"I want you to think of a circus animal. Just think about one circus animal. How about a tiger? Think about a circus tiger. Are you thinking about a circus tiger?"
"Yes."
"Good, very good. Keep thinking about the tiger. I want you to think about how the tiger looks. Picture the tiger in your mind. Can you see it?"
"Yes."
"Very good. Now I want you to keep picturing it in your mind. Think about what it sounds like. Think about what it feels like. What it smells like. Even what it tastes like. Use all five senses. Are you doing that?"
"Yes."
"Now I want you to go even deeper. I want you to think about what it is thinking. All of its instincts. All of its desires. Think about what it is thinking right now. Are you thinking those thoughts?"
John nodded.
"Good. Keep thinking those thoughts. You don't need to think about anything else. All you want to do is think about the tiger. You only need to focus on the tiger."
Mesmero smiled.
"Concentrate on its thoughts. On its tiger thoughts. You don't need any other thoughts but tiger thoughts. Now I want you to give the tiger a name. Give the tiger a nice tiger name. What is it's name?"
"Shasta" John droned.
"That's very good. That's a very good name for a tiger. Just keep thinking tiger thoughts. Just keep thinking Shasta's thoughts. You don't have any other thoughts. All you have are tiger thoughts. What are you thinking?"
"Tiger thoughts"
"Good. Only think tiger thoughts. Keep thinking them. What is your name?"
John could only think about the tiger. He could only think about Shasta.
"Shasta."
"Good. That's a very good name. Your name is Shasta. What are you?"
"A tiger."
"Very good. Very good. You are a good tiger. You are Shasta the circus tiger. You are not human; you are nothing but a circus tiger. Describe yourself to me."
"I have silky orange and black fur all over my body that I love to groom. I have a nice long cat tail that I swish around whenever I walk. I prowl on all four of my paws. I am a big circus tiger."
"That is very good, Shasta. Very good indeed. You are a tiger. You are a trained circus tiger. You will obey your trainer. I am your trainer. You will obey me. You will refer to me as master. When you address me, you will call me master. Do you understand?"
"Yes, master."
"Very good. Very good. You will not harm me. You will not harm anyone. You are a tame tiger. You will not harm anyone. Repeat what I just said."
"I will not harm anyone, master."
"Good tiger. Very good Shasta. You will act just like a tiger. You will act exactly like a tiger. You will respond exactly like a tiger. Whenever you hear me say the word "Tiger," you will be a tiger. What are you?"
"A tiger."
"Good Shasta. We're almost done Shasta. Whenever you hear me say the word "Heel", you will enter a hypnotic trance. You will obey your master in the trance. Do you understand?"
"Yes, master."
"Good. Now, I want you to relax. All your thoughts are just drifting away. You don't have any thoughts anymore. You are John. You are John, father to two. Whenever you hear me say the word "Father," you will be John. What is your name?"
"John"
"Very good, John. You will not remember any of Shasta's life. You are not Shasta; you are John. You will not worry about what you did as Shasta; your actions were completely normal. You will forget any thing related to being Shasta when you are John. Do you understand?"
"Yes"
"Very good. When I snap my fingers, you will wake up and remember none of this. You will not realize that any time has passed. You will never remember what has happened while you were hypnotized. Do you understand?"
"Yes"
"You will now wake up," said the hypnotist as he snapped his fingers.
*Snap*