Is stage hypnosis safe? Is it real?
Short answer: yes, it's safe when run by an experienced professional, and yes, the phenomenon is real — it's just widely misunderstood.
Is it real or are the volunteers acting?
Both, in a sense, and it doesn't matter for the show. Hypnosis is a genuine state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility. Some volunteers respond strongly to it. Others play along because they're having fun. The audience laughs regardless. What's not happening is anyone being controlled against their will.
Can someone be made to do something they don't want to do?
No. People under hypnosis keep their own judgement and values. They won't do anything that genuinely conflicts with who they are. A volunteer can stop and step off the stage at any point. An experienced hypnotist is reading the room and the individuals the whole time.
Will I be stuck "under"?
No. Hypnosis isn't a trap you can't get out of. Volunteers come back to normal awareness easily, and would do so on their own anyway.
What makes a show safe
Experience and judgement. A professional screens volunteers sensibly, keeps the material clean, never targets or humiliates anyone, and looks after people on stage. The difference between a good show and a bad one is almost entirely the person running it.
This is entertainment, not clinical treatment. Gerard V does not provide hypnotherapy or allied health services.