Welcome Week: Comedy Hypnotist to Perform
August 27, 2010 - Categories:
Hypnosis Shows
Reprinted from The
Daily Iowan
Erick Känd saw his future at the age of 8. He was at a fair, saw a hypnosis show for the first time, and was amazed." For me, hypnosis is real magic," he said.
Erick Känd saw his future at the age of 8. He was at a fair, saw a hypnosis show for the first time, and was amazed." For me, hypnosis is real magic," he said.
Känd
will perform his comedy hypnosis show as a part of the UI's Welcome
Week at 8 p.m. today in the IMU second-floor ballroom. The Campus
Activities Board event is free.
After leaving that fair, Känd tried to hypnotize his brother. Nada. Years passed, and he was still unsuccessful with the craft. Then he attended a school of hypnosis around two blocks from his home.
Before he became interested in performing shows, he was a certified clinical hypnotist who acted somewhat as a therapist. He helped clients to build confidence, eliminate bad habits, and overcome fears.
Then, around 10 years ago, a friend of Känd's asked him to perform at his engagement party. The hypnotist has been doing shows ever since.
"It's a lot of fun to do shows," he said. "And people seem to have fun with them, too."
The UI community definitely enjoys his shows — he attracted nearly double the expected audience last year. Emily Becker, the Campus Activities Board's variety and entertainment director, said she thinks this year won't be any different.
"He had a really good show last year, so we're bringing him back," she said. "We want to have a fun first week of school, and he helps to accomplish that."
Many opportunities crop up if you happen to be a comedy hypnotist, such as performing for university students and on cruise ships. And, as it happens, Känd will perform on a cruise starting in Barcelona next month.
When he hypnotizes his subjects, Känd sees the process as helping them through daydreams. The only difference is they're listening to him rather than using their own imaginations.
"It's almost as if I'm coaching them," he said.
He finds that most of the people are emotionally engaged in this state, just as if they were watching an intense scene in a movie.
"Your palms start sweating when you're watching an action movie, even though you know it's not real," he said. "Hypnosis is the same."
Because he's able to evoke this response, Känd sometimes unintentionally hypnotizes people in the audience in addition to the 20 on stage.
Even though he performs all over the world, the shows he puts on for students are his favorites.
"College kids are the easiest and most fun to work with," he said.
After leaving that fair, Känd tried to hypnotize his brother. Nada. Years passed, and he was still unsuccessful with the craft. Then he attended a school of hypnosis around two blocks from his home.
Before he became interested in performing shows, he was a certified clinical hypnotist who acted somewhat as a therapist. He helped clients to build confidence, eliminate bad habits, and overcome fears.
Then, around 10 years ago, a friend of Känd's asked him to perform at his engagement party. The hypnotist has been doing shows ever since.
"It's a lot of fun to do shows," he said. "And people seem to have fun with them, too."
The UI community definitely enjoys his shows — he attracted nearly double the expected audience last year. Emily Becker, the Campus Activities Board's variety and entertainment director, said she thinks this year won't be any different.
"He had a really good show last year, so we're bringing him back," she said. "We want to have a fun first week of school, and he helps to accomplish that."
Many opportunities crop up if you happen to be a comedy hypnotist, such as performing for university students and on cruise ships. And, as it happens, Känd will perform on a cruise starting in Barcelona next month.
When he hypnotizes his subjects, Känd sees the process as helping them through daydreams. The only difference is they're listening to him rather than using their own imaginations.
"It's almost as if I'm coaching them," he said.
He finds that most of the people are emotionally engaged in this state, just as if they were watching an intense scene in a movie.
"Your palms start sweating when you're watching an action movie, even though you know it's not real," he said. "Hypnosis is the same."
Because he's able to evoke this response, Känd sometimes unintentionally hypnotizes people in the audience in addition to the 20 on stage.
Even though he performs all over the world, the shows he puts on for students are his favorites.
"College kids are the easiest and most fun to work with," he said.