Who’s the Best College Hypnotist?
Choosing the best college hypnotist is, of course, ultimately a matter of opinion, but there are some common factors that can be evaluated when trying to make a reasonable argument. In this article, we’ll make our case for what makes a great hypnotist, and then identify which active stage hypnotists are in the running for “best college hypnotist.”
The First Factor: Experience
How long a stage hypnotist has been working gives you a sense of their staying power and appeal in the marketplace. It also points to an accumulation of experience that should ideally lead to the end product–the show–being better because it should be fine-tuned after so many repetitions of performance.
Could there be a new hypnotist out there who has a lot of talent and is doing an awesome job? Of course! Talent is talent. But stage hypnotism is an art form, and like good comedy or delightful music, good art is usually perfected over time. So if you’re going to make an argument for the best college hypnotist, it’s probably going to be someone with lots of experience who has really worked on their craft for years and years.
The Second Factor: Understanding the Audience
A good entertainer knows their audience, and adapts their show to the general personality of that audience. Unfortunately, there are some stage hypnotists out there who take a “cookie cutter” approach to their show. Whether they are working at the county fair, a high school after-prom party, or a college orientation, the show is the same.
The really good stage hypnotist takes the time to research “cultural currency” with their audience. What music are they more likely to enjoy? What current events could be worked into the show that they would recognize?
Some stage hypnosis material is classic and never goes out of style, but having some material in the show that is customized to the audience is the sign of a stage hypnotist who is aware and who cares about providing an exceptional entertainment experience. That’s a must if they want to be considered the best college hypnotist.
The Third Factor: Having a Distinct Show
It’s a sad reality of stage hypnotism in the modern era that many stage hypnotists, across all the markets, are doing the same standard shows that have existed for the past thirty or forty years. Watch enough stage hypnotism shows and you’ll see a core set of “skits” or “bits” over and over.
It’s not so much that the hypnotists are stealing from each other (although that does happen sometimes) but rather that they are doing the old routines that their trainers taught them and never updating their show or exploring new ideas. Trying new things involves a certain element of risk, and it can be easier to stay in the safe zone.
In order to be considered for “best college hypnotist” a stage hypnotist has to have a show that stands out in some way. Either the show has to have a unique overarching concept, or the individual parts of the show have to have a fresh take that distances the show from all the others out there. Creativity and innovation are something the profession of stage hypnotism desperately needs more of.
So Who’s the Best College Hypnotist?
Based on the factors above, the case can be made for one of the following three stage hypnotists as being the best college hypnotist:
Sailesh
Sailesh has been performing for three decades, so he definitely has experience. He started out doing shows for bars and nightclubs, which are some of the most challenging audiences to perform for. He toured in Europe, Canada, and the United States.
Sailesh got a big career boost after one of his YouTube videos went viral. He has often promoted himself as an R-rated hypnotist, though he does also work clean shows, but it was one of his R-rated videos that went viral, and the uniqueness of that part of his show got him a lot of attention. Sailesh is great at taking old classic stage hypnosis routines and putting a totally new spin on them.
Today Sailesh mostly works for college audiences, and he has been named the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities’ “Entertainer of the Year” multiple times. There’s a strong argument for naming Sailesh the best college hypnotist.
Chris Jones
Chris Jones is most well known for his appearance on “America’s Got Talent.” In his audition, Chris hypnotized Howie Mandel and then got Howie to shake his hand. That may not seem like a big deal, but fans of the show know that Howie suffers from germaphobia. The scene of Howie shaking hands with Chris went viral quickly and showed millions of people how powerful hypnosis can be.
When Chris appeared on AGT in 2015, he was not particularly well-known as a stage hypnotist, but that changed quickly due to his big audition. Chris has been a highly sought after act since then. He’s hypnotized thousands and thousands of people, and has a lot of experience. He has also taken advantage of the exposure that his AGT appearance gave him, appearing on other TV shows and developing a commercial with Wal-Mart. He has continued to perform in the college market the whole time that he was exploring these other creative outlets.
Chris is a true talent as a hypnotist, and a big reason that he’s stood out in these media appearances is because he keeps exploring new ideas and interesting ways of performing hypnotism. He definitely should be considered as a possibility for best college hypnotist.
Paul Ramsay
Paul Ramsay has been performing for college audiences since 2004. He has showcased for the National Association of Campus Activities seven times. Before working as a stage hypnotist, Paul actually worked at a university as a residence hall director. He has a thorough understanding of campus life and the college audience.
In 2011, Paul debuted “Mind Games” to the college market. It was the first truly interactive stage hypnotism show. Audience members were given remote control polling devices so that they could vote on what would happen on stage during the show. It was a big innovation from the previous decades of stage hypnosis shows, and it quickly made Ramsay one of the most sought after performers in the college market.
In addition to the core concept of “Mind Games,” Paul also made two versions of the show to further tailor to what college audiences want. One version is a pop culture version with music and skit elements drawn from whatever is most currently popular with college audiences, while the second show is nostalgic, using music and skit elements from when the average college student was eight to twelve years old. He lets the audience choose which show they want to see at the beginning of the event. Ramsay deserves strong consideration for best college hypnotist.
Who Do You Think is the Best College Hypnotist?
As stated at the beginning of the article, determining the best college hypnotist is a subjective process, but these three performers deserve some serious consideration. Is there another factor you would use to determine who is the best college hypnotist? Who do you think the best college hypnotist is?
