Heckle this man at your own risk

Is it possible to hypnotize an entire crowd ... and make them laugh?
Stand-up comedians often find hecklers in their audience.
For comic/hypnotist Flip Orley, his hecklers are on his stage in the form of volunteers agreeing to go under his spell, with hopefully hilarious results. It's an oddball act to say the least but Orley has become a master of manipulating the subconscious.
"Admittedly, the show is supposed to be about entertainment, so I get responses from people and in many cases their responses are silly or unpredictable or are things that are out of the ordinary for them to do in their normal daily life," Orley said calling from his home in Lafayette, LA. "But I also still try to come up with material. In other words, a lot of people when they think of a hypnotist, they think of getting people to bark like a dog or squeal like a pig. That's the stereotypical hypnotist I suppose."
Perhaps an atypical hypnotist, Orley's act continually evolves. While he relies on different volunteers nightly, meaning literally no two shows are ever the same, the creative scenarios he puts his subject into are how he stays fresh. For example, he may have two strangers act like they are on "The Newlywed Game" (with the location of whoopee question always a source of laughter) or even "Survivor."
While on the surface the world of hypnotism is a learning experience for his audience members, it's actually a two-way street. There are even times when perhaps this generation's best-known hypnotist learns a lesson, albeit the hard way. One such experience took place a few years ago when a hypnotized Indiana State University football player attacked him because he thought the comedian was insulting the audience. Mind you, Orley was insulting the audience by saying "Ladies and Gentleman." An innocuous enough statement that Orley had instructed his hypnotized subjects to construe as an insult.
Dangerous gig
So when this gargantuan behemoth with fists clenched ran full speed at Orley, the comedian quickly acted to defuse the situation.
"I instinctively pointed my finger towards him and I screamed 'Sleep,' one of the triggers you can use which will re-institute the hypnotic trance, and as he was running, I saw his eyes roll up into his head and I thought, Oh my god, that's like the coolest thing I have ever seen,'" Orley laughed. "But forgetting about momentum, as his body went limp, he fell on me and I broke his fall but I cracked my skull. He was fine and I actually saw stars. I got a standing ovation. So, I finished the show and then went to the hospital with a pretty serious concussion." From this Orley learned to instruct his subjects into feeling as though they are tied to a chair, thus keeping them from chasing him later.
Bumps and bruises aside, Orley's career has been impressive. After first becoming interested in hypnotism in the sixth grade when he purchased the book "How to Pick Up Girls Through Hypnotism," the eager student eventually landed at the University of Arizona with hopes of becoming a clinical hypnotist.
Instead, he merged his two interests - stand-up comedy and hypnotism - into a busy career and hasn't looked back. From memorable appearances on "The Today Show," "Entertainment Tonight," "Ricki Lake" and more, the comedian continues to wow audiences with what amounts to a different show every night. And despite his success and notoriety, there are still those who believe his craft is nothing but smoke, mirrors and hired actors. "I would love to tell you that I don't (have skeptics) but I do," Orley said. "And I think it's inherent in the field. And if someone is a diehard skeptic, there is nothing I can do to change it. And as long as I do my best to make sure the show is fun for as many people, that's my job."