Have you ever heard people say: There are those who have and those who will, when referring to brainlocking? Well, that old cliché has a lot of truth and merit to it. We all have had brainlocks while skydiving. Anyone who denies it either has an ego that needs to be stomped or will brainlock the very next skydive. How do we minimize brainlocking or the fear of brainlocking? Well, here are a few tips that will get you mentally tougher.

I have found that the majority of people brainlock in one of four areas:

1) Many people will have a tendency to brainlock going from the bottom of the page back to the top of the page.

Let's use the following example:
The skydive is:

ZIG ZAG - MARQUIS/ CROSSBOW/ ZOO/ OPEN ACCORDIAN - DIAMOND

We have a tendency to mentally rehearse our skydive in a rhythmic memorization process. We do this by saying to ourselves:

ZIG ZAG -MAR/CROSSBOW/ZOO/ACC-DIA (PAUSE) (REPEAT AGAIN)
ZIG ZAG -MAR/CROSSBOW/ZOO/ACC-DIA (PAUSE) (REPEAT AGAIN)
etc........

By exclusively using this method, we are rehearsing a brainlock with the mental pause from the bottom of the page back to the top. Everytime we get to the Stairstep Diamond, we allow ourselves to insert a mental pause. This mental pause then results in a brainlock..

To reduce brainlocking in this area, try remembering the skydive by dirtdiving the second or third point of the skydive as if it is your first point.

CROSSBOW - ZOO - ACC - DIA - ZIG - MAR - CROSSBOW - ZOO - ACC - DIA- ZIG -MAR - CROSSBOW - ZOO - ACC - DIA - ZIG - MAR - CROSSBOW
etc.........

This method can help break up the tendency of brainlocking going back to the top of the page.

2) Another area people will brainlock is right out the door going to the second or third point. This happens when we put so much mental focus on our exits, that when we nail the perfect exit we are so surprised that we forget where to go next. Once again, try mentally rehearsing your skydive starting on your second or third point. Remember that your exit frame only lasts for a second or two out the door.

3) Have you ever skipped a point so confidently that you convinced everyone else that you were right and they were wrong? How about when you brainlocked so bad that you felt your brain melted and was running out your ears.

These types of brainlocks can be caused from mentally dirt diving too fast. Remember that our physical bodies can only move so fast; therefore, slow down your mental process to be more in line to what you will realistically do. There is nothing worse than when your body writes checks that your brain can't cash.

4) The last area and certainly not the least is SELF CONFIDENCE!

There are skydives that seem to be harder to remember than others. Skydives that intimidate people are often associated with slot switchers and mirror images. People often psych themselves out into a brainlock because they are worried about brainlocking.

For example, lets say you are having problems remembering a crossbow on a skydive that slot switches you and your piece partner. In this situation it is common to find yourself saying, Shit, I'm having problems remembering the crossbow; or, I am unsure about my crossbow transition. When you address this memory problem in the negative, there is a higher chance of brainlocking. The next time you have a memory teaser, stop and try a different approach. Say to yourself, I just love the challenge of a slot switcher, or I need to put more focus on the crossbow transition; or say, I am a good skydiver!!

Anytime you use positive reinforcers, the more confident and successful you'll become. It is amazing how strong the power of suggestion is. If you input positive thoughts, you will have positive results!

It is important to remember that the best skydivers in the world will have an occasional brainlock. So... the next time you have one, don't stress yourself out and beat yourself up because your teammates will love the opportunity to do that for you.

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