THE IMPACT OF SPIRIT ENGAGEMENT

ON ELITE ATHLETE CONFIDENCE, JOY, AND FLOW

A Thesis

Presented to the Faculty in Organizational Leadership Studies

School of Professional Studies

Gonzaga University

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In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership Studies

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By

Sandra Molendyk

May 2011

Keywords:
Olympic athletes, elite athletes, flow, spirit engagement, ego engagement, ego trait, confidence, thoughts, visions, self-esteem, harmonious passion, self-actualization, transcendence, motivation, imagination, focus, drive, visualization, imagery, self-esteem, peak performance, metamotivation, spirituality and sport, B-Being, D-Being, non Christian specific visualization, nonsport specific visualization and imagery, transcendence, ego-outcomes: success related activities, ego-trait: task related activities and behaviours, self-reference, moral wisdom, phantasia, phronetic insight, introception, exteroceptive and interoceptive attention, self-awareness, shamanism, Sport Shaman, knowing, leadership, authenticity.

 

Thesis link available soon

Based on research up until Dec 2010
Written May 2010 to May 2011
Accepted May 2011
Copyright 2010-2011 by Sandra Molendyk
Published 2012

Abstract

     This exploratory study links visualization, confidence, and success through the spirit-engagement process. The spirit-engagement process (aka spirit engagement) is the act of imagining one’s spirit presence inside of one’s physical body. This qualitative study explores the impact of spirit engagement on elite athletes. Spirit engagement was measured as an increase in athlete confidence, joy, and flow, and as a decrease in athlete fear, negative thoughts, and lack of confidence.

     Personal interviews were conducted with a purposive sample to maximize the richness of the data collected and the richness of the theory explored. The purposive sample included one Olympic athlete, two elite athletes, and two national level age-group athletes. This study utilized ethnographic observations made by a shaman -- known professionally as “The Sport Shaman”-- in a shamanic state of consciousness, during the course of a Sport Shaman treatment. The researcher is also the practitioner. Therefore, the practitioner’s state of mind, awareness, and actions were an integral part of this study. Each observation by the practitioner was followed by an induced intuitive suggestion of vivid imagery, which the athletes incorporated into their spirit-engagement process.

     This study contains aspects of both simple and constant comparative methods. Exploratory questions were based on the dynamic interaction of athlete feedback. This study has both theoretical and practical value. The methods utilized have a transferable application to similar studies including the impact of spirit engagement on non-elite and non-athletic individuals, business professionals, entertainment, and other types of performance situations where stress, fear, and ego hamper confidence, joy, and peak experiences. Spirit engagement was found to increase at least one or many of the spirit engagement qualities in each of the participants.