Phil was not only "in the zone," he was also under hypnosis.

Hypnosis is a heightened state of awareness where time and space appear to disappear. It is a natural state of mind that most people—even you—drift in and out of every day without even knowing it. Often characterized by a feeling of "effortlessness," hypnosis can be as simple as being completely absorbed in a good book and not realizing how much time has gone by, or watching a good movie and being "transported" into a state of believing that what's happening on the screen is real.

Have you ever been mesmerized by a candle? A campfire or fireplace? The sound and movement of a gentle stream? Maybe while surfing the Internet you have become so absorbed that several hours pass by unnoticed.

How often have you arrived at a destination in your car without realizing how you got there? Someone must have driven the car, right? That "someone" was your subconscious mind because on the conscious level, you were completely absorbed in your thoughts or the music on the radio.

You are under hypnosis whenever you become so engrossed in an activity that you are no longer self-conscious.

In the zone: Phil Mickelson has his green jacket. Getty Images

But then suddenly, you're not.

The same thing happens in everyday activity. The important difference is that you're not self conscious about it. You're too busy to notice. You stay involved because you like what you're doing. There's no pressure. You're in a flow. When you get frustrated or disinterested, you get out. No problem. No thought. This is what I refer to as random hypnosis.

When you are "in the zone" on the golf course, you feel better than usual and you think "this is too good to be true!" But just as soon as you've realized this, you become self-conscious again and your game deteriorates.

When Phil Mickelson came to Augusta this year, it was his 12th attempt to win the Masters and his 47th shot at a major.

What made this year different? For starters, Phil showed no tension on his face or in his body. What we saw rather was an attitude of pure joy. He seemed to be having fun, and fed off the crowd's enthusiasm. Phil was deep "in the zone."

If Phil—formerly "The Best Golfer Never to Win a Major"—was able to stay "in the zone" under all the pressure of Augusta and manage to do the same at Shinnecock—almost winning the US Open—don't you think you might handle your golf frustrations more easily by having more fun and not taking yourself so seriously?

Wouldn't it be great if you could get yourself into "the zone" purposefully? The truth is that you can! One of my clients—a college basketball player—recently told me about how he gets into "the zone" by distracting his conscious mind with thoughts of his favorite thing: vacationing with his family.

Think of how you can distract your own conscious mind with pleasurable images. Fishing. Snorkeling. Skiing. Anything but thoughts of golf will distract your conscious mind from golf.

When your conscious mind is distracted from the task at hand—swinging a club—your subconscious mind takes over and soon your golf game will be "in the zone." Jennifer Scott, C. Ht. is a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist who practices in Scottsdale, Arizona. Jennifer is the creator of several Own The Zone^TM hypnosis programs and a regular GOLFONLINE contributor. E-mail Jennifer with questions or comments at jennifer@ownthezonegolf.com.