Flow is known as an highly pleasant province. When you reach flow, it feels as if you are one with the undertaking you are executing, and as if the undertaking is accomplished automatically. Flow is frequently accompanied with an optimum public presentation, and it is known that preparation can ease the stretch of flow. The type of preparation that is used in order to ease the stretch of flow is mental accomplishments preparation, which can be divided in several different techniques. One of these techniques is hypnosis intercessions. In this reappraisal, the effectivity of hypnosis intercessions in easing flow provinces is evaluated. In order to make so, foremost the dimensions of flow are discussed, followed by other flow-influencing factors. After that, several documents on hypnosis intercessions are discussed, followed by a decision and practical guidelines.
What is flow?
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‘Optimal experience ‘ , ‘playing in the zone ‘ , ‘total focal point ‘ , ‘ideal public presentation province ‘ ; these are all descriptions of the phenomenon flow. Athletes that have experienced the province of flow declare to experience one with the activity they were executing, to experience in entire control of what they were making at that minute, and to be able to except other ideas and emotions at the minute of flow ( Jackson & A ; Csikszentmihalyi, 1999 ) . As the footings that are mentioned above to depict flow indicate, flow has assorted positive effects. The chief positive consequence is the experience itself. Athletes that have experienced flow describe it as a really particular experience, which goes together with an intense positive feeling. This positive feeling is an intrinsic motive, or an intrinsic wages. Schuler and Brunner ( 2008 ) province that this intrinsic wages is the most of import feature of flow. It can be seen as a motive to put to death the undertaking once more, in order to recover the feeling that was experienced before. In this manner, the experience of flow during a undertaking will besides positively act upon the public presentation of that undertaking ( Schuler & A ; Brunner, 2009 ) . Another feature of flow is soaking up of the jock in the undertaking. This soaking up can be seen as being one with the undertaking, and it ensures optimum executing of the undertaking ( Jackson & A ; Csikszentmihalyi, 1999 ) .
Because we now know that flow has positive effects, it would be good for jocks to happen out what they can make in order to ease making the province of flow, and what can be done to better the control an jock has over the flow experience. Several surveies found that mental accomplishments preparation is an effectual mode to increase the jocks control over flow ( Hammermeister & A ; VonGuenther, 2005 ; Kimiecik & A ; Jackson, 2002 ; Jackson, 1995 ; Stein, Kimiecik, Daniels & A ; Jackson, 1995 ) . One manner to develop mental accomplishments is hypnosis. In a survey of Unestahl ( 1983, in Pates, Oliver & A ; Maynard, 2001 ) , flow provinces were found to hold dramatic similarities with hypnotic provinces. These similarities suggest that when you train to use hypnosis, you will automatically increase the personal control of flow ( Pates et al. , 2001 ) . When an jock has more control over flow, this province will be reached more easy. Because flow is an optimum public presentation province, better control over flow will take to an increased public presentation. Because of this good consequence on public presentation, this reappraisal attempts to measure the effectivity of hypnosis intercessions in easing flow provinces. In order to make so, we foremost have a closer expression at the basic construct of flow in the following subdivision, in which the dimensions of flow will be addressed. After that, several surveies on flow-facilitating factors and on how these factors can be optimized will be discussed, which will finally take us to replying the chief inquiry: “ How effectual are hypnosis intercessions in easing flow provinces and thereby in bettering public presentation of jocks? “ .
Dimensions of flow
Flow consists of nine dimensions, which will be shortly discussed here. The first dimension is ‘challenge-skill balance ‘ . It is really of import that the accomplishments of the athlete meet the challenge of the undertaking in order to make the province of flow ( Kimiecik & A ; Jackson, 2002 ; Stein et al. , 1995 ) . The 2nd dimension is ‘merging of action and consciousness ‘ , which means that the jock has to be absorbed in the undertaking, he has to go one with it. To do this possible, it is necessary that the jock knows and understands the ends of the undertaking. When the ends are good understood, clear feedback can be given to the jock so that he is cognizant that he is making the end. This leads us to the 3rd and 4th dimension: ‘clear ends and unambiguous feedback ‘ . In order to make flow, ‘concentration on the undertaking at manus ‘ is needed ( dimension 5 ) . The focal point of the jock has to be wholly with the undertaking. During flow, it is indispensable that the jock has the feeling of being in entire control of the state of affairs, and that he does non worry about losing control. This 6th dimension is the dimension ‘sense of control ‘ . In the 7th dimension, there is no room for distraction and concerns ; this is the dimension of ‘loss of ego consciousness ‘ . When an jock has reached the province of flow, his perceptual experience of clip will alter. This is called ‘time transmutation ‘ , the 8th dimension. The last dimension is called ‘autotelic experience ‘ , which is defined as the consequence of flow. This means that the undertaking is executed in order to see the intrinsic rewarding of the undertaking executing ( Kimiecik & A ; Jackson, 2002 ) .
During flow, the jock will see one or more of these nine dimensions. Therefore, in order to ease the stretch of flow, the dimensions should be optimized every bit much as possible ( Jackson & A ; Csikszentmihalyi, 1999 ; Kimiecik & A ; Jackson, 2002 ; Schuler & A ; Brunner, 2009 ; Stein et al. , 1995 ) .
Other flow-influencing factors
Optimizing flow is non entirely dependent of the nine dimensions. There are several other factors that are impacting the possibility of making flow. Kimiecik and Jackson ( 2002 ) , Jackson ( 1995 ) and Stein et Al. ( 1995 ) devoted their surveies to the susceptibleness of flow. In these surveies, jocks were asked which factors they felt to hold influence on the opportunity of making the province of flow. The consequences of these three surveies are presented in the tabular array below.
Kimiecik & A ; Jackson ( 2002 )
Jackson
( 1995 )
Stein et Al.
( 1995 )
Self assurance
+
+
–
Proper readying for undertaking
+
+
?
Positive feeling about public presentation
+
+
+
Optimal degree of rousing
+
+
?
Motivation
+
+
?
Proper focal point
+
+
+
Optimum environmental factors
+
+
?
Positive team-interaction
+
+
?
Challenge accomplishment balance
?
+
?
Experience Factor
?
+
+
Table 1: Overview of the factors that positively influence the opportunity to make flow. + : factor is flow-facilitating. – : factor is non flow-facilitating. ? : factor is non mentioned in the article.
As can be seen in table 1, there are multiple factors, following to the nine dimensions, that can and should be optimized, in order to ease making flow. Some of these factors deal with the mental or psychological facets of flow, others deal with the physical, proficient or contextual facets of flow. Particularly act uponing the mental, or psychological facets is an interesting topic, as methods for this are non really good known nor implemented in developing plans of jocks yet. Hammermeister and VonGuenther ( 2005 ) declare that the sweetening of the optimum public presentation province ( flow ) is strongly related to mental accomplishments developing. Mental skills developing embracings several psychological tools, as for illustration relaxation, imagination, self-talk, rousing control and end scene. These tools can assist jocks to better their psychological accomplishments such as ego assurance, concentrating and motive ( Hammermeister & A ; VonGuenther, 2005 ) . One other type of mental accomplishments preparation is hypnosis. Early surveies on this type of mental accomplishments preparation, executed by Unestahl ( 1983 & A ; 1986, in Pates, Oliver & A ; Maynard, 2001 ) , found that flow and hypnosis have many similarities. Examples of these similarities are alterations in thought, perceptual experience, dissociation and information processing. Besides soaking up, feelings of control and perceptual deformation ( e.g. perceptual experience of clip ) are elements that are connected to both flow and hypnotic provinces ( Kihlstrom, 1985 ) . Because flow and hypnosis portion so many of the same factors, it can be suggested that when hypnotic accomplishments are trained and thereby improved, the control of flow will increase every bit good. With an increased control of flow, public presentation will besides better. To analyze whether this suggestion is true or non, several surveies were executed to measure the effectivity of hypnotic intercessions in easing flow provinces and public presentation truth. These surveies will be discussed in the following subdivision.
Hypnosis, flow and public presentation
Pates and Maynard ( 2000 ) executed a survey to analyze the effects of a hypnotic intercession of flow provinces and golf-chipping public presentation. The intercession in this survey involved relaxation, imagination, hypnotic initiation, hypnotic arrested development, and trigger control processs. During the hypnotic arrested development phase of the intercession, participants were asked to regress and retrieve an optimum public presentation and a mental province described as flow. The trigger ( music ) was so introduced to develop an association between the trigger and the variables participants felt during the optimum public presentation. During a period of preparation, participants were asked to believe about the trigger every clip they had to execute a golf-chipping shooting. The consequences that were found in this survey showed that the hypnotic intercession was followed by an addition in public presentation truth ( improved golf-chipping tonss ) . Additional, the consequences showed increased tonss on a graduated table that measured flow, which suggests that the intercession increased the strength of the flow experience. From these consequences, it seems that a hypnotic intercession is effectual to ease flow provinces and to better public presentation. Similar consequences were found in the survey of Pates et Al. ( 2001 ) . In this survey, the consequence of hypnosis on flow provinces and golf-putting public presentation was examined. The hypnosis intercession was the same intercession as used in the survey of Pates and Maynard ( 2000 ) , affecting relaxation, imagination, hypnotic initiation, hypnotic arrested development and trigger control processs. The consequences showed an improved seting public presentation, and an increased strength of the flow experience. Another experiment, executed by Pates, Cummings & A ; Maynard ( 2002 ) , with the same set-up besides studied the consequence of hypnosis on flow provinces and a athleticss undertaking ( three-point shot public presentation in hoops participants ) . This survey showed consistent consequences with the two experiments discussed above: an betterment of public presentation and an increased strength of the flow experience ( Pates et al. , 2002 ) .
In a survey carried out by Lindsay, Maynard and Thomas ( 2005 ) , consequences were non every bit positive as the consequences found in the surveies executed by Pates and Maynard ( 2000 ) and Pates et Al. ( 2001, 2002 ) . In this survey, the consequence of hypnosis on flow provinces and cycling public presentation was studied. They used the same set-up as was used in the three surveies mentioned above: a hypnosis intercession, affecting relaxation, imagination, hypnotic initiation, hypnotic arrested development, and trigger control processs, followed by a preparation period with the usage of the trigger during cycling. Three bicyclers participated in this survey, and their consequences did non fit ; one participant showed an improved cycling public presentation, the 2nd participant showed a periodically influenced cycling public presentation, and the 3rd participant showed an unswayed cycling public presentation. Flow experience merely improved for one participant. Despite these consequences, which were non every bit clear as the consequences that were found in predating surveies, it can be stated that ( besides in this survey ) a hypnosis intercession enhances flow strength and the rushing public presentation of elect jocks.
Decision
From the surveies that are discussed in the old subdivision, it can be concluded that an intercession, dwelling of hypnotic initiation, hypnotic arrested development and unconscious triggers, appears to heighten flow strength and the public presentation of jocks ( Pates & A ; Maynard, 2000 ; Pates et al. , 2001 ; Pates et al. , 2002 ; Lindsay et al. , 2005 ) . The most of import characteristic of hypnotic preparation is that one time conditioning has taken topographic point, processes that are of import for optimum public presentation, no longer necessitate to be consciously controlled. When less witting control is needed, more attentional resources will be available to the jock, which may take to an improved public presentation and a more frequently happening of flow ( Pates et al. , 2002 ) . A job with utilizing a hypnosis intercession, as adopted in the discussed surveies, is that the jock needs to hold had at least one experience of flow earlier, because this experience has to be regressed in the intercession. When an jock has ne’er earlier experient flow in their calling, it will be impossible to regress such an experience. In such instances, the hypnotic intercession can non be applied to the jock.
The fact that all surveies that were discussed in this reappraisal showed additions in flow during the experiments, suggests that the strength of this province additions due to the intercession. This is a relevant determination for athletics psychological science practicians, because it points out that the hypnotic intercession ( followed by a period of developing ) may increase the personal control over flow ( Pates & A ; Maynard, 2000 ) .
Reasoning from the findings in the four surveies that were discussed above, it can be stated that a hypnotic intercession is effectual in easing flow provinces and bettering public presentation.
Practical guidelines
Based on the literature discussed in this paper, the usage of hypnotic intercessions can be recommended to athletic trainers and managers. These intercessions should, based on the discussed documents, contain the undermentioned phases: relaxation, imagination, hypnotic initiation, hypnotic arrested development, and trigger control processs. After the hypnotic intercession, the trainer or manager, or the jock himself, can do usage of the trigger, in order to convey the jock back to the province of flow. Reaching a province of flow is good for the degree of public presentation, as a better public presentation is accomplished when the jock is in this province at the clip of executing.
Sport psychologists who wish to utilize hypnotic techniques are recommended to get specialised preparation and instruction from wise mans with appropriate clinical makings and experience.
