Studies of Hypnosis, NLP and Guided Imagery for improved sports performance.
Sports Studies
Hypnosis, NLP and Guided Imagery to Improve Sports Performance
Hypnosis, NLP and guided imagery are crucial techniques in any quest to improve sports performance. Any examination of the coaching practices of professional sports teams will reveal that these techniques are in wide use, and there is a large body of evidence that indicates they"re among the most effective tools available to athletes of all types. Dozens of studies in various sports disciplines support this idea.
As noted in the book Hypnosis and Behavior Therapy: the Treatment of Anxiety, hypnosis is effective for reducing performance anxiety and improving focus (Clarke & Jackson, 1983). A series of studies from researchers at Scandinavian International University also backs this theory up. (Railo & Unestahl, 1979; Unestahl, 1979; Unestahl, 1983)
A study in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis found that post-hypnotic suggestion significantly increased endurance in athletes during training. (Jackson, Gass, Camp, 1979)
A recent analysis from Washington State University found that hypnosis enhanced the skills and grace of basketball players. (Vasquez, 2005)
A paper presented at the English Cricket Board Medicine and Science in Cricket Conference noted that hypnosis improves self-confidence and enhances performance in a specific cricket motion, leg spin bowling. (Barker, Jones, 2003) Researchers at the University of Tennessee also concluded that hypnosis has a significant positive effect on athletes. (Nash, 2002)
These effects are not only evident in team sports but also in individual sports, as a study measuring archery performance at the Istituto Superiore Educazione Fisica of Padua, Italy, noted. (Robazza, Bortoli, 1995)
Similarly, a Ball State University study showed that marathon runners who underwent hypnosis experienced a significant increase in "runner"s high," which was determined to help them complete the marathon more easily. (Masters, 1992)
An article in the American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis also noted that combining hypnosis with cognitive therapy increased indurance in weight lifters. (Howard, Reardon, 1986)
Guided imagery, which is a specific technique that can be used alone or in conjunction with hypnosis, has also been deemed to be an effective training method for athletes. A study conducted at Ball State University measuring "yips""tremors that interfere with golfing strokes"concluded that hypnosis significantly increased motor control. (Bell, Thompson, 2007)
An article in Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly noted that guided imagery could partially substitute for eyesight in visually impaired athletes. (Eddy, Mellalieu, 2003)
Beyond performance, guided imagery has been proven to be a very effective component of sports rehabilitation. A study at Georgia Southern University found that injured athletes who used guided imagery audio tapes twice daily experienced marked increases in self-confidence and the perception of their abilities in others after rehabilitation that employed this guided imagery. (Handegard, Joyner, Burke, Reimann, 2006)
NLP, or Neuro-linguistic programming, a technique developed at the University of California, Santa Cruz in the 1970"s that combines therapy techniques with linguistic research, is also very helpful in improving sports performance. An analysis by Temple University of self-descriptions of performance by elite canoe-slalom athletes showed that their language fit the predicted language of successful outcome in the NLP models. (Doemland, 2001)
It"s no wonder then that the use of readily available, safe, effective and cost-efficient techniques like hypnosis, guided imagery and NLP is spreading exponentially in the realm of sports. Athletes suffer a great deal of stress in the ordinary course of performing and rather than turning to artificial enhancements like steroids or crutches like narcotics or drinking, hypnosis and its complementary techniques are excellent ways to deal with anxiety, boost performance and aid in recovery naturally.
