week 6 - Getting Hypnotized

    After seeing the hypnosis show on last years shabbaton, I was captivated. I was very intrigued about how hypnosis worked, and frankly, I wasn't even sure if it was real. When I heard that the very same hypnotist would be coming back for this years shabbaton, I knew I had to participate and see once and for all what it was like, or if it was even real. Initially, when the hypnotist chose the participants and I was not one of them, I was fairly disappointed given I personally asked the hypnotist to chose me. However, a friend of mine pointed out to me that one of the seniors on stage had participated the previous year. I swooped in and claimed my rightful spot in the show, and it did not disappoint.

    Being Hypnotized is a very difficult experience to accurately describe, but I will try my very best. The biggest misconception that many people have is that when someone is hypnotized they are unconscious and will do things that they would typically find objectionable. This is simply untrue. When I was hypnotized, my train of thought was still running and I probably would have been able to break free from the spell had I really tried. The most noticeable effect of the hypnosis was definitely the level of relaxation. Although I was conscious, my body felt as if it was in a deep state of relaxation akin to being asleep. Furthermore, due to the relaxation I was heavily inclined to hang onto every word of the hypnotist and do everything he told me to do. I still had the thought that my name was Jake, but I could have never said my name. So tell me, would you want to get hypnotized? or if you have, did it live up to your expectations?