Stage Hypnosis and the Milgram Experiment: Why We Sometimes Do What We’re Told

In the early 1960s, psychologist Stanley Milgram ran an experiment that shocked the world — quite literally. Volunteers were asked to deliver what they thought were electric shocks to another person every time they got an answer wrong. The “learner” was actually an actor, but the participants didn’t know that.

What was remarkable — and unsettling — was how far people went. Even when the “learner” screamed in pain, many participants kept pressing the buttons, urged on by a calm experimenter in a lab coat. Around two-thirds of participants went all the way to the maximum shock level. Milgram concluded that ordinary people, when faced with an authority figure, often obey instructions even when those instructions clash with their own moral compass.

Now, switch scenes from a psychology lab to a packed theatre on a Saturday night. A stage hypnotist invites volunteers up from the audience. Moments later, people are barking like dogs, forgetting their names, or dancing like Elvis. On the surface, this looks nothing like Milgram’s laboratory. But psychologically, the similarities are striking.

The Pull of Authority

In Milgram’s study, the authority figure was the scientist in the lab coat. On stage, it’s the hypnotist — charismatic, confident, and holding the microphone. Both roles carry an implicit message: I know what I’m doing. You should listen to me.

Social psychologists call this the legitimacy of authority. When we perceive someone as an expert, we’re much more likely to comply, whether that means pressing a shock switch in an experiment or clucking like a chicken under stage lights.

The Desire to Belong

Milgram noticed something fascinating: many participants were visibly uncomfortable. They sweated, trembled, and even laughed nervously. Yet they kept going. Why? Because they felt they had agreed to take part, and they didn’t want to “ruin” the experiment.

The same pressure exists on stage. Once a volunteer has stepped forward, they’re part of the show. With the audience watching, few want to back out or appear uncooperative. This is where social influence kicks in:

• Normative influence – the drive to fit in and not let others down.

• Informational influence – trusting that the authority figure knows best, so going along with their version of events.

  
  

Suggestibility and Obedience

Hypnosis researchers have long argued that stage volunteers aren’t actually “under control.” Instead, they’re highly suggestible — which means they’re responsive to the cues of the situation. Studies by psychologist Martin Orne showed that people will often behave in surprising ways in experiments, not because they’re hypnotised, but because they believe that’s what the situation requires.

This idea overlaps with Milgram’s findings. In both cases, people suspend their usual decision-making and follow external direction, whether it’s shocking a stranger or dancing on stage.

The Psychology at Work

Both obedience and hypnotic behaviour are fuelled by the same underlying psychological processes:

• Agentic shift – when people see themselves as carrying out someone else’s wishes rather than acting independently.

• Deindividuation – losing a sense of personal accountability when part of a group or role.

• Expectation and demand characteristics – picking up on subtle cues about what behaviour is expected and adjusting accordingly.

These mechanisms explain why ordinary, well-meaning people can sometimes do extraordinary — or baffling — things.

The Bigger Lesson

Milgram’s work revealed a darker truth: under the right conditions, people may follow orders that cause harm. Stage hypnosis reveals a lighter side: in the presence of an authority figure, people will often let go of their inhibitions and surprise themselves.

Both remind us of an uncomfortable but important reality: human behaviour is more shaped by authority, context, and expectation than we often like to admit.

So next time you see someone dancing like a chicken on stage, or recall Milgram’s volunteers reluctantly pressing those shock switches, consider this: how often are we really acting from free choice, and how often are we simply responding to the subtle pull of authority and the desire to belong?