The science of effortlessness: How to activate flow | Steven Kotler: Full Interview

“Flow states have triggers: these are preconditions that lead to more flow. 22 of them have been discovered.” What if peak performance wasn’t a mystery, but a state you could wire your brain to enter on-demand? This isn’t about "getting in the zone." It’s about specific brain circuits, chemicals, and triggers that anyone can learn to activate. Backed by science, stripped of fluff, Steven Kotler explains the science of flow, from the inside out. 00:00 Introducing Steven Kotler 00:11 Chapter 1: The biology of our brains 00:35 Psychology’s “outside-in” blind spot 03:45 The brain works in networks 06:35 Making biology your ally: the four performance pillars 07:40 Finding flow’s sweet spot 08:49 Chapter 2: What is flow? 09:55 Six signs you're in flow 12:15 A brief history of flow 15:00 22 triggers that spark flow 19:00 The golden rule of flow: challenge-skills balance 21:47 What do we mean by "challenge" and "skills"? 24:16 How to harness intrinsic motivation 26:28 Why purpose is better than passion 31:50 Flow is a focusing skill 32:35 What is your primary flow activity? 37:39 Chapter 3: Flow and peak performance 37:50 We are all wired for flow 39:05 How flow impacts creativity and happiness 40:50 Group flow: empathy, cooperation and innovation 41:55 Physical boosts and evolution’s logic 43:00 The brain’s internal drug store 49:30 Using flow to rewrite PTSD 52:00 From chemicals to habits 56:15 Final takeaways: The 6 basics 1:02:20 Support Big Think and explore further ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Steven Kotler: Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance. He is the author of ten bestsellers (out of thirteen books total), including The Art of Impossible, The Future Is Faster Than You Think, Stealing Fire, The Rise of Superman, Bold and Abundance. His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, translated into over 40 languages, and appeared in over 100 publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Atlantic Monthly, TIME and the Harvard Business Review. Steven is also the cohost of Flow Research Collective Radio, a top ten iTunes science podcast. Along with his wife, author Joy Nicholson, he is the cofounder of the Rancho de Chihuahua, a hospice and special needs dog sanctuary. --------------------------------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices