On Hypnosis and Performance

Competitive performance, whether in sports or other professional domains, requires rigorous practice schedules, maintaining high levels of physical and/or cognitive health, and emotional resilience to deal with demanding routines and frequent disappointments. It makes sense, therefore, that many world-class athletes and performers seek approaches to complement their training in a way that optimizes their performance outcomes as well as enhancing their well-being.

Multiple psychological techniques can be used to improve performance, such as effective goal-setting, visualization or guided imagery, self-talk, and emotion regulation [1]. These techniques are often used before or during performances or competitions to mentally rehearse specific skills [2], adjust thoughts and internal conversations about the skill or performance (to reduce negative thoughts and enhance confidence) [3], and decrease stress and anxiety [4]. Although the effectiveness of these techniques is inconsistent, they are generally regarded as supportive of objective or subjective performance levels [5].

Can Hypnosis Help?

Hypnosis can be used to improve the mental game of athletes and performers through several routes, and a number of well-known athletes have reported that they use hypnosis to enhance their performance. Hypnosis can be used to facilitate vivid mental imagery. For example, Tiger Woods, a professional golfer since 1996, has won more than 100 tournaments, establishing his place as one of the greatest golfers in history. Aside from professional glory, his achievements have awarded him great financial success. Woods used hypnosis with a sports psychologist since his teenage years to improve his ability to focus while on the golf course. He appears calm even under the most intense pressure. Consistent with anecdotal reports of successful performers, evidence suggests that hypnosis can improve performance in sports and arts. A recent review [6] summarized studies that demonstrated that hypnosis assisted with performance in basketball, golf, soccer, and badminton, and some preliminary findings suggest Improvement at cricket, weightlifting, and archery. Evidence also exists for better performance in laparoscopic surgery [7], rifle shooting [8], and music [9,10] following hypnosis-based treatments.

Furthermore, research found hypnosis a very effective approach to address barriers to performance. For example, hypnosis can be used to reduce pain as a result of rigorous practice or injuries, improve sleep for better performance and recovery, help with smoking cessation, and support weight loss. Moreover, hypnosis is an effective approach to reducing anxiety, a long-studied factor in compromised human performance [11].

Bottom Line

Hypnosis offers a variety of ways to improve performance across various skills. For example, hypnosis can help increase focus, facilitate learning, and intensify practice through visualization. Hypnosis can also reduce performance anxiety, negative thought patterns, and other potential barriers to doing your best.

References

1. Whelan, J. P., Mahoney, M. J. & Meyers, A. W. Performance enhancement in sport: A cognitive

behavioral domain. Behav. Ther. 22, 307–327 (1991).

2. Vealey, R. S. & Forlenza, S. T. Understanding and using imagery in sport. in Applied Sport Psychology: Personal Growth to Peak Performance 240–273 (2015).

3. Williams, J. M., Zinsser, N. & Bunker, L. Cognitive techniques for building confidence and enhancing

performance. in Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance 274–303 (2015).

4. Gould, D. & Udry, E. Psychological skills for enhancing performance: arousal regulation strategies.

Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 26, 478–485 (1994).

5. Gardner, F. & Moore, Z. Clinical sport psychology. xi, 283 (Human Kinetics, 2006).

6. Milling, L. S. & Randazzo, E. S. Enhancing sports performance with hypnosis: An ode for Tiger Woods. Psychol. Conscious. Theory Res. Pract. 3, 45–60 (2016).

7. Sroka, G., Arnon, Z., Laniado, M., Schiff, E. & Matter, I. Hypnosis-induced mental training improves

performance on the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) simulator. Surg. Endosc. 29,

1024–1029 (2015).

8. Mattle, S., Birrer, D. & Elfering, A. Feasibility of Hypnosis on Performance in Air Rifle Shooting

Competition. Int. J. Clin. Exp. Hypn. 68, 521–529 (2020).

9. Brooker, E. Music performance anxiety: A clinical outcome study into the effects of cognitive

hypnotherapy and eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing in advanced pianists. Psychol.

Music 46, 107–124 (2018).

10. Stanton, H. E. Reduction of Performance Anxiety in Music Students. Aust. Psychol. 29, 124–127

(1994).

11. Wilson, M. From processing efficiency to attentional control: a mechanistic account of the

anxiety–performance relationship. Int. Rev. Sport Exerc. Psychol. 1, 184–201 (2008).

About the author:

Afik Faerman, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University. He completed his doctoral training in clinical psychology with an emphasis in neuropsychology, and his clinical training at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Afik’s research centers on identifying key neurocognitive mechanisms in clinical change, focusing on hypnosis, pain, and sleep. His research was supported and acknowledged by the American Psychological Association, the Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, and the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis.