Hypnosis has become a trendy treatment for patients trying to stop smoking or lose weight, but it's also being used on the Grand Strand to prove that laughter truly is the best medicine.

The Big Laughs Theatre - a 250-seat, comedy club-style venue - opened in 2013 in Surfside Beach, which is just south of Myrtle Beach. Although comedy acts of all types have played at the new theater, hypnosis is the main attraction.

Hypnotized audience members at a Big Laughs show — Photo courtesy of Big Laughs Theatre

The Wild 4 Hypnosis Comedy Show, featuring the husband-and-wife team of Rich and Elizabeth Wylde, has been literally mezmerizing audiences. The duo selects a dozen or so members from the crowd to come on stage and engage in a little good-natured fun that comes with the power of suggestion.

The Big Laughs Theatre offers three nightly showtimes: a family-friendly “mild” show at 7 p.m., followed by a "fusion" performance at 6 p.m. and a “wild” show geared toward adult audiences at 9:15 p.m. And with each show based on the actions and reactions of the hypnotized, no two performances are alike.

Watch unsuspecting audience members compete in a make-believe cow-milking contest, give themselves a wedgie and do other crazy antics. The shows are perfect for birthday parties and other special occasions, such as bachelor and bachelorette parties.

You're getting very sleepy . . . — Photo courtesy of Big Laughs Theatre