Posted 1:23 p.m. Thursday, April 30, 2015
The judges are looking for million-dollar talent and UW-L alumnus Chris Jones just might just have it. Jones, ’08, a sociology major turned hypnotist, is on the 10th season of “America’s Got Talent.” The season premiere is at 8/7 central Tuesday, May 26, on NBC.
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UW-L alum and Hypnotist Chris Jones, ’08, of Chicago, majored in sociology. He earned his master’s degree in Recreation from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2010.[/caption]The judges are looking for million-dollar talent and UW-L alumnus Chris Jones just might just have it.
Jones, ’08, a sociology major turned hypnotist, is on the 10th season of “America’s Got Talent.” The season premiere is at 8/7 central Tuesday, May 26, on NBC.
Jones says he first became interested in hypnotism when he was a sophomore on campus. He was called up on stage to be hypnotized during a campus event and ended up pretending he was a baby kangaroo in another volunteer’s pouch.
“At the end of the show, I chased the hypnotist down in the parking lot and asked him to teach me,” he says. “He told me what books to read and in graduate school I wrote my thesis on hypnosis.”
Jones says being a resident assistant for three of his four years at UW-L helped prepare him for a career in entertainment. Today he performs his hypnosis act on the college circuit.
“As an RA my job was to make people feel welcomed and enjoy their time at college,” he says. “I do the same thing when I perform— but only 90 minutes at a time.”
Jones hopes to bring the same enjoyment to “America’s Got Talent.”
Here is what Jones had to say about hypnotism and his upcoming national act:
Q: Do you remember the first time you hypnotized someone?
A: The first person I actually hypnotized was by accident. He was an 8th grader at summer camp. He had actually fallen asleep in a common area and I tried to wake him up. He started doing things I told him to do, but he wasn't really awake. It was crazy.
Q: Why did you want to be on “America’s Got Talent?”
A: My friend Mat Franco won “America’s Got Talent” last year. He was the first magician to win after nine seasons. The producers were looking for a hypnotist — something a little different from magic — and they found me. I'm pretty lucky.
Q: What would you do with the $1 million award if you won it?
A: Honestly, I would pay off my mom's house — I bought a house with my mom and grandma. I'd also pay off my dad's house and give the rest of the money to Doctor's Without Borders.
I like performing. A lot of my best friends from UW-L are doctors, teachers and have families. Performers make a lot of money. It’s almost embarrassing when my friends work nine-hour days to teach young people and I "work" 90 minutes on stage.
I have a 401k and I'll retire when I'm 70. I would really love to win the million so I can give it away.
Q: What separates your ability to hypnotize people from other hypnotists?
A: Anyone can be a hypnotist. I started performing as a magician. In fact, I performed at UW-L in a talent show, and my magic act was horrible! It was super painful. It's still one of my worst memories.
I think the only reason I'm different from other hypnotists is that I'm younger than most. We usually see hypnotists who are middle aged and they often try to sell weight loss CDs or quit smoking hypnosis seminars. People can tell when I'm on stage. I just want to make people laugh. I'm very transparent.
Q: What is the key to doing hypnosis well?
A: People have to trust you in order to get hypnotized. When people realize I'm not going to embarrass them, it's easy to enjoy the show — and become part of it.
Q: How do you think a hypnotist compares to other talents on the show? Do you have any advantages or disadvantages by being in this category?
A: I have to compete with a guy who can shoot milk out of his eye — I think I can beat that guy. But I also have to go up against a 9-year-old girl who is a black belt, who can do flips and is also adorable. I've never had to attempt to beat a 9-year-old girl before. She might kick my butt.
The advantage of being a hypnotist is I can make people do almost anything — the major disadvantage is that people watching at home have to be convinced it's real and my subjects aren't actors or actresses.
Learn more about hypnotist Chris Jones.
UW-L alum and Hypnotist Chris Jones, ’08, of Chicago, majored in sociology. He earned his master’s degree in Recreation from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2010.[/caption]The judges are looking for million-dollar talent and UW-L alumnus Chris Jones just might just have it.
Jones, ’08, a sociology major turned hypnotist, is on the 10th season of “America’s Got Talent.” The season premiere is at 8/7 central Tuesday, May 26, on NBC.
Jones says he first became interested in hypnotism when he was a sophomore on campus. He was called up on stage to be hypnotized during a campus event and ended up pretending he was a baby kangaroo in another volunteer’s pouch.
“At the end of the show, I chased the hypnotist down in the parking lot and asked him to teach me,” he says. “He told me what books to read and in graduate school I wrote my thesis on hypnosis.”
Jones says being a resident assistant for three of his four years at UW-L helped prepare him for a career in entertainment. Today he performs his hypnosis act on the college circuit.
“As an RA my job was to make people feel welcomed and enjoy their time at college,” he says. “I do the same thing when I perform— but only 90 minutes at a time.”
Jones hopes to bring the same enjoyment to “America’s Got Talent.”
Here is what Jones had to say about hypnotism and his upcoming national act:
Q: Do you remember the first time you hypnotized someone?
A: The first person I actually hypnotized was by accident. He was an 8th grader at summer camp. He had actually fallen asleep in a common area and I tried to wake him up. He started doing things I told him to do, but he wasn't really awake. It was crazy.
Q: Why did you want to be on “America’s Got Talent?”
A: My friend Mat Franco won “America’s Got Talent” last year. He was the first magician to win after nine seasons. The producers were looking for a hypnotist — something a little different from magic — and they found me. I'm pretty lucky.
Q: What would you do with the $1 million award if you won it?
A: Honestly, I would pay off my mom's house — I bought a house with my mom and grandma. I'd also pay off my dad's house and give the rest of the money to Doctor's Without Borders.
I like performing. A lot of my best friends from UW-L are doctors, teachers and have families. Performers make a lot of money. It’s almost embarrassing when my friends work nine-hour days to teach young people and I "work" 90 minutes on stage.
I have a 401k and I'll retire when I'm 70. I would really love to win the million so I can give it away.
Q: What separates your ability to hypnotize people from other hypnotists?
A: Anyone can be a hypnotist. I started performing as a magician. In fact, I performed at UW-L in a talent show, and my magic act was horrible! It was super painful. It's still one of my worst memories.
I think the only reason I'm different from other hypnotists is that I'm younger than most. We usually see hypnotists who are middle aged and they often try to sell weight loss CDs or quit smoking hypnosis seminars. People can tell when I'm on stage. I just want to make people laugh. I'm very transparent.
Q: What is the key to doing hypnosis well?
A: People have to trust you in order to get hypnotized. When people realize I'm not going to embarrass them, it's easy to enjoy the show — and become part of it.
Q: How do you think a hypnotist compares to other talents on the show? Do you have any advantages or disadvantages by being in this category?
A: I have to compete with a guy who can shoot milk out of his eye — I think I can beat that guy. But I also have to go up against a 9-year-old girl who is a black belt, who can do flips and is also adorable. I've never had to attempt to beat a 9-year-old girl before. She might kick my butt.
The advantage of being a hypnotist is I can make people do almost anything — the major disadvantage is that people watching at home have to be convinced it's real and my subjects aren't actors or actresses.
Learn more about hypnotist Chris Jones.