Occasionally time stands refreshingly still--not often. Today I witnessed the SAME hypnotist on the SAME stage using basically the SAME jargon and post hypnotic suggestions that were used on me when I was a junior in high school some 39 years ago. At my side was a classmate of mine who teaches math in the same school I teach English who ALSO sat at the feet of the SAME hypnotist in the SAME school on the SAME stage. (note: I teach middle school in the same building where I attended high schcol.) We reminisced and predicted pretty much 99% correctly how the show would roll forward. This hypnotist, Jack Lithgow, is 83 years old and doing the SAME gig!!!! Unbelievable!! Right down to having a subject grab the curtain as they left the stage! I observed to Mr. Classmate/Math teacher that the guy looked like he'd spent the majority of his years on a horse--he's bow-legged! To his credit the rest of Mr. Lithgow looks great, he still admits to being an avid reader, and he puts on a pretty commendable hypnotism show for a very rapt audience. He made one slip-up--he undid his tie at one point but had forgotten to plant the post-hypnotic suggestion for someone to try and fix it for him. I hope that his persistent presence on America's schools' stages is a reflection of his never-ending zest for knocking out middle schoolers and not a commentary on what the economy is forcing and WILL force people to continue doing...
7 comments:
Wow, I guess time does stand still. What a fun experience. A hypnotist came to my high school grad night. He tried to hypnotize me but it didn't work. What do you think that means?
I remember him! I was the girl who tied his tie after someone else had untied it.
You were?? That's amazing that he's still relying on the "same material" isn't it? Course you're not that old.
Tracy, You may have just been nervous that night. He said that tension can stop a person from being hypnotized. I don't think it's an exact science.
I remember being nervous about the crazy stuff he would make me do, so that must be it. I know it's a little late but can we still make the Dr. Seuss hats for the kids?
The same guy??!!! That is amazing. Someone should do a story on this guy. And the Bear Lake School District employs him every year? Hope that budget doesn't get cut. I always thought there was a certain type of person who was easier to hypnotize easier than others. Somehow the hypnotist could tell just by looking at them and would pick them out of the crowd. I was never picked probably because I was always a little skeptical.
Tracy. I have been a hypnotist for over 30 years. Nervousness could be some of it, but pure and simple, some people respond better than others. People who have creative minds, but are able to focus well do the best. I used to travel to high schools in Utah in the 80s and had seen Jack Lithgow perform as well.
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