May 26, 2006
Hypnotist teaches dangers about driving drunk
by Sgt. Mel Lopez
Henderson Hall News

According to the Washington Regional Alcohol Program's review How Safe Are Our Roads, after a half-decade of steadily increasing alcohol-related traffic fatalities in the United States, the number of drunk driving deaths in the region decreased by nearly ten percent in 2004, yet the percentage of alcohol-related fatalities is still at 45.5%.

Two out of 10 of those fatalities were people under the age of 21.

These statistics are staggering by any standard, yet many people still choose to ignore them and the laws which were meant to protect citizens or, at the very least, minimize fatalities, accidents and injuries.

Retired master sergeant Bryan A. McDaniels came to Henderson Hall to speak about the dangers of driving under the influence and their consequences.

The former Marine, turned hypnotherapist and member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, was the guest speaker of a safety presentation sponsored by the Safety & Environmental Office at the theater Thursday, just in time for the Memorial Day weekend holiday. But this was not going to be an ordinary safety brief. McDaniels was going to use his "magical powers" to get his point across to his audience.

McDaniels started the show by asking for open-minded volunteers to be part of his routine. Seventeen Marines approached the stage fully aware they would be hypnotized but not aware of what they were about to do. He assured them they would be perfectly safe.

It appeared the Marines were anxious, but McDaniels made them relax. With soothing music in the background, he spoke to them softly, asking the volunteers to close their eyes and imagine themselves in a vast emptiness. While he spoke, the Marine volunteers grew more and more tired. Eventually, the magician had complete control over them.

To test them, McDaniels had them imagine they were in a very cold environment with only shorts and a t-shirt. Within seconds, they were shivering, and rubbing their arms to keep warm. Afterward, while still in a trance, they were told they were in Death Valley, Calif., and the temperature outside was 120 F. Some wiped their brow, while others gasped for air.

McDaniels was assured the Marines were under his "powers."

Next setting: a horse race. All the Marines bet on a "horse" and waited for the race to begin. With the snap of the hypnotist's fingers, they stood up off their seats yelling and cheering for their horse. At the end of the race, everyone's horses lost. It was a disaster for the Marines. Lance Cpl. Norma Parker, battalion supply, lost everything.

"My husband's gonna kill me!" said Parker. When asked if she was going to tell her other half, she said, "I'm gonna have to now!"

Sgt. Leo Jefferson, Plans, Policies & Operations, said he lost $35 million while covering his face in embarrassment.

They were told afterward that they forgot to place their bets. The volunteers let out a sigh of relief.

Next, the Marines were made to act like four-year-olds in pre-school. McDaniels asked for two volunteers to sing the alphabet. Parker and a fellow Marine, Lance Cpl. Gabriela Ras, Adjutant's Office, started to sing the alphabet in unison, but got flustered after the letter "G." Sgt. Oscar Olland, Adjutant's Office, stood up, pointed at them and laughed.

After they finished their song, Olland sang his favorite song, I Like to Eat Apples and Bananas.

The fun continued for the "kids" as they were informed they would get a chance to go trick-or-treating. The Marines were given the opportunity to dress in their favorite costume, and ask the audience for candy. Some of them collected some treats, while others stole them from their fellow trick-or-treaters hands.

Of those who collected candy, five of them were conveniently dressed as "The Village People." With a snap of the fingers and a little help from a CD, McDaniels made them sing and dance to the song "Y.M.C.A."

Although the acts were amusing, the hypnotherapist did not forget the main focus of the presentation. In his final act, he hypnotized the Marines to make them think they were at a party getting drunk. After 3 quick "drinks", the Marines were "intoxicated." When the party was over, the volunteers had to decide who was going to drive them home.

"I'll drive!!" said Sgt. Orville Williams, in slurred speech. "I'm the designated driver!!" He proceeded to stumble to his makeshift car, and sat behind the wheel. The other volunteers followed suit. The driver, nor the passengers, wore their seatbelts.

After driving a short period, Williams slammed his brakes to avoid an obstruction on the road. He lost control of his vehicle, crashing it, and ultimately killing his 4 comrades. He sobbed, stating his sadness.

"I never meant to take the wheel," said Williams. "I didn't mean to kill my fellow Marines!"

Unfortunately, this seems to happen too often, and that was the message McDaniels wanted to pass on to the Marines.

"You need to make the right decisions before you go drinking," the magician said.

He wanted to make sure the audience would not forget this scenario. McDaniels hoped to get his point across to his audience, and making them realize the consequences of driving under the influence. He used this act to show what could happen if Marines act irresponsibly behind the wheel.

McDaniels, who retired from the Marine Corps in 2003 after 23 years of service, conducts these briefs in this manner because he wants to be able to keep the Marines' attention while still passing the message about drinking responsibly.

In an earlier edition of the Henderson Hall News, he stated that he had been to many safety briefs in the past and that there were few he could remember.

"I understand the intent of them, but most of them appeared to be a 'check-in-the-box'' said the Akron, Ohio native. "I developed this presentation so the Marines can enjoy themselves but also get a powerful message."

By the end of the show, it was apparent his audience got the message.

Ellie