The Super Mental Training Book Read Online Free PDF Page B

afternoon against an old-time rival of yours. Your matches are usually close. You know exactly what you have to do to win. Unfortunately, you have not been winning recently. Desiring therefore to end the frustrating losing streak, you put yourself in the hypnotic state, and give yourself the suggestions to "swing through on the backhand" and "play your game."
    So, what happens? Your opponent plays his usual good game, but, somewhat surprisingly, you prevail. And wonder of wonders: you swung through on every backhand—something you have not done in months! Skeptics would pass this incident off as coincidence. Meanwhile, you might simply say, "Well, I finally put it together." While your statement contains more factuality than the skeptics' claim of coincidence, it is not too enlightening. In reality, the hypnotic suggestions to "swing through on the backhand" and "play your game" brought out the best in you, which made it possible for you to win the match.
    Realize this: hypnotic suggestions act on the subconscious —that great stock of knowledge which, while often forgotten and submerged, is capable of being recalled. This means that, in our example of the frustrated tennis player, you resurrect all those astonishing shots that once upon a time carried you to glory—topspin backhands, swinging volleys, and the like. Keep in mind that the degree to which hypnotic suggestions can help you implement good tennis shots, or whatever, depends upon the current state of your athletic potential. If you are out of practice and not in the best physical condition, obviously your athletic potential is not as great as it could be. It limits the extent to which you can be helped by hypnotic suggestions.
    Another important point to know is that hypnotic suggestions possess an impelling force. It is as if you must carry out the suggestions. It would not be unusual if you did not carry out the suggestions; nothing is foolproof. But, it would be most unlikely.
    By giving yourself appropriate hypnotic suggestions, you should perform well despite the
    strongest efforts of your conscious self to make you do otherwise. You will do well because, essentially, your subconscious is in charge. The hypnotic suggestions will not work as intended all the time—they cannot guarantee victory or super performances; but, assuming you persist in practicing self-hypnosis, the suggestions will work often enough and impressively enough for you to notice a substantial improvement in your athletic performance and won/loss record. As Dr. Kroger observes of self-hypnosis, it "makes available a tremendous reservoir of unrecognized potential strength—the 'forgotten assets.' Diligent practice, however, generally is necessary"[16] for this to occur.
    Types of Suggestions
    Athletes new to self-hypnosis often wonder what types of hypnotic suggestions they should give themselves. The choice is between suggestions of a general nature or those of a technical, specific nature. A general suggestion would be "I will concentrate on every point" or "I will play as hard as I can, and win!" In contrast, a technical suggestion might be "I will keep my arms up on defense" or "I will step into the volley." Both types of suggestions are valuable. Which type is more valuable for you depends upon your own particular needs.
    Personally, I prefer general suggestions. When you give yourself a general suggestion, such as "play hard and win," the technical matters tend to take care of themselves. Also, you can lose sight of your overall objective if you emphasize technical suggestions. The bottom line—which is to improve your athletic performance and/or to win—is top priority. Take care of it first; then, if you want, you can concern yourself with technical matters.
    Emil Coue, an eminent hypnotist of the early 1900s, also advocated general suggestions. To him the end result was the only thing that counted. Dr. Kroger relates that Coue "emphasized that a general, nonspecific suggestion