Promotions

Several moments after beginning her presentation, Morgana looked over the expectant faces of her audience in the tightly-packed room. She had the hundred or so fans so already enthralled that only she noticed Carolyn slip into the room to stand beside the door against the back wall.

“I have a Ph. D. in psychology, with a specialization in hypnosis and hypnotherapy,” Morgana said confidently. “I do these stage shows and seminars partly to dispel some of the myths about hypnosis.” She stopped and grinned. “And partly because I ‘like it,” she continued lasciviously. The audience chuckled in response.

“One of those myths is that hypnosis is a form of sleep. Let me make one thing perfectly clear: hypnosis is not sleep,” she enunciated into her microphone: “hypnosis is another state of mind altogether, a natural state of concentration.” She paused a moment. “You’ve all been in a hypnotic state,” she continued, “when you are so caught up in watching TV or reading a book what you completely lost track of time.”

Morgana snuck a glance at Carolyn, seeing her cautiously nod in agreement, a wary but noncommittal look in her eyes.

“But if I mentioned hypnosis to you I suppose you’d think of those movies where the magician entrances his victims by looking into their eyes.” She paused and stared menacingly at the audience from under narrowed eyebrows, then blinked and waved her hand dismissively. “That isn’t hypnosis, folks,” she continued, shaking her head. The audience laughed in response, telling Morgana she had supposed correctly. Carolyn, still wary, only nodded slightly.

“All hypnosis is really self-hypnosis. If someone does hypnotize you, they are being a guide, nothing more: you still do all the work. Because you hypnotize yourself, no one can really hypnotize you against your will or make you do something you wouldn’t normally do.” In back, Carolyn nodded her head affirmatively.

Morgana tossed her head, sending ripples of light down the glossy blackness of her hair. “Anyway, enough with the obligatory explanations, now let’s get down to what you’re really here for.” Looking toward the back of the room she saw Carolyn fold her arms before her and lean back against the wall, a wary but non-committal look in her eyes.

“First I’m going to conduct a suggestibility test, to select the participants for my show. Anyone who wants to participate should put their hands on their lap, their feet flat on the floor and sit straight up in their chairs.” A general rustling sound rippled through the audience, the sound of hands and feet moving into position combined with the shuffling of chairs as nearly everyone complied.

Morgana’s voice deepened, turning from conversational to commanding. “Lock your hands together before you and close your eyes. Imagine your hands becoming magnetized, sticking tighter and tighter together, so tight that you cannot pull them apart!

“Now, try to pull your hands apart. The harder you try, the tighter they pull together! Your hands are stuck tighter and tighter and you cannot pull them apart!”

She examined the audience carefully, noting that most had pulled their hands apart but a significant number were still struggling, then she said “Stop trying to pull your hands apart and just relax; as you relax your hands will slide apart and you will feel more and more relaxed. Just listen to the sound of my voice and relax.” Most of the people struggling a moment earlier were now relaxing into their chairs, their hands sliding apart to fall limp beside them.

“With every breath you take, with every word I say, you are becoming more and more relaxed: deeper and deeper, more and more relaxed,” repeated Morgana, looking about the room. About every fourth or fifth person in the audience responded, far too many for the six chairs on the small stage behind her. Her voice softened, becoming soothing and gentle without losing its firm commanding tone. “You are now deeply relaxed, a wonderful, drifting feeling. No thoughts, no cares; empty your mind of everything except the sound of my voice, and relax; listen only to the sound of my voice, and relax.”

Morgana continued to softly, soothingly, murmur “deeper and deeper; more and more relaxed” several more times as she examined the audience again critically, noting the individuals who, by her practiced eye, appeared to be in the deepest trance. In back, she could see Carolyn raise an eyebrow, nodding appreciatively.

“Now, when I touch your shoulder and speak your name, you will open your eyes but remain deeply relaxed. You will go to the stage and sit down on one of the empty chairs. When you sit down your eyes will close and you will relax deeper and deeper.”

Morgana stepped off the stage and walked into the audience, stopping first before an attractive blonde in the front row. Reading her name badge, Morgana said “Victoria” softly in the woman’s ear as she touched her lightly on the shoulder. Victoria slowly raised her head as her eyes fluttered open, staring blankly ahead, then she slowly stood and walked slowly to the stage. The audience watched silently as she sat down on one of the center chairs: her eyes immediately closed and her head drooped to one side. Morgana watched her levelly until she closed her eyes, then moved on to select her next subject.

In quick succession Morgana selected a tall black man named Steven in a Star Trek uniform; a short woman named Kim with short curly brown hair; a woman named Stephanie with long, straight brown hair; and a broad man named Eric wearing a convention T‑shirt. Only Kim gave Morgana any trouble, pausing in sleepy confusion halfway to the stage until Morgana walked up behind her and whispered a series of reinforcing suggestions to her, after which she continued to the stage and sat down.

Finally, grinning, Morgana selected a large, fierce-looking man in Klingon makeup and uniform, wearing a name badge with the name Kelek, who sat comically slouched in his chair, leaning heavily against the indignant woman next to him, also dressed as a Klingon. Laughing wickedly, the woman informed Morgana that his real name was Lester, when Morgana failed to get any response by saying his Klingon name: as Morgana said his real name, ‘Kelek’ stood and walked entranced to the stage.

When she was finished, Morgana smugly strode up to the front, looked over the six deeply entranced people before her, and grinned to herself. Then she swirled the microphone cord around herself, stepped confidently onto the stage and turned to face the audience. In the back, she noted Carolyn glance over her six choices and nod once.

“Now only the people in the audience, listen to me very carefully. In a few moments I’m going to count from one to five: when I reach the number five you’re going to awaken feeling relaxed and refreshed. But for the rest of this night, and only for this night, whenever I and only I snap my fingers three times you will close your eyes and return to this deeply relaxed state.

“Now: one, you’re feeling more and more aware; two, you’re feeling wonderful; three, you’re becoming wider and wider awake; four, your eyes are starting to open; five, your eyes are now open, you’re completely awake!”

The entranced audience members blinked themselves awake and looked around themselves. Some appeared disheartened at not being selected.

“Please don’t feel bad if I didn’t select you,” consoled Morgana. “There’s only so much room on the stage.” She looked out at the audience looking expectantly back at her. “However, I’ll be around the convention all weekend, so if you want to talk to me later, feel free.

“Now, what shall I do with these sleeping beauties, hmm?” asked Morgana of the audience, tossing her head over her shoulder in the direction of her six subjects, a mischievous smile flickering about the corners of her lips.

There was a chorus of suggestions from the audience ranging from the silly to the possibly obscene. Morgana chuckled at the list, then silenced the audience with a wave of her hand.

“No, I know what we’ll do first.” She stepped behind the line of chairs and began to speak confidently. “Everyone on stage, listen to me. You’re in a contest to pick the next host of Mystery Science Theater 3000. In a few moments you’ll open your eyes and see a movie screen. I’m going to describe the movies you will see on the screen: you know what to do then. When it’s over, I’ll count from three back to one and you’ll close your eyes and be deeply relaxed. Now, open your eyes and see the movie screen!”

Six pairs of eyes opened and stared into the air above the audience.

“I hope this is better than last week’s movie,” said Steven from the far right end of the row. “What could be worse than flying saucers on wires?”

“Here’s the first movie: ‘The Invasion of the Mechanical Monsters’, starring Rex Reason, Ralph Richardson, and Rocky Rhodes!” said Morgana.

There was a collective groan from the six subjects. “It’s worse,” groaned ‘Kelek’: “it’s stunt men in gorilla suits and diving helmets!”

“Didn’t I see these aliens on ‘Doctor Who’? What’s this, recycled rubber monster men week?” replied Kim.

The audience, unnoticed by the six subjects on stage, roared with laughter. Morgana smiled secretly: her instincts, born of decades on the stage, told her that this is going to be a fun evening.