Child Hypnotist

I got in big trouble in seventh grade in Scottdale. I had sent away for a "teach yourself hypnosis" kit that consisted of a manual, and a rotating spiral gizmo that could be used as an object of focus for the hypnosis subject. The book made it clear, however, that no visual stimulus was needed, and that you can talk people into a hypnotic trance.

Early one morning in home-room, I was telling friends about my newly-acquired hypnosis skills, how, like Count Dracula, I could put people into a trance.

"You can't do that!" a friend challenged me.

Another friend chimed in, "You're just making that up. If you can hypnotize people, why don't you hypnotize the whole class?"

People began chiming in: "Hypnotize us! We want to be hypnotized! Hypnotize EVERYONE!"

So, not to be humiliated, I went to the teacher's desk. (She was nowhere to be seen and was in fact late for work...)

I started the session as the manual had instructed me.

Within two minutes, three seventh-grade girls were in a deep trance. The rest of the class sat in stunned silence as I gave the girls simple commands such as raising their arms, standing up, etc.

Just as I was about to do something more advanced, such as planting a post-hypnotic suggestion, or turning them rigid as a plank, the home-room teacher burst in and made a quick appraisal of the situation.

"You had better be able to wake them up!" she screeched.

"Easy!" I said. I addressed them and said, "I will count to three, and when I reach three, you will wake up. One --- two --- three."

Two of the girls woke up, looked around startled, and were laughed at by the rest of the class.

The third girl did not wake up. I repeated the command. She still did not wake up.

Panic and terror set in.

"Call an ambulance!" someone yelled.

"No," I explained. "She will just fall into a normal sleep and then she will wake up."

I do not know how long she slumbered, and how they arranged her so that she would not fall out of her seat ... for I spent the morning in the principal's office.

From that day forward I was regarded as a public menace ... someone to watch. Someone who knew forbidden things.