“Flow states have triggers: these are preconditions that lead to more flow. 22 of them have been discovered.”
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What if peak performance wasn’t a mystery, but a state you could wire your brain to enter on-demand? This isn’t about “getting in the zone.” It’s about specific brain circuits, chemicals, and triggers that anyone can learn to activate.
Backed by science, stripped of fluff, Steven Kotler explains the science of flow, from the inside out.
00:00 Introducing Steven Kotler
00:11 Chapter 1: The biology of our brains
00:35 Psychology’s “outside-in” blind spot
03:45 The brain works in networks
06:35 Making biology your ally: the four performance pillars
07:40 Finding flow’s sweet spot
08:49 Chapter 2: What is flow?
09:55 Six signs you’re in flow
12:15 A brief history of flow
15:00 22 triggers that spark flow
19:00 The golden rule of flow: challenge-skills balance
21:47 What do we mean by “challenge” and “skills”?
24:16 How to harness intrinsic motivation
26:28 Why purpose is better than passion
31:50 Flow is a focusing skill
32:35 What is your primary flow activity?
37:39 Chapter 3: Flow and peak performance
37:50 We are all wired for flow
39:05 How flow impacts creativity and happiness
40:50 Group flow: empathy, cooperation and innovation
41:55 Physical boosts and evolution’s logic
43:00 The brain’s internal drug store
49:30 Using flow to rewrite PTSD
52:00 From chemicals to habits
56:15 Final takeaways: The 6 basics
1:02:20 Support Big Think and explore further
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About Steven Kotler:
Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance. He is the author of ten bestsellers (out of thirteen books total), including The Art of Impossible, The Future Is Faster Than You Think, Stealing Fire, The Rise of Superman, Bold and Abundance. His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, translated into over 40 languages, and appeared in over 100 publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Atlantic Monthly, TIME and the Harvard Business Review. Steven is also the cohost of Flow Research Collective Radio, a top ten iTunes science podcast. Along with his wife, author Joy Nicholson, he is the cofounder of the Rancho de Chihuahua, a hospice and special needs dog sanctuary.
Overrated, I experience hyperfocus and flow, which makes time seem to disappear. It's great for productivity, but you can lose track of your day, and eventually, it might feel like you're missing out on something. Meditation helps, but time slips away again. One significant benefit is that during long flights, I can read an entire book and arrive at my destination feeling like only an hour has passed. Friends who observe me say I look like a robot in a trance.
One ☝️squirt 💦 of dopamine 🧠 please
At 24 minutes, discussing using external motivators until basic needs, and a bit more, are met – and then making good use of internal motivation, ties "flow theory" to Maslow's "hierarchy of needs" theory.
Discipline
Flow on command is just this:
…. Staring contest. Ready? Open fire…
… I can make the sunshine with pure desire
I'm aware of, experienced, and believe in the Flow, zone, or becoming one with your surroundings. I totally disagree with his point, saying that the best flow is achieved if you have money. Because throughout history, some of the best states of flow were achieved by financially unwealthy people, like Nicholi Teslsa, Gandhi, and Bruce Lee. Before he became famous, he was pooooor. Flow is attainable by demand, necessity, and discipline of mind and focus by choice or by force. Luv Uall.
Buddhism is nihilism
I enter flow state when I'm painting.
The association of well being and success in life with high amounts of flow is being stated in a way that sounds like the flow causes the success, but it could very well be the other way around; those who are successful and not overstressed in life being able to get into flow more often, whereas those who are struggling more are stuck in the anxiety pendulum, where they skip flow straight into anxiety to keep dealing with all the problems until they are burned out and have to drop down into a relaxed state skipping flow again, while problems pile up making them jump back into anxiety mode to keep the fire at bay, repeating like this, never being in flow.
is there a tl; dr;? i fell asleep pretty quick