The Application of Hypnosis in Sports

Abstract

As an ancient science, hypnosis has been used by humans since the primitive societies during theocratic times. By the 20th century, scientists and psychologists had re-recognized and studied hypnosis and explored its applications in fields such as medicine, education, and military uses. A local form of traditional Chinese “hypnosis” appeared in Huangdi Neijing, but it has not received enough attention from Chinese people; China’s modern hypnosis development is later than that of American and European countries. Therefore, people’s understanding and applications of hypnosis remain inadequate. With the development of China’s economy and state power in the last decades, Chinese people were beginning to attach importance to the investment and development of the sports industry and realized that the psychological quality of the athletes is often a decisive factor in the success or failure of the competition. Meanwhile, hypnosis is an effective psychological training method to be used in daily training and competitions. In light of this, this essay firstly reviews the history of hypnosis before carrying out the methods of a literature review and a logical analysis to explore the applications of hypnosis in sports. Thus, evidence is provided in favor of the use of hypnosis in the sports industry.

Unleash your inner power: Improving handgrip strength via post-hypnotic suggestions with long-lasting effects

“…From athletes seeking a competitive advantage to patients yearning for speedy recovery -using the power of the mind to improve their physical abilities holds immense promise. Hypnotic interventions, proven effective and used in clinical [1][2][3][4][5], psychotherapeutic [6], and sports contexts [7], emerge as an appropriate tool for this purpose.…”

The impact of sport hypnosis on volleyball athlete performance: An empirical study

“…Despite these efforts, challenges remain in consistently and effectively maximising athletes' potential. For instance, many athletes experience tremendous psychological pressure (Li & Li, 2022), often stemming from mental illnesses and typically occurring at the peak of their competitive careers (Allen & Hopkins, 2015). In this context, hypnosis, or sport hypnosis, emerges as an intriguing approach to explore, with the potential to provide solutions to the psychological challenges faced by volleyball athletes in achieving their peak performance.…”

“…Therefore, hypnosis in sports overlaps with fields such as biomechanics, nutrition, physiology, and sports psychology. In sports, hypnosis has been proven effective in enhancing self-confidence, improving concentration, improving emotional control, and reducing anxiety in athletes (Guntur et al, 2022;Li & Li, 2022;Sumarjo, 2023). In the context of this research, the implementation of hypnosis in volleyball games has the potential to significantly contribute to improving athletes' mental aspects and holistic performance.…”