For nearly two decades this professional hypnotist has inspired and entertained audiences of all ages across the globe, earning the titles “Male Performer of the Year” from Campus Activities Magazine and “The Best Hypnotist in the World” from MTV Europe.
Born in the Fiji Islands, raised in Canada by Indian ancestry and settled in the United States, he aspires to motivate and help people to access their subconscious mind and reach their fullest life potential.
For the third time in four years, “Sailesh the Hypnotist” Jaiwan will visit the university to perform for the Campus Activities Board-sponsored event in the University Center. The show will be held at 8 p.m. on Feb. 12 and is free for students. An education session will be held at 12 p.m. on Feb. 13 for anyone seeking to fully understand the practice and benefits of hypnotism.
“What I do on stage is for fun, but being able to give someone the tools to better themselves is what’s really rewarding,” said Sailesh. “The mind amazes me, and making people laugh is one of the most rewarding aspects.”
In previous shows Sailesh hypnotized a group of students on stage and mentally took them from one scenario to the next. From flying into space to belts becoming snakes, students reacted accordingly to each new reality he presented.  
Sailesh explained how and why hypnotism works.
“Hypnotism goes into what is called an alpha state, which is basically meditation state. It deals with your subconscious,” said Sailesh. “When you’re in a hypnotic state of mind or in your subconscious, everything seems real. Illusion becomes reality. That’s why they visualize what I tell them and feel the fear.”
During his youth, Sailesh studied under another professional hypnotist by helping out with sound and setup. He performed his first show 19 years ago. While he does not believe in having a perfect show, he feels his show is “one of the best out there,” after many years of tweaking. While he has spent many years working on his stage act, Sailesh is more passionate about the real benefits of the seemingly unreal subconscious mental awareness.
“There have been a couple case studies on what I do, and the outcomes have been very positive,” said Sailesh. “People have stripped away anything from years and years of baggage and looked in the mirror and felt better about themselves.”
At the educational session Sailesh instructs attendants on how they can apply the techniques of hypnotism and mental manipulation to become more focused, improve test-taking skills and memory.
“It’s about mind-set and creating positive thoughts and relaxation so that you can recall memorization. Under hypnosis you can create positive habits and get rid of bad habits as well,” said Sailesh.
 “One of the most rewarding stories I’ve ever come across, I’ve had a student tell me that at one point he was suicidal, but through the program he’s becoming much better now.”
Depending on the audience the content ranges anywhere from a general audience to an R-rated performance. The content also varies based on the location’s culture.
“The European show is more of an uncensored show, and for the Asian shows you have to be more respectful, like you can’t turn people into dogs because it’s very degrading,” said Sailesh.
Many students attended his previous shows and look forward to his return.
“I thought his performance last time was really fun and interesting to watch,” said Allison Doan, a senior biology major. “I enjoyed watching something different, and I am excited to see him again.”
Sailesh is currently running for the title of “Male Performer of the Year” for the fourth year in a row.
“After they see the show, if students think I should be ‘Male Performer of the Year,’ they can actually vote with their school address at votesailesh.com or at campusactivitymagazine.com,” said Sailesh.  
For more information on the upcoming hypnotist events, contact CAB at 985-549-3805 or email [email protected]
“There are times where I get surprised at some of the reactions and comments from people on stage,” said Sailesh. “I love being able to make people smile. I wouldn’t still be doing this if I didn’t love it.”