Performace Enhancement Imagery - PART TWO

Saving Lifes and Much More Subject: Review of discussion between Mo and Chris regarding Chris's experience with a life-threatening surgery and the role of performance enhancement imagery.

Key Themes:

·       Mind-Body Connection: The intricate and powerful link between mental state and physical outcomes, particularly in the context of health, healing, and performance.

·       Controlling the Controllable: Focusing mental energy on aspects within one's influence, primarily attitude and mindset, especially during challenging or uncontrollable situations.

·       Performance Enhancement Imagery: The intentional and structured use of mental visualization to prepare for, navigate, and optimize physical and psychological experiences, including medical procedures.

·       Importance of Preparation (Physical and Mental): The value of comprehensive preparation, encompassing not only physical health (sleep, strength, immune system) but also mental readiness (reducing anxiety, building confidence, calming the nervous system).

·       Anecdotal Evidence and Lived Experience: The power of personal testimony and observed outcomes as indicators of the efficacy of unconventional or less widespread approaches.

·       Manifesting Reality and Gratitude: The belief that positive focus and gratitude can influence personal experience and well-being.

·       Open Mind and Willingness to Learn: The necessity of being open to new ideas and stepping outside comfort zones to achieve personal growth and excellence.

Most Important Ideas/Facts:

·       The surgery experience: Chris underwent a Whipple procedure, a complex and life-threatening surgery for cancer.

·       Imagery for Surgical Preparation: Mo developed an imagery script for Chris with specific goals related to the hospital experience and surgery. This included:

·       Setting expectations of a successful outcome.

·       Visualizing the process of navigating the surgery.

·       Identifying controllable factors, such as communicating with the surgical team and requesting positive language.

·       "Another component that we uh dove into was the hospital experience and retrading and creating the experience of actually going in for the surgery and setting an expectation of a success of what that surgery was going to look like for Chris, how he was going to navigate the process..."

·       Leveraging the Power of Suggestion and Blood Flow Control: A key, unorthodox element of the imagery was the concept of using the mind to consciously redirect blood flow away from the surgical site. This was based on the understanding of the mind-body connection and documented cases in medical literature.

·       "...we leveraged wanted to leverage the power of suggestion to the mind that the mind and the body are very intricately uh connected like they are intertwined and that mind body connection I don't think we I think we have only scratched the surface on the mind body connection and our understanding of it."

·       "...we devised a plan for Chris in his imagery script to allow his mind to work with his body to redirect blood flow away from the surgical site allowing the surgeon to be able to clearly see the tissue that needed to be removed."

·       Imagery for Healing: The script also focused on the body's natural ability to heal, starting immediately after the surgery.

·       "Then we tapped into healing both immediately after the surgery and then follow up and those and uh making sure that we we understood that your body has the incredible ability to heal itself."

·       Preparation for Surgery: The imagery reinforced the importance of being mentally prepared, confident, and calm to allow the body to focus on the surgery and healing process, rather than being in a high state of arousal.

·       "And then we wanted to make sure that we went into the surgery that we were as mentally prepared and confident. We were as calm as we could be so that the body could focus on getting through the surgery and starting the healing process and not coming down from a high state of fight or flight or high state of sympathetic arousal."

·       Chris's Personal Experience with the Imagery: Chris found the script to be powerful and effective, becoming an "in Airwig," constantly running in his mind.

·       "...that script became kind of a uh, you know, in Airwig. It It was constantly going in my mind and and I used it a lot."

·       Confirmation of Reduced Bleeding (Anecdotal but Significant): Chris specifically asked his surgeon about the bleeding during the surgery and was told that there wasn't a lot of bleeding, which made the procedure easier. This aligns with the imagery's intended effect.

·       "...when I asked him too, I says, okay, so how about, you know, just a quick question about the surgery site and the bleeding. He says, you know, again, this is unscripted and he didn't know what had gone on. He says, you know what, thinking about, he said, there really wasn't a lot of bleeding like that. See, then that's kind of what made the surgery so easy."

·       Second Case of Reduced Bleeding: Chris shared the imagery script with another woman, Bridget, undergoing a similar surgery. Her surgeon also reported unusually low bleeding at the surgical site. This adds further anecdotal support to the potential impact of the imagery.

·       "And the surgeon told her the same thing. He says, 'Yeah, it was weird that we just there was not a lot of bleeding.' So, again, anecdotal, but on the other hand, I think it does offer powerful uh evidence that, you know, it can hurt."

·       Chris's Recovery and Current State: Chris has made an "amazing recovery" and is doing well two years post-surgery. He attributes his success, in part, to being physically and mentally strong going into the surgery and using the imagery. He is currently ranked among the top men's ultimate health guys in his age group.

·       "Chris goes from a life-threatening, you know, situation to uh an short of an amazing recovery. And he makes, I think, number six out of the top 10 of men's ultimate health guys uh at his age..."

·       The Future of Performance Enhancement Imagery: Mo and Chris believe that performance imagery is underutilized but highly effective and can be applied to various aspects of life to achieve excellence.

·       "I think with performance imagery there's so many areas that we could apply it apply it to in all aspects of our our lives..."

·       "Every single one of us wants to be excellent at what we do and you can give yourself the advantage through the use of performance enhancement imagery."

·       Requires Effort: While powerful, imagery is not a "magic panacea" and requires willingness to do "hard work" and go through "struggle" for real learning and effectiveness.

·       "You have to be willing to do the hard work. This is not a magic panacea where you just listen to a script or you just um wish it upon yourself."

·       Contact Information: Mo and Chris provide contact information for those interested in learning more or seeking support.

Conclusion:

The discussion between Mo and Chris provides a compelling, albeit anecdotal, account of the potential impact of intentional mental preparation and performance enhancement imagery, particularly in the context of a life-threatening medical procedure. The emphasis on controlling one's mindset, leveraging the mind-body connection (specifically for blood flow control), and preparing both physically and mentally appears to have played a significant role in Chris's successful surgery and remarkable recovery. Both individuals advocate for the broader application and structured use of imagery to enhance performance and navigate challenges in various domains of life, stressing the need for an open mind and willingness to invest effort.