During our Thursday Community Block on March 13, David Hall, the self-titled ‘hypnotist,’ came on campus to deliver an unforgettable performance involving twelve Form VI boys. David Hall, a self-proclaimed ‘mentalist,’ began with some basic mind games that garnered the attention of the whole school with students staring in awe as their hands began floating in the air, per his instructions. The hypnotist then requested that several seniors perform in the upcoming act. With the row of seniors sitting on the chapel stage, Hall initiated the hypnotism by guiding the seniors in relaxing their bodies, slowly but surely, over the course of a few calming minutes. By then, most seniors had slumped into a trance-like state.
The hypnotist then called upon the audience for their participation through a game he described as “Cards Against Hypnosis.” During this game, Hall asked the audience to choose two options for him to mimic with the performers. The hypnotist would describe the selected scenario to the seniors in each instance. Then, on his command, the seniors would enter the situation, appearing as if hypnotized. Hall then guided them through the hypothetical circumstances, allowing for some funny reactions. The show started straightforwardly, beginning with “sleeping darts” and “laughing gas.” As the show progressed, the situations became more and more intricate, such as using a shoe as a phone with senior Myles Beckett or playing slots in Vegas. Through each scenario, the seniors would follow the hypnotist’s every instruction, no matter how absurd.
James Keefe, ’25, one of the seniors on stage, stated, “You’re aware of what’s going on; you’re conscious of what you’re doing, but you kind of go along with whatever someone is saying to do.” James described the entire experience as relaxing, stating that he felt groggy afterward as if waking up in the middle of the night. When asked about the other seniors in the group, James indicated that their experiences were incredibly varied. While some were entirely in a trance, such as Myles Beckett ’25, whom James vehemently stated was not acting during the hypnotist’s show, others, James recognized, were faking their reactions. Overall, the hypnotist’s performance was very enjoyable for both the audience and the seniors on stage – a truly memorable chapel of the year.
