52 replies to this topic

[*vInTaGe*]

WTF?

oh well, as long as the Canucks win, I don't care what they legally put in their brains.

[JoGuitar]

So by this reasoning if the Canucks were actually to use their "brains" they would perform better on the ice?

[pimpcurtly]

Is it like meditation, without actually meditating? I'm down...let's see if it works.

[T16]

JoGuitar, on 27 November 2009 - 10:07 PM, said:

So by this reasoning if the Canucks were actually to use their "brains" they would perform better on the ice?

[Belligerenceâ„¢]

That's right. You're going deeper
into your cave. And you're going to
find your power animal...




Slide.

[Truculence]

Quote

A Montreal firm developed the Mind Room, which helps Azzurri players put soccer into focus

AARON DERFEL, The Gazette

Published: Saturday, July 08, 2006

When Italy plays against France tomorrow in the World Cup final, some of its best players will be relying on a secret weapon.

Shoes with special cleats? No. Shorts that make a forward run faster? Not really.

Rather, the secret weapon in question is called the Mind Room and it was developed in Montreal.

For months now, at least four players on the Italian national team have been training in the Mind Room to prepare themselves mentally for clutch moments in the World Cup. Although the Mind Room is located in Italy, the biofeedback equipment was invented by Thought Technology Ltd. of Montreal.

Forward Alberto Gilardino, defender Alessandro Nesta as well as midfielders Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso all swear by ProComp, the main device in the Mind Room. Although Nesta is injured, the other three are likely to play in the final.

"These guys have been trained by Bruno De Michelis, the head of sport science of AC Milan, to be able to focus, to concentrate and to get into the zone for their peak performance," said Lawrence Klein, vice-president of Thought Technology.

"There is no question that mental preparation is the key difference, because these guys are all extraordinarily fit and talented. Our instrumentation helps the athletes reach that optimal state of mind."

In the Mind Room, the athletes lie on reclining chairs, their bodies strapped to the ProComp device that measures seven physiological signs - from their brain waves and muscle tension to their breathing and heart rate. De Michelis then trains them to use their minds to reach a meditative state.

The next step is to teach the athletes to maintain that state while visualizing in their minds their athletic performance. They often watch videos of their performances on the pitch.

If they have a particular problem - like missing a penalty kick or hitting the crossbar - De Michelis will train them to relax mentally. He does this by first getting them into the meditative state, then showing them a video of their flawed performance for a couple of seconds. Naturally, their muscles will immediately tense and their blood pressure will go up as they watch the missed goal, but De Michelis will get them to relax again.

The psychologist will repeat this until the player can watch the flawed performance from start to finish while maintaining the meditative state.

The idea is that when they go out on the pitch and have to make the penalty kick, they'll be so focused, so prepared mentally, that they won't miss. They'll be able to bring down their heart rate when they don't have to run to conserve energy, and they'll do that without even thinking.

"The athletes will be able to reach that state of mind when presented with challenges," offered Hal Myers, the inventor of ProComp, who holds a doctorate in experimental medicine and is a part-time collector of Victorian-era medical equipment that adorns his office.

Klein and Myers, both sports buffs, founded Thought Technology in 1974 to devise instrumentation for stroke rehabilitation and other medical conditions. But they soon realized that their biofeedback technology can easily apply to athletics. Their modest offices occupy the second floor of a nondescript brick building in Notre Dame de Grace - hardly the place one would expect to find soccer's secret weapon.

Reached by phone in Italy yesterday, De Michelis said that a number of companies specialize in bio- or neurofeedback, but he considers Thought Technology's instrumentation to be the most reliable.

"These devices are just tools to train better mentally," he said. "Integrated training gives you the capacity to recover through relaxation, to practise better, to concentrate better and to visualize in order to improve your skills."

Not all of Italy's players have used the Mind Room, only those who belong to AC Milan. So how have they performed?

During the World Cup, Pirlo has been making razor-sharp passes on the pitch. Although Gilardino has been used mostly as a substitute, he set up a crucial goal against Germany in the semifinal.

As for Gattuso, he has run hard in the midfield, often winning the ball. The Washington Post has described him as among the best players in the tournament, known for his "tenacious tackling."

The Post predicted that "the battle between Gattuso and (France's Zinedine) Zidane will be one of the key duels of the final."

A final that might be decided more in the mind than on the pitch.

http://www.canada.co...88a&k=98253&p=1

[kanucks25]

Psychedelic.

[LoneI2anger]

this sounds like pretty freaky stuff

[LostViking]

This could really benefit some athletes. I could see something like this being a huge booster for guys like Bob Gainey, Todd Bertuzzi or Taylor Pyatt who have gone through difficult times and were forced to participate as a hockey player/manager shortly afterwards

One question I would have: Is this method aimed at increasing emotional health/focus with the assumption this will lead to increased performance, or is it aimed at providing the best emotional state/focus for an athletic environment.

To explain better, an example would be the military. The mental state they try to put soldiers into is the ideal mindset for a killing machine, but not the best mindset for an ordinary citizen once they are done their army days. The military may provide an improvement, per say, by making their soldiers better soldiers, but might not end up making them better people (not sure if this is the case as I haven't been in the military, but its something to think about).

Would this process aim to provide players a better mindset in general (assuming this is linked to an increase in performance), or is it aimed specifically at gearing their thought processes/emotional state/focus towards a perfect athletic mindset? I'm not sure if there would be a big difference between the two, but Bertuzzi provides a good example of someone who was definately thinking like a hockey player should (wanted to protect Nazzy his captiain and teammate) but maybe not thinking good like a person (annihilates Steve Moore, ).

Edited by LostViking, 27 November 2009 - 11:52 PM.

[georgeparrosesmustache]

thats kinda cool

anyone know how the software actually works?

[DeNiro]

I can see it now...Wellwood accidently gets hypnotized into thinking he's a rooster for the rest of the season...

[austeane]

Anyone here heard of I-doser? kinda like that. look here: The site. It costs money but you can get it on limwire. Does kinda what this does...Kinda

[tcatt]

Sounds like brainwashing to me... call it what it is.

[DeNiro]

tcatt, on 28 November 2009 - 01:07 AM, said:

Sounds like brainwashing to me... call it what it is.

"We are the 2001-2002 Red Wings"...."We are the 2001-2002 Red Wings"....I wonder if it works for fans too.

[brownky]

Maybe this will add a couple IQ points to the Coach?

...though it'll likely break the machine.

[GoCanucksGo_420]

LostViking, on 27 November 2009 - 11:42 PM, said:

This could really benefit some athletes. I could see something like this being a huge booster for guys like Bob Gainey, Todd Bertuzzi or Taylor Pyatt who have gone through difficult times and were forced to participate as a hockey player/manager shortly afterwards

One question I would have: Is this method aimed at increasing emotional health/focus with the assumption this will lead to increased performance, or is it aimed at providing the best emotional state/focus for an athletic environment.

To explain better, an example would be the military. The mental state they try to put soldiers into is the ideal mindset for a killing machine, but not the best mindset for an ordinary citizen once they are done their army days. The military may provide an improvement, per say, by making their soldiers better soldiers, but might not end up making them better people (not sure if this is the case as I haven't been in the military, but its something to think about).

Would this process aim to provide players a better mindset in general (assuming this is linked to an increase in performance), or is it aimed specifically at gearing their thought processes/emotional state/focus towards a perfect athletic mindset? I'm not sure if there would be a big difference between the two, but Bertuzzi provides a good example of someone who was definately thinking like a hockey player should (wanted to protect Nazzy his captiain and teammate) but maybe not thinking good like a person (annihilates Steve Moore, ).

In my opinion.. being able to meditate (clearing your head of all thoughts.. like what you have to do today, tomorrow, and things like that.. takes time and training of the mind).

I suggest that some of you reading this try it...

take a few moments to just focus on your breathe going in.. and going out. See if any thoughts pop into your head, and if they do.. then refocus back onto your breathing.

Meditating allows you to relieve your mind of all stresses and live in the moment... to live in the now.

In other words, it helps you to quiet that voice in your head.. the one that says you're too tired and can't run anymore.. the one that says you can't do this and that...

As WILL SMITH says... "the key to life is Running and Reading. The person that works the hardest wins!"



I strongly believe this will help a player's on ice performance by conditioning their minds not to think in high pressure situations and to just DO... impulsively and instinctively. While resting on the bench or even for a brief moment..
the breathing techniques required to meditate.. will help them to not lose their breath as easily, and to catch their breath quicker.

This should translate over into their everyday lives.. allowing them to be less stressful.. more healthy and living in the moment... making them overall, calmer and happier people

[darkpoet]

GoCanucksGo_420, on 28 November 2009 - 04:11 AM, said:

In my opinion.. being able to meditate (clearing your head of all thoughts.. like what you have to do today, tomorrow, and things like that.. takes time and training of the mind).

I suggest that some of you reading this try it...

take a few moments to just focus on your breathe going in.. and going out. See if any thoughts pop into your head, and if they do.. then refocus back onto your breathing.

Meditating allows you to relieve your mind of all stresses and live in the moment... to live in the now.

In other words, it helps you to quiet that voice in your head.. the one that says you're too tired and can't run anymore.. the one that says you can't do this and that...

As WILL SMITH says... "the key to life is Running and Reading. The person that works the hardest wins!"



I strongly believe this will help a player's on ice performance by conditioning their minds not to think in high pressure situations and to just DO... impulsively and instinctively. While resting on the bench or even for a brief moment..
the breathing techniques required to meditate.. will help them to not lose their breath as easily, and to catch their breath quicker.

This should translate over into their everyday lives.. allowing them to be less stressful.. more healthy and living in the moment... making them overall, calmer and happier people

You are assuming that the guys on the team will take this seriously.

Bieksa? SOB? Kesler!? Sammy?? These guys are a bunch of clowns and i can't see them sitting in a soft chair listening to some gregorian chant while counting sheep.

They are hockey players not Buddhist monks. Want to improve your team? ACQUIRE BETTER PLAYERS! duhhhhhhhh.....

[Five.Finger.Death.Punch]

I did this every day before my football teams game, our coach would do many things like make us lie on the floor and envision us playing the game. I found it really helped get my mind into the game. So when I stepped on the field I already knew that I was going to make that TD-pass.

[playboi19]

Dope.

[Ray_Cathode]

darkpoet, on 28 November 2009 - 09:27 AM, said:

You are assuming that the guys on the team will take this seriously.

Bieksa? SOB? Kesler!? Sammy?? These guys are a bunch of clowns and i can't see them sitting in a soft chair listening to some gregorian chant while counting sheep.

They are hockey players not Buddhist monks. Want to improve your team? ACQUIRE BETTER PLAYERS! duhhhhhhhh.....

Hmmm. I wonder if we will have kinder, gentler players?

[Vancity_77]

Lionized, on 27 November 2009 - 09:44 PM, said:

The Vancouver Canucks will be using this technology very shortly, the equipment and necessary software should be installed within the next few weeks. The room itself is ready.

Personally, I'm a little disturbed (although curious) regarding the effects of this "training".


Link: Mind Room technology



Will Bieksa and Mitchell finally be able to read each others minds or will they simply become zombie killers...on ice?
Can the Sedins gain an even larger advantage over their opponents by timing their passes to one another simply through thought and, on this token, will Burrows benefit and score 60 goals?

Only time will tell fans, only time will tell.

Keep it together,Keep it together,keep it together ,keep it together,keep it together. oh sorry thats MIND HEAD TECHNOLOGY

[hungcanuck]

Mind Room Shmind Shmoom. Next they'll bring in Dr. Phil. If it works, I'm sure it will be by placebo effect (if you think it will work it works) kind of like some how some patients get better after taking sugar pills they think are medicine. Or maybe there's some actual science behind it. I have a feeling it's a steaming, nutty-brown pile of jack-diddly hoo hoo.

[HockeyChick]

Sure sound like a combination of meditation and visualization (the two arent that far apart!) to me. The mind is a powerful tool that is largely ignored. If you can learn to be in charge of your mind, then you will have a distinct advantage. Think you're already in command of your mind? How many times have you got a song stuck in your head, that you couldnt get out, or random thoughts keep popping into your head when youre trying to concentrate. Im all for our players learning control.

[xereau]

We are Hugh.

[reyezone]

They all see the benefit of steel trap focus, and they all know how lack of focus can end you up in the press box.

Luongo is one of the coolest cucumbers around; great poker player, great goalie, great FOCUS.... probably a decent golfer too.
The point is you can't teach what he's got, right? Or, maybe you can.

[canuck2xtreme]

Trippy stuff. If it works, I'm all for it. Seems to have a decent track record so far. Whatever puts points up in the standings (as long as it's legal), do it.

[darkpoet]

I wonder what's next...

Mandatory subscriptions to Oprah's Book of the Month Club??

Since we're so into self-help, maybe call up Dr. Phil as well... he could talk the team silly while they are working out to Richard Simmons tapes.

What's Susan Powter up to these days? She always had a way with words........

[tru-blvr]

Hmmm...it's definitely interesting. For some reason, when I think of "Mind Room Technology," I think of the players getting hooked up to a machine & coming out as robots. I don't like that thought at all, if it's just some kind of meditation, then it should be fine, I'm sure some players do that anyways. I probably misunderstand what exactly the Mind Room is & I'm still thinking about my initial belief, so my question is: Would the players lose their raw edge & emotion as a result of this?