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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