Who wouldn’t want to see their older brother try to dance like John Travolta in front of a roomful of people?

Students and their siblings will have the opportunity to experience a supernatural phenomenon Saturday when Thomas Bresadola will bring his all-ages comedic style of hypnotic entertainment to the Union.

Bresadola, a certified master hypnotist, is known as a captivating and audience-friendly entertainer. He claims to be able to alter a volunteer’s consciousness, thus giving himself the power to direct their thoughts and actions.

But Bresadola says he doesn’t abuse his supposed supernatural powers.

“I treat my hypnotized volunteers with respect,” he said. “I take what I do very seriously, and will deliver to you an outstanding and excellent performance.”

Part of Bresadola’s appeal is his refusal to participate in the raunchier side of hypnosis, which many of his psychic peers engage in for popularity’s sake. Younger members of an audience – as well as their parents – aren’t likely to be offended.

But odds are they will be involved in Bresadola’s act, which often involves large numbers of spectators.

The licensed hypnotherapist has been well-received by many since he started performing on the college campus circuit in 1990. He has been nominated for the National Association of Campus Activities’ campus entertainer of the year and variety entertainer of the year several times.

Being an experienced and renowned hypnotists on the market hasn’t done much of a vanishing act on his own modesty.

“Remember, Thomas Bresadola performs the funniest hypnosis show without resorting to raunchy stunts that embarrass the volunteers and the viewing audience,” he said.

Rather than employ tasteless humor in his act, Bresadola prefers to take a more thought-provoking route, sometimes instructing audience members on how to move an object suspended from a string with the power of their own mind.

He also declares that he can read people’s minds, and is able to use his psychic insight to discern a volunteer’s past and present. His inability to read inanimate objects, however, keeps him from cashing in on gambling.

“I would definitely go see him,” sophomore Jonathan Weber said. “Only because I don’t believe in hypnosis and I want to see if he can, I don’t know, make me act like Fabio or something.”

Despite Bresadola’s family-friendly label, freshman Caitlin Dirk isn’t sure if children should be witnessing people completely under another man’s control.

“It seems to me that little kids might be scared by him,” she said. “I would be totally scared if I were six years old!”

And despite going against the grain when it comes to his unique act, it appears Bresadola can’t hypnotize people into keeping pop culture analogies away from him.

“Hypnotists completely remind me of the Imperius Curse,” Weber said, referencing the Harry Potter book series. “And, if memory serves, that curse is unforgivable.”