Well tried this out. I have a friend who I play at pool and we do these types of things to each other all the time as part of the fun - so its a good enviroment for testing experiment no.1. I have to say it really does work - bugged the hell outta him everytime he missed a shot and he heard me click my fingers which enhanced the negativity more and more with each shot he missed. Then when I used it before a shot, it really did trigger him back into a poor mental state. Since we do off-putting things to each other - we are both quite conditioned to falling cues, well timed chalking, standing and moving infront of pockets..etc and it has been a long time since anything has really gotten under his skin this badly. Even he thought it quite funny 'afterwards'..lol

I was hardly subtle so now I need to test out a less noticable application to see whether it has a similar effect without detection so need to test on new subject.

Something else to consider. In performing an experiment like this, how would you be able to tell whether or not the cue is working as a trigger, as opposed to simply being an irritant itself?

This is a very simple NLP technique that absolutely and definitely does work.

However, like most dark sides of the force, you need to be careful with it. Make sure you 'de-program' your friend afterwards. Get him into a very positive state and repeat the clicking fingers again. The two states will collide and the 'good' experience always prevails :)

This initial experiment was meant to be completely blatent to the opponent.

What I found was that - I really did have the impression that by having him hear that click everytime he missed a shot really did have a reinforcing effect on the fact he misses shots instead of allowing his mind to have instant amnesia of the event which produced the growing irratability you talked about. If I had done this on his successful shots or all shots - I felt as though this would of just been slightly bugging but not produce the reaction I envoked - obviously this needs to be tested.

Now after a few games, I then tested this trigger just as he was going to down to take his shot. Now it is obvious to me that it definately did trigger him into a negative mental state - either he associated it with being annoyed and/or the shots he's missed. Whether he would still associate without the blatent clicking and then at opportune moments reminding him of those missed shots without the blatent, almost taunting manner I did them in remains to be seen.

My next experiment is going to be much more subtle - almost to the other extreme.

A child song my 3 years old son loves to listen...."I throw it to you; I throw it back to you...catch"

The 'good' experience will NOT always prevail. It will only prevail, IF the positive state is more positive, than the negative state is negative. So make sure the positive state is VERY positive.


Of course doing the opposite with your own game is a totally a cool thing to do.