Students stressed out over finals might be able to forget their troubles through a hypnotist who is visiting NIU during finals week.

CAB is sponsoring the event involving stage hypnotist and hypnotherapist Bruce McDonald, with the theme “Just in Time for Finals.” According to speakers coordinator Mariam Sutton of CAB, the board decided to have McDonald come to NIU after seeing him perform at NACA, which is a convention of college campus activity boards.

She said during his performance he placed 20 people into a trance. She described the performance as “very entertaining.”

Kier Harris, also of CAB, said the show would involve audience participation. “It’s an audience participation show. People volunteer and he hypnotizes them. It can be a really good show,” she said. She said the audience members would be up in a group, they would be hypnotized, and McDonald would have them perform acts through suggestion.

The show also will have an educational aspect to it. McDonald will address topics such as time management and stress management. Harris said McDonald as a hypnotherapist can help teach many helpful skills. She said he teaches people how to time their brains so they don’t need alarm clocks.

Sutton added he’ll teach people how to improve their short-term memory and provide an “extensive review of hypnotism.” She stressed it would be more than just watching someone else get hypnotized.

Sutton encouraged all NIU students to come out to this free event. She asks students who don’t believe in hypnotism to come out as well as those who do. “Those students who think it’s a hoax, come out,” she said.

Harris added the event won’t be too taxing for the mind. “The show is relaxing, it’s funny and it’s not brain consuming.”

McDonald will perform at 8 p.m. Thursday in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium. There will be no charge for the event and all are welcome.