Entitled: "Hypnotist directing group of people to do unusual things: man wearing women's clothing and feathered hat, man using cane as fishing pole, man driving another man like a horse and carriage" created by the Donaldson Lithographing Company (undated). Stage hypnosis evolved out of much older shows conducted by Mesmerists and other performers in the 18th and 19th centuries. During stage hypnosis, people are hypnotized for the entertainment of others and encouraged to perform bizarre/amusing/humiliating acts. The hypnotist is there to entertain, and they have many techniques to ensure that the people who end up on stage will put on a good show for them. Everybody at the show arrives with certain expectations. They expect to be entertained, and may even be willing to go along with that themselves.