The Giants Shoulder #52 Meet The Scientist Who Trains Navy Seals To Enter Flow! Steven Kotler
Steven Kotler is a peak performance expert, flow state researcher, and New York Times bestselling author of The Rise of Superman, Stealing Fire, and The Art of Impossible — books that have transformed how we understand human potential.
Flow isn’t just a feeling — it’s a measurable, trainable state of consciousness that radically enhances performance, learning, and even our sense of self. In fact, it may be one of the most addictive — and transformative — states the brain can enter.
Expect to learn what flow actually is at a neurobiological level, how it boosts learning by up to 500%, why the U.S. Department of Defense is studying it, how it warps our perception of time and self, why flow could help unlock the mystery of consciousness itself, how to use clear goals and challenge-skills balance to trigger flow, why this state is addictive in all the right ways, how Kotler writes books in flow, why the future may be built on cooperative group flow, how to measure and train flow in your own life — and much more…
Timestamps:
03:10 Defining Flow: A Complex Concept
06:05 The Characteristics of Flow
09:10 Flow and Its Addictive Nature
11:58 Neurodynamics of Flow and Consciousness
15:10 Complexity Science and Flow
17:46 The Free Energy Principle and Flow
21:06 Flow vs. Trauma: Decision Making in Critical Moments
27:28 The Dynamics of Flow in Action Sports
30:15 Understanding Flow as a Spectrum
34:30 Neurobiology of Flow States
40:34 Operationalizing Flow in Research
50:03 Flow Triggers and Their Impact
57:41 The Flow State Experience
58:35 Creativity and Productivity in Flow
01:00:24 The Energy Dynamics of Flow
01:02:41 The Flow Cycle and Recovery
01:04:39 Optimizing Flow for Cognitive Work
01:05:56 Physical Activity and Flow
01:08:48 Evolutionary Perspectives on Flow
01:11:27 Flow and Pain: The Endorphin Connection
01:15:13 Future Research Directions in Flow
01:22:41 Technology, Flow, and Group Cooperation
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📚 RECOMMENDED READING
The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer: https://amzn.to/4g2wXYt
The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance: https://amzn.to/418UrVt
Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work: https://amzn.to/47Cf00q
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Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249