If you’ve ever observed someone being hypnotized, it may seem like some sort of super power. In actuality, hypnosis doesn’t involve any magic, it involves changing a person’s level of consciousness to put them in a more relaxed and focused state. This relaxed state makes the person hypnotized more in tune with their inner emotions. 

Hypnosis is usually done by someone who is trained in the field. . It’s a complicated process that can be used as a therapy for some, but it can also have some dangers such as increased anxiety, dizziness, or headaches. 

This year at Liberty’s after prom, some students had the opportunity of experiencing hypnosis for the first time. 

Brian Imbus, award winning hypnotist successfully hypnotized several students to make them act and feel differently. 

The hypnotist called students to the stage and had everyone sit down. To begin the hypnosis, the lights were turned off and students being hypnotized watched a spinning toy. The hypnotist urged everyone to fully relax their bodies and then gave instructions. “He gave us many challenges,” explains Lauren Vogts, 12. “We had a dance battle, he had us believe that he disappeared, or believe you were in an airplane or that we were on a hot beach.”

Students had different reactions to the hypnosis. Some students were fully hypnotized, others it partially worked, and some students completely faked it. Megan Quinn, 11, was one of the students called to the stage.  

“When he was trying to get us to relax, I was relaxing. But then when he started to give out instructions I started to fall out of it,”  said Quinn. 

Other students, such as Owen Abel, 12, had no luck at all. “I don’t recommend,” Abel said, “Acting like I was hypnotized was hard.”

The idea behind real hypnosis is much deeper than a cool trick. Hypnosis is a powerful psychological tool that can be used to reach a different level of consciousness. Hypnosis has the power to alter a person’s view of their environment, memories, and awareness of self.