On Feb. 15th, Walpole High School (WHS) students attended the gym to watch a hypnotist perform on a select number of student volunteers. A hypnotist has been coming to WHS for several years, allowing seniors and select juniors the chance to test out the effects of hypnotism first hand.
Run by the student council, tickets sold for $5 at the door and students enjoyed an hour and a half of watching their peers become hypnotized. The hypnotist asked the audience for any volunteers, allowing any senior and junior to participate, and 16 students initially participated and got seated in several chairs in front of the large crowd of students.
The hypnotist began by having students drift off into a deep state of relaxation. From here, the students seemingly started to obey the orders of the presenter. Students were convinced that they were driving a car, watching the saddest movie of their lives and certain students even got selected to become roles such as a bird watcher and a police officer who hates the sound of laughter. The performance included interactive activities with the crowd, making the experience much more memorable, even for those who did not become hypnotized.
“It was such a unique experience, and I honestly had so much fun,” one of the many hypnotized students, senior Dylan Bent said. “Even though I ended up opting out during the show, it was still such a cool thing for the school to enjoy.”
Students were told that they had permission to opt out at any point if they felt uncomfortable or if the effects did not work on them. While many did, a remaining few stayed put throughout the show and claimed they felt the true effects of the hypnotist. Laughter echoed throughout the gym as students watched and recorded their friends performing ridiculous tasks under the command of the hypnotist.
The event was memorable for the students who attended, and the student council anticipates continuing the annual show for next year as well.
