Council gets tough on hypnotism

By awilshaw

LOOK into my eyes, my eyes. You are feeling very, very sleepy...

The cliched methods of the stage hypnotist — usually involving a swinging fob watch — are well-rehearsed, but now the entertainers who use them have another party to convince — the licensing officers at North Devon Council.

The local authority is set to adopt a set of strict conditions for when authorising an exhibition, demonstration or performance of hypnotism to provide "the necessary safeguards in respect of any applications for the performance of hypnotism".

In England and Wales, local authorities can only give permission for a display of hypnotism under the Hypnotism Act 1952, a council report notes.

According to dictionary definitions, hypnosis is a state like sleep when the subject acts only on external suggestion.

If anyone hypnotises anyone else in North Devon without permission, for display, they can be fined £1,000.

Would-be hypnotists will have to obtain the written consent of North Devon Council and comply with conditions.

The application must contain the hypnotist's real name and address and details of their most recent three performances. They must also state if they have been convicted of any offence under the Hypnotism Act 1952.

Adverts for performances should state: "Volunteers, who must be aged 18 or over, can refuse at any point to continue taking part in the performance".

The council report goes on: "Before starting the performance, the hypnotist shall make a statement to the audience, in a serious manner, identifying those groups of people who should not volunteer to participate in it."

The hypnotist is also obliged to explain what audience members might be asked to do and the possible risks of "embarrassment or anxiety".

And it is, you might be surprised to know, expressly forbidden to single out "the most suggestible members of the audience without their prior knowledge of what is intended".

If volunteers are to "remain hypnotised" during an interval, a "reasonable number of attendants" as agreed by the council should be there to ensure safety.

There then follows a list of "prohibited actions" which include: "causing offence to any person in the audience"; age regression; any suggestion a subject has "lost something (eg a body part)"; and the consumption of any harmful substance.

And at the end of a performance the council requires that "all hypnotic or post-hypnotic suggestions shall be completely removed from the minds of the subjects and the audience before the performance ends".

The hypnotist must wait for half-an-hour after a performance to "deal with any problems which might arise" such as "giddiness", the council report states.

OK. One, two, there — You're back in the room.