Hollywood hypnotist Kevin Stone visited Kansas State University on Tuesday, Aug. 27, to put dozens of people in the K-State Student Union in a hypnotic trance during the nearly two-hour long event.
Many people in the audience screamed and cheered in hopes of Stone choosing them to be on stage for hypnosis. Fortunately for them, many people throughout the crowd became hypnotized even when not chosen to be part of the twenty students on stage.
Those hypnotized were entranced by Stone’s word, responding to his cues and methods that he said he spent decades perfecting.
“All hypnosis is self-hypnosis,” Stone said. “I am just facilitating the experience.”
Morgan Morris, senior in biology, said she was not surprised when she was not hypnotized during the demonstration.
“I’ve tried before. It never works,” Morris said.
However, Morgan Kaiser, junior in marketing, experienced hypnosis from her chair in the audience. For a large portion of the show, she sat with her head facing the ground. Throughout the time, she was oblivious about what was happening.
“He called people up to the stage, and now everyone is leaving,” Kaiser said.
When asked how she felt during the hypnosis, she said, “heavy and tingling, but now I feel light.”
While Kaiser was unaware of the show, her friend Lucy Mohler, senior in elementary education, said she found the experience very funny.
“I can’t wait to make fun of her for years to come,” Mohler said.
Stone, who is just as entertained and fascinated by his own show as his audience, has been a practicing hypnotist for more than 20 years. He said he’s hypnotized millions of people throughout his career and is honored to be able to travel around the world.
“Since I was a child, I have had a fascination with how the mind works,” Stone said.
Stone said a challenge and a plus of every show he does is how unique it is. Every guest, he said, brings their own personalities and that shapes each show.
“It’s so wonderful and amazing to watch,” Stone said. “They have the freedom to let go.”
The event was planned by K-State’s Student Union Program Council, which plans more than 150 events each year. You can find more of their events on the UPC website.
