What is Flow? Peak Performance Explained by Steven Kotler

Novel Procedure for Flow
Procedure: Consistent and periodic alternation between a resting protocol (e.g. mindfulness) and the pursuit of meaningful behavior will increase motivation and positive affect (arousal and pleasure), and by making meaningful ideation more emotionally salient, will crowd out thoughts leading to anxiety and depression.
Explanation: Resting elicits opioid activity, or feels pleasurable, and meaningful behavior, as defined as behavior that has branching novel and positive outcomes (writing that great novel or just making the bed) elicits dopamine activity which causes arousal. The awareness of subsequent meaningful behavior while engaging in relaxation protocols such as mindfulness elicits a ‘priming’ response, namely dopamine release that increases opioid activity, and vice versa, making meaningful behavior seem self-reinforcing or ‘autotelic’. with cognition less likely to transition to perseverative thought (worry, regret, distraction). Although mindfulness reduces discursive thought or mind wandering; it does not inhibit concurrent non-conscious awareness or anticipation of behavior or events subsequent to meditation that can in turn shape or ‘prime’ affective responses during a meditative session. A priming response, like the salivary response that precedes food or the sexual arousal that precedes intimacy, is a preparatory response that often occurs non-consciously, and changes the affective value or ‘feeling’ in the moment. Similarly, relaxing due to ‘being in the moment’ is pleasurable, but if we were told to expect ‘bad’ news or ‘good’ news in the near future, just the awareness of future events is enough to depress or elevate our feelings, but not altering in the slightest our ‘mindful’ or relaxed state. It follows that if mindfulness is paired with the awareness of subsequent positive or meaningful behavior, then rest in mindfulness will have a greater affective tone or ‘feel better’ than if such a prospect was absent. This is perhaps why ‘savoring’, ‘loving kindness’ meditation, and ‘flow’ experiences represent highly pleasurable and arousing experiences, as they make future positive ideation contingent to obvious or subtle pleasures (from relaxation, eating, drinking) and contrast with a lower level of pleasure during typical states of rest that generally precede a return to meaningless discursive thinking.
From ‘The Book of Rest, the Odd Psychology of Doing NOTHING’ on scribd

Hii

Amazing

Those Mind Opiate Pushers
are the BEST Example
achieving Nothing
Nada
Rien
Zero
Zilch
Dope Pushers
should be illegal

👽😷😷

This is an incredible presentation. Thank You Steven for this. Thank you Mind Valley.

i love the way steven inspires challenging the possible

"I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy - I mean that if you are happy you will be good."
- Bertrand Russell.

THANK YOU MIND VALLEY

In active state of flow currents run deep

My journey of learning about flow began with a search of the term apathy. Flow is the exact opposite of apathy. I’ve identified areas (one in particular) where I’ve experienced a flow state, and am trying to find more of that. I feel like being in a flow state has many psychological and health benefits.

Consistency and bravery with focus is key 🔑 to success in action sports ⚽️ fearless and injury come in the pursuit of setting the bar higher and going bigger! Get insurance !

Is it the old seminar?

ugh. yap yap yap. And these montessori schools imposed their crap and destroyed advanced ancient Indian schooling in India. Anything that came with the past 2000 years are a copy of ancient philosophies and religions. These idiots take over, copy and then wipe them out.

This guy was a complete glitch having that many breaks in 10 years! Must of been semi blind or charging like a Olympian!

Great video and content! Love Steve’s work and approach! Thanks for posting!

Great video and sharing. stay in touch my friend

First comment (other than the creator of channel)...😅