Live Hypnosis Demonstration: What Being Hypnotized Feels Like

In short: in this demonstration I hypnotized a small group of volunteers in a studio, in front of the production crew. For about 25 minutes they forgot their own names, lost the number four when counting and saw their favorite artists sitting in front of them. The most valuable part comes at the end, when each participant explains in their own words what it feels like to be hypnotized.

Before starting: who is in control

The first thing I say at any session is this: I will not have control over you; you will be in control the whole time. Hypnosis is not about “switching someone off”. It is about guiding a cooperating person into a state of highly focused attention and deep relaxation.

How the induction went

The session followed a classic progression:

1. Magnetic hands. With arms extended, the volunteers imagine magnets in their palms drawing them together. It is a suggestibility test: it shows who responds well.
2. Fixed gaze. They focus on their thumbnail while I count down, and their eyelids grow tired until they close.
3. The staircase. Each step they walk down in their imagination takes them into deeper relaxation.
4. The iron arm. A rigid arm that gets stiffer the harder they try to bend it.

The suggestions

With the group in trance, the most striking suggestions followed:

• Forgetting their own name, with the feeling of having it “on the tip of the tongue”.
• Losing the number four. Counting his fingers, one volunteer got to 11.
• Speaking another language, convinced he had spoken it all his life.
• Shouting “it’s fake!” every time someone said the word “hypnosis”.
• Seeing their favorite artists, such as Rosalía or Lady Gaga, instead of the people next to them.

At the end, as I counted to ten, everyone was released from every suggestion.

What they said afterwards

This is my favorite part, because it answers the question I get asked the most:

• “I knew my name and I was saying it, but my tongue wouldn’t let me.”
• “I genuinely went from three to five. In my head I was thinking: but that’s not right.”
• “I thought I was saying ‘fake’ at random. Only afterwards did I realize.”
• “It’s like coming out of a physio session: so relaxed I could go to bed right now.”

It is like the moment you are about to fall asleep: aware of everything, but completely at ease.

If you want more, in Is Hypnosis Real? I explain what is science and what is showmanship. And the experiment with Atlético fans shows clearly where the limits of suggestion lie.

Frequently asked questions

What does being hypnotized feel like?

Participants describe it as very deep relaxation in which they remain aware of everything. It is similar to the moment just before falling asleep.

Do people remember what happened under hypnosis?

Usually, yes. A temporary amnesia can be suggested during the show, but once the suggestion is removed, participants remember what happened, as you can see at the end of the video.

Can a hypnosis show be done at an event?

Yes, always with volunteers and without humiliating anyone. I adapt it to corporate events and private celebrations. Write to me and we will see what fits best.