Hypnosis

How to Perform the Technique

The first step to the hypnosis technique involved everyone in the class writing their own personal statement on a piece of paper. This statement could have been a confidence booster or a statement of intent or simply just an objective you wish to achieve. The next step involved the initial preparation or fixation on an object. The object could be anything from a black dot to a finger tip. However, in our experiment we used a candle flame where we had to pay conscious attention to the flame for 5-6 minutes. The next step involved an induction into the hypnotic state. This involved a combination of a short PMR and breathing exercises which lasted for roughly ten minutes. After this everyone then had to focus back on their own personal statement, where everyone thought of positive suggestions in order to bring about a change or improvement in a particular occasion. This is known as posthypnotic suggestions. The last stage involved the class returning to a normal state and a posthypnotic stage where everyone tries to carry out the suggestions made when the particular occasion arises.

 

How this technique might be used

 Hypnosis in sport has therapeutic and performance-enhancing functions. The mental state of athletes during training and competition is said to impact performance; therefore hypnosis can be used as a form of mental training which will contribute to enhancing athletic execution. Sports hypnosis can be used by athletes, coaches and psychologists. The idea of hypnosis in sport is that there is a link between relaxation and an increase in sports performance. It is thought that if an athlete is more relaxed then they are more capable of relaxing mentally and focus their full attention on the task at hand. It can be used pre-match to relax a performer, post-match to allow the athlete to focus on the positives from their performance or in training to allow the performer to focus on an upcoming match. Hypnosis can also be used to control anxiety and manage stress in athletes who may become over aroused before competition. Inability to control their arousal levels can lead to a decline in their performance as they go past their level of optimal arousal. The use of hypnosis in sports offers the following potential benefits that may help athletes handle personal challenges that would otherwise negatively affect sporting performance. The hypnosis technique can also be used in the long-term to help an athlete reinforce established goals that they are working to achieve.

What I thought of the technique

I think that using hypnosis techniques in sport can be very useful depending upon the individual and whether that individual can use the method in high pressurized environments. Personally I feel that the hypnosis techniques would be best used for sport performers that require low levels of arousal where the athlete needs to channel their full attention and focus into a specific target. For example when a snooker player plays his next shot or a gymnast is performing one of their disciplines. However it could also be used by athletes who are regularly in intense situations in highly pressurized situations such as the kicker in rugby taking a conversion or a football player taking a penalty. These situations require an athlete to be in the “zone” as many call it, where they are fully focused on one specific goal and need to channel all the energy to obtain this goal. The hypnosis technique would also be very effective to increase the motivation of someone who is finding it hard to stick to a goal or actually go through with a life change such as starting a training programme. Many people find it hard to commit to a goal or a life change and by using hypnosis it may allow the individual to increase their motivation in order to bring this change about. The use of hypnosis with guided imagery and creative visualisation, deep relaxation techniques and mental goal setting could greatly enhance sporting performance. It focuses the mind on positivity and achievement to help enhance mental strength and improve performance, focus and concentration in both training and competition. Every individual is different, so results will vary from athlete to athlete when using hypnosis, however in general, individuals can use hypnosis to maintain composure, overcome distractions and fears and gain confidence in their ability. I feel that hypnosis is very effective and I would benefit from it before a match situation.