Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2000)
^ ; f: ■ Hypnotist Jerry Harris brings the misunderstood art to Eugene, hoping to mesmerize audiences By Rory Carroll Oregon Daily Emerald TWelve years ago, Jerry Harris held a high-pressure job as the vice president of an investment banking company. “Stress was actually killing me,” Harris said. “My doctor gave me six months to live if I couldn’t get it under control.” His doctor suggested that Har ris try hypnosis to combat his soaring stress level, so Harris en rolled in a hypnosis institute in Los Angeles, where he reduced his stress level to almost nothing. Shortly after graduating from the institute in 1988, Harris re tired from banking and began teaching stress management to other executives in seminars and large groups. “I started adding humor, and eventually, it evolved into the show we have today,” Harris said. Today Harris, a.k.a. “The Mas ter Hypnotist,” performs more than 300 shows a year around the country. When he takes the stage at Kowloon’s Restaurant in the Scandal’s Lounge on Saturday, it will be his first performance of public hypnosis in Oregon. A historic state law against stage hypnosis kept him from per forming in Eugene until it was decriminalized last October. The show involves getting 10 to 15 volunteers from the audi ence onto the stage for an “in duction.” “I will then give the partici pants suggestions, and they’ll re spond however they find appro priate,” Harris said. Harris’ show has consistently been a huge success, mainly be cause of his professionalism and sense of humor, said his booking agent, Donna Richards. “There is always a huge draw, and I’ve been booking him for over 10 years,” Richards said. Harris also views the show as a success. “In 12 years’ time, I’ll bet there’s not five events that I have not been brought back to do again,” he said. Harris is not interested exclu sively in the entertainment facet ofhypnosis. “Hypnosis can be used in a million different ways and help anyone accomplish anything,” Harris said. He sells 22 different self-help tapes that utilize hypnosis to aid people with everything from playing better basketball to ex panding memory to having fan tastic sex. Despite his success, Harris said hypnosis is a field that is of ten misunderstood. “It’s not what the movies por tray it to be. They make it look like we take control of that per son’s mind and body. We don’t at all,” Harris said. “You don’t give up any power, and you don’t give up any control. That surprises a lot of people.” A person under hypnosis won’t do anything they would n’t do otherwise, Harris said. Still, hypnosis has not fully es caped its negative reputation. “There isn’t a good scientific understanding of trance,” said Dr. David Northway, a psycholo gist in private practice in Eugene. Northway used hypnosis dur ing the early 1980s in his practice but now avoids it because of its prevailing negative image. “It can be useful for habit con trol and it helps people to focus internally,” Northway said. “But it is misused 90 percent of the time.” Hypnosis is by no means ex clusive to the stage, according to Harris. “Anytime you relax and your brain wave pattern slows down, you’re actually in that same state of mind that we use for hypno sis,” Harris said. You’ve been considering it for quite some time. What’s stopping you! Call us and we’ll calm your fears — of the jump and the price. 8953029 Eugene Skydivers 008898 V Pizza • Calzone • Salad • Cozmoknots • Cookie Bars For the healthy, not-so-wealthy, but wise... EVERYDAY ORGANIC Express Large Pizza $ T /l50 (no coupon necessary) m M W (limned delivery) Toppings: 75<t Mushroom, Onion, Black Olive, Garlic, Zucchini, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Pineapple (No 1/2 'n' 1/2 or substitutions, no add-ons, other offersl ORGANIC PIZZA ... with a Gourmet Taste 338-9333 1432 Willamette Take oat Free Delivery BICYCLE DELIVERY From mild EXCLUSIVELY It doesn't have to be dirty to be good... EXOTIC • EROTIC TOYS • VIDEOS • LINGERIE 1166 South A • Springfield»726-6969 • Open 24 Hours (Almost) I 686-2458 ■ 492 E. 13th Ave www.Dijou-cinemas.com Film Fast Calendar at the 3ijou and around town nowllJ 5:05, 7:00 & 8:55pm - Sat/Sun Mats 3pm NEXT: The Emperor and the Assassin HD HARRIS ANNH IIKCHH v.,, ARM IN MUF.LLKR.STAlll. Su pern! AN AdNinSZK A HOLLAND I II.M 1 4:45,7:10 8. 9:30pm - Sun Mat 2:30pm NEXT: MY BEST FIEND (Herzog-Kinsklll) BIJOU Lat.eNite S3 TH-SA/S2 SU WE What Planet Are You From? 10:50pmE 11 45pm -- SAT MAT 2:30pm<|3 BEING JOHN MALKOVICH . Oregon daily emerald WORLDWIDE www.dailyemerald.com
