Book · 2014 · Athletes
The Rise of Superman
Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance
Why people recommend it
The Rise of Superman by Steven Kotler is a bestselling non-fiction book that explores the neuroscience of flow states and how extreme athletes achieve peak performance by unlocking altered states of consciousness. The book has been referenced on multiple episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. In January 2018, during a mixed martial arts show episode, fighter Ben Askren mentioned a book concerning high-risk athletes and extreme sports psychology, noting how individuals in those fields push limits despite poor outcomes. Joe Rogan correctly identified the title as Rise of the Superman during that conversation. Years later, in December 2024, Joe Rogan brought up the book again on episode 2242 while chatting with Bert Sorin. Rogan referenced The Rise of Superman to explain the neurological phenomenon of entering a flow state during activities like shooting an arrow, where everything seemingly slows down or speeds up within the brain. Both discussions highlighted the book's fascinating exploration of human potential, neurological optimization, and the psychological mechanics behind extreme physical achievements.
Who recommended it
- Joe Rogan Discussed
- Ben Askren Discussed
Joe Rogan — 1 mention
“it's like uh that book The Rise of Superman when you go in a flow State and like everything speeds up in your brain”
Ben Askren — 1 mention
“did you read there was that book called something chasing Superman or you people like him and how it almost always ends up very poorly”