Professional stage hypnosis shows are all about wowing the audience with unique and inventive skits! The best stage hypnotists integrate "hypnotic phenomenon" into cleverly crafted and executed skits. These skits range from G-rated to X-rated and are designed to create an array of emotional responses from the audience. Since I am what is known in the industry as a "clean" hypnotist, we will be focusing on the G - PG rated skits.
So let's get into the top 10 most hilarious hypnosis skits!
Please note that these are just some of the more funny basic skit ideas and concepts. Think of these as the entry level skits, or level 1's, where an experienced stage hypnotist will bring these to a level 10.
1. Lions, Tigers, Bears..Oh My!
Hypnotizing people to be animals on stage is a really funny skit that has been around for ages! This is likely where people got the phrase, "you're not going to make me cluck like a chicken are you?". While quacking like ducks and barking like dogs might have been good for a laugh in the 60's and 70's, today's modern audience isn't going to be impressed by that. For that reason today's hypnotists utilize animal transformations in really clever and unique ways that are absolutely hilarious!
2. I'm Too Sexy For My...
Coming in at number 2...Exaggerations! Yes that's right, hypnotizing people to be bodybuilders in a bodybuilding contest. Dancers in a dance contest, or just putting a grown man into a tutu and telling him he is a beautiful ballerina about to perform Swan Lake for everyone. Exaggerations are when the people on-stage act out movements or gestures in accordance with the suggestion/scenario. The more unbelievable the skit, or the person performing it is, the more eye-watering laughter is the result!
3. Four Score and Seven Years Ago...
There is nothing more funny than hypnotizing a person into someone famous, placing them into a scenario and giving them the microphone! The randomness and variety you get is always next level! The best part! No improv classes necessary! They are naturals!
4. I am NOT Hypnotized!!
A skit which has seen countless variations, is the argument. The classic skit is when the hypnotist hypnotizes someone to believe they are not hypnotized, then argues with the hypnotist about how they are, and were never, hypnotized. A couple twists on this would be to have 2 hypnotized people arguing with one another, or (my personal favorite and go to) having someone argue with an inanimate, or imaginary object. Absolutely hilarious!!
5. Have You Always Been Able to Do That?
Hypnotizing someone who has never played the violin, even telling them they are the greatest violinist in the world and then having them play the violin, is not going to end well. Hypnosis will not grant people skills, or abilities they do not already possess. That said, it will enhance the ones they already have given positive suggestion and the lack of limiting beliefs in the moment. Take a dancer and have them dance, you may just get the best performance they have ever given! So while not gut-splitting funny it is amazing what hypnosis can unlock within people. Sometimes though.... it can still be really funny!
6. This Mission Should You Choose to Accept It..
Missions are the best and one of my favorite skits to perform! A couple of my favorites are hypnotizing people into secret agents, evil geniuses, or a salesmen and sending them out into the audience on missions! It has everything you need for comedic antics to ensue!
7. SLEEP!
Surprisingly, when I say "SLEEP" and people go back into trance, the positions they find themselves in are oftentimes the things that get the most laughs! Be it the absurdity of the positions on the chair, or them slowly slumping to the floor like liquid it never fails to please an audience.
8. Forgetfulness
Hypnotic amnesia is the Prince of hypnotic phenomenon. From hypnotizing people to forget their name, address, even how to speak or walk; hypnotic amnesia skits are very impactful to behold. While witnessing something this powerful on it's own can elicit thoughts of those old wives tales about hypnosis being mind control, when hypnotic amnesia is built into a well-rounded and practiced skit, it becomes exciting and wildly funny!
9. Did You Just See That?!
If hypnotic amnesia is Prince than hypnotic hallucinations are King! Hypnotic hallucinations can be broken into 2 categories; Positive and Negative Hallucinations. Positive hallucinations are when you add something that isn't there and negative hallucinations are when you take something that is there, away. The classic positive and negative hallucinations are; Hypnotizing a person to see the hypnotist, however the hypnotist is wearing the gaudiest clothing you've ever seen, or hypnotizing someone to no longer see the hypnotist at all. With tons of creativity, imagination and practice, professional stage hypnotists have taken this phenomenon to incredible levels. The best thing about these types of skits is the resulting expressions on the hypnotized people faces! So good!
10. Chain Reactions
The most experienced stage hypnotists will often chain reactions so that one person doing one thing, will trigger another to do something else. The classic version of this is the "Tastes Great", "Less Filling" slogan made famous by Miller Lite back in the early 70s. This was later modernized using the Coke vs Pepsi taste challenge. Today, modern stage hypnotists have taken this to a whole other level. Now, I pre-faced this by saying "the most experienced stage hypnotists", because successful chains only occur when everyone given a suggestion, acts upon the suggestion, when they are supposed to. This means hypnotists need to be extremely confident in their suggestions, skills and subjects, otherwise the chain will break and the audience will almost assuredly notice. Because of these risks, most stage hypnotists don't use chains in their shows. I personally have a set with a 3-5 chain I use every show. Does it work every single time? No. That said, it is BEYOND worth it when it does! In my personal opinion there is nothing more mind-blowingly funny than chain reactions!
And there you have it, The Top 10 Most Hilarious Hypnosis Skits You'll See at a Comedy Hypnosis Show! Will you see other things? Of course! That is the greatest strength of the professional stage hypnosis show! You never know what fresh take, or completely new skit, or combo you'll see! This constant innovation and re-imagining will always make stage hypnosis shows exciting and hilarious!
For more information on stage hypnosis check out the article on The History of Stage Hypnosis!