Hey everyone,

It’s been a while since I’ve posted here on the blog – life has been a whirlwind of rehearsals, performances, and that unbeatable rush of leaving audiences speechless. If you’ve been wondering why things have been quieter on the hypnosis side, there’s a simple explanation: for the past couple of years, I’ve been channeling almost all of my creative energy into my magic and mentalism show as the World Record Magician.

That’s right – the chainsaws, the upside-down illusions, the mind-reading that makes people question reality, and the non-stop comedy stunts have taken center stage (literally!). I’ve updated everything over at my dedicated site, www.worldrecordmagician.com, where you can see the full evolution of the show, watch highlights, read testimonials, and even get in touch if you’re looking for entertainment that your guests will be talking about for years.

Just this year, Guinness World Records featured me in an in-depth article about my journey – from my very first magic obsession at age three (thanks to a preschool magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat and streamers from his mouth!) to breaking over 20 Guinness World Records titles (current and former) in magic, juggling, and daredevil stunts.

Some of the recent highlights they covered include:

• Most magic tricks performed in one minute: 52 tricks (set in May 2024)
• Most magic tricks performed whilst suspended upside down in one minute: 19 mind-blowing illusions while hanging inverted
• Most consecutive chainsaw juggling catches: 105 (plus plenty of other chainsaw-related records that keep the adrenaline pumping)
• Most consecutive under-leg chainsaw juggling catches, precision crossbow shots bursting balloons blindfolded and backwards… you get the idea – it’s delightfully dangerous!

Guinness recentluy piublished an article on what sparked my record-breaking obsession, and how skills I started developing as a kid, and what I’ll do next. 

You can read the full Guinness piece here: The magical Ian Stewart: from chainsaw juggling to fantastical upside-down tricks

I’m still hypnotizing people. Over 50 hypnosis shows per year. So this makes me one of the busiest hypnotiosts in Canada. I still love hypnosis and will continue doing it. The hypnosis show is a well oiled machine. I have the experience to deliver a great hypnosis show anytime. But, I was able to add the new skills to my new show and am having soi much fun doing it. 

So if you’re looking for world-class, clean, family-friendly entertainment packed with jaw-dropping illusions, mentalism that reads your mind, and just the right amount of edge-of-your-seat danger – head over to www.worldrecordmagician.com and let’s make some magic happen at your next event!

And of course, I’m still doing great hypnosis shows (even if I’m not talkiing about them much). 

Stay magical, 

Ian Stewart World Record Magician 

Have you ever considered a Holiday Hypnosis Show for your staff event?  

When it comes to planning a holiday event for your staff there are many options.  But most people would never think of a hypnotist.  

A hypnosis show is not appropriate for all events.  For small groups a magician, juggler or mentalist may be more appropriate.  

Comedians are hit and miss.  I’ve heard many stories of them being successful, and also many stories of problems.  But, there are good and bad entertainers in all fields.  

Also, not all jugglers, hypnotists and mentalists are good either.  In fact many are terrible.  That’s why you must get references.  You must also make sure they have been doing shows for corporate groups for over 10 years just to be safe, and that they are corporate friendly.  Many times people will think because someone performs at universities or theatres that they can handle corporate.  This would be a mistake.  

Theatres and colleges allow for far more adult material than is appropriate for corporate settings.  For corporate you want to ensure no one is offended.  

People rarely think of a hypnotist for a corporate group.  But, I’ve performed at hundreds of staff events and have found it to be the perfect form of entertainment to bring the group together!  

You must make sure the hypnotist is appropriate.  Make sure they don’t do horrible routines.  See my article on bad hypnotists: http://ianstewart.info/signs-of-a-bad-hypnotist/

But, if you choose to hire a quality hypnotist for your holiday party, as long as you check your references and quality control, you are sure to have one of the best parties your group will ever have!  

Also, if you happen to want a great hypnotist you might as well check to see if I’m available:  www.ianstewart.info

This picture isn’t of me at a corporate event, but rather me back at the Tyne Valley Oyster Festival, jut because I happen to really enjoy this festival

This is simply my opinion, but here are some signs of a bad hypnotist.  By my opinion I mean here are things that I can’t stand when I watch hypnosis shows.  These are not aimed at anyone.  They’re not intended to put anyone down.  But these are things that I don’t believe belong on any stage where a performer is supposed to be delivering quality entertainment.  

Again, these are simply my opinions.  Feel free to have your own opinions, which I will then believe are wrong.  

1.  The hypnosis sleep gun.  When I first got into hypnosis over 20 years ago this was acceptable, but times have changed.  In the modern world the thought of pointing what the volunteers believe is a gun, directly at them and pulling the trigger to put them to sleep is just morbid.  Guns are no longer acceptable in comedy routines.  What if the person suffers from PTSD?  This routine could have negative consequences!  
2. Dancing with the hypnotist.  Many hypnotists love this routine.  I don’t get it.  I simply don’t find anything amusing about it.  The premise is the hypnotist tells the volunteers that when they open their eyes they will see the hypnotist as the most attractive person they have ever seen.  Then the hypnotist invites the volunteers to dance with the hypnotist.  During the dance the hypnotist tells them to sleep and they fall to the ground.  Most hypnotists also add the effect of telling the volunteer to grab their butt while dancing.  I don’t find sexually assaulting volunteers to be amusing in the least and this routine is as close to sexual assault as I’ve seen on a stage.  I believe that most hypnotists that do this routine are trying to prove their power over people and showing how they can be attractive to others because of this power.  Compensating for something???  
3. This isn’t a routine but:  Fat Hypnotists!!!  How can a hypnotist be someone that has complete control over the mind, if they can’t put the fork down themselves.  Same with smoking.  A hypnotist is supposed to be in control, having these bad habits is the exact opposite of this.  I’m aware that I’m by no means skinny, but I’m a long way from having a pot belly.  That’s how I plan to keep it.  

I’m not trying to say I’m the be all, know all!  

I try to be positive in my posts.  So I hope if a hypnotist who reads my signs of being a bad hypnotist and does these things, possibly they will at least consider changing for the better!  

While on the topic of being negative, here’s my other negative post on a big mistake that is commonly made when arranging corporate entertainment: http://ianstewart.info/one-sure-fire-way-to-destroy-your-corporate-event/

And speaking of bad hypnotists, here is a terrifying article.  Although I personally feel this hypnotist didn’t actually cause any of the problems, intact he probably made things much better for a long time. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2015/10/07/three-teens-died-after-being-hypnotized-by-their-principal-now-their-families-are-getting-200000-each/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.6f4063ebc21e

Finally, a visit from Scott Ward! I’ve known of Scott for several years. He went to the person that edits my promotional videos to have his video edited. My video editor, Jim Gravina, had told me he was working on Scotts promo and that I’d probably like hanging out with him. He was correct!

Not to get sidelined, but you should check out Jim Gravinas video editing work at https://vimeo.com/jimgravinamotionmagician. He’s one of the best in the business of editing promotional videos for entertainers! So I had heard of Scott, but never met. I only know of him through Jim and seeing that he linked to my site on his. You can see an article I wrote about that here: http://ianstewart.info/scott-ward-hypnotist/

A few nights ago, I was sitting at home on an off night. My phone rang and to my surprise it was Scott on the other end of the phone! We chatted for a few minutes and arranged to meet up the next day. It was lucky as he was headed to the airport and on a tight schedule.

We met up at a local Tim Hortons and it became clear very fast that we would get along. He’s funny, knowledgable about hypnosis, and to my surprise knows his share of magic too!

He also had a friend with him that used to be on a popular Canadian TV show called North Of 60. Dakota House was his name. We shared many laughs.

We actually discussed magic more than hypnosis. And the stories of life traveling to shows was abundant. Scott also has the most amazing trick with dice you will ever see!

I really hope we get the opportunity to hang out again soon. I don’t think the laughs would slow down for a while!

Check out Scotts site at: http://www.scottward.net

I do a lot of events, over 100 per year. Most events are great! Every year there are a few that are very special and stand out from the rest. Amazing audiences, great venue and the show is fantastic as a result. And then, there are a few that are, um, not great.

As an entertainer it is important to be able to perform for almost any group. However, some situations are just better suited for entertainment.

During the holiday season I performed every weekend at two or three corporate events. All but one went very well.

So what made that one show not go as well as it should? Was I unprepared? Did I show up late? Was there a technical difficulty? Was the meal late being served? Was the area the show was to be performed in not visible to everyone? Was there a break between the meal and the entertainment where the crowd lost focus?

No, although these are all fantastic ways to sabotage your entertainment.

I’m talking about an excessively drunk audience.

Obviously, at many events the attendees are enjoying a few drinks. This is obviously fine. However, once in a while I get a crowd that is just too drunk. The show I speak of from this past holiday season I actually saw two people fall out of their chairs because they were too drunk to remember to sit up. When I had my volunteers in the chairs to be hypnotized I had someone in the audience start throwing napkins at the volunteers. And, they simply would not be quiet, or dare I say “shut up”.

What I find horrible about this situation is that the drunk people are inconsiderate. They couldn’t care less if there was entertainment. That is fine for them. What really drives me crazy is the other half of the audience struggling to hear over the yelling, and not being able to see because of the constant drunk people running around the room.

I’m not sure what the solution is. In this case the party was for about 150 people. 30 of them had a pre-party and drank a lot. Those 30 people were enjoying themselves, and even enjoyed the show. But at the expense of the rest.

The show was still a success. The host thanked me for being so great in such a challenging situation. But if I didn’t have the experience I have it may have been a different case.

I’m not sure the solution…

All I can think of is that perhaps parties should tell people they will be removed if they are excessively drunk. But that puts the party organizer in a tough place if they actually have to enforce it.

Or perhaps, people should know when it is appropriate to have that many drinks. I realize this won’t happen, but I can dream!

It’s interesting to me that this was a high end corporate party where some people were too drunk to be considerate. Just a few weeks before I performed at a biker rally and had one of the most respectful audiences of my career…

BTW, here’s a pic of a room before the audience came in for one of my holiday shows. What a great looking setup!

I love talking about hypnosis.  After almost every show I have people asking me questions about how it works, what it can be used for, and perhaps the most entertaining questions are about the limitations of hypnosis.  

Many of the questions I hear all the time, and I still love answering them as I like people learning about what hypnosis is.  Here are some facts about hypnosis that also answer most of the questions I hear most often.

Facts About Hypnosis

• We all experience hypnosis at LEAST twice a day

• Anyone of normal intelligence can be hypnotized.  In fact, the more intelligent a person is, the better they can follow instructions, the better they can be hypnotized!  

• A person cannot get “stuck” in hypnosis. This has never happened.  But, people can go so deep that they don’t want to emerge!  

• Hypnosis is NOT sleep, but a natural state of mind, much like daydreaming.  After being hypnotized people often feel refreshed like after a great nap though!  

• You will not reveal intimate secrets while hypnotized.  If you don’t want to share a secret you will keep it guarded weather hypnotized or not.  

• The earliest examples of hypnosis are found in tribal ceremonies of early humans.

• One of the earliest recorded descriptions of hypnosis was found in an Egyptian tomb written on papyrus dating back to 1500 BC.

• Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used hypnosis for medical and religious purposes.

• In 1892 the British Medical Association (BMA) formally recognized that hypnosis had applications in modern medicine

• Sigmund Freud used hypnosis with his patients while developing his theories on psychoanalysis.

• Hypnosis was used in World War I and World War II to treat soldiers with combat neuroses.  It was also used to replace anaesthetics when supplies were low.

• In 1958, the American Medical Association (AMA) declared hypnosis to be a useful medical tool.

• In 1847, the Roman Catholic Church recognized hypnosis as a natural part of our own ability, and not the work of the devil.  It stands by this claim today.

• A few minutes hypnotized can make you feel as if you have had a few hours of sleep!  

• If you have ever driven down the highway, begun to daydream & while your conscious mind is elsewhere, you drive right past your exit……You have a memory of a time you’ve experienced hypnosis!  The same can be said for reading a book or watching a movie and getting involved to the point of experiencing the emotions.  

Here are some of my favourite hypnosis sites:  

Many of my favourite sites for hypnosis are for therapy using hypnosis.  This is because I strongly feel that you shouldn’t perform hypnosis on stage until you are solid in using it in a one on one setting.  Too many hypnotists take a garbage weekend course that promises to make the a hypnotist in a weekend.  Then they suck.  

I could go on about my dislike for stage hypnotists that have absolutely no clue how the mind works but that’s for another time.  

My absolute favourite hypnotherapy site is Omni Hypnosis.  I was trained by Gerry Kein there many years ago in DeLand Florida.  Sadly, Gerry is no linger with us, but the training centre goes on.  It simply can’t be the same without Gerry, but I’m sure it’s still a wonderful course.  They can be found at https://omnihypnosis.com

My next top recommendation is the National Guild of Hypnotists site.  The National Guild does offer some of those learn to be a hypnotist fast courses I talked about,  but at least it’s a full week.  Then, they offer a ton, I mean a ton of extra sources to learn further.  Their annual convention is the biggest gathering of hypnotists in the world.  The convention offers seminars, stage shows, a dealers room and a chance to meet many of the worlds top hypnotists.  I’ve had fun at the convention!  https://new.ngh.net

Stage Hypnosis

There is a great site for a stage hypnotist I really enjoy.  It’s Ian Stewart from Canada.  Oh wait, that’s me!  Seriously,  I believe I have the best show in the world.  But, thankfully a lot of other people agree with me.  My site is at www.ianstewart.info.  

Seriously,  this guy is great!  

I would link to Ormond McGill, but sadly he’s gone.  He was a teacher of mine, and literally wrote the book on hypnosis.  No one is ever likely to surpass the level of knowledge he had about hypnosis.  He doesn’t have a website, but here’s his obituary:  https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sfgate/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=15508852

On Wednesday, August 29th, 2018 I was welcomed back to perform at the Eastern Nova Scotia Exhibition.  

I’ve performed my hypnosis show at the ENSE 7 times now.  The first time being in 2007 when we had a huge crowd.  

The exhibition was closed for a year while they renovated the hockey rink, and it’s great to be back.  

I very much enjoy this exhibition as it embodies what an exhibition was meant to be.  They are very community minded, and have a lot of agriculture.  

The location for my show is by no means the most glorious stage I’ve performed on.  It’s a trailer they tow into the arena and park near the stands.  The audience is behind the glass that protects the spectators during the winter season when the building is used for hockey.  When my show is on the floor of the arena is dirt brought in specifically for the exhibition.  

Here’s what it looks like:  

Setup for the hypnotist at the ENSE 2018

Most of the people watching the show come to the side that the chairs are facing, as you can see from the picture there is one person in the back.  

The venue has the typical sound system you would find in any arena,  that is to say not great.  But Fred Alexandar at One Stop Entertainment made it all work perfectly!  

The website for the Eastern Nova Scotia Exhibition is at http://ense.ca.  

They have a great midway by Hinchey’s Carnival Rides and Amusements, and ATV Obstacle Course, and and Agility Dog Course.  Something for everyone!  

Of course I don’t know if I’ll be back next year. Exhibitions try and change the entertainment so they have new offerings for their audience.  But I seem to get there every few years so I look forward to being back!  

PS.  I see I did a similar article last year after my show at the ENSE.  It’s not as in depth,  but may be interesting:  http://ianstewart.info/eastern-nova-sctia-exhibition/

Fredericton Shows are always fun!  I had the opportunity to perform in Fredericton several times last month and again was not disappointed.  

For some reason, evertime I visit Fredericton I’m in an interesting situation.  The shows are always great,  but there is always something special that occurs.  

Here’s a picture of me performing a show outdoors in Fredericton one night.  Over 300 people were watching.  

I remember one person at the show pictured above thought they were a volcano going off, and broke their chair in the process.  I do this routine all the time in my hypnosis shows.  But the chair breaking was a first!  Thankfully the surface we were on was sand so it was a very soft landing.  

I’ve performed at the University here many times as well.  I remember one time they changed the show location – but forgot to tell me!  I was completely setup in the wrong spot.  But thankfully I got it straightened out before showtime.  

I also performed a show for the town Christmas party once.  This show was for the town employees and I remember how much fun it was.  

Canada Day Fireworks

I was also part of the great crew from Fireworks FX that did the Canada Day Fireworks in Fredericton this year.  

I do fireworks shows in the summer for a change of pace.  Fireworks are always really fun,  but this year doing them in Fredericton was a lot of fun as we shot them off the Westmorland Bridge.  It is a perfect spot to do fireworks.  We even had a few “nauticles”, which are fireworks you shoot into the water before they go off.  My favourite!  

Here’s a selfie I took while standing on the bridge as the show went off.  

Like many times, setting up the fireworks took many hours.  2 full days actually!  But totally worth it!  

Also,  visit Fredericton!  A really cool little city!  http://www.fredericton.ca/en

Something that strikes fear into most hypnotists is performing hypnosis shows for small audiences.  

Most hypnotists have a clause in the contract that they will not perform unless there is a minimum of 100 people in the audience.  I’ve seen several times hypnotists cancel the shows when people are in the audience but the hypnotist feels there are not enough people there to do a show.  

Another thing some hypnotists do when they see an audience too small to perform for (in their opinion) is carrying a magic show with them, and performing this if the audience.  

I’ve never felt it was a good idea to cancel, or do alternate material.  If someone comes to a hypnosis show, they want hypnosis!  

As I see it, if a small number of people show up, then there is a small number of people who took time out of their day to watch a show.  They chose to show up, and to not at least attempt to do a show is telling them that they are not important.  Of course this is just my opinion.  

I understand the fear most hypnotists have when they see a small audience.  They may lack experience, have bad technique, or perhaps think too highly of themselves to perform for an audience that they feel is below them.  

Are small shows the same as larger shows?  

Heck no!!!!  

Doing a show for a smaller group can be challenging, but if you’re paid to show up you owe it to your audience to do the best show possible!  

Over the years I’ve done some very small shows.  One sticks out that was for 8 people.  Many times I’ve done shows for 20.  And, I’ve never had a time that I failed to do a show.  

What got me thinking about this was today I visited Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.  At showtime there were 3 people.  That’s right, 3 people!  And they were the 3 that scheduled the show.  They apologized, but asked what I wanted to do.  I asked if anyone else was around.  They got the group up to 7.  

So I started the show.  I hypnotized one person and the small crowd had a great time.  Everyone laughed and  was able to leave with memories that will last a lifetime.  

If I’d have packed it up and refused to do a show then i would have missed a fun show, and the small crowd that was there would have been disappointed.  

Of course the best way to handle small audiences is by customizing the show:  http://ianstewart.info/hypnosis-show-customization/

But now I have the satisfaction of knowing everyone had a great time, and they asked me back for next year!