Out of control: OWU students under trance
Alexis Williams, Transcript Reporter
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Entertainment
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The audience watched as their peers were hypnotized into various scenarios from flying on a Mars-bound spaceship to insulting their friends on the "Jerry Springer Show" to believing a student's belt had transformed into a snake.
One female volunteer mouthed "What am I doing?" to a friend in the audience.
Freshman Gene Sludge said he didn't know if all of the students on the stage were in a trance or acting, but enjoyed the show nonetheless.
"I thought it was funny when he made the people think they were in love with each other," Sludge said. "I couldn't tell if it was real or fake."
Freshman Andrew Wilson was one of the 16 to be hypnotized on stage. "I was aware of everything I was doing," Wilson said. "It was amazing because it was just me and his voice. My favorite part was when we when did the Riverdance.
"I was having fun but when I woke up I was like, 'Why am I breathing so hard?'"
With a snap of his fingers, Sailesh not only put the volunteer students into a deep sleep but also had some members of the audience falling into the trance. One student in the crowd toppled over into another student's lap.
"It was fascinating to see the people in the audience getting hypnotized. He almost got me," Sludge said.
Sailesh explained the hypnotic state of mind as "filtering information you know into your subconscious," something sophomore Alex Clapp said she recalls experiencing while on stage.
"I felt a heightened sense of concentration as he was speaking," she said. "It was like the creative state in theater. Your mind is free to be inspired."
Clapp's trance-induced performance had the audience laughing as she watched a fake bullet, shot from the hypnotist's "sleep gun," ricochet off ten places in the Smoker until it came back to put her to sleep completely.
Freshman Andrew Tuchow, vice-president of CPB, said he knew Sailesh would be entertaining after seeing him perform at a National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) event months ago.
"Although I saw him before, his show was a lot different this time with OWU students being a part of the act," Tuchow said.
Senior Sally Goldstein-Elkind, President of CPB, said Sailesh has a positive message that he includes in his show as well as a humorous aspect.
"He's a really nice guy," she said. "He always incorporates a message in his shows which is really great for the students."
Towards the end of the show, Sailesh gave the participants a gift for making the show possible.
"Once the people on stage have come out of their trance they will feel a burst of positive energy and genuine sense of motivation," he said.
Known as the "hypno-empowerment strategy," this post-hypnotic state provided the students with an extra boost of self-affirmation. Wilson and Clapp both said they felt better following the show.
"Sailesh said when we look in the mirror, we will like what we see," Wilson said, "I genuinely have a good feeling about myself."
Clapp said she took Sailesh's "Motivation Meditation" CD because she is always trying to stay motivated. Other CDs were also offered, including a weight-loss aid.
Following Sailesh's successful show, CPB will host comedian Roy Wood Jr. on February 8 in Stuy Smoker at 7:30 p.m.
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