The following article was written by Dr. Shaul Navon

Senior Medical Psychologist, Certified Senior Hypnotherapist
snavon@netvision.net.il
www.shaulnavon.com

Dr. Shaul Navon is one is Israel's Top Medical Psycologists and gave pre performance talks before my recent concerts of Britten's Serenade for tenor and Horn.

Hypnosis has been defined as "an altered state of consciousness". It is a special psychological state with certain physiological attributes, and  marked by a functioning of the individual at a level of awareness other than the ordinary conscious.

Persons under hypnosis are said to have heightened focus and concentration with the ability to concentrate intensely on a specific thought or memory, while blocking out sources of distraction.
Musicians performing in a concert or in a recital on stage, are in an hypnotic state. While practicing at home, they play under a conscious state. But when they have to go on stage to perform a music piece they should transform their  conscious state to an unconscious state. This means, that while on stage, they have to pull out, to exract their music playing easily, with sharp concentration. They have to "block" their attention from inner and outside distractions at the concert. They have to deliver their performance "while smiling", in an effortless way and in a great physical and emotional control. This unconscious playing is an hypnotic state. 
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