How ‘flow state’ can heal trauma | Steven Kotler for Big Think

Experiences that put you in a state of flow are shown to override PTSD and heartbreak.

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Flow is an altered state of consciousness in which we feel and perform our best due to total absorption in an activity.

A state of flow, which is due to a cocktail of "feel-good" chemicals in the brain, can help overcome PTSD, addiction, and heartbreak.

Flow is so powerful that doctors might one day prescribe experiences like surfing or skydiving to help patients overcome trauma.

Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/series/great-question/experiencing-flow-state/

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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.

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Read more of our stories on experiencing flow state:
Want to feel like Superman? Steven Kotler explains how to enter the ‘flow state’
►https://bigthink.com/plus/want-to-feel-like-superman-steven-kotler-explains-how-to-enter-the-flow-state/
How to enter the ‘flow state’ for effortless creativity
► https://bigthink.com/smart-skills/what-is-the-flow-state/
‘Mindful’ people are better goal-setters according to new research
► https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/mindfulness-goal-setting/

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