Visualization and Sports Performance

The human mind has a lot of power that no one really knows about.  You will often hear people talk about how humans use 1-4% of their brains with Einstein peaking out at 10%.  Well, what about the other 96-99%?  Lately, there has been a lot of buzz about something called the Law of Attraction (LOA).  In very simple terms, it goes something like this:

Ask for Something ----->Believe it Will Happen-------->Receive it

Sounds literally stupid on the surface, but if you look into it a bit, there is some substance to what these personal development people are saying.  Whether I believe you can actually manifest something physical like money, cars, or situations, is still up for debate.  In terms of this LOA, this disbelief is keeping me from realizing huge dreams.

The Law of Attraction is the guiding principle for visualization and is used to manifest reality.  The term manifest simply means to make it happen or have it appear.  Imagine a cup and the cup magically appears - or has been manifested.

Visualization and Sports

In sports, the process of visualization is used to increase athletic performance and it has been shown to be as effective as actually doing the training.

In one study, three groups of basketball players were formed.  The goal was to measure free throw effectiveness.  One group practiced free throws for 20 minutes a day.  One group visualized themselves practicing free throws for 20 minutes a day.  The last group didn't practice at all.

The results -- the group that visualized themselves making the free throws and going through the motions showed as much improvement as the group that actually practiced the free throws, while the group (control group) that didn't practice at all predictably showed zero improvement or even diminished improvement.

Visualization for optimal results?

Visualization is imagined reality.

This means, you can actually trick your brain into thinking you're training even when you're not.  It is well known that the brain cannot differentiate between reality and a vividly imagined fantasy.  The body will react the same -- the same physiological functions are activated.  You can make yourself scared, sweat, increase heart rate, activate muscle reflex -- all just by thinking about it very vividly.

When you start getting to the upper echelons of any sport whether it is boxing or ping pong, the difference between opponents starts getting really small in terms of their conditioning and skill.  When two boxers enter the ring who are equal in terms of conditioning and skill, the winner is the one who has the edge mentally.

The elite athletes mentally program themselves for success by programming their mind.

Visualization can and does manifest results in sports.

How Does Visualization Work?

You have two levels of consciousness.  You have the one you are in right now where you think and analyze problems, talk to yourself in your head, and are basically aware of the world around you.  At the same time, you also have another level of conciousness - the subconscious, which is also there all the time, but you don't know what it is doing unless you tune into it to find out.

The subconscious works like a big computer.  It doesn't think so much as it carries out what it is told to do.  How you have programmed your subconcious is how it decides what you are going to day in a day based on habit whether you have conciously taken the time to program your mind or not.

All of your habits, good and bad, are a result of subconscious programming.  Once it is programmed, it works away in the background to achieve whatever you have told it to achieve.  For example, if you're constantly telling yourself you are too fat (visualizing the fat on your body) your subconcious is picking up on that and making sure the conditions exist to make you fatter.  You will find yourself in situations where there is a lot of food that is not good for you and you will find yourself eating it whether you planned to or not.  It is manifesting that reality.

Your conscious mind is like a car trying to stop a train when it comes to holding back what the subconcious wants to achieve.  To stop the train, you need to get on board and pull the break, not try and push back at it from the outside looking in.  You need to access your subconscious and change its program for sustained change and results.

A Practical Guide to Visualization

Visualization is relatively easy.  You do it now anytime you imagine something or basically day dream.  You put yourself, in your mind, somewhere else.  You picture the beach with its pure white sand and crystal clear blue water splashing, wave after wave gently rolling onto the sound and then back out to sea.  You picture the palm trees gently swaying back and forth while you notice the wind rustling the canopy of your pink and red striped umbrella shading you from the blistering heat.  You smell the sweetness of the fruity drink you have brought to your lips as you begin to sip on the straw suddenly tasting the sweet liquid.

Did you picture that scene in your mind?

If you did, that is visualization.  You create a reality - an imagined reality - and trick your mind into believing it is real.  The better you get at this, the better the results of your mental programming will be.

The secret of visualization is to be as specific in every sense as you can in your imagination.  You have to use them all - touch, sound, sight, taste, and smell.  You have to leave no doubt that what you are imagining is real.  If I want to be rich, I have to be able to see it happening, feel it happening, hear it happening, smell it happening, and taste it happening.  If one of the senses is missing, it leaves a doubt that will manifest the opposite of what you want.

To get started with Visualization - you basically use a type of meditation to change your brain waves to an alpha state (a type of meditation) and then start programming:

1. Sit upright in a comfortable chair, back straight, feet on the floor.  The only reason I suggest you do this sitting up is because when you relax to the point where you can access your subconscious, it is very easy to fall asleep.  Do this on your back on a comfortable couch and you will find yourself waking up an hour later not having achieved what you set out to do.
2. Close your eyes and clear your mind.  Try and shut out any distractions, and let everything go.  Let the clutter of your mind fade away and just become aware of your breathing.
3. Take four deep breaths, counting to four on the way in, holding for 2 seconds, and then counting to five on the way out.  With every breath, you relax more and are more aware of your breathing.  You'll notice how it slows down and becomes deeper, almost rhythmic.  Keep focusing on your breathing.
4. Count backwards from 50 to 1.  All the time focusing on your breathing and letting your body relax and your mind clear.
5. When you reach 1 you will be in tune with your subconscious.  Your mind will be in a state ready for programming.  It is at this point that you introduce a thought and then mold the reality.  This is where you paint your picture in vivid detail.  Once you have done that, you are done.  Switch scenes to the next item you want to program and so on until you have programmed all that you want.
6. After you have finished your visualization session, you count up from 1 to 10, slowly becoming aware of your body and your surroundings.  At the count of 10, you open your eyes, start moving around and stretching and you will be refreshed, clear, and happy knowing that you have just set the wheels in motion to achieve what you want without question.  Now start doing something to make it happen and it will appear.

That last part is important and where a lot of people get discouraged.  Some experts claim all you need to do is see it and wait.  It will appear out of nowhere.  I prefer to think you set the wheels in motion and then take the steps necessary to get there.  You take those first steps which will open doors for the next steps until you find you are living the reality you created.

A couple of things to note for this process and questions that are frequently asked about visualization.

How do I know what to visualize?

That is a good question isn't it.  Well, first thing you need to do is decide what you want.  You need to write these things down and you need to make them as specific as possible, phrased in such a way as to believe they have already happened.  It has to be specific, positive, and attached to a deadline.

For instance, for the past 8 weeks I have been picturing a reality where I have less than 10% bodyfat and 164lbs of lean muscle mass before I go home to my wife and family.  When I started the specific goal was to be achieved within 10 weeks.  In two weeks I will be going home to my wife and family and will literally be surprising them with how much muscle I've added to my body and how ripped I am.  At 10.93% bodyfat and 163lbs LBM as of the time of this writing, the reality I've been seeing is going to be the case in the next two weeks.

How often should I do this visualization exercise?

15-20 minutes twice a day is optimal.  Usually first thing in the morning before your conscious mind has had a chance to fill your head with "stuff" and once right before you go to bed so that you can program your mind to work while you sleep.  Make sure you are free of distractions - go to the bathroom or satisfy your thirst or hunger before you start.

How do you deal with stray or negative thoughts during the visualization process?

This will always happen.  You will begin picturing your reality.  For example, you will see yourself in the ring vs your opponent and then suddenly you notice you are getting hit.  Instead of panicking, just change the situation to a positive one.  You are getting hit, but the punches are weak and deflecting off of you.  In fact, that last one you actually slipped and are know in a better position to counter attack.

You see, your mind isn't stupid.  It injects reality into everything you imagine.  It knows what could happen and will see to it that that reality becomes part of your memory.  That is because it is using past experiences to help form your new memory.  Thing to remember here is that you are in control and can create that memory however you want.

What sorts of things can you visualize?

The sky is the limit.  If you can create a real enough picture of it in your head, you will see it happen.  I've seen it, and other people live this reality every day.

Visualize for the good of all.

After every reality you create, in order to set the wheels in motion, it is a good idea to end every thought along the lines of "for the good of all".  This sets your mind off in a positive direction and helps to counter any reality from being misinterpreted resulting in a bad situation.  Your mind will manifest both good and bad, so be careful of what you are creating.

For Futher Study of Visualization

The whole mystery surrounding visualization and the Law of Attraction exists because it is not well understood.  It seems to go against the physical laws we know about, but in reality, is perfectly in tune with them.  Every great invention from the airplane to the pen is the result of someone's visual picture of it in their head.  It is not difficult to master and just requires a committment to try it for a sustained period of time.  Once you prove it to yourself, you'll be amazed with what you achieve.

For futher information on the subject of visualization and the Law of Attraction, I recommend the following resources and sites:

The Renegade Mindset for Fighters System is the ultimate fight psychology tool. If you find yourself getting sick with nerves or completely forgetting your gameplan when you get in the ring, then this system can help you overcome those mental barriers and put you in a dominating frame of mind for your fight.

Mind Training for Boxing - An audio program that will guide you through the visualization process to increase your boxing skill and reaction to situations you will encounter in the ring.

Steve Pavlina - Personal development writer has done some extensive research into visualization techniques and the "why" behind how it works.  His site is a huge repository that will keep you busy for hours, if not days and is a great stepping off point for getting to know this subect area better.

The Secret - An online movie that has been very popular in garnering mainstream support for the Law of Attraction.  Comes across as very mystical and "new agey" but can give you an entertaining and inspiring overview of how it works.

Paraliminals - It doesn't help to demystify visualization when people keep calling their products things like paraliminals - instantly makes you think of ghostbusters, and people moving things with their minds, but these guided meditation CDs are the tops when it comes to this sort of thing.  Utilizing the latest science in their recordings, many people swear by using these to achieve specific goals.  This detailed review can give you more information.