• Your landmark…is it a picture, a place, a vision, a person, a sound, a feeling or is it something unidentifiable, like a presence? I want to start developing mine and a lot of things go through my head. Can a landmark be a repeated phrase like “do it,” or “more pain, more power?” Do you ever use self-talk, or is the alpha state like self-talk evolved?
• You first describe going into an alpha state as necessary when fending off multiple attackers. Can I apply this practice to things like rolling with one opponent in BJJ, trying to finish a strenuous workout or getting through the SEAL Fit Camp? I feel like I’ve kind of done this before, but not to your level. For example, I noticed that when I first started doing BJJ, I would get very aggressive, but it wasn’t controlled. That led to me being anxious and tired. That nervous energy gassed me out quick. Also, I was using a lot of strength instead of good technique. I felt as focused as I could, but I would think so much, that by the time I thought of what I wanted to do next, the other guy had moved on me. I found that if I relaxed and tried to roll with a kind of controlled aggression, I was better off. Sometimes I can get in this zone on a long run too. But it’s very hard to get into, and once I’m there, it’s easy to slip out of. I’ve been trying to think of it as emptying my mind, while still being focused and engaged, yet relaxed.
• Lastly, pain. Physical pain. Can you apply your methods to getting through physical pain?

Thanks again for everything and congratulations on the book. I’m starting to see it as life-changing for me. And as far as the questions go, I promise I won’t bug you.

It’s hard not to sound like some starry-eyed teenager, but this stuff is great. I can’t imagine what it must feel like to have been a SEAL for so long, especially at SEAL Team Six. All I can really say is wow and of course, thank you.

Gerald

Thanks Gerald for the questions and feel free to post as often as you like.

The answer to all three of your questions lies in just one answer.

- When I talk of the landmark I’m talking about a conscious trigger in your mind that will instantly bring you to a certain state of mind. Nuero Linguistic Programming (NLP) as I discuss in the book is how words affect our consciousness. If I say the word STOP what response does that engender for you? It’s the same with feelings as well if for instance you are doing Jiu Jitsu or any martial art, are you fighting from fear/tension or from a relaxed state? In the fear state you will be limited physically and mentally by the anxiety produced by the fear state and the detrimental effects it produces. By relaxing and fighting out of love the relaxation this produces will allow creative thought to come through and will be less taxing on your muscles. If you watch the experts like the Gracie brothers who I have trained with they are the epitome of relaxation and love. They love their art and do it with finesse and grace.

So find a mental phrase or a feeling that triggers a state of calm. You can create this state by relaxing and creating a phrase/word that you will go to when stressed. Throughout your day when you feel tension about anything in your life use this phrase/word/feeling to bring you back to calm. This is one of the keys to being intuitive.

By training yourself to go to an intuitive mind by using the above technique you will find that you will increase your effectiveness in all aspects of your life. Pain tolerance is something I learned can be achieved by going to the intuitive mind. This state of mind allows you to become the observer of your pain and thus you can more easily let it wash through your body. I have been able to use this technique to stop bleeding, promote faster healing and even help heal others. Science has proven that brain states such as the alpha, delta and theta brain wave patterns induce good heath and cause more rapid healing. Remember the saying that laughter is the best medicine? That’s because you take the focus off of the pain/sickness and bring in the brain wave states that induce healing.

Hope this helps!