Hypnosis

Hypnosis is a state of human consciousness involving focused attention, reduced peripheral awareness and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion per Wikipedia. On February 8, 2019, a group of Young At Heart members from Spirit of Christ Catholic Community attended the Tracy Gray, Master Hypnotist, show at the Lakewood Cultural Center in Lakewood Colorado.

The show began with puzzles on a large screen and it was fun seeing how she could come up with what we were thinking. She then had about fifteen volunteers go to the stage and sit in chairs. She asked them to concentrate on a colorful rotating light. Before long, the people were slouching or leaning on one another at her suggestions that they were tired. A few of the volunteers were sent back to their seats because they did not get hypnotized.

I know hypnotism works because once a hypnotist came into my psychology class and he gave us a few instructions. Since I am a skeptic and before I could scoff, he asked that we hold out our arms away from our body. He then said, "Your arm is heavy and strong and it has an iron rod running through it." I thought it was pretty ridiculous because I was very much aware of my arm stretched out. He then said, "Now lower your arm to your side." I could not do it. My mind told me I could but no matter what I tried, I could not lower my arm until the hypnotist said, "Okay, the iron rod has been removed, now lower your arm."

Some of the other suggestions did not work for me but I do remember thinking, would I be a good candidate to be hypnotized?

Later that evening, I was in bed in that state between awake and sleep. I was sitting in a wagon and being pulled down the sidewalk. My head was thrown back and I was laughing a pure, honest laugh. I felt peaceful and content. A wonderful feeling of happiness and delight. I have never felt that way again but I have always wondered if it was part of being hypnotized.

Somehow, the performance I watched last night seemed staged. If it wasn't staged, then Tracy Gray is a fantastic hypnotist! She had the people on stage play a piano, fish with rod and reel, dance, use a shoe for a cell phone, go by name she gave them, forget symbols or numbers, be on a beach, be secret agents, plus many other silly things. Two on stage were hysterically funny; a woman who when she heard the word hypnotize became a nurse and gave CPR to a stuffed sloth and a young boy who kept turning his shirt frontward and backward every time he heard the word Colorado.

The great thing about the show is that it makes people laugh and the audience leaves the theater in a good and happy mood.