It’s an interesting topic.
I just think it’s hard as fūck to quantify scientifically.
Those of us that have played some sports have been there in one fashion or another.
I’m not claiming to be this great basketball player, because I’m not, but even I have been in the zone playing ball.
It’s that feeling you get where you just like in this tunnel vision, you don’t feel really any pain all you feel is your body and that basket, the ball leaves your hands, you’re one with the ball and the basket, you have that very focused tunnel vision, it’s almost like you’re moving in slow motion, you can see the rotation of the ball very clearly, even though you’re moving in real time. Everything is smooth. You have adrenaline, but it doesn’t make you jumpy, it’s like your entire system is flooded with endorphins, you’re almost high.
The sound of the balls slapping the net, that’s your release every time. You can’t miss.
And then it goes away. Don’t know why. Wish I could can it, hold on to it forever. Because it doesn’t happen very often, but when it does it’s beautiful. It’s almost like a mystical experience.
I sometimes get the same thing when I run or I’m doing long aerobic exercises like on the elliptical. You reach a sort of Zen state where you’re almost in a heightened but very calm state, almost like you’re high with endorphins or something. You can go super hard during this time and it doesn’t feel bad at all - usually 30 minutes into my aerobic session (running/elliptical, etc) if I hit it, that’s when I hit it
