Transcription
What if there is a way that you could become like Bradley Cooper for the movie Limitless? I'll never forget the impact that this movie had on me and how it changed the way I viewed the world. The moment the main character swallowed NZT and became, as most would call it, limitless was one of the coolest moments I've ever seen in a movie. Once NZT kicked in, all of his senses instantly sharpened. In fact, he actually says in the movie, "I was blind, but now I see."
After watching a movie like this, you can't help but wonder: Is there actually a way to truly become limitless? Do we have some sort of hidden abilities within us, just waiting to be unlocked with something in real life like the fictional NZT in the movie? And if we did, what effect would it have on us? In the movie, after the NZT wears off, it leaves Bradley with a negative rebound effect. And if he doesn't take more of it, he's left worse off than before he took it. In fact, it actually makes him physically sick.
If you've ever watched the movie, you've probably already searched for ways to develop super intelligence like what is seen in the movie. After all, we live in a world of instant gratification. When people want products, they order them on Amazon and get them the next day. When people want a dopamine release, they just log onto Facebook and post something. With this mindset, the idea of swallowing a tiny tablet of NZT and developing godlike cognition is an incredible fantasy. But what if it was real? What if you could unlock similar capabilities without any artificial substances? What if you've already had this ability all along, hidden within your mind, just waiting to be unlocked?
In the movie Limitless, Bradley Cooper, who plays Eddy, experiences major writer's block, which means he can't seem to find the creative spark needed to complete his work. After discovering the substance NZT by chance, Eddy decides to take it, because what's the worst that could happen, right? NZT is said to unlock 100% of your brain's power, and after taking it, Eddy sits down and finishes writing a masterpiece that same day. Once he has finished this, he begins to realize the full potential of using NZT and he begins to take it daily. Over the span of a few weeks, Eddy uses a small amount of money that he found from the brother of his ex-wife and begins to play the markets. With the incredible cognitive abilities unleashed by NZT, Eddie is able to turn a small loan into millions of dollars, and eventually he's driving Ferraris and achieves a level of success that most people only dream of.
According to some studies, we only use 10% of our brain, but the latest research shows that we really have no idea how much of our brain we actually use. The truth is that as humans, we don't understand nearly as much as we think, and new breakthroughs in brain science are being discovered all the time. What was true yesterday might not be true today. With that said, is it really possible to become limitless and unlock the hidden potential within our own brain just like in the movie? Is there really an NZT tablet that we can swallow to improve our life? The answer is yes and no.
You probably already know about many substances that claim to improve cognition, but they don't work quite like you think they do. Many of the well-known options work like caffeine, and they stimulate your brain. Studies have shown that these options can improve concentration, but they tend to reduce creativity. And what's the point of increased concentration without creativity? If you ask most super successful people, they'll tell you that creativity is what sets you apart and gives you an edge over the competition. In most cases, we're most attracted to people who are different from us. So caffeine and similar options have their purpose, but at the end of the day, they're not something you want to use long term, like in the movie. The effects of caffeine and similar options wear off, and they can leave you with many unwanted side effects.
A billion-dollar industry has opened up around physical devices that are used to stimulate brain activity, and these machines are all based around enhancing brain power. The problem is that most people don't have super expensive brain equipment lying around the house that they can use to achieve godlike intelligence. But what if there is another way? Imagine how your life would change if you could truly make your brain limitless.
The truth is that there are two ways to do this, and they don't involve swallowing some mystery tablet that could negatively affect your health. They also don't require caffeine or similar substances. With this knowledge, you probably won't be able to use stocks to turn $10,000 into two million dollars within a few weeks, but you'll enjoy a massive increase in brain power, focus, memory, and intelligence than most people. And to win at anything, including life, you only need to be better than the competition.
The latest studies show that as humans, our IQ, memory, focus, and total brain power are not set in stone, which means that these things can be significantly improved regardless of your genetics. According to research, these things can be enhanced even if you're young or old. Mainstream science now accepts the idea that it's possible to upgrade the human brain.
The first way to truly become limitless and dramatically increase cognition involves something called flow, which is a concept from positive psychology. Flow is completely backed up by science, and it's actually a mental state of operation that you can enter while performing any activity. Entering a state of flow is like when Eddy first takes NZT in the movie; your senses begin to sharpen, and you gain an almost superhuman ability to focus. While in this state of flow, you'll feel enjoyment, full involvement with the activity, and energized focus. You'll know when you've entered flow because your sense of space and time will melt away.
After trying to recall if I've ever entered this state myself, I realize that I've actually done it many times, and in many cases, it's happened when working on cars. We all know that fixing a car never works out the way that it's supposed to; either something breaks, you don't have the right tool, or you discover a bolt that is hidden behind some other part. Many times I've entered the state of flow while trying to wrench a difficult bolt. This happens when you find a bolt that needs to be removed, and you end up having to improvise because you don't have the right tools. After trying to remove the bolt for a certain amount of time, space and time seem to melt away, and it feels as if it's only you and the bolt that exists. After several minutes, your focus sharpens, your creativity increases, and the only thing that matters is getting that bolt off. With increased creativity and superhuman focus, you are able to use your tools and hands in a way that you never thought possible, for the sole purpose of removing the bolt. Once it is finally removed, you get a rush of fulfillment, and for just a moment, you experience euphoria. You can even use flow to gain an edge over the competition while playing video games.
So you're probably wondering how flow is like NZT from the movie Limitless. Being in the zone, or in a state of flow, involves six main factors. Once you're in the zone, you'll experience these factors, which are: a merging of action and awareness; intense and focused concentration on the present moment; a loss of reflective self-consciousness; a distortion of temporal experience; a strong sense of control over the activity; and great intrinsic satisfaction in the activity. Three of the other components of the flow state are immediate feedback, feeling like you can succeed, and forgetting about your other needs. Back when I used to play video games often, I would enter the state of flow and completely forget my basic needs, such as eating, drinking, and sleeping.
At its core, the entire universe is information; it is basically like a bunch of ones and zeros floating around waiting to be decoded by your brain. Your brain is actually a receiver for this information, so it takes the ones and zeros and puts them together in a way that makes sense to you. Your ability to focus allows you to decode more information for any given activity. Put simply, trying to play a game of chess while playing a computer game just won't work. Most problems with getting things done are caused by not being able to focus 100% on the task. The state of flow solves this problem because it allows you to use 100% of your focus to consume and decode the information from any given task. For example, entering the state of flow while playing a video game allows you to feel like you become one with your character, and it's almost like gaining a sixth sense for other players' movements. We've all had times while playing video games when we completely shocked ourselves and everyone we're playing with by entering the flow state. Entering this state allows you to unlock abilities similar to what Eddy got from NZT in Limitless, but you don't have to swallow any tablets to do it. By learning how to enter flow state, you can dramatically enhance your cognitive abilities almost on command and achieve unimaginable goals in gaming, sports, music, education, or any other activity.
Now, to effectively enter the flow state, three conditions must be met. The first condition is that you must be involved in an activity with a clear set of goals in progress. The second condition is that the task must have clear and immediate feedback, such as a videogame or sports activities. The third condition is that there must be a balance between the challenge of the task and your own skills. In other words, you must have the confidence that you can complete the task, and the challenge needs to be within your current skill level and not too easy or too difficult. Before entering flow, you must eliminate as many distractions as possible. Once you've done this, make sure that the task at hand is just above your skill level and begin trying to complete it. For example, if you're playing basketball, the goal might be to make ten baskets in a row from the three-point line. If you're playing a game, on the other hand, the goal might be to complete a race within a certain time period. For most people, it takes between 15 to 30 minutes to enter and become fully immersed in the state of flow. If you're having trouble entering this state of mind, pay attention to your emotions. If the task is too difficult or too easy, you won't be able to enter flow, so play around with the difficulty of the task to find the sweet spot. You'll know once you've entered the state of flow because the outside world will melt away; you'll feel amazing, and the only thing that will matter is finishing the task at hand. This is one of the easiest and natural ways to develop cognitive abilities similar to what Eddie got from taking NZT. By practicing this technique regularly, you can unlock the incredible power of your own brain and quite literally become limitless. And what's that? It's it until next time. Thanks for watching.