Lockett, Byinnah

Professor Soler

Cultural Anthropology

November 11, 2015

Mini Ethnography Field Notes

I am choosing to do my observation during a hypnotist show on campus. This show is in

Memorial Auditorium. The space has a small intimate feel, but is large enough to hold a lot of

students, maybe 500-800, I’m not sure. The temperature in here is comfortable, maybe 75-80

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degrees. I took off my jacket immediately. There are many students (ages 17-22, male+ female)

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and some faculty(age variation, male+female) and hopefully soon a host. I hear much chatter

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around me. Many people are engaging in conversations about what they expect to happen in the

show from what I can hear. There is some laughter, talking and moving around that goes on for
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about 15 minutes before the show starts. People are pretty much interacting with their friend/
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friends they walked in with, there’s some sense of “cliques”. I feel a mixture of boredom because

I have no one to talk to and excitement because the show is soon to start. Somehow everyone’s
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attention went to the stage as the individual walks center stage. They go on to introduce the

hypnotist. Apparently, he’s been here before. People being small chatter while the person is still
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doing the introduction. I hear one lady behind me telling her friends about what happened last
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year at the hypnotist show.

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The hypnotist finally has entered the stage. He’s sort of reintroducing himself, telling

what he does, and reminiscing a bit about what happened last year. He asked who has ever been

hypnotized. People begin to jump out their seats, I guess to get his attention. Now, he’s asking

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 who wants to be hypnotized, again, people are out their seats begging. He’s not picking yet, he’s

telling everyone that even if they aren't picked they can be hypnotized from their seats. I already

don't believe in this, but he has picked 25 people (not me of course), and I am sitting in my seat

pretending to get hypnotized as well. The people he chose immediately begin to do the things

he’s saying. He’s telling them they are in a deep sleep. Some are just sitting with their eyes

closed, some are falling out of their seats. This is making it harder for me to believe any of it is

true. He goes on to tell the people who are hypnotized that they are getting very cold, now very

hot. Some of them are clenching to their neighbor to get warm, then semi stripping to get cool.

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He taps two people to leave the stage which he warned us he’d do if he felt someone on stage

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wasn't accepting the hypnosis. This is adding to my non belief in the hypnosis because I don't

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know how I can be for sure that all the people on stage aren't faking it. Anyway, he is replacing

the two off stage with about 5 people who believe they are hypnotized. He’s telling them they
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will dance as if they are dancing with their celebrity crush. One girl is shaking her butt, some
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people are doing a R rated grind and some are just plain entertainment. He then picks a guy out

the audience named Charles Simeson to become a band director, his band being those on stage.
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Now, Charles is suddenly hypnotized and he is directing this “band”. The audience is cheering

and laughing. I think they may find the whole act hard either hard to believe or really amazing.
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Now that the band is done, he’s telling Charle’s to do his best Michael Jackson
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impression. Charles is now dancing really well as Michael Jackson as the crowd goes wild. He
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just did a few more acts to prove how deep the hypnosis is which involved some acting, some

repetitive line saying and other pretty entertaining things. He is now preparing to de-hypnotize

the participants. He is warning us that they will remember nothing. He snaps them out of the

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 hypnosis and now they are all standing on the stage looking puzzled. The audience is laughing

and cheering hysterically while the host accepts his applause and the participants continue being

confused.

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 Interview

Interviewee: Charles Simeson

Time: 11 minutes

Q: What do you remember about your experience being hypnotized?

A: I honestly don't remember anything. The farthest I can reach back to in memory is when the

show first started. After that I have no idea what went on.

Q: After being de-hypnotized how did you feel? Did you wonder what happened while you were

hypnotized or did you even know you were hypnotized?

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A: My only question really was how I got on stage. I know I went to the show hoping to get

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picked for the show, but I never remembered actually getting picked.

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Q: Has the hypnosis made you feel weird at all physically or mentally?

A: I feel a little weird only because people keep saying I was doing so much crazy stuff that I
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don't remember so that’s weird. I also feel a little mind screwed as to how all of this happened.
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Q: Do you have any words for viewers who may think you or the others may have not actually

been hypnotized, but it was just a mental thing?

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A: I mean, everyone believes what they believe. I didnt believe I’d be hypnotized 100%, but

apparently it happened. I think it’s more than a mind thing. I can usually control myself enough
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to decide whether or not to turn my thoughts into actions.

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