Hypnosis is a state of heightened susceptibility in which the subject is able to uncritically accept ideas for self improvement, and act on them appropriately. Hypnosis is in no way related to sleep. A hypnotized individual is very conscious and very aware, but his consciousness is limited primarily to the suggestions he is receiving. You might hear other noises etc.,but they mean little, or nothing to you. Your mind is riveted to one thing–the suggestion you are giving yourself. It is an altered state of consciousness, a state of hyper-suggestibility that we all hgave the ability to achieve. The subconscious mind does not question, doubt, analyze or dispute the efficacy of your suggestions. You can be sure that the constant repetition will have a beneficial effect.
The reason why few people succeed at hypnosis on their own is that they don’t know what to expect. They don’t know whether they have been hypnotized or not. It is very common for beginners to be skepticle after their first session because they had preconceived ideas of how they should feel under hypnosis. Do not expect to feel a certain way; have no expectations. The only feeling you should want is total relaxation. When the hypnotic state is achieved you will actually feel very alert, but completely relaxed. Don’t try too hard, nor attempt to analyze whether or not the process is working, because this causes tension, which will hinder the process. The proof that it works will be seen in the next training session, but you should practice 15 minutes daily for six weeks, and thereafter 2-3 times a week. Remember that a deep trance is not required, as success is achieved in medium, or even light trances. If you become too relaxed while listening to your cassette there is no harm done, you will fall asleep, but your subconscious will still hear the tape, and be reprogrammed for your next training session.
Self hypnosis uses a technique called visual-imagery (visualization). For example, if the hypnotic suggestion is “you are getting stronger and stronger day by day”, then, while you lay or sit in a totally relaxed state, you can visualize yourself doing your favourite exercise. Remember though, you must visualize yourself lifting successfully; don’t visualize a failed lift. Have a firm idea of the goal you wish to achieve, and be highly motivated. Then all you have to do is condition your subconscious mind by practicing regularly. One of the best times to practice is when you lay in bed at night, and immediately upon awakenning in the morning, before arising from the bed, because your mind is already very relaxed, and thus receptive. When playing the compact disc at night, the idea is for you to fall asleep while the disc is playing, so the longer the recording, the better, because while you sleep peacefully, your subconscious mind listens to the recording. The subconscious mind never sleeps, you see.
Here is an excellent recording to use prior to every strength training workout, after you have induced the hypnotic state :
“Today you will think of yourself as stronger and more capable, and you will actually become stronger, and have greater endurance…..you will have an unusually strong desire to do well…..you will do extremely well….In a moment, I am going to count from one to ten, and as I count, you will actually begin to feel yourself becoming stronger and stronger…..Your desire to be stronger and to do well will increase with each number that I say…..one…..you are getting stronger…..two…..three…..your desire to do well is increasing…..four…..you can feel your entire body becoming stronger and stronger…..five…..six…..seven…..stronger and stronger…..eight…..a greater and greater desire to do well…..nine…..ten…..You are growing stronger and more powerful every day. You have incredible muscular strength and power…..you put your whole heart and soul into every rep…..you concentrate intently and totally on every rep you perform…..you feel the muscles in every part of your body responding to workouts…..you feel your muscles bulging and growing stronger, and bigger…..you are stronger than ever before…..you are unstoppable in your workouts…..you attack every rep with unbelievable ferocity and determination…..you are invincible…..you are mighty, invincible, and unstoppable…..you will feel superbly confident with each lift you perform…..you have fantastic willpower and determination to win…..you are a born winner…..nothing can stop you from winning…..you are invincible…..you realize now there is no limit to your strength…..no weight is too heavy for you to lift…..your muscles have great strength, they can lift any weight…..you will see yourself now as almost superhuman…..absolutely nothing can stop you from achieving your goals…..your arms are growing stronger and stronger every day…..your triceps are growing bigger and stronger every day. Your bench press is improving every day…..day by day, in every way, you are growing stronger and stronger…..you like to work your abdominals daily…..your abdominals are growing fitter and stronger…..”
You can add anything you like to this, or substitute the exercises mentioned with others you feel are more pertinent to your immediate goals.
Remember to pause wherever you see the five dots scattered throughout the script. This is important. Take your time, speak clearly, but with a normal tone.
Please ensure you only use positive affirmations. This is crucial! No negativity of any kind, otherwise you will be sabotaging yourself. Write it down first, examine it for any flaws, and once you are satisfied with the script, try a couple of trial runs before making the actual recording.
Remember to keep repeating the script until the disc is full, and set it so that it will replay continuously through the night. You only need low volume, because your subconscious mind hears far better than the conscious mind. Record with your own voice, rather than someone elses, because your subconscious mind responds BETTER to your voice, which it recognizes, even though you may hate the sound of your own voice, it does not.
Ideally, you could use either this version, or a condensed version of the above recording before you get out of bed in the morning. You can also induce trance anytime through the day, when you are not busy, and use either the full or condensed version, BUT add the following after it :
“Now, with your enthusiasm and strength at it’s peak, you will take your own time and awaken, feeling fully awake, strong and enthusiastic for your next workout…..awakening in your own time, feeling refreshed and psyched up, strong and confident”
This was one of the exact tapes I used in 1982, for powerlifting competitions – and it worked brilliantly!hypnos
So, how do we hypnotize ourselves? In other words, how do we put ourselves into a relaxed state, so that our subconscious can easily absorb these positive suggestions? It’s easy if we lay in bed at night, but what if I want to practice in the middle of the day, perhaps away from home? Well, here is the answer – read on
