New York resident Kevin Hurley is not your average next door neighbor. He is a professional Hypnotist.
Hurley, 29, grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and now resides in Manhattan.
He started his career in hypnosis at the age of 21. He is a self-taught hypnotist, but did receive some formal training. He originally learned from old books, manuscripts, and trial and error. His formal hypnosis training came from Ormond McGill, a famous stage hypnotist from Las Vegas.
Hurley decided to learn hypnosis because he grew up doing hand magic and comedy shows, but the idea that he could do hypnosis was an impossible dream to him.
“The scenario where you bring a bunch of strangers on stage and put them into a state of mind where they can imagine and pretty much do anything… that seemed like an awesome and impossible idea,” he explained.
Hurley explained that hypnosis is becoming more and more popular.
“It’s the future. It is like meditation with action behind it. People who get hypnotized really enjoy it and the people who choose to watch and become the audience never forget it!”
On November 4th, 2011, Hofstra University experienced The Kevin Hurley Show first hand. Students who were in the audience cheered and laughed the whole time and the students on stage had no idea what was going on.
Audience members Sara Zimmer and Lizzy Goodrich were amused.
“It was hysterical. I didn’t think it was going to work so well but watching a guy think he was giving birth was really funny and entertaining to watch,” stated Zimmer.
“Before I went to the show I was very curious as to how hypnotism worked and also very skeptical! But within the first 5 minutes he was able to put these people under his “control” and make them really believe that what he was telling them was reality. He put them in funny situations and scenarios and was able to make them relaxed or excited or crazy. The show was hilarious,” said Goodrich.
“When I woke up it was like trying to remember a dream. I felt disorientated but incredibly well-rested.”
Another student, Marina Pino, was also a volunteer to by hypnotized and felt relaxed, but confused.
“Immediately after the hypnosis, I felt so relaxed and energized. After speaking with people right after, though, I was really confused after they told me I was up there over an hour. It really felt like a short, power nap,” explained Pino.
Photo: Marina Pino, Hofstra student, under the influence of Kevin Hurley’s hypnosis.