ENHANCING FLOW IN AMATEUR BOXERS: THE IMPACT OF HYPNOTHERAPY

Abstract

This research investigated whether a structured 21-day hypnotherapy programme could effectively improve flow among Indian amateur boxers. Flow, an ideal psychological state characterised by a high level of concentration, automatization, and the ability to work effectively under pressure, is an essential factor in combat sports, where there is a high need to process information and regulate arousal. Although it has been theorised that hypnotherapy and attentional control are connected, there is a lack of empirical evidence in boxing, especially in the Indian setting. A convenience sample of 24 male amateur boxers (mean age 18 years- 35 years) who competed in district to national competitions took part in a within subject pretest-posttest design. The intervention included a daily 30-minute hypnotherapy session that included relaxation induction, first-person combat imagery, peak performance regression, and the use of post-hypnotic anchoring. The Flow was evaluated with the Flow State Scale-2 (FSS-2). Significant improvements were observed in key cognitive dimensions: action–awareness merging (p = .015, d = 0.54), clear goals (p = .017, d = 0.53), unambiguous feedback (p = .007, d = 0.60), concentration (p = .004, d = 0.65), and sense of control (p = .035, d = 0.46). The overall flow showed a positive change with a significant value (p =.055, d = 0.41). Experiential dimensions showed no significant change. These results indicate that hypnotherapy can positively influence performance-related cognitive factors of flow and can be viewed as an additional psychological training method in amateur boxing. It is advised that further studies be conducted with randomised controlled studies, bigger sample sizes, and objective measures of performance...