Did Hypnosis Slay the Hoyas in 85?

Basketball coach Rollie Massimino used visualization techniques to help his team win the 1985 NCAA men's basketball title.  (Photo Source:  SI.com)

During the 1984/85 season the Georgetown University men’s basketball team was a juggernaut.  Led by All-American center Patrick Ewing, the Hoyas won 30 games during the regular season and rolled into the NCAA tournament final against Villanova, a team they had already defeated twice in conference play.

 

Villanova coach Rollie Massimino employed a new defensive scheme to confuse the Hoyas and keep the game competitive.  Yet, it may have been the power of suggestion that helped his Wildcats pull off a 66 to 64 upset victory.

According to an obituary published in the Washington Post (Massimino died on August 31 at the age of 82), the coach inspired his underdog team through psychology.

“Go back to your rooms,” he told his players hours before the tipoff. “Close your eyes and picture yourself playing this game to win. Don’t play this game not to lose. Play it to win. Believe you can win.”

Villanova played what many sports writers consider to be the perfect game against a near unbeatable opponent.  They shot 79 percent from the field and made an astonishing 9 out of 10 shots in the second half.

Was it that coaching?  Or did hypnosis take down the Hoyas that night?

Get Hypnotized at the Burke Centre Festival in September

Family fun, games, rides and entertainment come together at the Burke Centre Festival on Sept. 9/10.

A community is more than merely a collection of families who happen to be geographically connected.  Rather, it is the social interaction, shared experiences and support that truly makes a neighborhood thrive. 

During the weekend of September 9/10, I have the privilege of being part of the entertainment at the Burke Centre Festival in Burke, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, DC.  I’ll be on-site to perform both days of the event to perform a series of mini-shows of my Hypnotic Experience.

Organized by the Burke Centre Conservancy for the past 40 years, this event attracts more than 10,000 attendees for games, rides, art and crafts, food and entertainment.  A wonderful collection of local organizations and performers will take the stage.

I know Burke well as this is my fifth year in a row being part of the Festival.  Plus, I performed in June at the Lake BraddockSecondary School’s All Night Graduation Party.  This is the local high school.

I encourage you to make the drive to Northern Virginia to enjoy this event.  Burke is an exceptional community!

Hypnosis as a Tool for Parenting

An interesting question often poised to me by guests at the health and wellness version of my show is if I hypnotize my own children.  I have three sons under the age of 14.

I have employed hypnotic techniques like “power words” to help my boys be more successful in competitive athletics.  This approach has been particularly effective to improve free throw shooting in basketball and pitching control in baseball.  

Yet, I’ve never taken any of my children through a hypnotic induction.  It might influence the dynamic of our relationship.

Hypnosis for kids is a hot topic of discussion at the moment.  In fact, the CBS affiliate in Philadelphia just aired an interesting story about how parents are helping their children through visualization.

I’ve also had lots – and I mean lots – of kids under the age of 16 volunteer to be hypnotized when I speak to psychology students at high schools or perform at a community fair.  Hypnosis is absolutely safe for children of all ages.

Is hypnosis right for your child?  That’s a personal choice to make as a parent, although I encourage you conduct your own research and speak with practitioners.

Two young volunteers try hypnosis at a show I performed at community event.

Visualization for Career Success to Benefit Rising Stars

I had a fast paced winter and spring schedule with more than 40 performances of my Hypnotic Experience show.   

Highlights included entertaining at after prom and all night graduation parties at 14 high schools; presentations to psychology students at Georgetown University, Northern Virginia Community College and Montgomery College; and a keynote talk and hypnosis demonstration at the Women Empower Expo in Washington, DC. 

At the end of June I needed a breather and planned to take the summer off.  That is until I had an opportunity to support Rising Stars.  

Created in 2012 by business leader and entrepreneur Oliver Carr, Rising Stars raises money to support organizations that help at-risk children succeed in education and their community.  The organization believes every child deserves a quality education to become a thriving member of society.

Please join me on Thursday, August 3 at 3 PM in Chevy Chase, Maryland for a very special talk about how to use the practice of visualization for health, wellness and career success.  It’s a free event, although a $5 donation is encouraged.  The money raised at this event will go directly to help Rising Stars support students in the Washington, DC area.

You can RSVP to Melissa at melissa.manrique@carrworkplaces.com or by phone at (301) 968-2361.

I’ve included the promotional flyer below that has more information and how to RSVP.

Federer Sharpens His Mental Game

Confidence is a huge thing, says Roger Federer.  Photo Source: Pledgesports.org

Professional tennis is for the young.  The required athleticism and skill coupled with the physical grind of competing on the tour results in most players (male and female) concluding their career in their late 20s.

Roger Federer has proven to be the exception.  At the age of 35, he continues to perform at a high level and, as I write this blog, just advanced to the semi-finals of Wimbledon.

What is his secret?

First, it’s his decision to step away from the game for extended breaks to keep his body fresh.  Federer took six months off at the end of 2016 to heal and followed that up with a 10 week break this past spring. 

The second reason for Federer’s sustained success is 100 percent mental.

“I’m playing very well.  I’m rested.  I’m fresh,” Federer said during his press conference after his most recent Wimbledon victory.  “I’m confident, too.  Then great things do happen.  Confidence is a huge thing.”

A positive mind-set is the foundation for accomplishment.  It’s true in career, in academics and, in Federer’s case, on the courts at Wimbledon.

Another Great Read on the "Real-ness" of Hypnosis

I just came across this excellent article in New York Magazine from last November about current research into the validity of hypnosis.  Here is a link to the article and a few noteworthy quotes.

Has Hypnosis Finally Been Vindicated by Neuroscience?

By Melissa Dahl

Hypnotism has been shown to be an effective treatment for psychological problems, like phobias and eating disorders, but the practice also helps people with physical problems, including pain — both acute and chronic — and some gastrointestinal diseases.

With hypnosis, you capture people’s attention. … You get people to turn to a more passive state of attention and to stop judging everything. To just let it happen.  And when you do this, the amazing thing is that it’s as if you’re talking directly to the part of the brain that’s monitoring the reactions.

The increasing interest in mindfulness meditation suggests that mainstream acceptance of the mind-body connection is growing. Just last month, NPR reported that placebo pills work even when people know they’re taking a placebo. Those are real, biological changes underlying those differences in your symptoms. It’s all in your mind. But that doesn’t mean it’s not real. 

2 Photos @ Lake Braddock Secondary School's All Night Grad Party

Tight quarters!  A crowd gathers around my hallway set-up as I take volunteers through a hypnotic induction.

Sleep now!  A simple suggestion returns a volunteer to a deep, hypnotic trance.