What is mental simulation?
It is an ability that our mind has to imagine us performing a concrete action and visualize its results.
It uses a mix of what we remember, what we perceive and some associations between other similar experiences. You don’t have to have personally experienced the action you want to simulate; you can simply visualize it based on information you already have in your brain.
For example, you can visualize yourself jumping from the top of a cliff and instantly know that you are not going to end up very well (unless you use a parachute). But you don’t have to jump off the cliff for your mind to know that. It relates to other experiences, such as falling from lower places, to know that something like that is not good for you.
It’s a powerful and easy-to-use tool. All you have to do is set a goal. “I’m going to climb that mountain.” And, automatically, your mind starts to make you visualize all kinds of related things, like what you’ll need, what you’ll wear, or who you’ll go with. And, of course, to projecting the desired (or imagined) end result, which would be yourself on top of that mountain.
With great power comes great responsibility.
As this proverb popularized in Spider-Man comics says, you have to be careful when handling these great powers that we all carry in our heads. We must not let our mind wildly imagine what it wants or be influenced by negative experiences or old patterns that are not always useful for our goals.
Sometimes we have to put a bit of conscience into it. Put some energy into analyzing and controlling these simulations. For example, when you are repeating that route over and over again and you always fall off on the same part. Unconsciously, when you imagine yourself doing it, you also fall in your imagination (maybe because you haven’t figure out how to overcome it), which predisposes you to fall. While this is helpful in anticipating the fall and making it less harmful, the obvious thing is that you prefer not to fall.
In this case, making a conscious mental simulation of yourself overcoming that step in which you always fall (visualize each sequence and imagine new movements that could lead you to overcome the step), will increase your chances of success at sending the route.
Let’s see why.
How do mental simulations work?
They work because by imagining an action or sequence we activate the same parts of the brain that we activate when we are doing a real physical activity.
If you imagine that you are in front of a blinding light, the visual area of the brain will be activated, just as if you imagine that you have an insect on your leg, the tactile parts will be activated, making you even feel the bug walking on your skin.
But all these reactions not only occur inside the brain, they also trigger physical responses. When we imagine that we are in front of a big wall (let’s say El Cap in Yosemite, or your current project as well) we can’t stop our eyes from going up. Just as if you imagine words that begin with m or b, your lips will make subtle movements, even if you’re not saying them, just by imagining.
How can I use mental simulations to improve my climbing?
Mental simulations help us manage our emotions. They help us deal with certain situations that can be complicated, before they happen.
They are even used as a treatment for different fears and phobias, such as spiders or flying (in an airplane). Patients are induced into a state of relaxation that inhibits anxiety, and then guided through the simulation of a gradual confrontation with their fears, moving more and more towards the center of the fear or phobia. Each time these mental simulations create anxiety, they stop for a moment to use some relaxation technique.
To improve your climbing, you can perform these mental simulations. You can imagine yourself climbing that project you have in the middle, every movement, every quickdraw you put into place, every sensation you remember… You can even see yourself getting to the top.
Anticipate situations
If there’s a part where you usually fall, visualize yourself successfully overcoming it. Imagine the whole sequence of hands and feet, including the feeling of satisfaction you will have when you manage to pass the crux. Your brain it’s not good at differentiating between what is real and what is simulated, so you can say that this is a form of mental training.
Mental simulations are also useful in anticipating responses to possible problems. It serves to visualize you solving that difficult step as well as imagining you having a safe fall after trying that sequence that is over your current level. When you climb up and try, you will have a much greater chance of being confident in your abilities and knowing how to manage a possible fall.
As you can see, mental simulation has many possibilities, the only limit is your imagination (literally).
Finally, the last piece of information to finally convince you: it has been proven that mental practice produces up to two thirds of the benefits of physical practice.
Impressive, isn’t it? Well, if you can’t go climbing, the second-best option is to imagine that you are climbing.