Below: A modern medical miracle facilitated by hypnosis.
Lennie & George
George Bien's hypnosis graduate Lennie (above), was casually sitting on one of those large exercise balls, she slipped back and hit the top of her spinal column in such a way (one shot in a million) that her head was literally disconnected from her spinal cord. If she had moved a fraction of an inch in any direction, her head would have literally disconnected completely!
Using hypnosis in sports is nothing new. Sports’ history is replete with examples of its uses, but often under the guise of names such as: autogenic training, mind conditioning, entering the “zone”, etc.
Sports Psychologist, V.A. Romanov said, "The shaping of psychological readiness is one of the main tasks in preparing athletes for competitions". In the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, the Russian team took with them no less than 11 hypnotists. Mental training was also responsible for the Russians winning more gold medlas in the 1976 Olympics than and other country. This included two of the three judo titles ordinarily taken by the Japanese. During their 1978-79 tour of Australia, England’s cricket captain Mike Brearley consulted a hypnotherapist. In the early 1980s, hypnotist Peter Siegel worked with bodybuilder Lee Haney who went on to win the Mr. Olympia title eight years in a row! In 1985 Peter worked with bodybuilder Mike Christian who went on to conclusively win the Mr. America and Mr. Universe titles. In his book, “Pro-Style Bodybuilding”, Mr. Universe winner, Tom Platz, says, “Unless my mind triggers the will to improve my physique, it won’t happen. Essentially, the mind is the master potentiator in bodybuilding". Yes, Tom consulted a hypnotist! Even heavy-weight boxing champion Mike Tyson had a personal hypnotist named John Halpin. Golfer Tiger Woods had undergone hypnosis as a teenager. And if the above doesn’t impress you, how’s this for a lineup? - Players from the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Raiders, New York Islanders, Dallas Cowboys, Florida Marlins, New York Rangers, to just name some, have utilized the services of a hypnotist. Yet, many athletes who use hypnosis sometimes don’t own up to it because of the age-old myths associated with the modality.
Baseball players had been utilizing hypnotherapy in the 1970s. One of the most famous examples of sports hypnosis is the story of Minnesota Twins’, “Hall of Famer”, Rod Carew. Carew, one of America’s greatest baseball players, had suffered an injury, and even though the injury technically healed, he continued to experience pain. It may have been psychosomatic, but real enough for him, which in turn caused a severe case of self-doubt. St. Paul, Minnesota, hypnotist Harvey Misel, worked with Carew and helped him come back to the best season of his entire career, with a batting score of almost .400. Carew went on to win “The most valuable player award”! Eventually, hypnotist Misel was hired by the Chicago White Sox, and at one point, claimed 200 clients in major-league baseball.
Mental trainers push their clients to develop systematic "pre-performance routines," including relaxation breaths, focusing exercises, and self-talk. Hypnotist Harvey Dorfman, made his career by helping out the Oakland A's during their 1980s glory years.
Boxer Ken Norton has used hypnosis training before his famous victory over Mohammed Ali. Tennis star Andre Agassi, worked extensively with Anthony Robbins, utilizing NLP and hypnosis. Phil Jackson, coach of the Chicago Bulls basketball says that they practised daily self-hypnosis when he coached Michael Jordon and the Bulls to their six NBA Championships.
Please note that hypnosis cannot create a talent-less athlete into a superstar competitor. It will however amplify the athlete’s innate talent and capacity, and enable him/her to access as much of this ability as possible.
The above video is one segment from "Hypnosis and You", A Perfect Partnership!, the DVD that professional hypnotherapists everywhere are excited about.
To get your copy of the complete DVD contact IACT at: 570-869-1021, or staff@iact.org
