CMH CMH Sports Performance & Peak Achievement 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When using hypnosis for sports performance, the primary goal of mental rehearsal (visualization) is to:
- Create neural pathways that simulate actual physical practice (Correct answer)
- Replace physical training entirely
- Increase muscle mass
- Reduce the need for coaching
Correct answer: Create neural pathways that simulate actual physical practice
Research shows that vivid mental rehearsal activates the same neural pathways as physical practice, effectively reinforcing motor patterns and improving performance.
Question 2: In sport hypnosis, 'anchoring' refers to:
- Linking a peak performance state to a specific physical trigger or cue (Correct answer)
- Using weight training alongside hypnosis
- Fixing negative beliefs permanently
- Relaxing muscles before competition
Correct answer: Linking a peak performance state to a specific physical trigger or cue
Anchoring associates a desired mental/emotional state (confidence, focus, calm) with a repeatable physical cue (e.g., a fist clench) so the athlete can recall it instantly under pressure.
Question 3: Which technique involves guiding an athlete through a hypnotic rehearsal of their entire competition from start to finish with successful outcomes?
- Mental walkthrough (future pacing) (Correct answer)
- Age regression
- Somnambulistic deepening
- Fractionation
Correct answer: Mental walkthrough (future pacing)
Future pacing or mental walkthrough has athletes experience, in vivid hypnotic detail, performing their event successfully, priming the unconscious for the real performance.
Question 4: The concept of 'flow state' in sports psychology most closely parallels which hypnotic phenomenon?
- Focused trance with absorbed attention and automatic performance (Correct answer)
- Deep somnambulism with amnesia
- Hypermnesia for past events
- Post-hypnotic amnesia
Correct answer: Focused trance with absorbed attention and automatic performance
Flow state—characterized by effortless, automatic performance and narrow focus—shares the hallmarks of focused trance: absorbed attention, reduced self-criticism, and optimal execution.
Question 5: When helping an athlete overcome a performance block (e.g., the 'yips'), a CMH practitioner would FIRST:
- Identify and address the root cause or triggering event using exploratory techniques (Correct answer)
- Apply direct suggestion to 'forget' the block
- Refer to a sports physician immediately
- Use regression to find a past-life cause
Correct answer: Identify and address the root cause or triggering event using exploratory techniques
Effective resolution of performance blocks requires first identifying the underlying psychological trigger or root cause before applying corrective suggestions or reframing.
Question 6: Hypnotic suggestions for athletes are most effective when they are framed:
- Positively, describing desired outcomes rather than what to avoid (Correct answer)
- As commands using authoritarian language
- Vaguely so the unconscious fills in details
- In technical sporting terminology
Correct answer: Positively, describing desired outcomes rather than what to avoid
The unconscious mind tends to focus on the content of a suggestion regardless of negation, so positive framing (e.g., 'stay calm' vs. 'don't panic') produces better results.
CMH CMH Sports Performance & Peak Achievement 1
When using hypnosis for sports performance, the primary goal of mental rehearsal (visualization) is to: