Stage hypnotists are amazing entertainers who are fantastic at sizing people up almost immediately!
They often conduct quick, pre-screening tests to determine which audience members will respond best to simple requests and then, the hypnotists hone in on these people.
A good hypnotizable candidate is one who wants to be hypnotized and can follow instructions easily. These audience members will usually make a suitable candidate for stage hypnosis.
People will not do anything against their will but can stretch the limits of their behavior on stage. This requires a lowering of inhibitions, which can happen if one bypasses the conscious mind.
You’ll see a stage hypnotist do a suggestibility test on either the whole audience or volunteers. What’s really occurring is a group induction into the hypnoidal state or the light hypnosis state. Then, the stage hypnotist looks to see how everybody did and the hypnotist selects those who easily moved into that hypnotic state.
Once in a light state of hypnosis, the hypnotists can deepen audience members on stage and the real fun begins!