I Hypnotized Atlético Madrid Fans to Betray Their Club

In short: I went to the gates of the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid with a simple goal: hypnotize Atlético de Madrid fans and push suggestion to one specific point, getting them to kiss the crest of their arch-rival. I made them forget their own names, the team line-up and even how to kick a ball. The betrayal never happened. That “no” is the most interesting part of the video.

First, finding out who can be hypnotized

Nothing starts with “sleep”. Before any suggestion I run a few quick concentration and imagination tests. They tell me whether the person is open to it and able to let go in that setting, in the middle of the street, with noise and people watching. I only continued with people who responded well and explicitly agreed to take part.

The suggestions, one by one

I raised the difficulty step by step:

1. Forgetting their own name. It stays “on the tip of the tongue”: the harder they try, the more it slips away.
2. Forgetting the Atlético line-up. A fan who rated himself “nine out of ten” hesitated over the goalkeeper and the strikers.
3. Legs stuck to the ground. I asked them to kick a ball and they could not move their legs. The harder they tried, the harder it got.
4. An idol in front of them. I made them see their favorite player standing right there. The emotion was real: hugs, “please don’t leave”, “stay, you need to score more goals”.

The betrayal that never came

The final suggestion was the big one: on waking they would see “Atlético’s new shirt” and be so delighted they would want to kiss the crest. The shirt was Real Madrid’s.

It did not work. The fan recognized it instantly: “But that’s the Madrid one.” I tried again and got the same answer. I failed, and I left it in the video.

I could take away their names and the line-up. Their passion for the club, I could not.

What this failure says about hypnosis

This result fits something I repeat at every show: under hypnosis, the person stays in control. Suggestion works very well with things the person is willing to experience, like forgetting a fact, feeling heavy legs or getting emotional about an image. It hits a wall when it contradicts something deep in their identity. And for an Atlético fan, few things run deeper than that.

That is why I distrust anyone selling hypnosis as “mind control”. What I do is guide the imagination and attention of someone who is cooperating. I explain the difference in more detail in Is Hypnosis Real? and in the experiment where a volunteer forgot how to speak Spanish.

Frequently asked questions

Can someone be hypnotized to act against their will?

No. This video is a good example: suggestions the person accepts work, and those that clash with their values or identity get rejected.

Were the participants actors?

No. They were fans walking past the stadium. Before starting, they went through concentration tests and gave their consent.

Can something like this be done at an event?

Yes, adapted to the audience. At corporate events and private celebrations, hypnosis is always done with volunteers and without humiliating anyone. If you are interested, tell me about your event.