Hypnotist John Moyer amuses and confuses audience

Hypnotist John Moyer brought a jaw-dropping show to the UVU Welcome Week celebration Aug. 21, leaving students amused, confused and empowered.

“I want students to know they can do anything they put their mind to,” said Moyer, a master hypnotist and certified consulting hypnotherapist with 20 years of award-winning stand-up comedy experience.

Moyer says that being hypnotized is the equivalent of a full night’s rest, and one of its side effects is the feeling of being unstoppable. After mentioning this, the room full of sleep deprived college students began waving and jumping up and down in their chairs for the chance to be hypnotized.

10 students were brought on stage to be hypnotized, with a few actually falling into the altered state of consciousness. The students under hypnosis were commanded to do things like play invisible instruments, perform the chicken dance and even twerk. Audience members were amazed when the hypnotized students forgot their names and how to count to 10.

Moyer wanted attendees to take away three things from his show: to have a good time, to acknowledge that everyone has the power to succeed and to walk out better than when they walked in.

He also wanted students to see that the brain is indeed a powerful tool.

Megan Nelson a student at UVU said that what she experienced while being hypnotized was a strange feeling. “You are kind of aware of what’s happening, but also you’re not,” Nelson said.

Nicolson Grett, another volunteer, was unable to recall his behavior under hypnosis. “I was told I took my shirt off but I don’t remember that at all,” Grett said.

One member of the audience, Bethany Fishback, was surprised to see students react to hypnosis the way that they did.

“The show was not at all what I expected,” Fishback said. “I laughed so hard.”

Zennon Hutches another student at UVU said he entered the show skeptical of hypnosis, and left a believer. “We are told it’s hard to break a habit or change your mind, but it’s actually simple,” Hutches said.

Through the spectacle that was John Moyer, it’s clear that students not only enjoyed the show but perhaps even experienced a new outlook on the power of the human mind.

Photos taken by Markell Woolstenhulme