Author explains technique Navy SEALs and others use for greater focus, motivation and creativity

What is a “flow state,” and why does it bring us to our full potential? Author Steven Kotler joined Tuesday’s “The Glenn Beck Radio Program” to explain what Silicon Valley billionaires, military special operations forces and pioneering scientists have in common.

Kotler wrote about unique states of consciousness that give people incredible power and control over their abilities in his book “Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work.”

In the flow state, the brain’s natural processes are amplified so people can take in more information per second and process it more quickly to connect ideas, Kotler explained.

“Creativity goes through the roof, motivation goes through the roof, cooperation, collaboration,” he said. “All the so-called 21st-century skills.”

That kind of amplification only happens when all your attention is focused for a particular period of time, Kotler asserted. “Flow requires 90- to 120-minute periods of concentration to really bring it out,” he said.

The flow state is triggered by things to bring your attention to the task at hand. The challenge of the current test should slightly exceed your skill level. “You want to stretch, but not snap,” Kotler said.

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