"PLEASE don't make me bark like a dog."

It's an unusual request but, I feel, when you're about to be hypnotised by one of the country's greats, it's best to lay the ground rules out early.

Peter Powers has been manipulating minds for more than 25 years and now the Pavilion regular is about to set to work on mine.

My main views on hypnosis come from watching Derren Brown on television and thinking I would never be so gullible.

Peter, in his broad Lancashire accent, says "susceptible" rather than "gullible".

Before he puts me under I ask how he became involved in hypnosis - and yes, I'm stalling for time.

"I have always been drawn to mystery and magic and mentalism," Peter says, before telling me about how he and his younger brother used to watch a hypnotist on television and practice on each other using their father's fob watch.

"I noticed that when I swung the watch in front of my brother's eyes they would glaze over and I began to think I might be able to actually hypnotise people."

The young Peter headed to the library and devoured every book he could find on the topic.

By the age of 18, he was performing at a pub in Manchester. Next came a break with Channel 5 with his series The Naughty, Naughty Hypno Show.

Now Peter is a huge theatre presence in Britain and Australia and a television regular.

However, his parents, who are both religious, disapprove of his work and it's a subject they avoid talking about.

Even with his success and the fact hypnotism is becoming more mainstream - it's used by doctors and dentists for nervous patients - Peter's mum and dad strongly disapprove.

"I was going to school and getting in to trouble for doing experiments on classmates. At first the teachers weren't pleased but eventually they were telling me I had a talent and should pursue it.

"My parents, though, thought it was the work of the devil. Some people do, though that attitude is less common now. I did a show in Jersey and people were picketing outside.

"It's against my parents' beliefs and so we don't talk about what I do. It hurts. It does hurt."

While hypnotists say everyone can be put under, Peter says it depends on the person and the hypnotist with some people more prone than others.

He says those in the military are easier to hypnotise as they are drilled to respond to commands. Creative people, those who sleepwalk or sleeptalk and daydreamers are also susceptible.

More seriously, Peter says people who have experienced childhood trauma respond to hypnotism as they are used to taking themselves outside of their surroundings as a means of coping.

So will I be easy to be hypnotised?

Peter tries out a couple of experiments on me to see if I will be susceptible and to see which type of hypnotism will work best.

First, he asks me to put my hands out in front of me and close my eyes while focusing all my thoughts on my hands.

Slowly, Peter tells me someone has placed a bucket over my left wrist and is filling it with sand - he gives me details, such as the bucket is red and has a metal handle.

As I focus on my imaginary bucket, I can feel my left arm being pulled down to the floor and really dislike the sensation.

Peter also tells me the same person has tied a balloon to my right wrist with string but, oddly, my right arm stays still.

My instinct is to shriek, open my eyes and call the whole thing off. But my mother raised me to be unfailingly polite so I sit and let the imaginary bucket do its work.

Next, I have to clasp my hands in front of me and, again, close my eyes. In a calming voice, Peter tells me my grip is becoming tighter and tighter.

As he counts to 10 I can feel my fingers crushing into the backs of my hands and Peter tells me that once I open my eyes I will find that I won't be able to loosen my grip until he tells me.

He's right - my hands are glued together. And, again, I'm not very happy at not being in control of myself.

Satisfied that I'm a perfect candidate, Peter tells me to stand up and clasp my hands again while talking to me in a slow and soothing voice.

I'm not entirely sure what happens next but he tells me to tilt my head back, puts his hand on the back of my neck and one minute I'm standing up, the next I'm lying on the floor.

He tells me to imagine I'm floating in space and then that I'm lying on a beach. I expect to feel relaxed but, in fact, I feel quite anxious and am worried the hypnotism hasn't worked.

Peter asks me to stand up and then move to sit in a chair so that the photographer, Mark, can come into the room and document what happens next.

I feel a bit weird but am pretty sure it hasn't worked. That is, until Peter tells me that everything seems really funny to me.

Suddenly I'm in uncontrollable fits of giggles until Peter snaps his fingers by my temple and tells me to sleep. I can't keep my head up and I slump in the chair - but all the while I'm completely conscious.

Peter tells me that when I wake up again something about Mark will seem ridiculously funny. I open my eyes and start mocking Mark's hair. (Sorry, Mark. There's really nothing wrong with your hair.)

He clicks his fingers and I'm asleep again. Next, I've to feel drunk. And finally, he tells me I feel mischievous, like a naughty child.

While I'm listening to him tell me this I feel once again quite anxious that I won't be able to think of anything naughty to do.

It's completely bizarre to be both in charge of how I feel and also totally helpless. Peter wakes me back up again and I feel a bit blank.

But then I realise that it would be a terrible thing to smear my hands on the lens of Mark's (£2000) camera. (Sorry, Mark. This wasn't a good day out for you.)

And I do, almost without realising I'm doing it.

It's time for Peter to bring me round. He tells me I'll feel a great sense of wellbeing and energy for the rest of the day and will have an excellent sleep that night.

I'm quite looking forward to this added benefit though, even after my fits of giggles, drunkenness and naughtiness, I'm still sure it's power of suggestion rather than any kind of mind control.

After the session Peter tells me he'd put me in the top 20 per cent of hypnotisable people.

He said: "I think it's a skill and a compliment, not that you're gullible. When we spoke about the experiment with the bucket and the balloon, you changed some of the details of the story, which shows you have a really good imagination. Some people just can't use their imagination in that way."

Unusually for me, I have a completely unbroken sleep that night. While I might not be a convert to mysticism, it's certainly been interesting.

And I'd do it again just for another good night's sleep.

*Peter will be appearing at the Glasgow Pavilion Friday and Saturday from tonight until Saturday, March 11.

Performances are at 7.30pm and Saturday at midnight.