Pathé tests hypnosis for film experience

Pathé, a Dutch cinema chain, is testing a unique approach to movie-watching by using hypnosis to help participants experience a film as if it were their first time. The experiment, named "Pathé REWIND," involves 30 participants who will attend a special screening at a cinema in The Hague.

Participants must have seen the film before

To take part in the experiment, individuals must have already watched one of four selected films at least once. The films available for selection are The Matrix, Se7en, La La Land, and Interstellar. The one chosen for the screening will be the one that receives the most interest from participants.

Hypnosis process involves two sessions

Each participant will undergo two hypnosis sessions as part of the experiment. The first session will be conducted online with hypnotist Victor Kraemer, and the second will take place just before the screening. These sessions are designed to help participants experience the film with a fresh perspective.

Hypnosis does not guarantee memory erasure

Pathé has clarified that the hypnosis sessions do not guarantee that participants will forget the ending of the film. Research from 2002 indicates that while hypnosis can temporarily make certain memories inaccessible in some individuals, it does not erase them, and the effects vary from person to person.

Pathé does not promise a first-time experience

The cinema chain has made it clear that the experiment is not intended to prove the effectiveness of hypnosis or guarantee that participants will feel as if they are watching the film for the first time. The results of the experiment will be known only after the session on November 9.