I take you back now to "The Beginning". The year is 2014. I am a college freshman in an ROTC program, and as such have certain events that are casually referred to as 'mandatory fun'. This particular autumn evening, I arrive at the gymnasium on campus to find that we will be watching a Hypnotist do a stageshow. Naturally, I am skeptical, but since it is an excuse to put off homework for an hour or so, I figure I might as well keep an open mind.

As he begins his routine, he brings up several volunteers, and the most memorable among them is a tall, broad, heavy-set guy who probably could have been on a football team as a lineman, but the school doesn't play. When the hypnotist puts him under he falls all the way out of the seat. I mean, he really landed with a bit of a *kathud*.

When the hypnotist gets to him a bit later, he "wakes up" and is thoroughly, completely convinced that the woman next to him is 'having a baby, right there on stage, right now, and he's gotta help her!' The guy runs for the kits on the walls, he's yelling for any assistance, he's fully freaking out for about 30 seconds or so, and then the hypnotist *snaps* , and suddenly he goes limp again.

Now, by the end of the show I am certainly entertained, but still remain a little unsure about how real those scenes are. I mean, the stage is made for all kinds of performance, and maybe this hypnotist had plants in the audience. However. The last suggestion of the show was the most interesting of all. As the hypnotist took his final bows and various applause, he said to the folks who had been under and provided us all with such entertainment this evening "You have all been wonderful, thank you so much for embracing your part tonight, you played it very well. My car is out back, and since I don't want any of you following me to vent any frustrations or say I embarrassed you. You will NOT Remember ANYTHING! Until you go out the front doors. You will Remember None of my show, until you step outside the gym!" And once again, the Hypnotist's fingers snapped, and once again, we all applauded and laughed as they looked at each other confused on stage while he made his exit.

Well, the big guy, who no longer thought he was a doctor, has friends in the audience. The rest of his crew run forward and meet him at half-court. They are all shouting and laughing and asking him questions. "That was so crazy," "That was hilarious!" "How do you feel, Bud?" and the whole time the big guy looks like his head had been replaced with a mannequin. He is so completely blank and vacant and clearly does not remember a thing!

The group gathers momentum as we all walk towards the doors and head for outside. The whole time, He is denying and disbelieving. "What are you talkin' about? What happened? Where is he? When does the show start? I didn't do anything, man..." Since I am an ROTC cadet, I have to wait for formation before going back to the dorm. So, I wait, right outside the door, and I see the exact moment.

He goes from indoors and in denial, to getting through the double doors of the gym, and as the fresh, Fall air hits him in the face his first words are louder than any of the denials he has said in the past 30 seconds: "HOLY SHIT! IT'S REAL!?!?!" Memory returns, his eyes light up, and with those 4 little words I realize 3 truths in an instant.

1, Hypnosis is Real.
2, Hypnosis can be learned.
3, I absolutely had to learn it.

So, that night, back in my dorm room, even though there is homework that is also calling for my attention, I am quickly engrossed in every internet article, video, tutorial, and book I can find about hypnosis and how to master this marvelous skillset...