Over the course of his career, Jim Wand did something that was unusual for a stage hypnotist: he made a point of recording many of his shows.
Not every performance was captured, of course, but hundreds were. Jim Wand videos preserve more than 400 full stage hypnosis shows recorded throughout his career. These performances capture Jim’s humor, stage presence, connection with audiences, and the memories created at proms, fairs, colleges, corporate events, and other live shows.
At the time, they were recordings of performances.
Today, they are something much more.
“Do You Still Have My Show?”
We hear from people all the time who remember seeing Jim perform years ago.
Someone might write and say:
“I was in a Jim Wand show back in 2006 in South Dakota. Do you still have the footage?”
And quite often, amazingly, the answer is:
Yes. We do.
Sometimes it is someone who volunteered and ended up onstage. Sometimes it is someone who sat in the audience watching their friends. And sometimes it is a family member who remembers that night and wants to experience it all over again.
Jim used to tell a story during his pre-show talk about a young man he had hypnotized years earlier. Every Thanksgiving, the young man’s family would pull out the recording and watch his antics onstage all over again.
They would laugh together every year.
That was something Jim loved about these shows. They created memories that lasted long after everyone left the venue.
Why Jim Wand Videos Still Matter Today
Since Jim passed away, these recordings have taken on a completely different meaning for those of us who knew and loved him.
As we worked in the office transferring the shows to the new website, we found ourselves stopping to watch.
There he was.
We could see him onstage again.
We could hear his voice.
We could hear his laugh.
We could watch the man we loved doing what he did so incredibly well.
I’ll admit it — there were some tears.
But there was also a lot of laughter.
These videos preserve more than Jim’s performances. They preserve his personality, his humour, his interaction with people and that unmistakable magic he created when he walked onto a stage.
A Remarkable Resource for Stage Hypnotists
The library has also become something Jim would have appreciated very much: a learning resource for the next generation of stage hypnotists.
Jim created a complete Stage Hypnosis Training Course, but there is something different about being able to watch those principles being applied in front of a real audience.
A student can study Jim’s stage presence.
His rapport building.
His timing.
The seemingly small things he did that could completely change the energy of a show.
And because these performances took place in so many different settings, students can watch how Jim adapted.
A high-school prom isn’t the same as a corporate event.
A fair isn’t the same as a college show.
The audiences are different, the environments are different and the dynamics are different.
Watching Jim work through those differences allows a developing performer to see how an experienced professional handled real audiences in real time.
Jim also believed strongly in continuing education and sharing knowledge with others in the profession. Events such as HypnoThoughts LIVE continue that spirit by bringing hypnotists together to learn, grow, and exchange ideas.
Jim Wanted Other Performers to Succeed
That generosity was very much part of who Jim was.
If an up-and-coming hypnotist learned Jim was going to be performing in their area and asked if they could come watch his show, Jim welcomed them.
He didn’t worry about someone seeing what he did.
And after the show, he would often stay and answer their questions.
He was generous with his knowledge and his time because he genuinely wanted other entertainers to succeed.
Jim believed everyone could succeed.
In many ways, these recordings allow him to continue teaching.
A new performer can still sit back, watch Jim work and learn from one of the industry’s most experienced stage hypnotists.
Sometimes We Just Need an Hour to Have Fun
Perhaps that’s the real reason these recordings still matter.
Whether you were the person hypnotized onstage, the friend laughing in the audience, a performer studying Jim’s technique, or someone discovering him for the first time, the shows do what Jim always wanted them to do.
They make people laugh.
They make people remember good times.
And for an hour, they can pull us away from everything else going on in our lives and simply let us have fun.
That was the magic of a Jim Wand show when he was standing onstage.
And all these years later, that magic is still there.
The Legacy Lives On
More than 400 full Jim Wand performances are being preserved in the Jim Wand Video Store, including shows from schools, colleges, fairs, corporate events and venues across North America.
Maybe you were onstage.
Maybe you were sitting in the audience.
Maybe you’re a stage hypnotist who wants to watch a master of the craft at work.
Or maybe you’d simply like to spend an hour hearing Jim’s voice and his laugh again.
The shows are still here. And so are the memories.