{"id":8365,"date":"2022-09-01T13:00:12","date_gmt":"2022-09-01T18:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/?post_type=campus_story&p=8365"},"modified":"2022-09-01T13:00:12","modified_gmt":"2022-09-01T18:00:12","slug":"magic-man-renowned-hypnotist-chris-jones-got-his-start-at-uw-la-crosse","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/magic-man-renowned-hypnotist-chris-jones-got-his-start-at-uw-la-crosse\/","title":{"rendered":"Magic man: Renowned hypnotist Chris Jones got his start at UW-La Crosse"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Photo<\/a>
Chris Jones, ’08, is a world-renowned hypnotist and comedian who had his big break hypnotizing Howie Mandel during a 2015 episode of NBC\u2019s \u201cAmerica\u2019s Got Talent.\u201d Jones got his start performing card and magic tricks at UW-La Crosse.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chris Jones remembers one of his first times performing in front of an audience.<\/p>\n

It was the mid-2000s, and he was representing the now-defunct Baird Hall in the Mr. UW-La Crosse competition.<\/p>\n

His mind-reading trick failed. His card trick flopped. Then it was time for his final act: levitation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tried to levitate a woman\u2019s driver\u2019s license, and I did,\u201d Jones, \u201908, recalls. \u201cUnfortunately, with the spotlight, everyone could see the shadow of the string.\u201d<\/p>\n

From inauspicious beginnings, Jones applied himself and slowly but surely learned to captivate an audience. Today, he is a\u00a0world-renowned hypnotist and comedian<\/a>, who had his big break\u00a0hypnotizing Howie Mandel<\/a>\u00a0during a 2015 episode of NBC\u2019s \u201cAmerica\u2019s Got Talent.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLife is fascinating to me,\u201d says Jones, reflecting on his rise from failed magician to rising star. He even had his own prank show,\u00a0\u201cDouble Take,\u201d on Facebook Watch<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith hypnosis, you can\u2019t really practice,\u201d he explains. \u201cYou can try practicing with a friend, but you\u2019re always going to wonder: \u2018Did I really hypnotize you? Or were you just pretending?\u2019 The only way to get better is to go out and do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the past decade, Jones has done exactly that, reaching a level of success many up-and-coming entertainers only dream about.<\/p>\n

All that time on the road has afforded Jones the luxury of spending more time with his family, while doing fewer shows and focusing on bigger projects. It has also allowed him to give back \u2014 in the form of a $10,000 donation to the UWL Foundation, which will be used to create a scholarship program for underrepresented students.<\/p>\n

The scholarship honors Ron Rochon, a former faculty member who mentored Jones during his time at UWL and went on to become president of the University of Southern Indiana.<\/p>\n

Jones, who holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in sociology, didn\u2019t set out to be a hypnotist.<\/p>\n

As a member of the UWL men\u2019s cross-country team, he had dreams of following in the footsteps of Andrew Rock, \u201904, and competing in the Olympics.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jones studying a book on magic in Murphy Library.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jones had always been interested in skillful deception. In college, rather than studying, he would go to Murphy Library to read books about magic. As a resident assistant, he used card tricks to connect with his peers.<\/p>\n

But it wasn\u2019t until hypnotist Fred Winters performed at UWL\u2019s Cartwright Center that he saw a career path emerge.<\/p>\n

\u201cI chased him to his car after the show, and he told me what books to read if I wanted to get good at hypnotism,\u201d Jones remembers. Winters\u2019 performance, paired with the disastrous Mr. UWL competition, \u201cencouraged me to stop doing magic and move toward hypnosis.\u201d<\/p>\n

After earning his degree, Jones polished his craft by doing shows all over the United States, night after night after night.<\/p>\n

There were nights he failed to hypnotize anyone.<\/p>\n

And there were nights he was so effective that he had to work overtime.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce, I was driving back from a show, and I got a phone call,\u201d he recalls. \u201cSomeone was still a little bit hypnotized. I had to get them on speaker phone and guide them out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2015, Jones received another phone call \u2014 one that changed the trajectory of his career.<\/p>\n

\u201cAmerica\u2019s Got Talent,\u201d one of NBC\u2019s most popular programs, was looking to feature a hypnotist.<\/p>\n

Jones jumped at the opportunity and immediately began brainstorming ways to impress the judges.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t watch the show, but I knew Howie Mandel was one of the judges, and he is famously afraid of germs,\u201d Jones remembers. \u201cI thought, \u2018OK, I\u2019ll hypnotize him, and I\u2019ll get him to shake my hand.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

During his audition, Jones used several techniques, including turning back an invisible clock, to hypnotize Mandel. NBC was not allowed to air the complete act, but producers did show one audience member who was so affected by Jones\u2019 performance that she also became hypnotized.<\/p>\n

Jones convinced Mandel to shake not only his hand \u2014 but the hands of fellow judges Howard Stern, Heidi Klum and Mel B.<\/p>\n

The panel was equal parts stunned and impressed. And while Jones was ultimately eliminated during the Judge Cuts round, his viral performance was a major career boost.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"\"
Through hypnosis, Jones was able to shake hands with Howie Mandel, who famously struggles with a fear of germs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

He was able to raise his rates. He was invited to perform at bigger venues and overseas. And he was offered his own show on Facebook Watch, in which he demonstrated the power of hypnotism by working with celebrities such as John Cena, Pamela Anderson and Gabriel Iglesias.<\/p>\n

Of course, Jones is aware of the skepticism that colors many people\u2019s perception of hypnotism.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a scientific explanation, he says, that has nothing to do with magic. And it is supported by numerous studies, including a 2016 study by Stanford University.<\/p>\n

When a person is hypnotized, researchers say, parts of their brain experience altered activity and connectivity. This affects their ability to perceive what is happening around them. Sometimes, a disconnect will even form between the brain and the body, making them highly suggestible to instructions or commands.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t mind if people are skeptical. In fact, I encourage it,\u201d Jones says. \u201cOur opinions are our opinions, and they can change. I love when, after a show, someone says they started off skeptical, but now they see that it\u2019s real.\u201d<\/p>\n

As his career has progressed, Jones has used his platform not just to share his passion for hypnotism, but to be a positive role model.<\/p>\n

When he performs at colleges, he encourages students to look out for one another, to drink or party responsibly, and to treat others with kindness and respect.<\/p>\n

If he could hypnotize humanity and issue one command, he says, he would tell people to get a passport, travel the world and experience different cultures.<\/p>\n

He established the scholarship for the same purpose: enriching lives and communities through education.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to support students who will get their education and go on to help people,\u201d Jones says. \u201cIt\u2019s like an elevator. Once you make it up, it should go back down for the next person.\u201d<\/p>\n

Upcoming show<\/h3>\n

Jones will be performing at UWL Saturday, Sept. 3, as part of New Student Orientation. The event is scheduled for 8 p.m. in The Bluffs inside the Student Union.<\/p>\n

Learn more about New Student Orientation event offerings.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Written by UW-La Crosse<\/p>\n

Link to original story: https:\/\/www.uwlax.edu\/news\/posts\/magic-man\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chris Jones remembers one of his first times performing in front of an audience. It was the mid-2000s, and he was representing the now-defunct Baird Hall in the Mr. UW-La Crosse competition. His mind-reading trick failed. His card trick flopped. Then it was time for his final act: levitation. \u201cI tried to levitate a woman\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":8368,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","institution":[104],"story_category":[],"class_list":["post-8365","campus_story","type-campus_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","institution-uw-la-crosse"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story\/8365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/campus_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8365"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"institution","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institution?post=8365"},{"taxonomy":"story_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story_category?post=8365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}