Unlocking Your Potential: The Power of Hypnosis in Sports Performance

Introduction

It is important to have a base understanding of the mind before delving into the principles and mental training skills to shape it. Without this understanding, coaches and players often question the reasoning of some basic training. Those simple exercises often have the most profound effects. Every training skill you will learn can be traced back to how our mind works. This model divides the brain into four key components: the Primitive Mind, the Conscious Mind, the Subconscious Mind, and the Critical Mind.

Primitive Mind

Imagine the mind as a circle, representing what we call the Theory of Mind. At its core is the Primitive Area, where our basic survival instincts reside, primarily the fight-or-flight response. The fight response dictates how we manage everyday stress, while the flight response triggers a need to withdraw or escape when overwhelmed. We also have the freeze response, which when danger is present, the body and mind literally stop functioning.

This part of the mind explains why many people are interested in sport psychology, why athletes underperform in competition, and most importantly, why athletes choke. The primitive mind is activated when we experience fear or we are afraid of something. For athletes, this fear might stem from a potential repeat of past failures or an anticipation of future failure. This fear can impair fine motor skills and focus, causing the athlete to perform not just below their usual level, but significantly below it. 

Understanding that the primitive mind overrides all the other parts of the brain is key to mastering the mental game of athletics as its main purpose is to protect you from harm.  The brain cannot distinguish between a real, life-threatening event and a perceived threat triggered by an athlete’s thoughts during competition. We need to avoid these thought patterns and negativity to prevent triggering this part of the brain.

We need to retrain the mind and its thought patterns to stay in the present moment. In his book The Power of Now, German spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle explains how being fully present, rather than dwelling on the past or future, alleviates stress and anxiety. Phil Jackson integrated these same Buddhist principles and meditation techniques into his coaching philosophy, contributing to the championship successes of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.

When athletes overtry or become overly focused on the outcome or overall results, they detach themselves from the present moment of the event. True experience lies in being fully absorbed in the task at hand, becoming one with the event where the concept of self recedes. Understanding this concept and learning to control one's thoughts during competition can be achieved through the training tools found later in this workbook.

Subconscious Mind

From birth to around age eight, we are highly suggestible, absorbing information as absolute truth and developing our initial programming. This programming includes both positive and negative experiences, forming our "known associations." These associations shape our Subconscious Mind, which accounts for a significant 88% of our total mental capacity. It's the repository of our ingrained beliefs and automatic responses in which we try to access during competition.

When an athlete’s physical actions become deeply ingrained through daily practice, they transition into the realm of the subconscious mind. This allows for performance without conscious overthinking, relying on muscle memory to execute tasks automatically. If the ego and self-consciousness recede, the subconscious takes control, freeing the conscious mind from mental strain. This liberation enables heightened alertness and awareness, crucial for responding to new situations that may arise during competition.

Referencing the diagram above, you'll also notice negative associations fixed within the subconscious that can hinder performance. If an athlete develops a negative association with a particular event or belief, it can severely impact their self-belief and negatively affect their confidence.

These associations, whether positive or negative, also influence an athlete's daily habits related to diet, exercise, sleep, and stress. A positive association with fast food or a negative association with exercise can make physical training difficult due to mental blocks found in the subconscious. 

Critical and Conscious Mind

As we mature, we develop the Critical Mind, which acts as a protective filter for our Subconscious. It scrutinizes new information and compares it to our existing programming. Concurrently, we develop the Conscious Mind, which comprises logic, reasoning, decision-making, analysis, and willpower. 

The Zen Master D.T. Suzuki, in his book Zen in the Art of Archery, describes the ego mind and how great achievements occur when the mind is not calculating or thinking. Use the conscious mind during practice to analyze and think about body mechanics or how you will handle yourself in different situations. Then during competition stop over thinking and trust your body working with the subconscious to perform. 

To believe an athlete will achieve a completely thoughtless state of flow, zone, or zen throughout competition is unrealistic. While an athlete can be present with minimal distractions, stray thoughts will inevitably arise. The key lies in the athlete's ability to control, monitor, and transform these thoughts into habitual patterns. This prevents overthinking with the conscious mind and, more importantly, avoids triggering the primitive mind into a perceived danger mode. This internal dialogue and self-talk are the foundation of a champion mindset, ultimately quieting the mind.

Breaking the Critical Mind

The subconscious mind and our inner resources are crucial for athletes aiming to perform at elite levels. While learning to control thoughts is essential, addressing negative associations that can hinder competition is equally important. These associations, often deeply ingrained, can sabotage an athlete's best efforts. Understanding how to identify and counteract these negative patterns is a key step in optimizing mental performance.

Aligning the conscious and subconscious minds is the final piece in understanding the Theory of Mind. The subconscious naturally seeks homeostasis, resisting change due to the protective filter of the critical mind. However, this resistance can be overcome. By consciously working to break through these barriers, we can rewrite the subconscious to match our goals and dreams. This process also allows us to build new, positive associations over time, replacing the negative ones that previously held us back.

Conclusion

Hypnotherapists play a pivotal role in guiding athletes to dismantle these mental barriers. Through targeted techniques, they access the subconscious mind, helping athletes identify and reframe negative associations and limiting beliefs. By facilitating a deep state of relaxation and focused attention, hypnotherapists empower athletes to visualize success, reinforce positive affirmations, and build mental resilience. This process allows the subconscious to accept new, empowering narratives, aligning the athlete's inner world with their performance goals and unleashing their full potential.