Steven Kotler - We Have Godlike Power and Stone Age Brains - E226

Meet Steven Kotler, founder and executive director of the Flow Research Collective, a Distinguished Research Fellow at Florida Atlantic University, and co-author with Peter Diamandis of We Are as Gods: A Survival Guide for the Age of Abundance. In this conversation, Steven breaks down what flow is, where it came from, and why it shows up in our best memories. He tells the story of the day a single surf session pulled him out of years of illness and a place of deep despair. I share my own stage 4 renal cell carcinoma diagnosis and what flow and gratitude mean to me right now. We also get into healing, group flow, and what information overload does to our attention. Then Steven gives one simple, specific practice you can start this week. Stay with me. Content note: This episode includes a discussion of suicidal thoughts and serious illness. If you are struggling, please reach out to someone you trust or a local crisis line. In the US you can call or text 988. Outside the US, findahelpline.com lists services by country. Connect With Steven Kotler: Website: https://www.stevenkotler.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kotler.steven/ Flow Research Collective: https://www.flowresearchcollective.com/ Book, We Are As Gods (Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler): https://www.porchlightbooks.com/products/we-are-as-gods-peter-h-diamandis-9781668099544 Follow Dr. JC Doornick and the Makes Sense Academy: ► Makes Sense Substack - https://drjcdoornick.substack.com ► Instagram: /drjcdoornick ► Substack: /drjcdoornick ► Facebook: /makessensepodcast ► YouTube: /drjcdoornick MAKES SENSE PODCAST Welcome to the Makes Sense with Dr. JC Doornick Podcast. This podcast explores topics that expand human consciousness and enhance performance. On the Makes Sense Podcast, we acknowledge that it’s who you are that determines how well what you do works, and that perception is subjective and an acquired taste. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at begin to change. Welcome to the uprising of the sleepwalking masses. Welcome to the Makes Sense with Dr. JC Doornick Podcast. SUBSCRIBE/RATE/REVIEW & SHARE our new podcast. FOLLOW Podcast: You will find a “Follow” button in the top right. This will enable the podcast software to alert you when a new episode launches each week. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/makes-sense-with-dr-jc-doornick/id1730954168 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1WHfKWDDReMtrGFz4kkZs9?si=003780ca147c4aec Kwik Learning: Many people ask me where I get all these topics, which I’ve been covering for almost 15 years. I have learned to read nearly four times faster and retain information 10 times better with Kwik Learning. Learn how to learn and earn with Jim Kwik. Get his program at a special discount here: https://jimkwik.com/dragon OUR SPONSORS: Operly - Take Back Control of Your Work Day and Get Rid of All Your AI Apps - Welcome to the new world of Time Freedom and Unlimited Scaling and Success with Operly - https://go.getoperly.ai/video?ref=jean-claude-claude-d-2a95 Blue Blinds Bakery - Handcrafted with all-natural ingredients - https://www.blueblindsbakery.com Timestamps 0:00 - 1:07: Cold Open and Welcome to Makes Sense 1:08 - 4:21: Gratitude as an Acute Intervention 4:22 - 8:43: What Flow Is and Where It Came From 8:44 - 13:57: What Flow Does: Performance, Burnout, and Why It Is Addictive 13:58 - 18:02: Flow Triggers, Group Flow, and Authenticity 18:03 - 21:19: First Flow Memories: Skiing and Magic 21:20 - 24:28: Three Years in Bed, Suicidal Thoughts, and One Wave 24:29 - 28:48: From Neurotheology to the Biology of Healing 28:49 - 33:20: Acceptance, Authenticity, and Healing 33:21 - 36:46: Mindset, JC’s Stage 4 Diagnosis, and Peter Diamandis’s Timeline 36:47 - 40:51: Staying Open and Curious, and the Shane McConkey Story 40:52 - 45:21: When Soft Skills Become Hard Skills: AI, Overload, and Burnout 45:22 - 50:23: Cooperation at Scale and Group Flow Technology 50:24 - 53