Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
Paul Ramsay, a gifted hypnotist entertained students at Cheel Commons on Saturday, September 3, 2005. The anxious crowd waited as ten volunteers from the crowd were put under hypnosis.
Ramsay had the ten students relax, close their eyes and listen to his voice. Slowly, the students drifted deeper and deeper into a state of relaxation. It was explained that Ramsay would be giving the participants merely suggestions of things to do and that they had the ability to follow them or not. Ramsay stated, "I am here to help hypnotize you not to force you."
Suggestions such as dancing when music came on, having to go to the bathroom when the word "stage" was spoken and forgetting the number four were just a few of the actions taken. Laughter was heard throughout the room as the seven participants remaining took part in a dance contest and busted a move.
Some people were able to go into a hypnotic state more easily than others. Ramsay said that this was a normal thing. Some people are more receptive than others to being hypnotized. It also depends greatly on your desire to be hypnotized, the more open you are to it the better.
During the show Paul Ramsay also tried to clarify misconceptions often made of hypnosis. He showed that hypnosis is a natural thing that can be used to break such habits as biting your nails or help you improve in sports. Hypnosis, he stated, has nothing to do with voodoo or magic but is a natural occurrence. It can allow you to relax and relieve stress.
Most people have experienced a kind of hypnosis. If you have ever been bored in class and started to daydream, you have been in a hypnotic state. Also when you sleep your mind goes down into a hypnotic state.
At the end of the show the participants were woken up and told that the show was over. They were confused as they remembered nothing that had happened in the last two hours. They continually denied being hypnotized and did not realize they had been until they stepped off the stage.
Many people were impressed with Paul Ramsay and asked him questions after the performance. DVDs were available of the performance for twenty dollars. Talk of the show was continued on the way back to dorm rooms.
by Angela Chircop - The Clarkson Integrator
Paul Ramsay, a hypnotist from New Hampshire, didn't swing a pocket watch or ask people to look deep into his eyes. He used his voice, the willing minds of volunteers and a series of relaxing techniques to alter the brainwaves of his participants.
"I think hypnosis is a way to show people how powerful their mind is," Ramsay said.
Ramsay started the show by assuring the crowd hypnosis is real but also said if people don't think they can be hypnotized they can't.
Buddy Harrison, a junior, volunteered with doubts about whether or not hypnosis works, but he believes now, he said.
At one point in the show, Harrison thought he was a drill sergeant any time he heard a bugle. When the horn began to play, Harrison stood straight up, saluted the flag, did sit-ups on stage and then asked Ramsay why he was not in formation.
When Harrison was questioned afterward, he fumbled over some words trying to describe the experience.
"I seriously thought I was asleep," Harrison said.
Ramsay also planted suggestions for volunteers to forget their own first name, audition for movie roles and think Ramsay was the worst teacher they ever had. The crowd laughed wildly at the antics of the 11 people Ramsay hypnotized.
But the show was not all about the antics. Ramsay also explained the relaxing effects of hypnotism.
"One hour of hypnosis is worth three to four hours of sleep," Ramsay said.
Ramsay described his show as "inspiring entertainment."
"I believe strongly that hypnosis in general should inspire people," Ramsay said.
Ramsay's show was the main attraction for the late night event at the University Center but attendees also had other forms of entertainment: laser tag and bingo.
by Michael Johnson - The Arrow
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Paul Ramsay is a two-time graduate of the University of New Hampshire. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English-Teaching (1996), and a Master of Arts in Secondary Education (2002). Paul taught English at a public high school, then entered the world of student affairs by returning to his alma mater and working in Residential Life. Whether in the classroom or on campus, Paul's goal was always to create opportunities for people to experience transformational change and gain new personal insights, and in his search for how to best do this he finally came upon hypnotism.
Paul earned his certification in 2004 through the National Guild of Hypnotists. He began seeking opportunities to perform at high schools in New Hampshire and colleges throughout New England. Paul quickly earned a reputation for his ability to connect with younger crowds while still putting on a clean show. He is one of the few stage hypnotists today who has three separate stage show formats, allowing him to have return visits without doing the exact same performance.
Paul has been featured on WMUR TV's "New Hampshire Chronicle" and appeared as a guest on 107.1 WERZ's "Ralphie and Suzanne in the Morning" radio show, 97.9 WJBQ's "The Q Morning Show," and CNET's "The 404" podcast. Paul has been a guest speaker at the University of New Hampshire, the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, and he continues to educate the broader community about the power of hypnotism whenever he can.
Paul was recently selected to be part of the faculty at the 2009 National Guild of Hypnotist convention in Marlboro, Massachusetts. In March of 2009 he gained recognition from the National Guild of Hypnotists as a Board Certified Hypnotists, making him a part of a select group of professionals within the hypnotism community.
Paul believes that hypnotism is more than a way to entertain people, and his stage show reflects that. Paul has the utmost care and respect for volunteers at his show. "I believe that being hypnotized can change your life for the better, even if you're doing it for the very first time on stage and making people laugh. It's fun, but it's also powerful."
Links
