Sebastian Steele, an Edmonton based hypnotist, is making a rare St. Albert appearance at LB’s Pub on Friday night.
He blends improv acting and stand-up comedy with hypnotism to create a family friendly act focused on fun as opposed to embarrassing people for a few quick pub laughs.
Practicing stage hypnotism for two decades, Steele has successfully hypnotized people at Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club every week for five years, one of the longest running shows in North America.
“Using my stand-up and improv experience, I came up with a different style than other hypnotists. Instead of just hypnosis, I came up with sketches and put people in themes and make them react,” says Steele.
Raised in Edmonton, he first came in contact with hypnosis during a Psych 30 class at St. Francis Xavier High School. A hypnotherapist was invited to the class as a guest speaker.
The hypnotherapist successfully performed the “stiff body” suggestion on a volunteer student. The student was completely rigid and was placed on three chairs – one under the head, one under the ankles and a third in the middle.
Once the volunteer was stable, the hypnotherapist removed the middle chair.
“When I saw that I said, ‘Wow.’ After the class I went up to him and he gave me information on books to read up. I ordered books from L.A. But I never did anything with it,” said Steele.
Instead he auditioned for theatre companies and started touring improv comedy throughout the eighties and nineties.
During a stint managing the bar at the Desperado Saloon in the old Bruin Inn, a blue-collar tradesman approached the bar asking to practice his hypnosis with patrons.
“All the while I watched the show, I was critiquing him and how he could do it better. And I thought maybe it was time to go back on stage.”
The year was 1997 and at that time Edmonton had more hypnotists than any other place in Canada, Steele explained.
“But I didn’t want to do ‘ooh and aah’ stuff. And a lot of hypnotists were just doing lewd stuff.”
Staying true to his entertainment background, he simply included hypnosis into his act.
Once volunteers are induced in a relaxed state, Steele introduces assorted ideas: lint in the belly, wearing granny bloomers, trying to sleep or playing the bagpipes. To date, he’s developed 200 suggestions for participants.
“All hypnosis is relaxation. When a person is relaxed, they are more susceptible to the power of suggestion … Everybody can be hypnotized. Some people even want to be hypnotized.”
However, he admits certain individuals are reluctant to give up control of what they are doing. They are hard-pressed to allow an induction whereby they lose the power of voluntary action.
Steele never plans an act ahead of time. He simply improvises on the spot while panning across the audience.
“I like to keep it low key where the people are the stars. I dress low key, in black or jeans. I shouldn’t be the focus. The people who are out to volunteer are the focus.
Following Steele’s show at 8 p.m., Darrell Barr and his band will play until the wee hours.
