By Ryan N. Marrs, BS, with Ran D. Anbar, MD
This post explores the possibilities hypnosis holds to combat stress and boost performance for servicemembers at the United States Department of Defense’s Defensive Language Institute (DLI), and how this uniquely important population can reap its many benefits by harnessing the inherent power within themselves.
The life of a United States military linguist starts with enrollment in the DLI, which is arguably the most rigorous academic curriculum offered by the Department of Defense.
This unique training boasts that in just over a year’s time graduates reach a four-year degree proficiency level in reading, writing, and speaking of a foreign language all the while gaining cultural competence. However, the curriculum is extremely taxing on students and many do not last until graduation.
To combat the dearth in course completion, the DLI curriculum constantly evolves by reviewing instructional methodology and incorporating successful developments that cater to professional linguists (Savko, 2023). Though great effort is spent each class iteration on enhancing the student experience, the intense nature of the program has remained a constant.
If the language learning tempo cannot waiver, maybe the key to improving linguists’ retention at the DLI lies in developing proficiency in an equally powerful skill: the use of the subconscious through hypnosis.
Linguists are an integral part of our military’s defense. They translate highly classified, invaluable intelligence in support of foreign missions worldwide and connect with troops and allied forces (Lange, 2018).
This unique skill set makes the military linguist an asset that is always in demand. However, the price to fund training for just one of these language specialists exceeds $200,000. Thus, an enhancement in the training regimen centered on improving retention could help reduce the expenses required to support the DLI.
Once assigned a specific language, servicemembers are subjected to curricula akin to the speed and ferocity of a firehose. Students can expect up to 7 hours a day of formal language........