"Unlocking Peak Performance: The Intriguing Connection Between Hypnosis and Flow

Posted on November 14, 2023 by mark wilkes, One of Thousands of Performance Coaches on Noomii.

Childhood memories often carry nuggets of wisdom, and mine revolves around NBA games with my dad, particularly a moment in the mid-90s watching our long-suffering home team, the Sacramento Kings. Mitch Richmond, the Kings’ star shooting guard, pulled off improbable shots, prompting my dad to exclaim, “He’s unconscious!” This colloquialism hinted at Richmond’s seamless, instinctive play, like watching a cheetah chasing its prey. Little did I know that this concept of being “unconscious” would later intertwine with my studies in psychology, leading me to explore performance psychology further.

Flow State and the Unconscious Performance:

Flow state, a psychological state during peak performance, involves a seamless, instinctive execution where conscious thoughts dissolve. The concert musician loses track of individual chords, Mitch Richmond isn’t overthinking jump shot mechanics, and Abraham Lincoln delivers the Gettysburg Address without dwelling on syllables. These performances just flow. However, not every proficient individual achieves this state, as seen in the meticulous rituals of some, like the golfer’s multiple waggles at address or the colleague who incessantly reviews slides ahead of a presentation.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s criteria outline the path to flow, but achieving it can be challenging. That’s where the psychological shortcut, or “hack,” comes in—hypnosis.

Hypnosis as a Shortcut to Flow State:

Hypnosis, often associated with stage antics, takes on a different role in performance psychology. It becomes similar to a guided meditation, which, through a series of sessions, allows an individual to induce a state similar to flow. A case study on a European Senior Tour golfer revealed a significant decrease in stroke average and an increase in flow state experiences after a series of hypnotic sessions focused on recalling peak performances.

Hypnosis and Flow State: The Science:

Several studies across diverse performance domains, from cycling to academic tasks, support the idea of hypnosis as a psychological hack for peak performance. This method involves induction, hypnotic regression, and establishing triggers. The golfer’s trigger, gripping the golf club, consistently brought him into a flow-like state during subsequent tournaments.

The Unconscious Advantage:

While achieving flow naturally is possible, hypnosis offers a potential shortcut, an unfair advantage accessible to anyone. The ability to tap into this level of mastery on command is intriguing. As performance psychology progresses, hypnosis could become a staple in elite athletic mental training, offering a means to overcome anxiety and psychological barriers associated with high-pressure situations.

In future articles, we’ll delve into the mechanics of how hypnosis induces flow-state experiences, exploring the fascinating relationship between the two. The real and repeatable results from various studies suggest that hypnosis could evolve into an everyday tool for unlocking our highest levels of performance. In essence, it’s about performing “totally unconscious,” as my dad would aptly put it

References

Pates, J. (2013). The effects of hypnosis on an elite senior European tour golfer: a single-subject design. The International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 61(2), 193204.

Bowers, J., Na, H., & Elkins, G. (2018). Flow and Hypnotizability in a College Student Population. The International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 66(3), 331342.

Lindsay, P., Maynard, I., & Thomas, O. (2005). Effects of Hypnosis on Flow States and Cycling Performance. Sport Psychologist, 19(2), 164.

Pates, J., Cummings, A., & Maynard, I. (2002). The effects of hypnosis on flow states and three-point shooting performance in basketball players. The Sport Psychologist, 16(1), 34–47.