Can everyone be hypnotized? Just ask SC State Fair’s Ron Diamond

Attending the South Carolina State Fair can be exciting. Exhilarating. Fun. Exhausting. Scary. Frantic. Relaxing.

Relaxing?

Many fairgoers who attend Ron Diamond’s show at the S.C. State Fair will find themselves in a very relaxed state.

Diamond is a certified hypnotist, and he will have performances that hypnotize some audience members.

Literally.

We asked Diamond a bit about hypnotism, how many people he’s hypnotized (trying in the six figures!) and what life is like as a hypnotist at the fair.

Q. How long have you been a hypnotist, and how did you discover and hone the talent?

A. I have been a hypnotist 25 years and make about 640 fair performances a year. I just celebrated performing my 18,000th show (which also includes magic, seminars and other shows). I’ve been in the fair market for quite a while. I was in the entertainment division with Disney and got severely injured on the set. I decided to go back to school and discovered clinical hypnosis. I decided to combine elements (of clinical psychology and entertainment.)

Q. Why do people want to be hypnotized at the fair?

A. You can get technical about directed focus and relaxation, but as you’re doing these things, you’re getting a real high and rush on the chemical releases in the brain.

Q. Can everyone be hypnotized?

A. Everyone has experienced the concept, but to do it at the fair? About 70 percent of those who try can reach that level with so many distractions, so much going on.

Q. What has been the most interesting thing that has happened when you hypnotized someone?

A. There have been a lot of them. Tons. It’s all done as a family event. You never know what people are going to do. Every time is fun – people react so differently to the same things. You just never know what is going to happen.

Q. Is it totally safe to be hypnotized?

A. You cannot hurt anyone with hypnosis. Hypnosis is a state of mind, not an “out of your mind” experience. There is no trance. It’s a state of focus and concentration, blocking out surrounding activity.

Q. Do folks need to worry about being embarrassed?

A. No. Embarrassment can only happen two ways: Someone is not well-trained, and they don’t know their environment. You play and do things appropriate to the environment.

Q. How many people have you hypnotized?

A. I’ve had an estimated 1.1 million on stage, and have had success with 650,000-plus.

Q. What is the most common misconception about hypnotism?

A. The most common, the No. 1 thing is that hypnosis controls people. Nothing could be farther from the truth. A person under hypnosis is hyper aware, not unaware.

Q. Why would you encourage folks to try hypnosis?

A. It’s very simple. For most adults, life has beaten the play and love of life right out of their lives. A person can go under hypnosis and let that part of them free. And then they can find that play and love of life more easily.

Q. Why do you enjoy your job?

A. I have two goals: No. 1, I have a mission, a vision to bring joy and laughter into people’s lives. And (No. 2), I want to make sure I leave them being more excellent than they were when I first met them.

This story was originally published October 12, 2016 at 10:48 AM with the headline "Can everyone be hypnotized? Just ask SC State Fair’s Ron Diamond."