Most people can tell their shoes apart from their cell phones – but not if hypnotist Tom DeLuca has anything to do with it.

Hundreds of people filled the University Union Ballroom with laughter as DeLuca called up 20 participants onto the stage on Thursday for his hypnosis show.

The show’s participants sang off-key, mumbled when they spoke, did the worm on the floor and even had a dance party to Reel 2 Real’s 1990s hit, “I Like to Move It.”

“The core group has to be spontaneous,” DeLuca said.

“It’s magical when people are themselves and are at the essence of their personality. It makes the show more worthwhile.”

DeLuca said he began his hypnosis career in college where his psychology professor helped train him.

During his college years, DeLuca performed one-on-one sessions while helping his peers stop smoking and with weight loss.

Later, DeLuca earned a master’s degree in psychology while simultaneously performing hypnosis in shows – mostly at universities and business corporations – which he has done the last 20 years.

Thursday was not DeLuca’s first time performing at Sacramento State.

He said he enjoys coming to Sac State because of the positive response from his audience.

“I always get a good crowd,” DeLuca said. “It’s exciting seeing great energy.”

DeLuca said his past shows were a mix of subtle and outrageous participants.

“Last year, I turned a guy into Jackie Chan,” DeLuca said. “He did karate and started speaking in Chinese dialect. I’ve seen people perform acrobatics – a guy did a flip out of his seat and people have done splits on stage.”

DeLuca also said he enjoys returning to campus because he appreciates working with the organization UNIQUE, which coordinates the majority of campus events.

“It’s been a privilege to work with Sac State’s UNIQUE program,” DeLuca said. “Compared to other universities, the program is very organized. A good production provides good sound and avoids lag time – UNIQUE offers good productions.”

Melissa Davidson, a junior dietetics major, said she enjoyed her first DeLuca show.

“I thought it was awesome. I was so entertained along with my sorority, Delta Gamma,” Davidson said.

UNIQUE member John Farley, a senior humanities major, said he “highly recommends it.”

“Tom DeLuca really brought the audience out and got us into it,” Farley said.

Meghan Bone, a sophomore psychology major, said she was not sure the act was real.

“I didn’t buy it,” Bone said. “I thought it was funny that people made a fool of themselves, but I didn’t think it was funny in a sense that the participants were really hypnotized.”

DeLuca has been traveling across the country performing hypnosis; he said his favorite part of performing is interacting with his audience through “improvisational creativity.”

“It’s like magic on stage,” DeLuca said. “After the show, I want to accomplish an amazement factor. I like to see the volunteers’ nature of imagination when it’s most pure.”

DeLuca said he believes Thursday was a “great show” and “every show is different.”

“It depends on who you get on stage,” DeLuca said. “Sometimes you get sparkling personalities; sometimes they’re more hidden and you have to pull more of it out. Tonight we had special people.”

Jordan can be reached at [email protected]