Hypnosis and sport: how Jakub Dobeš does it

They are very similar to the techniques used in hospitals to prepare patients for difficult procedures: reducing anxiety, improving concentration and transforming automatic thoughts.

In sports, visualization is used to make athletes “see” success rather than difficulty. 

A goalie like Jakub Dobeš, for example, may picture himself stopping a shot, or a forward may imagine scoring a goal. The idea is to create a mental image of success by engaging the different senses, as though the experience were real. 

We speak of hypnosis when a programming phenomenon linked to post-hypnotic suggestions is added. During the session, the athlete experiences a mental scenario of success: stopping a shot, performing well.

Then, through mantras, thoughts or specific gestures, the athlete can return to that state when needed. The goal is for what was experienced during the session to be reproduced automatically in a real-life situation—for example, on the ice.

The same approach could be used with a patient suffering from a phobia or preparing for medical treatment. It is hypnosis combined with visualization work. 

According to some studies, particularly in anesthesiology, the brain can respond as though the imagined experience were real. Research has shown that patients immersed in hypnotic visualization may not feel what is happening in the operating room. This suggests that mental imagery can activate brain responses similar to those triggered by real experiences, which helps explain its use in sports and therapy.

Yes. Here we are talking about reversal. It involves restructuring thoughts—as one might do in therapy with anxious patients—by replacing mental reflexes with more constructive and positive thoughts.

For example, a goaltender may reframe a penalty-kill situation as a challenge rather than a threat. This approach is akin to cognitive behavioural therapies developed notably by (American) psychiatrist Aaron Beck (in the 1960s).

Many mental preparation techniques used in sports are also inspired by neuro-linguistic programming, which seeks to “trigger” certain mental states. An athlete may reconnect mentally with their best game in order to recover the positive emotions associated with that performance. 

Routines act as “anchors.” A repetitive gesture, phrase or ritual gradually becomes associated with a particular mental state. Repeating to oneself “I am a wall” (that stops pucks) can become a way of quickly regaining a sense of confidence and control.

These mechanisms can even be compared to certain processes observed in obsessive-compulsive disorders. In both cases, rituals help reduce anxiety. The difference is that, in mental preparation, these techniques are used deliberately and within a specific framework. This strengthens automaticity—that is, thoughts or reactions that emerge without conscious effort.

These athletes perform in an extremely demanding mental environment. They are isolated, constantly under pressure and have very little margin for error. Since even the slightest distraction can result in a goal, concentration becomes essential. Many elite athletes have developed highly specific routines to maintain their focus.

Some techniques involve treating each play as though it were “the first of the game,” in order to mentally erase the previous mistake and remain focused on the present moment.