The Super Mental Training Book (2 page)

Introduction

interviewed were not reluctant to discuss their mental training regimens and sessions with "shrinks."

Number of Athletes "Into" Self-hypnosis, Visualization, and

Other Mental Disciplines

How many athletes use self-hypnosis, visualization, meditation, or other mental training strategies? An actual number is really not possible to obtain. Based on my research, however, I estimate that no more than 5% of professional and amateur athletes regularly use any of these effective techniques. Even if 5% is an incorrect figure, it is not off by more than a factor of two and simply indicates that too few athletes engage in mental training to improve their athletic performance. As for the other 95%, they generally rely on haphazard traditional methods, such as the locker room pep talk, to prepare for competition. In fact, many athletes in this group do not even bother to "psych up." This is understandable given: (1) the unreliability and ineffectiveness of haphazard methods, and (2) the superficial level of consciousness which these traditional methods address. At the elite athlete level mental training is becoming much more commonplace nowadays, but it still has not permeated to any great extent to the lower athletic ability levels. In certain quarters interest in mental training remains at historic lows. For instance, Dr. Kurt Krueger, a sports psychologist, conducted a Practical Sports Psychology Workshop at Orange Coast College in April, 1985. Dr. Krueger presented at his workshop ways for one to practice and teach such mental disciplines as visualization and meditation. The point behind learning such disciplines, according to the sports psychologist, is that "if you have techniques that you can consciously practice to get into a peak experience, then you can have a peak (athletic) performance more at will."[2] No doubt Dr. Krueger's workshop had a lot to offer, and it only cost $25 to attend. Nonetheless just 10 people showed up for it. This is the type of situation one still encounters in searching for evidence of widespread or growing interest in mental training.

Naruse's Scientific Study

Many scientific papers have been published about athletes employing self-hypnosis, or other mental disciplines, and experiencing an improvement in their performance. An example of these is Gosaku Naruse's study, "The Hypnotic Treatment of Stage Fright in Champion Athletes" (see International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, April, 1965, Vol. VIII, Number 2, pp. 63-70). Naruse worked with "125 Japanese athletic champions who had returned to the country from the Rome Olympics in 1960." His mission was "to utilize hypnosis for the therapeutic treatment of stage fright" in these athletes. He had been requested to do this by the Training Committee of the Japanese Society for Physical Culture. Naruse taught the athletes "self-training, a form of hypnosis" which he claims "had an excellent therapeutic effect on stage fright and the athlete's confidence." Later on in his paper, Naruse goes through individual case histories, a typical one being this:

Case G. Free pistol champion, 35 years old, male. He showed a great interest in the group learning autogenic training; but because of his intense concentration he had to be helped with heterohypnosis in order to experience heaviness and warmth.

(In one competition) he was too emotionally disturbed to achieve the sensation of heaviness and warmth. (He then) asked his trainer to come and stand behind him at the shooting position. He recovered his ability for self-control and relaxation and became calm. He performed wonderfully in the match. Afterwards he told the trainer that at that critical moment he felt as if he were hypnotized by the trainer, who suggested calmness and encouraged him to have self-confidence.

THE SUPER MENTAL TRAINING BOOK

Naruse never reveals the identity of this free pistol champion, nor reveals the identities of all the other athletes to whom he taught his version of self-hypnosis. Of course, this is protocol in a scientific paper; but, while this might make for good science etiquette, it does not inspire the average athlete who chances upon Naruse's paper to try out hypnosis. "Free pistol champion" is simply too vague. So, if we are ever going to deliver an effective message to athletes about the benefits of self-hypnosis, visualization, and the like, we must be as specific as possible. In this book I will be as specific as possible.

Appropriateness of Self-hypnosis, Visualization, and Meditation

Before I describe some of the characteristics of the various mental disciplines athletes use, let me address certain questions I have been asked. First of all, it is legal in every state in the U.S. for you to learn and practice self-hypnosis, visualization, meditation, and similar mental rehearsal techniques on your own. Generally speaking, you will also be violating no laws if, for instance, you hypnotize a fellow athlete for the purpose of helping him play better. There is one state, Kansas, which has an outdated statute on the books that possibly forbids this. According to Robert A. Romanoff, the Kansas law states that "to allow oneself to be hypnotized can result in up to thirty days in jail and/or a fine not exceeding $500."[3] But, this type of law is highly unusual. It is only when you start charging money for hypnotizing others, or use hypnosis and related mental disciplines in a way that might be construed as the practice of medicine, that you must be aware of various restrictions (local ordinances, the Business and Professions Code, and so on). However, avocational uses of mental training techniques, about which we are concerned in this book, attract little attention by any authority. "Avocational use of mental training techniques" means practicing them as a hobby, or only occasionally, for purposes of self-improvement or relaxation. It is appropriate, therefore, to hypnotize a friend, for example, assuming you do it for free, and it is for the purpose of helping your friend with his sports, studies, or something else worthwhile.

Along these lines, I advise athletes to develop a self-hypnosis, self-visualization, or self-meditation capability. One reason is because, having attained this type of capability, it costs you nothing to employ. By contrast, a half hour session with a sports psychologist or hypnotist currently averages $50—and that is getting off cheap. Some of the top sports psychologists with whom I have talked charge $125 or more a session! Sports superstars can afford such an outlay; but, it is not necessary for you to spend such sums. You can learn and practice self-hypnosis, visualization, or meditation on your own with no difficulty. Usually all that is required to get started is for you to read a book or article which describes these techniques and their mastery, and then give it a go; this, in fact, is how many champion athletes learned their preferred mental disciplines. Hopefully, this book will serve you in the same capacity.

You Are Your Own Best Coach

Another reason why you should learn and regularly apply some mental discipline is because you are your own best coach. You know better than anyone else what mental, physical, and technical aspects of your game or event need work. You are, therefore, more likely to carry out your own advice than someone else's. After all, it is a rare coach who knows you and your needs that well (let alone cares about you and your needs that much). Dr. William J. Kroger, author of the most comprehensive textbook on hypnosis, Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (1977), agrees that the individual is more willing to respond to his own suggestions. Dr. Kroger states, "When a person suggests thoughts to himself, this is much more meaningful than when they are given to him by someone else."[4] It is also unlikely your coach will know anything about mental training strategies, such as the use of hypnosis or visualization. So, to properly prepare yourself mentally, it is best to develop and draw on your own resources.

Introduction

Now, self-hypnosis, visualization, and meditation do not guarantee you victory or even a good performance. Most of the time they will provide you an outstanding frame of mind for competition. There will be a few occasions, however, where these techniques will seemingly not help you at all. When this happens, often it is not the fault of the techniques, but rather some underlying cause. You may be fed up with competition, burned out or stale, for example. Self-hypnosis, visualization, and meditation are not going to do a good job of psyching you up if that is the way you really feel. Also, if you are out of shape, playing with a cold or otherwise ill, do not expect mental rehearsal techniques to come to the rescue. You will be able to expend a certain amount of energy, and then that is it. As Dr. Kroger observes, "There is no danger that an athlete will go beyond his physiologic limit. The built-in or involuntary reflexes protect the individual against danger at all levels."[5]

To perform at your best you need to be in top mental condition and in top physical condition! Serious athletes generally have no trouble getting in excellent physical condition; it is the mental part which gives them the most headaches. While we are primarily concerned in this book with the mental conditioning necessary for peak athletic performance, let us not minimize the importance of physical conditioning. You simply have to be in shape if you want to do well in your sport.

Forget Mental Training If You Are a Marijuana or Drug User

Self-hypnosis, visualization, and meditation are not going to prove of much help if you are a user of marijuana or drugs. Pat Collins, Hollywood's "hip" hypnotist, requires all her students enrolled in her self-hypnosis classes to stay off pot and drugs. This is because the individual's motivation is sapped by the effects of marijuana-smoking or drug-taking. According to Collins, four out of five of her students enjoy success with self-hypnosis. "The other 20% who fail to get results," she notes, "do not practice."[6] Drug users and marijuana smokers, unfortunately, develop a lack of self-discipline to continue practicing self-hypnosis or other mental training techniques—a phenomenon many, including myself, have witnessed.

There is convincing scientific data to explain the inability to concentrate and motivate oneself when on pot. Dr. Hardin Jones, in his book Sensual Drugs, relates in detail how a person's brain functions are seriously, and often permanently, damaged by marijuana—harm which occurs even if one smokes pot but once of twice a week. Explains Dr. Jones in part:

The (marijuana) user's psychomotor coordination is impaired. He may suffer illusions and hallucinations, difficulty in recalling events in the immediate past, slowed thinking and narrowed attention span, depersonalization, euphoria or depression, drowsiness or insomnia, difficulty in making accurate self-evaluation, a lowering of inhibition, a loss of judgment, and mental and physical lethargy. [7]

It should be apparent that an athlete, lethargic and "not all there" from smoking marijuana or indulging in even more destructive drugs such as cocaine, will neglect practicing self-hypnosis or other mental disciplines; he will also likely neglect his physical conditioning and assignments associated with his sport, fading away into a mediocre athlete, former athlete, or worse. [8] This is exactly what Sam Rutigliano, former Cleveland Browns head coach, discovered. He noted:

In my experience with players on drugs, the first thing they lose is their discipline during meetings. A player on drugs is not going to be able to respond to the tests he has to take. He's not going to be able to practice well. He's not going to be able to play well. He's going to be a little late for this and a little late for that.[9]

As Coach Rutigliano's observation illustrates, coaches who kick drug users off the team are totally justified in their action, and need make no apologies. The justifications are many, one of them being that the user might recruit other team members into the drug scene; such entrapment

THE SUPER MENTAL TRAINING BOOK

happens all the time nowadays, usually behind the coaches' and families' backs, and is one of the saddest developments in sports.

One reason I have dwelled on the drugs and marijuana issue is to highlight the importance motivation plays in the practicing of and benefitting from self-hypnosis, visualization, and meditation. Drugs and marijuana, by diminishing the athlete's motivation and overall energy level, just do not mix with mental training. As Dr. Kroger points out, the effectiveness of self-hypnosis "depends upon strong motivation, the intelligent application of the autosuggestions, and diligence: these are the essential prerequisites."[10]

Similarities Between Self-hypnosis and Meditation

I have referred to self-hypnosis and meditation in the same breath so far because basically they are the same thing. Self-hypnosis and meditation produce similar physiologic effects on the body. This was confirmed by Larry C. Walrath and David W. Hamilton, whose experiments showed that "autohypnosis and meditation produce similar effects on autonomic arousal."[11] Some of these similar effects included a lower heart rate and lower breathing rate. Interestingly, a control group who did not use self-hypnosis or meditation but instead was just told to relax, also experienced a lower heart and breathing rate. This led the experimenters to state that "the effects of meditation can be replicated by simple instruction." [12]

Self-hypnosis and meditation, if they can be said to differ at all, do so mainly in the frame of mind they provide. In meditation you ordinarily clear your mind of all thoughts, and emerge from the session experiencing a general sense of well-being. You can do the same thing with self-hypnosis, but self-hypnosis practitioners usually strive for more than just relaxation. Athletes who use self-hypnosis often give themselves hypnotic suggestions which intensify their competitiveness and aggressiveness—for example, "Today, I will play as hard as I can. I will totally dominate my opponent and win!" These types of suggestions are somewhat strong, but by and large they are effective; athletes into self-hypnosis do not hesitate implanting their subconscious with such thoughts. Along these lines, Dr. Warren R. Johnson notes that "athletes seem happy with the idea of suggestions which would encourage them to be more aggressive in a sportsmanlike way."[13] This is not surprising, for serious athletes thrive on putting out; they are not in sports to surrender to their opponent, or walk away knowing they could have done better.