On Oct. 3, the C.J. Johnson Comedy Hypnotist Show took place at 10 p.m. in the Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall. The event, sponsored by the Residence Hall Association, was in lieu of the cancellation of the Homecoming bonfire.
Johnson opened up the show by preparing the audience for what they were about to experience.
“You can’t be made to do anything against your will and against your morals,” he said. “You’re going to be aware of everything…you just won’t care.”
Johnson called for volunteers and invited the rest of the audience to participate with the hypnosis. After leading the volunteers through some instructions, the real show began.
Under Johnson’s hypnosis, they did everything from dancing to Lady Gaga to wrestling with pool toys. Although some students were skeptical of the idea of hypnosis, the crowd enjoyed the show.
“[CJ Johnson] was awesome,” Dylan Anderson, a junior Wildlife Biology major, said. “I wasn’t sure if I believed [hypnosis], but I believe it now.”
Tiawna Cayton, a resident assistant at Buff Hall, was in the audience when the show began. She was brought up to the stage after falling under Johnson’s hypnosis.
“I don’t remember being hypnotized,” said Cayton. “I feel like a moron, but it was fun.”
Johnson has been entertaining audiences for 25 years. He initially started as a juggler and a magician, but became interested in hypnosis.
“I like performing hypnosis shows because every show forces me to use all I know about theater, show business, people and entertaining at every show,” he said.
Although hypnosis can be entertaining, there are other benefits to the art as well.
“Hypnosis is great to help people with habits, phobias and other issues that are behavior related,” said Johnson. “Millions of people have quit smoking by using hypnosis.”
After the show ended, Johnson had hypnosis DVDs for sale that help with study habits, concentration, and self-esteem. However, he was quick to say that hypnosis “is not a magic pill.”
“You can’t just listen to a CD and expect miracles or I’d have a 32-inch waist and weigh the same as I did in high school – and I don’t,” he said.
Johnson performs at many colleges around the nation, but he especially enjoyed performing for WT students.
“They were energetic, appreciative, respectful and all around awesome,” he said. “A great audience leads to a great show and last night’s audience was spectacular.”
To learn more about C.J. Johnson, like him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter (@Hypnotic1) or visit SleepWithCJ.com.
