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Relaxing. Every muscle in your body. Relaxing. Breathing deeply. Pushing negative energy out of your body.

A holistic calming exercise?

Not exactly, but as Canadian hypnotist Sailesh spoke those words, Aquinas student volunteers sure appeared to be relaxed as they slumped into a deep hypnotic state.

The 13-year veteran of hypnotism made a special visit to Aquinas on Jan. 10.

Greeted by a full auditorium, Sailesh was prepared to hold his audience captive — literally. By the end of the night, students of Aquinas had witnessed their friends do things they would have never imagined performing.

Humiliating? Not even embarrassing, according to Sailesh.

Over 15 students volunteered to relinquish “all control of their actions” into the hands of Sailesh.
Once in the initial hypnotized state, the students could best be described as Sailesh’s personal puppet collection.

The students readily responded to Sailesh’s varied instructions, making the audience laugh hysterically and crossing all sorts of lines in the process.

Seeing the volunteers put on a hypnotized version of Riverdance was hilarious, as was watching them attempt to evacuate the audience in slow motion.

“It was the funniest thing you’ve ever seen,” said freshman Catherine Newman.

Freshman Bridget McCrackin explained that while it was hilarious, she was glad that she was not one of the people hypnotized.

Witnessing them watch pornography, respond to perceived nudeness and explore their sexuality was a bit risqué and received a mixed reaction.

Another student, who wishes to remain anonymous, found the Sailesh hypnotism experience to be quite traumatizing.

But it’s just good, relaxing fun. Right?