Stage hazards, volunteer management, and the protocols that prevent every slip, fall, and injury before they happen.
Physical is anything that relates to the outside body and the surroundings. Hypnosis shows, being 100% volunteer driven, are highly physical for just that reason, and there are many different dangers to contend with during a hypnosis show.
Whether it is fingers pinched in chairs, slips and falls off stage, or a myriad of other mishaps -- 99% can be avoided with proper stage planning and awareness.
In the state of Nevada, a performer lost control of his show due to poor stage presence, and when a girl in his show refused to exit trance in a timely fashion, the stage was stormed and during the ensuing ruckus, her arm was broken.
Also in Nevada in 2008, a man was given a suggestion in a show to run into the audience. Instead, the man ran off the front of the stage into the orchestra pit, breaking his leg and ankle.
On the East Coast a hypnotist performed a routine in which the participants were not well aware of the stage edging. During the performance, a young girl swung an older lady around and off the stage, onto the ground below, shattering her leg.
In yet another recent show, a young man in a Rock & Roll skit decided to crowd dive onto the cement below the stage, landing on his face and causing injury.
Several case examples exist in which hypnotists, using full body catalepsy, have decided to step on the volunteers, injuring the volunteers in varying degrees, some severely.
With some stages, particularly in night clubs and when using portable stages, such as the riser stages common to after dinner events at hotel banquet shows, it is sometimes advisable to mark the edges of the stage with a brightly colored Gaffer's tape to ensure visibility.
On some older stages, footlights can be problematic; therefore, specific suggestions are necessary to the volunteers to stay away from the footlights, especially if they are on.
Railings, usually only found on stairways leading to the stage or within the house itself, can pose a problem when someone drops into trance and slumps into or over a railing, which can cause injury to the ribs or, in a worst case scenario, the neck and throat. Suggestions and requirements to the audience that they pay attention to such obstructions should be sufficient to protect the performer. Enlisting the help of the service staff of the house, if available, is also advisable in houses where railings are part of the stage design or the room. Also, when having volunteers enter and exit the stage, make sure that they use only the stairs and that they use any handrails, if any, if possible. Having someone jump off even a low riser-type stage can increase the risk of a slip-and-fall injury or an ankle twist.
Marking the stage, including the edges of the stage and the stairways, can be a good idea in some theaters and other venues, simply to help volunteer awareness of stage edges. The use of fluorescent Gaffer's tape is suggested for this. Also, marking off the areas leading to the wings, if any, is a good idea, as suggestions can be given that can keep the volunteers from going into the wings by telling them that they cannot cross the tape unless the hypnotist specifically allows it.
In the pre-show time frame, the performer should always check the chairs that the volunteers will be using for any loose fittings, damaged seats or backs or other structural defects that could cause injury or other problems during the show. While such a check only takes a few minutes, it can save a performer from serious problems with pinched fingers, people falling through bad seats or having a chair collapse under them.
Always place your chairs so that they are next to one another, whether in a straight line or a semi circle. Do not stagger them apart from one another because the likelihood of someone falling and injuring themselves is far greater. Also make certain that you have at least 3 feet between the ends or sides of the stage and chair placement. Chair placement closer than 3 feet to the edge of the stage is a recipe for disaster. One wrong move and your volunteer can fall backwards off the stage. On small stages consider chair placement carefully.
Stage lighting can be blinding to those not used to dealing with it. Maintaining an awareness of your volunteers throughout the show, especially when they are involved in any action sequences, is strongly advised. If necessary and possible, have the lighting technician reduce the lighting level to the stage to reduce any difficulties volunteers might have seeing the edge of the stage and other possible obstructions on stage. Raising the lighting levels in the house temporarily after the induction is also suggested to give the performer a better view of any individuals in the audience who may be responding.
One critical safety issue with any performance that uses audience volunteers is the issue of getting the volunteers onto and off stage in a safe, but effective manner. Stage hypnotists should be aware that some audiences can be particularly motivated to participate in a stage show and will literally charge the stage as though it were a military objective. To avoid this potentially dangerous situation, give specific instructions to the audience before calling for volunteers so as to minimize injuries in the crush that can occur. Also give directions to any stairs leading to the stage before asking anyone to come up on stage, obviating the problems of people climbing onto the stage and risking falls, damaging clothing and being injured by others who are doing the same thing.
A flopper is a volunteer who drops into total muscular flaccidity in an instant. While impressive to an audience, such people can fall down and inadvertently injure themselves. It is therefore strongly advised that the seatbelt suggestion be used to keep such volunteers in their seats at any time they are placed into trance.
Use spotters, if available, for any standing, rapid, instant or triggering-type inductions with someone who has been shown to be a flopper. If you have a flopper, any re-induction via trigger should be done with the volunteer seated or with a spotter.
Working outdoors presents a variety of problems, including sun stroke, heat exhaustion, sunburn, bugs, weather issues and more.
One of the big issues for an outdoor performer is sunburn. Protect yourself and, if possible, work in the shade to minimize the exposure that your volunteers will get during your show. Sunburn can and does occur on overcast days as well as on cloudless ones, as ultraviolet rays (both UVA and UVB) penetrate cloud cover and are the cause of sunburn.
For all intents of purpose, these two distinct medical problems will be treated in the same manner here. Each calls for getting the volunteers off stage, getting them cooled off and getting an evaluation by trained personnel. On days when the heat is excessive (over 95 degrees F), it may be advisable to minimize any routines that involve demanding, physical activity to minimize the possible occurrence of either of these conditions amongst your volunteers.
Insects are a fact of life outdoors, and some people are very allergic to the bites and stings of certain insects and spiders. Bug bite reactions can include reddening and swelling of the bite area that can increase, rapidly, in size, intensity and discomfort; sudden labored breathing on the part of the bitten person; reddening of the facial features; and fainting. Should this occur, seek medical help, immediately.
It has been mistakenly said that hypnosis intensifies the effects of drugs and alcohol. There is no scientific evidence to back up this statement. In many venues, including Las Vegas night clubs, comedy clubs and other adult venues, this is not only impractical for the performer, but improbable. Any stage hypnotist performing in venues where alcohol is served will undoubtedly have people come forward who have been drinking or using drugs.
In venues where such situations are possible, take the following precautions:
During the pre-talk, discourage from participating those who have consumed more than a couple of drinks or have used a mood-altering substance.
Once your committee is seated, a member who appears visibly intoxicated or high should be dismissed quietly (escorted off stage) before the induction, as their concentration abilities may suffer and they may find it difficult to follow your instructions.
If, after the induction, you come to the conclusion that someone on stage is high or drunk, monitor his or her behavior and do not ask this person to participate in skits requiring movement out of his or her seat; also be sure to reiterate the seatbelt suggestion to keep the person safely in his or her seat.
If someone becomes difficult to manage during the show because he or she is drunk or high, simply quietly dismiss this person from the stage (with an escort). Provide specific directions on how to exit the stage safely, such as, "hang on to my arm while we walk to the stairs at the edge of the stage." Then have someone help this person back to his or her seat in the audience.
There is no evidence that hypnotizing someone who has been using drugs or alcohol will either intensify or decrease the physiological effects of the alcohol or drugs, although subjective experiences of individual subjects may differ.
Do not give suggestions that encourage continued drug or alcohol use, such as, "You will drink without any ill effects or without experiencing a hangover from your drinking." When doing adult-themed skits where sensory perception is altered during the show, make sure such suggestions are removed prior to awakening. In venues where participants may have been drinking or using drugs, it is important that during the awakening process they are completely reoriented to the room before standing or moving from the stage.
A critical note on visible impairment. The signs of intoxication -- stumbling, slurred speech, disorientation, inability to track instructions -- are identical to the early signs of a stroke, diabetic emergency, or severe hypoglycemia. The smell of alcohol on a volunteer does not rule out a concurrent medical event. When in doubt, treat an impaired volunteer as a potential medical situation, not solely a behavioral one. Get them off stage calmly and ensure someone with medical training evaluates them before assuming it is only alcohol.
Inappropriate behavior under the influence. Volunteers who have been drinking are more likely to act out toward other participants on stage -- grabbing, groping, or making physical contact that goes beyond what the show calls for. This is not something to address in a pre-show announcement, but it is something to watch for throughout the performance. A performer who sees a volunteer behaving inappropriately toward another participant must intervene immediately -- re-induce, redirect, or remove. Allowing it to continue is not an option.
All hypnosis shows revolve around skits that are done in a comedic format. Skits that mimic pain should be performed with extreme caution.
For example, telling a biological man he is in labor is funny because it is a sham. No biological man knows or understands the pain of labor, so the farce is complete. However, telling a biological woman that she is in labor not only is potentially crude, but it also may trigger an actual pain response due to the fact that she may have experienced childbirth.
Skits that involve wedgies or other sorts of pain should be avoided at all costs. The general guideline is if the participant could have experienced a painful emotion in the past, it is best to avoid that sort of material.
Exceptions can be made for the basic skits of happy, funny, mad, and sad, for example. These skits simply elicit emotional states for demonstration.
Warning: Telling someone that he or she is depressed or suicidal should be avoided at all costs. You do not know the actual mental condition of any of your participants, and many times you will find someone on stage who did not take their medication and who lied when asked prior to the show.
Many times you will find people who are seriously overweight or of advanced age volunteering for your show. You also will find people with casts on arms or legs and fingers in braces.
With those who are severely obese or of advanced age, be certain to tell them to participate at their speed and to avoid over exerting themselves. You can do this individually without embarrassment. When re-inducing trance, be aware at all times of their position on the stage.
If someone has a leg or arm in a cast, it is not advisable to include him or her in a show -- period. While the person with the cast might not get hurt, others might suffer injury, since most casts today are made of fiberglass. People with finger casts and splints are another issue in that these people can re-injure themselves.
Although ultimate volunteer safety is in the hands of the volunteer, he or she trusts you to keep him or her safe for the duration of the show. Your vigilance will keep everyone safe.
People with severe physical conditions such as back problems and other physical problems, including leg problems, respiratory conditions, asthmatic or seizure disorders, and heart conditions, are all high-risk individuals in a stage show.
Pregnant volunteers. Pregnant females should not participate in stage hypnosis shows due to the fact that they can traumatically injure themselves and can have a miscarriage. No pregnant person should be in a stage show or should be hypnotized for a street hypnosis demonstration. Physical balance is also altered in pregnant women. You can lessen the harshness of the above warning by explaining that it is not the hypnosis that is dangerous -- after all, Lamaze is self-hypnosis. Rather the concern is of the pregnant person falling on the floor, which could cause major problems.
The following cautionary warning provided by the Advisory Board is a guideline for use in your show. Present it to every audience prior to inviting volunteers onto a stage. Feel free to memorize it and use it verbatim, or pick and choose what you like and create your own patter:
"Ladies and gentlemen, before I invite you to join me on the stage, I must offer a few words of caution. This is a very, very active program. If you come up on the stage, you will be jumping up and you may fall over into the lap of the person that you are sitting next to. You may slip, slide, or fall into what you may consider to be a compromised position, and there is a possibility that you may fall out of your chair and end up on the floor. For these reasons I would ask you not to come up on stage if you have experienced any of the following injuries or conditions at some point in your life: you have suffered from a neck injury or a back injury, or you have had some kind of injury that could be easily re-injured by falling out of your chair; you are wearing an arm cast or a leg brace because you have already hurt yourself; you are taking a constant, daily medication for a condition that you may have; or, ladies if you think that you MAY be pregnant at this time. PLEASE do not come up on stage, as I would not want to aggravate any condition that you may already have."
This statement basically covers it all. Using terms such as "constant, daily medication" covers a multitude of potential problems, including heart patients, diabetics, and especially people who take dilanten (anti-seizure medication). This brief statement is intended to prevent any volunteers from being on your program and having an adverse reaction to their medications. Although this warning sounds a bit harsh, remember that you are not saying that these things are going to happen. You are just advising the audience of the possibility that they could happen. Be sure to include this warning on your video if possible. Including it on your video will protect you from the volunteer who claims that he or she was not warned of the consequences of participating on the program.
Any routine that involves breaking the skin is prohibited.
Full body catalepsy with performer weight on the volunteer. Several documented cases exist in which performers have stepped on volunteers during catalepsy demonstrations, injuring them in varying degrees, some severely.
Sustained extreme cold exposure. Routines involving prolonged exposure to extreme cold, such as the bucket of ice routine, should be avoided.
Pain-based routines. If the participant could have experienced the suggested pain, avoid that material. See Section 8 for the full treatment.
Ingestion of any food, substance, or object. Suggesting that a volunteer eat or drink anything, or place any object in their mouth, without explicit pre-show conscious consent is prohibited. Volunteers on stage with strangers have not disclosed their allergies. Peanuts, common food ingredients, and even innocuous-seeming props carry the risk of anaphylaxis, choking, and allergic reaction. The performer has no way to screen for this in the moment. The prohibition is absolute for unknown volunteers. The consent and decency dimensions of props placed in the mouth are addressed separately in the Moral Guidelines section.