Las Vegas comedian and hypnotist James Daniel sent students into a hypnotic trance, in which they willingly barked, moo’d, danced, and stripped in front of a large audience last night in Founders Hall.
James Daniel entranced more than a dozen students into an entertainment spectacle. They were tasked with envisioning a tropical beach, where they applied sunblock liberally to themselves and others. Sophomore Danielle McQuillin was told to forget thenumber seven, and then was embarrassingly shocked as she skipped from six to eight aloud. Others pretended to be ballerinas and even Chippendale dancers and pranced alluringly among the audience.
The hypnotist selected more than a dozen students—presumably at random—to become voluntarily hypnotized. All but two students proved to be willing subjects, and they easily slipped into a deep slumber at the command of hypnotist James Daniel.
Participating students sat on chairs lined up on the floor of Founders Hall. The hypnotist asked them to focus on a flashing green light while he counted down from five. At each number, he took them through a relaxation exercise that was meant to release
their subconscious and put them into a sleep-like trance. When he shouted “one!” every subject abruptly fell asleep. Many bowed their heads, while others leaned against the student next to them.
I spoke to one of the participants after the show: Senior MCB member Lucas Fullenkamp. He only remembered small quips of his rick rolling performance. “I remember ballet,” he recalled. He recollects being lifted by Blade Tackett, which is correct.
Lucas also remembered dancing. “I remember shaking my butt at people.” He could not remember, however, how naughty his actions were. When asked why he did these things, he claimed it was simply because he “was told to.”
Comedy hypnotist James Daniel’s performance was part of this year’s homecoming week, hosted by MCB and the homecoming committee.
