Becoming Superman: Unlocking the Science of Ultimate Human Performance with Steven Kotler

Every athlete performs at his best when he is “in the zone” and reaches flow.

It’s one of the most beautiful moments to watch when athletes reach flow state – it’s an eye watering symphony in motion.

This magical place is the best feeling on earth and its addictive nature is why we’ve seen so many amazing feats performed in extreme sports, and many brutal accidents as well.

I’ve always been passionate about getting in the zone and this week on  The School of Greatness I have an expert guest with intimate knowledge of what it means to be in flow.

He is a New York Times Bestselling author who has overcome some extreme challenges to become the foremost expert on high performance.  Welcome to episode 53 with Steven Kotler.

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 “If you look at action/adventure sports as a data set over the past 25 years, what you see is nearly exponential growth in ultimate human performance.”

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• WHAT IS FLOW
• Decoding the science of ultimate human performance
• Strategies for getting into the zone/being in flow

“Flow seems to reset the nervous system.”

• Forms of Flow States: In the Zone, Runner’s High, In the Pocket, The Forever Box…
• Steven’s struggles with lime disease and the amazing story of how he overcame it with surfing
• Understanding the exponential growth of human performance over the past 50 years
• The unknown history of the research of flow
• About the dynamics of group flow
• What triggers flow

“These athletes are getting into flow more frequently than anyone else in the world.”

• How cocaine and skydiving are similar, but the huge difference
• A source code of intrinsic motivation
• My flow story of breaking a World Record
• The Four Stages of Flow:

1. Struggle
2. Relaxation
3. Flow
4. Memory Learning & Consolidation Phase

• Where people screw up when Flow Hacking
• Why being in flow enhances long term memory retention

“Surfing is not a known cure for chronic auto-immune conditions… so what is this?”

• How snipers use flow to increase skill acquisition by 230%
• To understand the extreme danger and responsibility inherent in seeking flow states.
• 3 Environmental Triggers that Action/Adventure sports athletes pull from

1. High Consequence
2. Rich Environment
3. Deep Embodiment

• How to successfully transition from a high flow position (Pro Athlete/Extreme Sports) to a lesser extreme version
• Building innovation teams with flow
• Helpers high, a flow state that can last for days

“Look at surfers, these are people that are not known for being hyper responsible in life… yet if it’s firing overhead tubes, they’re out there at 4:00am for dawn patrol.”

• What it means to be a Bliss Junky
• Understanding Challenge vs. Skills dynamic and where the optimal performance balance is
• Plus much more…

Continue Seeking Greatness:

• Learn more about Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi the flow researcher
• Learn more about the Flow Research Collective
• Pick up a copy of The Rise of Superman: Decoding the science of ultimate human performance
• Check out the awesome bonus extravaganza with over $100,000 in prizes
• Connect with Steven Kotler

Rise of Superman | On Forbes | Twitter | Facebook

• Music Credit: Being Human by Skrux ft. Mona Moua (Arkana Remix)
  

“Creativity is a phenomenal flow trigger”

Did you enjoy the podcast?

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What did you love most about this episode?  Have you ever reached Flow in your life?  If so, what was the most memorable time and how often do you reach it?   Please share your thoughts in the comment section below and share this article with your friends online. 

“It’s about chasing the best possible version of yourself. You have to put yourself into the struggle.”