College opening week can be overwhelming for many students, especially those who are starting college for the first time. It’s a time of new beginnings, new experiences, and new challenges for college students. With all that newness comes the uncertainty of leaving behind old friend networks and familiar places. Students’ social order has been disrupted.

Entertainment events can bring students together, provide a fun and engaging atmosphere, and create lasting memories. Stage hypnotism is a popular form of entertainment during college opening week, and for good reason. In fact, it is one of the most popular entertainment options for Opening Week events on campuses.

See the Show, Or Be the Show

Stage hypnotism offers a unique experience for college students. Unlike other forms of entertainment, such as comedians or musical acts, stage hypnotism puts audience members on stage and transforms them into the stars of the show. Hypnosis helps students to let loose, have fun, and step outside of their comfort zones.

Paul Ramsay has developed a stage hypnosis show that allows for even more engagement than traditional stage hypnotism. Using polling software, the audience at Ramsay’s shows use an app on their cell phones to vote on what happens on stage. This makes the entire experience feel like a fun and engaging game.

How involved in the show each student gets is completely up to them. Whether you’re on stage or stay in the audience is totally up to you, but you’ll still feel involved either way.

Stage Hypnosis is Inclusive

College students often come from diverse backgrounds and have different interests. However, stage hypnotism has the ability to bring students together by creating a shared experience. When students participate in a hypnotism show, they become part of a larger group that is all experiencing the same thing.

At the same time, each individual is having a slightly different hypnosis experience, and that’s part of what makes the show interesting. The goal is to boost each person’s imagination and creativity and let them transform into a cast of characters. Paul Ramsay encourages everyone in the show to give hypnosis a try because he has no way of knowing who will be the best hypnotic subject, but he knows that the more good hypnotic subjects he gets, the better the show will be.

The central message of Paul’s show is that the show is not just a chance to laugh and have fun, but also a chance to learn that your mind is way more powerful than you probably realize, and that is something everyone deserves to be encouraged about.

That is why Paul doesn’t take the traditional approach of selecting volunteers in advance, but instead he does the hypnotic induction with the entire audience so that every person who wants to try gets the chance to at least begin the process. He really wants everyone to feel welcomed and involved.

More Laughs, Less Stress

Starting college can be extremely stressful for many students. Between adjusting to new schedules, classes, and living situations, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. That’s why having a stress-relieving activity like stage hypnotism during opening week can be so beneficial. It provides a fun and lighthearted way for students to relieve stress and take a break from the chaos of starting college.

It’s not just the effect of laughter that helps students. They can get that at a typical comedian’s act. But for those volunteers on stage, they’re getting the additional benefit of being in hypnosis. When people are hypnotized, their blood pressure goes down, their muscles relax, and they naturally de-stress. They can be singing and dancing one minute, and then deeply hypnotized and slumped over in their chairs the next minute. It’s pretty amazing.

Opportunity to Meet New People

Stage hypnotism shows often encourage audience participation, which means that students are given the opportunity to meet new people and form new connections. Whether it’s by becoming a volunteer during the show or simply chatting with other audience members, stage hypnotism creates a social atmosphere that enables students to break out of their shells and start building relationships with their peers.

It’s common for people from the show to become minor celebrities on campus for the rest of the week. The audience is often so amazed at their performances on stage, they end up seeing them in the dining hall later or walking on campus, and they’ll tell them great they were in the show. It’s pretty cool how the simple act of going to an entertainment event can help people connect with one another and form new friendships.

Start The Year With Something Amazing

College opening week can be both exciting and overwhelming for students, but having great entertainment can make all the difference. If you’re a college student affairs professional organizing events for opening week, consider making a stage hypnosis show part of your Opening Week activities.

Paul Ramsay has hypnotized over 30,000 people since 2004. His stage hypnosis shows are clean fun that focus on bringing out the best in students, and as a former residence hall director Paul loves working with college students. They’re his favorite audience to work with.

Contact Paul’s agent at Neon Entertainment and book Paul Ramsay for your college opening week. Your students will thank you for it!