Columbian Hypnosis
Columbian Hypnosis is a Theatre of the Oppressed exercise in which one player holds their palm in front of a partner's face, and the partner must keep their face at a fixed distance from the hand as it moves through space. The leader's hand controls the follower's entire body. The exercise explores power dynamics, control, and physical responsiveness.
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Devising Theatre
A Practical and Theoretical Handbook
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Theatre of the Oppressed
Augusto Boal
Theater Games for the Lone Actor
Viola Spolin
Improvisation for the Theater
A Handbook of Teaching and Directing Techniques
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The Improvisation Game
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Related Exercises
Hand Hypnotist
Hand Hypnotist is a partner exercise drawn from Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed in which one player holds their hand in front of a partner's face and leads them through the space, with the partner following the hand as though hypnotized by it. The leader is responsible for the partner's safety and for creating interesting movement; the follower surrenders physical autonomy to the relationship. The exercise develops trust, physical sensitivity, and the experience of leading and following through the body.
Open Your Hand
Open Your Hand is a trust and release exercise in which players practice letting go of tension by literally and metaphorically opening their hands. The physical act of unclenching serves as a gateway to relaxing the body and mind before performance. The exercise is often used to address the impulse to control scenes rather than allow them to unfold.
Arm Levitation
Arm Levitation is a relaxation and body-awareness exercise in which players press their arm against a wall or solid surface for thirty seconds, then step away and allow the arm to rise on its own. The involuntary lifting sensation demonstrates the nervous system's response to sustained isometric tension and provides a concrete experience of release and surrender.
Breathing
Breathing is a foundational warm-up exercise in which performers practice controlled inhalation and exhalation to release physical tension, quiet mental chatter, and center their focus before rehearsal or performance. Variations include diaphragmatic breathing, counted breath patterns, and synchronized group breathing in which an ensemble inhales and exhales together. The exercise builds awareness of the body as an instrument, training performers to recognize and release habitual tension patterns that restrict vocal production, physical freedom, and emotional availability. Breathing exercises appear across virtually every performance training tradition, from Viola Spolin's theatre games to Augusto Boal's actor preparation sequences, and remain one of the most universally practiced warm-up activities in both theatrical and applied improvisation contexts.
Emotional Manipulation
Emotional Manipulation is an exercise in which a caller or scene partner deliberately attempts to shift a performer's emotional state through verbal and physical tactics. The exercise builds awareness of how emotions are triggered and managed in performance. It trains the ability to be emotionally affected while maintaining scenic control.
Rituals
Rituals is a scene exercise in which performers explore the behavioral rhythms of repeated, patterned actions: the small ceremonies people perform when making coffee, setting a table, greeting a colleague, or preparing for sleep. By slowing down and physicalizing the precise sequence of a ritual, players develop attention to behavioral specificity and discover that the way a character moves through their routines reveals character, relationship, and emotional state as clearly as explicit dialogue.
The Lineage
Explore the schools and structures that influenced or evolved from Columbian Hypnosis.
Games for Actors and Non-Actors (Boal)
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Columbian Hypnosis. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/columbian-hypnosis
The Improv Archive. "Columbian Hypnosis." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/columbian-hypnosis.
The Improv Archive. "Columbian Hypnosis." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/columbian-hypnosis. Accessed September 28, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.