—at my willingness to discuss any reservations that hypnosis might not be exactly as suggested. You’re feeling that bit of surprise, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Would you willingly do what my last volunteer did—fondle yourself onstage?” She shook her head, no. “So, if you found yourself doing that, you’d know that hypnosis was real, and that you were under my control, wouldn’t you?”
“I guess so,” she replied, a bit hesitantly.
“You’re wondering right now if that’s really possible. If it’s possible that your reservations and reluctance could be overcome with something as simple as the power of hypnotic suggestion, aren’t you? You’re dubious, but still curious, aren’t you?” She nodded her head. “You’re wondering right now what I’m going to do to hypnotize you; when I’m going to begin, and what technique I’ll use. You’re also wondering how it might feel, how you’d know it was working. Isn’t that so?”
“Yes.”
“As you watched the last woman respond to my hypnotic suggestions, did you find her performance sexy?”
“Yes, I did.”
“As you watched her, there were moments when you wondered what it would be like to be her—to be up on stage responding to me, isn’t that so?” Melody blushed, as she nodded silently. “Do you think she was enjoying herself?”
“Yes.”
“You could tell that she was aroused, and enjoying the experience, couldn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“How do you think she was feeling when I’d finished hypnotizing her?”
“Excited.”
“Yes, she was excited. She was also very relaxed. She found being in deep hypnosis very, very relaxing. You could see the smile on her face and tell that she was enjoying being so deeply hypnotized and so very, very relaxed, couldn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You had some doubts about your own suggestibility. If you would be as deeply suggestible as she was. As open and willing to accept deep suggestions. Just as open and suggestible as she was. Willing and able to go just as deep, to respond just as deeply. Just as open, suggestible, and able to respond deeply. As responsive, willing, and open to deep hypnotic suggestion as she was. Isn’t that so?”
Her expression was a bit puzzled now. As my question morphed into a set of directives, she had lost the drift, and seemed a bit dazed. Perfect. Nonetheless, agreement was becoming a habit, and softly she said, “Yes.”
“Everyone is suggestible, Melody, at least to some degree. Some people are a bit suggestible, others are somewhat suggestible, some are very suggestible, and there are those that are very, very suggestible, and everyone is able to respond to some suggestions, some very deeply. You know that, don’t you?” Slowly she nodded her head. “For example, it’s quite easy to respond to suggestions about yawning—almost everyone does. When I talk about yawning, you begin to notice the muscles in your jaw tightening. Just a bit now, holding back that yawn. As you think about yawning, as you listen to me describing how it would be to take a big, big yawn, to draw in all that fresh air, and let out the stale sleepy air inside, you notice the muscles tightening even more. Trying so hard to hold back that yawn.”
The muscles of her jaw had visibly tightened, and I could see that she was trying to contain a yawn that was struggling to escape.
“Notice that the more you try to hold the yawn back, the more it wants to escape. Yes, that desire to yawn is getting so strong now, and in just a moment, you will respond to my suggestions and yawn—a big, big sleepy yawn. There, there it is. You yawn, and yawn, and now you feel so much more relaxed.”
Unable to resist any longer, her mouth opened wide and she drew in a deep breath, her eyes closing momentarily as she gave herself up to the yawn I had suggested.
“How did that feel, Melody?”
“I didn’t want to yawn, but you kept talking about it, and after a while I couldn’t help myself.”
“That’s right, Melody, and you’ll notice now that each yawn makes you feel more sleepy and relaxed. Each time you yawn, so deeply, your eyes will feel more sleepy and tired. You feel the next yawn coming now. You can’t stop yourself from yawning. You’re feeling so drowsy and needing to yawn so much now. A big, relaxed, sleepy yawn. A deep, sleepy yawn. Here it comes now.”
Again, she struggled to resist, a struggle she was unable to win. As she finished yawning, she had just a bit of difficulty in opening her eyes. Her eyelids looked heavy and tired, and her facial features were beginning to slacken.
“That’s right, Melody, each tired, heavy, sleepy yawn relaxes you so much. As you yawn, and yawn, and yawn, you become more and more relaxed, more and more sleepy, more and more tired, your eyes more and more heavy. Yawn again ... that’s right ... soon you’ll be deep asleep ... another big sleepy yawn now ... becoming so hard to open your eyes ...as you listen to my voice you’re going to sleep ... keep yawning, and let yourself sleep ... feel how heavy and tired your eyes are ... heavy ... tired ... sleepy ... they no longer want to open ... they no longer open ... they want to close ... they’re closed ... and you’re asleep ... eyes closed ... and asleep ... closed ... and asleep ... deep, deep asleep now, Melody ... deep asleep ... deep asleep ... each moment going deeper”
The woman’s yawning had become continual now. She was trying to drag her eyelids open, but to no avail, and after a brief struggle, she stopped trying, relaxed, and her head slowly slumped forward. She continued to breathe deeply through her wide-open mouth, letting out little sleepy sighs as she did.
“Very good, Melody, you’re deep asleep now. You no longer need to yawn. Your jaw relaxes and closes, and you go even deeper. Deeper and deeper now, Melody, as you focus on my voice. Deep asleep, and going even deeper now. How do you feel right now, Melody?”
“Relaxed. Sleepy.”
“Yes, and it’s a wonderful feeling, that relaxed, sleepy feeling as you focus only on my voice. It feels wonderful to listen to my voice, doesn’t it, Melody?”
“Yes.”
“You want to listen to my voice and relax even more. You want to listen to my voice, and go deeper asleep, enjoying listening ... and relaxing ... and sleeping ... more and more deeply. Isn’t that right, Melody?”
“Yes.”
“As you continue to listen to my voice, as you continue to respond to my suggestions, you become more and more relaxed. Feeling so wonderful. Following my suggestions has brought you to this wonderful, relaxed, sleepy feeling. Isn’t that right, Melody?”
“Yes.”
“How does following my suggestions make you feel, Melody?”
“Wonderful. Relaxed. Sleepy.”
“You loved the relaxed, sleepy feeling of following my suggestions, don’t you, Melody?”
“Yes.”
“You want to follow all my suggestions, don’t you, Melody?”
“Yes.”
“You’re deeply hypnotized now, Melody. How does it feel to be hypnotized?”
“Wonderful. I love it.”
“Yes, it feels wonderful to be deeply hypnotized. And you want to follow all my hypnotic suggestions, deeply and completely. Each one, deeply and completely, isn’t that right, Melody?”
“Yes, deeply and completely.”
“Very good, Melody. You continue to slip even deeper now. More and more relaxed. Deeper and deeper asleep. As you sink deeper into hypnosis, you’re more and more focused on my voice. Wanting to follow my voice. Wanting my suggestions. Wanting the deep, relaxed feeling of following my suggestions, all my suggestions. What is it you’re wanting right now, Melody?”
“Your suggestions. Follow your voice.”
“Very, very good, Melody. You’re deeply asleep, deeply hypnotized, open to all my suggestions. Feeling so wonderful as you obey me. Realizing now that nothing seems important but obeying me, because it feels so wonderful. You want the wonderful feeling of obeying me, don’t you, Melody?”
“Yes. Want to obey.”
“Good girl. The more obedient you are, the more wonderful you will feel. Only my voice now, nothing else matters. All you want now is the wonderful, relaxed, sleepy feeling of obeying my voice. All you want is to be deeply hypnotized and to obey. Tell me now what you want, Melody.”
“Deeply hypnotized. Obey you.”
“Excellent.”
It was clear that she was now in a deep hypnotic state. It was easy to take her through the rest of the routine—undressing, touching herself, reaching a prolonged and vocal orgasm. I knew there was a possibility that she’d resist if I gave her a direct command to disrobe for the audience. Instead, I used indirection, suggesting that she was alone, that it was late and time for bed, that she was undressing for the night while thinking of her special lover, that thinking of him made her want to stroke herself.
She was completely pliant and responsive, as I had anticipated. When she began to cum, the audience broke out in wild and spontaneous applause, but Melody seemed completely unaware, too lost in her own pleasure to notice.
Before instructing her to dress, I took a few moments to whisper some private instructions in Melody’s ear, as I often do with deeply suggestible and lovely young women.
“You have a fantasy. A sexy fantasy.” She smiled and nodded. “You want to live out your fantasy tonight after the show. You will enjoy making your fantasy become real this evening. It will be very exciting for you to live out your fantasy.”
Again the smile and the nod. I’ve discovered it’s best not to be too direct with suggestions of this sort; I knew it was most likely that a boyfriend or husband would experience an unusual burst of passion later this evening. If so, all would enjoy it. And if something else came of it ... well, it never hurts to try!