Most hypnotherapists dismiss stage hypnosis as fake because they can’t replicate it themselves. My introduction to hypnosis came from watching my dear friend Hugh perform on stage. Imagine my surprise when, during my studies, I was told that stage shows were all faked—I had seen the results with my own eyes. I quickly left that course and pursued my studies at university instead. After five years of university study, I still lacked the ability to induce deep enough hypnosis for people to forget