[galt11]

I was recently told about a practitioner in my area that works with athletes using hypnosis to help them improve their performance. I was tempted to try it out but thought I might check here to see if anyone might have any experience with it. Even if it was for another reason, like quitting smoking, I would be curious about your experience. Thanks

Adam

[chrisa006]

Adam,

3 years ago I tanked the production nationals. The next summer I went for a week long class at the National Guild if Hypnotists to get certified and just get more info. (my father has been using it in his practice for 30 years) The bottom line is we all hypnotis ourselves. All hypnosis is self hypnosis but the hypnotist helps to direct you. If you tell yourself " do not miss" what your mind/ subconsciecs focuses on is miss, not what you want.
After the class I spent the next 3 weeks ( it takes 21 days to re-program) doing the following. Twice a day for 2 minutes I would find a quiet place.
I had the following words written on an index card.
"Every day I fire I look at the front sight
I feel confident, relaxed and smooth."

I held the card up and read the words while I took 3 deep breaths and than closed my eyes, dropped the card and just kept this self talk up for 2 minutes.

The outcome was the last 2 years I have shot at my ability in area and national matches winning my division in my area match both years. The last 2 nationals I have had 1 no-shoot and 1 mike. I don't think about missing anymore I see the front sight.
A couple of folks I shoot with noticed the improvement and asked me to make a CD that they could use. I haven't gotten to it.

There was a thread last week about visualizing and that is what this is all about. Sport teams may not call it hypnosis but that is what sport physcology, and creative visualzation is.

The national guild of hypnotist has a book store if you want more info. Cal Banyan's book is very good

[AlamoShooter]

+ 1 to chrisa 006

This post has been edited by AlamoShooter: 10 April 2008 - 04:04 PM

[Johann the Horrible]

I try and visit a practitioner for two weeks before every major match. Normally I can see the difference between when I could make it and when not. Find a good practitioner that understands Practical Pistol though. Mine is more clued up with ISU so the advantages could be greater.

[tightloop]

Back in the Olden Days, before Kydex and Mega-mags, we tried any and all kinds of things to improve...including hypnosis.

got the idea at the 81 Natls...watching John Shaw sitting in the shade with earphones on just before he shot a stage...after the match, I asked him about it...he told me it was a self hypnosis tape...now that could have been BS, but being the kind of guy who will do most anything to get ahead, myself and my shooting buddy at the time, tried it...over 6 weeks had an hour long session once a week...

It is BS...leads to all kinds of negative thinking and behavior...better getting Lanny Bashams book and spending some time with it than the hypnosis thing, IMO....

BTW, talked to John Shaw years after the event and he just smiled and then admitted it was just music...

This post has been edited by tightloop: 10 April 2008 - 08:20 AM

[All-Gator]

Auto(self)hypnosis, diaphramatic breathing, biofeedback, cognitive rehearsal, relaxation response training, hypnosis, guided imagery, meditation, Zen, visualization, tense/relax training, use of "cue" words, and other "mental" techniques share more similarities than differences. They have proven effective/efficient in pain management, sports psychology, and psyhcotherapy. They are far from BS...but may not be everybody's cup of tea.

A-G

After I re-read the above, it looked like I took a shot at Tightloop. I didn't mean it that way.

This post has been edited by All-Gator: 10 April 2008 - 09:03 AM

[chrisa006]

Tightloop you are 100% right about Lenny Basshams book!! The interesting thing is that if instead of the first section asking What is Mental Management? the title was What is self hypnosis? the rest of what he wrote wouldn't change. The 2 are almost interchangeable. He is talking about the same thing. All-gator gave a lot of names for the same thing. Just like there are good and bad doctors, lawyers, police, etc. there are good and bad hypnotists. Give it another try you may be pleasently surprised.

[tightloop]

chrisa006, on Apr 10 2008, 03:35 PM, said:

Tightloop you are 100% right about Lenny Basshams book!! The interesting thing is that if instead of the first section asking What is Mental Management? the title was What is self hypnosis? the rest of what he wrote wouldn't change. The 2 are almost interchangeable. He is talking about the same thing. All-gator gave a lot of names for the same thing. Just like there are good and bad doctors, lawyers, police, etc. there are good and bad hypnotists. Give it another try you may be pleasently surprised.

I am sure that is great advise, but at my age, I don't have a pocket big enough to hold all the bread crumbs that I need to drop to find my way home again...

[Flexmoney]

tightloop, on Apr 10 2008, 05:12 PM, said:

but ...I don't...

[tightloop]

Flexmoney, on Apr 10 2008, 05:57 PM, said:

tightloop, on Apr 10 2008, 05:12 PM, said:

but ...I don't...

Bet you have fun with Photoshop too...

[Flexmoney]

Didn't mean to offend. Sometimes I see things with the extra stuff boiled away. In a thread about self-talk and such..that seemed like an example. It wasn't a judgement. I wrestle with the same stuff.

[benos]

tightloop, on Apr 10 2008, 08:19 AM, said:

Back in the Olden Days, before Kydex and Mega-mags, we tried any and all kinds of things to improve...including hypnosis.

got the idea at the 81 Natls...watching John Shaw sitting in the shade with earphones on just before he shot a stage...after the match, I asked him about it...he told me it was a self hypnosis tape...now that could have been BS, but being the kind of guy who will do most anything to get ahead, myself and my shooting buddy at the time, tried it...over 6 weeks had an hour long session once a week...

It is BS...leads to all kinds of negative thinking and behavior...better getting Lanny Bashams book and spending some time with it than the hypnosis thing, IMO....

BTW, talked to John Shaw years after the event and he just smiled and then admitted it was just music...

That's why it didn't work for you - you didn't BELIEVE.
(Sorry I couldn't help that one. I cracked myself when I thought it.)
But that John was a tricky one wasn't he.

chrisa006, on Apr 10 2008, 01:35 PM, said:

Tightloop you are 100% right about Lenny Basshams book!! The interesting thing is that if instead of the first section asking What is Mental Management? the title was What is self hypnosis? the rest of what he wrote wouldn't change. The 2 are almost interchangeable. He is talking about the same thing. All-gator gave a lot of names for the same thing. Just like there are good and bad doctors, lawyers, police, etc. there are good and bad hypnotists.

Nice.

"Hypnosis" is felt by many to be somewhat scary or witch-like. But it's just mental re-programing. You can do it yourself, by listening to a CD, or by paying someone to trick yourself into doing it.
be

[AlamoShooter]

The programing is the tricky part. A popular theory is that many of us thing in pictures and images. I you read the phrase
"Do Not Open the Red door" most of us will first have an image of the Red Door opened and thin an image of it closeing.
If You read the phrase " Keep the Red door locked" = the image will be of a closed door.

If you tryed to do a shooting program with the phrase "don't miss " the brain sends an image of the miss as the main part.
The Trick that would help us all is to have a short four word phrase for a "Resonable fast Hit" in the A zone or near it.
That would be a good one for the Forum to come up with.
Like a line from Biran's Book "Get To The Shooting"
If you could ask a three year old to do it = It may work for a good programe phrase.

but not like "Don't Spill That Milk"

[chrisa006]

AlamoShooter is exactly right. You must picture or self talk the desired positive action. Brian in the visualzation thread talked about traveling from match to match and Seeing as a practice format, though not getting to shoot till the match. You see what you want to achieve. The basketball players that just visualized free throws and had great results did one important thing. They never missed a shot while visualizing. The ball always went in. In my 2 minute self talk I added "I shoot all A's

[tightloop]

benos, on Apr 11 2008, 05:23 PM, said:

tightloop, on Apr 10 2008, 08:19 AM, said:

Back in the Olden Days, before Kydex and Mega-mags, we tried any and all kinds of things to improve...including hypnosis.

got the idea at the 81 Natls...watching John Shaw sitting in the shade with earphones on just before he shot a stage...after the match, I asked him about it...he told me it was a self hypnosis tape...now that could have been BS, but being the kind of guy who will do most anything to get ahead, myself and my shooting buddy at the time, tried it...over 6 weeks had an hour long session once a week...

It is BS...leads to all kinds of negative thinking and behavior...better getting Lanny Bashams book and spending some time with it than the hypnosis thing, IMO....

BTW, talked to John Shaw years after the event and he just smiled and then admitted it was just music...

That's why it didn't work for you - you didn't BELIEVE.
(Sorry I couldn't help that one. I cracked myself when I thought it.)
But that John was a tricky one wasn't he.

chrisa006, on Apr 10 2008, 01:35 PM, said:

Tightloop you are 100% right about Lenny Basshams book!! The interesting thing is that if instead of the first section asking What is Mental Management? the title was What is self hypnosis? the rest of what he wrote wouldn't change. The 2 are almost interchangeable. He is talking about the same thing. All-gator gave a lot of names for the same thing. Just like there are good and bad doctors, lawyers, police, etc. there are good and bad hypnotists.

Nice.

"Hypnosis" is felt by many to be somewhat scary or witch-like. But it's just mental re-programing. You can do it yourself, by listening to a CD, or by paying someone to trick yourself into doing it.
be

81 and 82 he did not have to be very tricky...he was just that good, but that was B4 your time Brian...lol

You are correct about not believing...pragmatist that I am...it was hard to believe then and hasn't gotten any easier in the interim.

[AikiDale]

"Think you can, think you can't; either way, you'll be right."--Henry Ford

So if Henry is correct we should all practice

NO Negative Thinking!

This post has been edited by AikiDale: 12 April 2008 - 08:48 AM

[Flexmoney]

lol...good one, Dale.

[BigDave]

I like Steven Wright's take on it:

“I need one of those baby monitors from my subconscious to my consciousness so I can know what the hell I’m really thinking about.”

[benos]

tightloop, on Apr 12 2008, 07:16 AM, said:

You are correct about not believing...pragmatist that I am...it was hard to believe then and hasn't gotten any easier in the interim.

[shoot]

benos, on Apr 15 2008, 07:40 PM, said:

tightloop, on Apr 12 2008, 07:16 AM, said:

You are correct about not believing...pragmatist that I am...it was hard to believe then and hasn't gotten any easier in the interim.

Like a mantra in TM it is for the individual. If you share the word or words one risks loosing it's power. Perhaps hypnosis can be a way to find one's individual mantra to create focus and Maku Mozo.

It just works but how do we create it in this sport? A mantra to create the focus? If so it is unique to the individual .... imho.

We are the fortunate ones that know it even exists and I love hearing how fellow shooters turn it into an advantage.