How to open up the next level of human performance | Steven Kotler | TEDxABQ

Summary

The speaker explores the concept of 'flow,' an optimal state of consciousness where peak performance is achieved. Highlighting the rapid evolution in action sports, the talk delves into the neurochemistry and psychological aspects of flow, revealing how it enhances motivation, creativity, and learning. The speaker suggests that by harnessing flow, individuals can significantly boost productivity and tackle challenges that once seemed impossible, urging the audience to consider how they might apply this knowledge to their own lives.

Takeaways

• 🎯 The concept of 'ultimate human performance' refers to achieving one's best in critical moments, even accomplishing what seems impossible.
• 🏂 The speaker's journey into studying peak performance began with journalism, covering action sports, and witnessing rapid advancements in the field.
• 🤕 The speaker experienced significant downtime due to injuries, which paradoxically led to observing remarkable progress in athletes' performance upon recovery.
• 📉 The traditional view of sports performance as slow and steady is challenged by the rapid evolution seen in action and adventure sports.
• 🏔 Examples like Alex Honold's free solo climb of Half Dome illustrate the extraordinary feats achieved by athletes, which were once considered impossible.
• 🧠 The state of 'flow' is identified as a key factor in these peak performances, characterized by intense focus, absorption, and an optimal state of consciousness.
• 🧬 Recent advancements in brain imaging technology have revealed that flow is associated with a hypoactive state of the brain, particularly in the prefrontal cortex.
• ⏰ The experience of time is altered in the flow state, with time seeming to slow down or speed up, affecting the perception of self and the environment.
• 💡 The flow state is linked to a surge of neurochemicals that enhance physical and cognitive performance, motivation, creativity, and learning.
• 🚀 The speaker's organization, the Flow Genome Project, has been instrumental in studying and applying the principles of flow to various high-performing groups.
• 🔍 There are 20 identified triggers for achieving flow, which are conditions that drive attention into the present moment and facilitate peak performance.
• 🛠 High-performing individuals and organizations intentionally build their lives around these flow triggers to maximize their potential and productivity.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the speaker's discussion?

The main topic is about achieving ultimate human performance and the state of consciousness known as 'flow' that enables individuals to perform at their best, especially in high-stakes situations.

How did the speaker initially become involved in studying action sports?

The speaker became involved in studying action sports as a journalist in the early 1990s, covering the emerging popularity of these sports and spending time with athletes, which led to personal injuries and observations about their rapid progress.

What is the significance of the progression in action sports from the early 1990s to the present?

The progression signifies a rapid evolution in performance, with athletes achieving feats that were previously considered impossible, such as snowboarders jumping gaps over 250 feet and climbers like Alex Honold free-soloing difficult routes in record times.

What is 'flow' and how is it defined in the context of this discussion?

'Flow' is defined as an optimal state of consciousness where individuals feel and perform their best. It involves a state of deep focus and absorption where the sense of self and the passage of time can become distorted.

How has brain imaging technology contributed to our understanding of 'flow'?

Brain imaging technology has allowed researchers to observe that during 'flow', the brain is not hyperactive but rather hypoactive, with a significant deactivation of the prefrontal cortex, which affects higher cognitive functions and the sense of self.

What are the neurochemical changes that occur during a state of 'flow'?

During 'flow', there is a significant release of potent neurochemicals that enhance physical and mental performance, including increased motivation, creativity, and learning capacity.

How does 'flow' affect an individual's productivity and creativity?

Being in a state of 'flow' can increase productivity by up to 500% and creativity by up to 400%, as it provides a strong intrinsic motivation and enhances the brain's ability to make connections and recognize patterns.

What is the significance of the '10,000 hours to mastery' concept in relation to 'flow'?

The concept suggests that mastery in a field requires 10,000 hours of practice. However, research indicates that being in a state of 'flow' can significantly reduce the time needed to achieve mastery by enhancing learning efficiency.

What are the preconditions or 'triggers' that lead to a state of 'flow'?

The preconditions for 'flow' include focus, passion, taking risks, and engaging in unpredictable and complex environments that provide fast feedback and sensory input, all of which drive attention into the present moment.

How have high-performing groups like action sport athletes and organizations utilized the concept of 'flow'?

High-performing groups have built their lives and operations around the triggers of 'flow', structuring their activities to maximize the chances of entering this state and thus achieving peak performance.

What was the outcome of the six-week training at Google involving 'flow' triggers?

The training led to a 35 to 80% increase in the participants' experience of 'flow', demonstrating the practical benefits of understanding and applying the principles of 'flow' in a professional setting.

Outlines

00:00

🏂 The Pursuit of Ultimate Human Performance

The speaker delves into the concept of ultimate human performance, challenging the common misconception that it only pertains to extraordinary individuals like astronauts or Navy SEALs. Instead, they argue that it's about achieving one's personal best, especially in critical moments. The journey into this topic began with the speaker's experience as a journalist in the 1990s, covering action sports. Despite their lack of athletic prowess, they observed rapid advancements in sports performance, particularly in snowboarding and rock climbing, where athletes were accomplishing feats that were previously deemed impossible. The speaker attributes this to a state of consciousness known as 'flow,' which allows athletes to perform at their peak by merging action and awareness, leading to a heightened state of performance both mentally and physically.

05:02

🧠 The Science Behind the Flow State

This paragraph explores the neurological underpinnings of the flow state. Contrary to the old belief that peak performance involves using more of the brain, recent brain imaging technology has shown that flow is associated with a hypoactive prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for higher cognitive functions. When in flow, the sense of self and the inner critic are muted, leading to increased risk-taking, creativity, and liberation from self-imposed limitations. The flow state also triggers the release of potent neurochemicals that enhance physical and mental performance. These neurochemicals are linked to motivation, creativity, and learning, which are the three pillars of high performance. The speaker mentions a study that found top executives in flow were significantly more productive, and that creativity and learning can spike dramatically during flow, challenging the notion of the 10,000-hour rule for mastery.

10:03

🚀 Triggering Flow in High-Performing Individuals and Organizations

The final paragraph discusses the universality of flow and identifies specific triggers that can induce this state. The speaker notes that action and adventure sport athletes have structured their lives around these triggers, which include passion, risk-taking, and operating in unpredictable environments that provide immediate feedback. These factors sharpen focus and facilitate the experience of flow. The speaker also points out that high-performing individuals and organizations across various fields have similarly built their practices around these triggers to maximize flow. A case study at Google demonstrated that by focusing on just four of these triggers, there was a significant increase in the flow state among participants. The speaker concludes by posing a challenge to the audience to consider how they might apply the knowledge of flow to tackle grand challenges and seemingly impossible tasks in their own lives.

Keywords

💡Ultimate Human Performance

This term refers to the peak level of human capability, where individuals perform at their best, especially in high-stakes situations. In the video, it is related to the concept of achieving the impossible and doing what was once thought to be unattainable. The speaker uses it to introduce the topic of how individuals can reach their maximum potential, as evidenced by the rapid progress in action sports.

💡Flow

Flow is defined as an optimal state of consciousness where individuals feel and perform their best. It is characterized by intense focus, full immersion in the task at hand, and the disappearance of the sense of self. The video emphasizes flow as a key state that allows athletes to perform extraordinary feats, and it is linked to the speaker's exploration of what enables peak performance.

💡Action Sports

Action sports encompass activities such as snowboarding, surfing, and rock climbing, which gained popularity in the 1990s. The script mentions the rapid evolution in these sports, where athletes have been able to achieve leaps in performance that were previously considered impossible, highlighting the role of flow in these achievements.

💡Neurochemistry

Neurochemistry involves the chemical processes that occur in the nervous system, including the production and interaction of neurotransmitters. The video discusses how certain neurochemicals are released during flow states, enhancing physical and cognitive performance. This concept is central to understanding the physiological basis of the flow state.

💡Prefrontal Cortex

The prefrontal cortex is a region of the brain involved in higher cognitive functions such as decision-making and long-term planning. In the context of the video, it is highlighted as the area that deactivates during flow states, leading to the dissolution of the sense of self and the inner critic, which in turn facilitates peak performance.

💡Intrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation refers to the internal drive to perform an action for the sake of the action itself, rather than for external rewards. The video explains that the neurochemicals present during flow states are potent pleasure drugs, making flow highly addictive and a strong source of intrinsic motivation, which is crucial for achieving high performance.

💡Creativity

Creativity in the video is described as a recombinatory process where the brain combines novel information with existing ideas to produce something new. The neurochemicals associated with flow are said to enhance creativity, leading to a 400% spike in creative output during flow states, as demonstrated by the speaker's examples.

💡Learning

Learning, as discussed in the video, is the process of acquiring new knowledge or skills. The speaker mentions that the neurochemical dump during flow states facilitates faster learning, with soldiers in flow learning 240 to 500% faster than normal, challenging the conventional wisdom of the 10,000-hour rule for mastery.

💡Triggers

Triggers are the preconditions or environmental factors that lead to the flow state. The video identifies 20 such triggers and explains that they help to focus attention on the present moment, which is essential for achieving flow. Examples from the script include passion, risk-taking, and complex environments providing fast feedback.

💡Productivity

Productivity in the video is linked to the state of flow, where top executives reported being 500% more productive when in flow. This highlights the practical implications of flow for achieving efficiency and effectiveness in various professional and personal endeavors.

💡High Performance Triangle

The high performance triangle is a conceptual model mentioned in the video that includes motivation, creativity, and learning as its three sides. The neurochemicals present during flow are said to enhance all three aspects, creating a synergistic effect that propels individuals to perform at their best.

Highlights

The study of ultimate human performance involves understanding how to be at one's best when it matters most and achieving the impossible.

The concept of 'ultimate human performance' often leads people to think of extraordinary individuals like astronauts or Navy SEALs, but it's about anyone's ability to excel.

The speaker's journey into studying human performance began with a career in journalism covering action sports in the early 1990s.

In action sports, there was an unprecedented rate of progress, with records being broken every few months rather than every 5 to 10 years.

Examples of extreme progress in sports include snowboarding jump records increasing from 40 feet to over 250 feet, comparable to the height of a skyscraper.

Alex Honold's free solo climb of Half Dome in Yosemite, completing the feat in 1 hour and 22 minutes, exemplifies the capabilities of those in a state of flow.

Flow is defined as an optimal state of consciousness where individuals feel and perform their best, characterized by intense focus and absorption.

Neuroscience has revealed that during flow, the brain is not hyperactive but rather hypoactive, with decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex.

The experience of flow is associated with a distortion of time perception and a loss of self, leading to liberation from self-criticism.

Flow states are accompanied by a surge of neurochemicals that enhance physical and mental performance, including motivation, creativity, and learning.

The neurochemicals present during flow are the same ones that make it one of the most addictive states, driving intrinsic motivation.

Creativity during flow is significantly enhanced, with a 400% spike attributed to the neurochemical environment.

Learning is also accelerated in a state of flow, with the military finding that soldiers learned 240 to 500% faster.

The concept of 10,000 hours to mastery may be reduced by half when flow is achieved, according to research.

The Flow Genome Project has been involved in studying high-performing groups to understand and apply the conditions for achieving flow.

There are 20 identified triggers for flow states, which are conditions that lead to more flow and are related to focus and present-moment attention.

High-performing individuals and organizations, such as Navy SEALs and Fortune 500 companies, structure their environments around these flow triggers.

A six-week training at Google using four of these flow triggers resulted in a 35 to 80% increase in flow experiences among participants.

The information about flow places a significant responsibility on individuals to consider how they can apply it to solve grand challenges and achieve the impossible.

Transcripts

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

I study ultimate Human Performance or

what it takes to be your best when it

matters most what it takes to do the

impossible and when I found when I say

something like ultimate Human

Performance out loud and in public most

people tend to think of anybody but

themselves we picture astronauts or Navy

SEALS or genius innovators so I want to

be clear when I say what does it take to

be your best when it matters most I mean

what does it take for you to be your

best when it matters most what does it

take for you to do the impossible and I

came to this topic from an unusual

Direction journalism in the early 1990s

I became a journalist and at the time

Action Sports were beginning to grab the

Public's imagination so back then if you

could write and you can surf or you

could write and you could ski or you

could write and you could rock climb

there was work I couldn't do any of

those things very well but I needed the

work so I lied to my editors and I was

lucky enough to spend the better portion

of 5 years chasing athletes around

mountains and will tell you if you're

not a professional athlete and you spend

a lot of time chasing athletes around

mountains and across oceans you break

bones I broke a lot of Bones this meant

I had a lot lot of time off I had a lot

of downtime I'd be hanging out I would

snap this or that and i' have to take

four or five months off and when I came

back the progress I saw amazed me

absolutely astounded me it was Leaps and

Bounds kind of progress stuff that had

been absolutely completely impossible

four or five months ago was not only

being done it was being iterated

upon Now Sports Performance as a general

rule it's slow it's steady it's governed

by the laws of

evolution as a general rule in athletics

we break records every 5 to 10 years not

every couple of months but that was

exactly what was going on in action and

adventure sports and I want to give you

a couple of examples in 1990 in

snowboarding the biggest Gap jump

anybody ever cleared was 40 feet 40 ft

is Big it's two buses stacked end to end

today as you can see we're clearing Gap

jumps that are over 250 ft tall that's a

skyscraper this is my favorite example

this is my friend Alex honold Alex is

free soloing half doome in

yosee free soloing means he's climbing

without ropes and without protection so

if he falls he dies now most people when

they climb half Doom it's an enormous

climb it usually takes a day and a half

two days they bring portal edges so they

can sleep on the side of the wall Alex

didn't need a portal Edge because in

2002 or 2012 he free soloed half in an

hour and 22 minutes that's the rough

equivalent of running a 4minute mile in

about 38

seconds and Alex is only one example

between 1990 and today action adventure

sport athletes have achieved more

impossible Feats than pretty much any

group in history and this raises a

pretty basic question what the heck is

going

on and the the answer is a state of

consciousness known as flow that these

athletes have learned to harness

probably better than almost any group in

history you may know Flow by other names

you may talk about it as runner's high

being unconscious being in the zone flow

is a technical term and it's defined as

an optimal State of Consciousness one

where we feel our best and we perform

our best more specifically it refers to

those moments of wrapped attention and

total absorption we get so focused on

the task at hand that everything else

disappears action and awareness start to

merge your sense of self vanishes time

passes strangely sometimes it'll slow

down you'll get a freeze frame effect

more frequently it speeds up and 5 hours

pass by in like five minutes and

throughout all aspects of performance

both mental and physical go through the

roof about 15 years ago our brain

imaging technology got good enough that

for the very first time we could peer

under the hood and figuring out where

this ultimate performance was coming

from and what we discovered turned a lot

of our old ideas about high performance

on its head the old idea was that at any

Norm normal time we're only using a

small sliver of our brain so ultimate

performance must be the full brain on

overdrive turns out we actually had it

exactly backwards inflow we're not not

using more of the brain we're using a

lot less instead of the brain becoming

hyperactive it's becoming hypoactive Hy

po it's the opposite of hyper it means

to slow down or deactivate and the main

portion of the brain that's deactivating

is your prefrontal CeX now this is the

part of your brain that governs all of

your higher cognitive functions complex

decision making long-term planning your

sense of morality your sense of will why

does time pass so strangely when we're

in the zone cuz time is calculate it all

over the prefrontal cortex and when

parts of it wink out we can no longer

separate past from present from future

and we're instead plunged into a state

researchers talk of as the Deep

now something similar happens to your

sense of self self is also calculated

all over the prefrontal cortex and as

parts of it wink out we can no longer

perform this calculation now when your

sense of self goes quiet it turns off

your inner critic that nagging always on

De feus voice in your head your inner

Woody Allen in flow Woody goes quiet now

we experience this as Liberation is

freedom we're actually getting out of

our own way risk-taking goes up

creativity goes up now besides these

changes in neural anatomical function we

also get a big dump of neurochemistry in

flow five of the most potent

neurochemicals the brain can produce

show up in the state and flow appears to

be the only time we get access to all

five at once and if we want to

understand how these action adventure

sport athletes did The Impossible this

neurochemistry gives us a big clue first

of all it enhances all aspects of

physical performance muscle Reaction

Time increases our sense of pain gets

dead and so strength increases but the

bigger impact is

cognitive it's mental performance these

neurochemicals surround all three sides

of the so-called high performance

triangle motiv motivation creativity and

learning in motivation these five

chemicals that show up they're all

pleasure drugs in fact they're the five

most potent pleasure drugs the brain can

produce which means flow is one of the

most addictive States on Earth

researchers don't like the word

addictive so instead they talk about it

as the source code of intrinsic

motivation but this motivation is so

great that when McKenzie did a 10year

study they found the top Executives in

flow report being 500%

more productive than out of flow that's

a huge leap in productivity that's a

huge leap in motivation and we see

something similar with creativity

creativity is a word that gets mistaken

a lot but it fundamentally is a re

combinatory process it's what happens

when the brain takes in novel

information combines it with old ideas

to come up with something startlingly

new and the neurochemicals that show up

and flow surround this process when

you're in the state you take in more

information per second you pay more

attention to that information you find

greater links between that information

and closely related ideas what's called

pattern recognition and you find greater

leaps between that information and

far-flung ideas what's called lateral

thinking in fact creativity is so

surrounded that most re researchers have

found that creativity spikes

400% in flow something similar happens

to learning quick shorthand for how

Learning Works in the brain is the more

neurochemicals that show up during an

experience the better chance that

experience has of moving from short-term

holding into long-term storage flow is

this huge neurochemical dump which is

why in experiments run by the US

military on soldiers they found that

soldiers in flow learned 240 to 500%

faster than normal so we've all heard

about Malcolm gladwell's fabled 10,000

hours to Mastery what the research

suggests Is That Flow can cut that in

half more interestingly and I'm I'm

biased here because this is a lot of the

work that my organization the flow

Genome Project has been involved in

we've been able to combine this kind of

new Neuroscience with these high-

performing groups like the action and

adventure sport athletes and we've been

able to work backwards to what is

causing them to get so much access to

flow and figure out how to apply this in

all of our

Lives what we've discovered is two

things that are important the first Is

That Flow is ubiquitous shows up in

anyone anywhere provided certain initial

conditions are

met second of all what are those

conditions turns out flow states have

triggers these are preconditions that

lead to more flow there are 20 of them

in total the first thing to know is that

flow follows focus it can only show up

when all our attention is focused in the

right here right now that's what these

triggers do they drive attention into

the present moment another way of

thinking about this is these are 20 of

the things that Evolution shaped our

brain to pay the most attention to and

what we've SE in action and adventure

sport athletes is they built their lives

around these triggers they're extremely

passionate about what they do and that

matters here because we pay more

attention to those things that we

believe in they take very very big risks

and risks is another great focusing

mechanism drives attention into the now

and they take those risks and not Noel

unpredictable complex environments that

produ a lot of fast feedback and a lot

of sensory input all these things grab

hold of attention and drive it into the

now and allow them to produce tremendous

amounts of flow but it turns out it's

not actually just action and adventure

sport athletes who do this pretty much

every high- performing individual and

organization you can think of we've

looked at and we found they all do the

same thing so Navy Seals some of the top

education ational institutions in

America the best startups in Silicon

Valley Fortune 500 companies the people

running Fortune 500 companies they have

built their organizations around these

triggers to maximize flow the most

interesting part is that it's actually

really easy last year we did a training

we did a six week training at Google we

trained people up in only four of these

triggers over a 6- we period what we

found on the back end was a 35 to 80%

increase in flow it's that easy and I

think this information puts a wonderful

yet sort of terrible burden on all of us

what Grand challenges are you aching to

solve what in your life currently seems

impossible what would you go after if

you could be 500% more productive if you

could be 400% more creative if you could

cut your learning times in half this is

what flow makes possible this is what's

available to you today but what you do

with this information that's up to

[Applause]

you