Page 113 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Winter 2014

in better decision making, making fewer errors, improv- scenarios. If we use “entering and clearing a room” again
ing focus, increasing confidence, and reducing stress and as an example, imagery can be used in moments while in
anxiety, and it can be applied to most any task (e.g., a the stack when one is preparing to enter, to predict what
to-do list, parts of running faster, or good marksman- is in the room to be entered, based on what has been
ship) that needs improving. Good mental imagery in- noticed in the neighborhood, and to be ready to focus
50
corporates all of the senses and can be facilitated by attention where it is needed at the right moment. It can
51
listening to a scripted audio recording. 48–50 even be used informally and spontaneously while “zon-
ing out” during downtime, whereby one can actually
These examples for SMART goal setting could be re- benefit from daydreaming of positive outcomes ranging
hearsed through imagery. For instance, training the task from being more fit with one’s family to experiencing
of entering and clearing a room provides an excellent ex- mission success. Whether structured, deliberate, and
49
ample of how to use mental imagery, and it could occur independent of other activity, or informal, spontaneous,
in one of several ways. First, given that SOF personnel and woven into SOPs, mental imagery is a mental skill
have likely cleared many rooms, they may not need any that can benefit SOF personnel.
script, or visual or tactile props to facilitate the experi-
ence. Instead, one can just sit quietly and visualize one’s
self successfully entering and clearing a room over and Conclusion and Summary
over. To take advantage of a different, but overlapping, Mental-skills training cannot replace mental health treat-
set of mental processes, one may also watch video of ment when it is needed in the aftermath of trauma, but it
48
room-clearing exercises, simultaneously “feeling” the can serve as one source of resilience. Mental-skills train-
kinesthetic sensations of what is being watched. And, ing can help (to a degree) in preventing SOF personnel
operators can assemble an imagery script, then listen to from experiencing symptoms associated with PTSD and
an audio-recorded version of the script several times a has been shown to improve self-esteem in Warfighters re-
day (really “getting into it,” as if it were real). Likewise, covering from injury and illness. 5,24 Importantly, any HPO
as operators work on marksmanship through mental re- perspective will focus on opening the door to optimal
hearsal, they can experience the pressure against one’s functioning and performance, rather than dwelling on the
trigger finger, the sounds of shots fired, and the rever- negative. SOF personnel can benefit from having as many
beration of the weapon, as one also “sees” the bull’s eye resources as possible, including well-developed mental
being pierced. And as operators picture more FFVs in skills, to match a somewhat unpredictable set of external
their day-to-day life, they can enhance their motivation demands. A good match between demands and resources
towards the goal, by imagining how they will look and will facilitate enhanced performance from the perspective
feel after sticking with their plan. of the DRM and in terms of creating conditions conducive
1
to experiencing flow. 12,17 In sum, CBT-based mental-skills
There are no “wrong” ways to integrate mental imag- training, a technique used by performance psychologists,
ery into training, and one can get a sense of one’s own can be applied to SOF personnel to optimize psychologi-
preferences or the preferences of the team, and move cal fitness and promote overall HPO.
forward. In many ways, standard operating procedures
(SOPs) for common tasks already promote use of mental Disclaimer
imagery, without using the term “imagery”: it is natu-
rally incorporated into learning both in the preparation The views expressed are those of the authors and does
and aftermath of operations. For instance, briefing a not reflect the official policy or position of the Uni-
team while using a sand table is likely to conjure mental formed Services University of the Health Sciences, the
imagery, as is using dry fire, or engaging in a detailed Department of Defense, or the US Government.
after-action review. However, these learning techniques
can be enhanced further by purposefully integrating Disclosures
principles of good imagery practices, namely:
The authors declare no conflicts of interest and do not
• Engaging imagination to “see” and “feel” the action have any financial disclosures.
as if it is really happening
• Doing more repetitions of desired steps than “what References
not to do” or “what went wrong” 1. Deuster PA, Grunberg NE, O’Connor FG. Human perfor-
• Overcoming different forms of adversity that could mance optimization: an integrated approach for special op-
likely surface erations. J Spec Oper Med. 2014;14:86–90.
2. USSOCOM Preservation of the Force and Families Task
The use of mental imagery can (and probably should) Force. Sports psychology and the SOF operator. Tip of the
be habitually used in training and in planning mission Spear. 2014.

Performance Psychology as a Key Component of Human Performance Optimization 103