Last Wednesday, September 18^th, CAB held an interactive comedy hypnosis show called “Cards Against Hypnosis,” hosted by David Hall, in the Student Union Ballrooms from 7 to 9 p.m.

Hall is from Boston Massachusetts but travels all over the country hosting and performing this hypnosis show. He received specialized training in stage hypnosis from the Stage Hypnosis Center in Las Vegas, as well as training in improvisational theater and sketch comedy from the Improv Asylum in Boston.

The show works by the host calling up a total of twelve students to the stage to perform hypnosis on them. Once he puts them to sleep, he will show the audience a black card that has the scenario on it and a white card with the possible responses on it. The audience will then vote on which action they want the students on stage to do.

Hall will then tell the students what scenario they are going to do when they wake up as well as what specific action they will do when they hear a specific word. In one scenario, he used the word “popcorn” to trigger the students into action. For one student specifically, when they heard that word they would try to tell a joke but when the host would hold out the microphone for them to tell the joke they would start continuously laughing. This happened several times on stage and made the audience laugh harder and harder each time.

Another scenario Hall gave the students on stage was for them to imagine that they were on a beach and that it was really hot. When they woke up they acted like they were relaxing on a beach and they kept progressively getting “hotter.” Then Hall had them imagine that they were getting colder and colder until they were “freezing.” He kept having them switch between the two temperatures throughout the rest of the scenario. The audience found this part of show amusing and entertaining.

Overall, the audience and members on the stage found the show intriguing, fun, and exciting.

Written by Josi McGowan, Campus Life Editor. Photo by Josi McGowan.