World-class Performance Through Expanded Awareness Harald S. Harung, Ph.D. Maharishi University of Management, USA and Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Norway 06/26/22 1
Oct 30, 2014
World-class Performance Through Expanded Awareness
Harald S. Harung, Ph.D.
Maharishi University of Management, USA and Oslo and Akershus
University College of Applied Sciences, Norway04/08/23 1
Overview
Unified Theory of Performance:
1. Higher mind-brain development is the basis of higher performance in any profession and field of activity
2. It is easy to achieve mind-brain development in practice
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Four dimensions of Unified Theory of Performance
1. Brain integration
2. Psychological development
3. Frequency of peak experiences
4. Average mind-brain development of collective
consciousness where the person operates
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PERFORMANCE
PSYCHOLOGIALDEVELOPMENT
BRAININTEGRATION
PEAKEXPERIENCES
THE COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS IN WHICH THE PERFORMER OPERATES
THE PERFORMER’S MIND-BRAIN DEVELOPMENT
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Four dimensions of Unified Theory of Performance
Performance Capacity
Mind-brain development
Unified Theory of Performance
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Our Research on World-class Performers
Four studies comparing world-class performers to average performers:
Top-level managers World-class athletes Professional classical musicians World-class professionals
Management, administration, sports, education etc.
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The Performeasure® Assessment
Assesses a person’s performance capacity:
1. Brain Integration Scale• Holistic measure of the level of coherence, restful
alertness, and efficiency of brain functioning
2. Moral reasoning • Part of psychological development
3. Peak Experience survey
The Performeasure® Assessment is a registered Trademark of Brain Integration Systems LLC, Fairfield, Iowa, USA.
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1. Brain Integration Scale
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Frontal Coherence
Cortical Preparatory Response
Alpha/Gamma Ratio
Cortical Preparatory
Response
2. Moral Reasoning
1. Larger context for making sound decisions
2. Considering the impact of actions on others, society, and environment, rather than merely on one’s own individual needs
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Psychological Development I
• From follower to leader• From resistance to innovation• From dependence to greater autonomy• From control to collaboration• From win-lose to win-win interpersonal
strategies
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Psychological Development II
• From mistrust to trust• From narrow craft perspective to more holistic
comprehension• From short-term to long-term perspective • From reactive to proactive and preventive
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Psychological Development III
• From extrinsic motivation (winning, money, power, and fame)
• To intrinsic motivation (competing against self, searching for meaning, happiness)
• World-class performance in narrow domain, e.g., running 800m or playing an instrument
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Mature Psychology in Peak Performers
• Strong mind• Focus on positive• Reliable intuition• Taking responsibility for own life• Facing reality
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3. Peak Experiences
• Most happy and fulfilling moments in life
• Often associated with optimal performance
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Peak Experiences are Common
• We tested close to 200 people• 84% reported at least one peak
experience• Abraham Maslow found that almost
everyone has such experiences
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Strong Mind and Success
“The basis of my success is not physical capabilities that I am born with – compared to others I don’t have a bigger heart, or bigger lungs, or more enduring muscles. In contrast, the basis of my success is the way of thinking – so that one always manages to do the right things in the right way at the right time.”
– Thomas Alsgaard, Norway, 11 gold medals in Olympic Games and World Championships in cross-country skiing
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Thinking During Peak Experiences
“A feeling that thoughts float, find their own ways, and I let them float. I have experienced that in such situations formerly unthought-of solutions or alternatives pop up. Also ‘warning lamps’ have popped up in such situations, warnings that later have proven to be very correct.”
– Norwegian Top-level Manager
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Peak Experience in Business
“It seems to me that I often have luck in business, when buying a property or something. It often turns out that those business [ideas] that did not come through would not have been so smart, even though I would have done it, if not something outside my control had come in the way.”
– Top-level Manager
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Peak Experiences in Sports I
• “I always am where the ball falls down. The right place at the right time.”
• “It is a game. Sport is play. The day it becomes serious, then you are done. This is what differentiates the very best from the next best.”
──World-class athletes
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Peak Experiences in Sports II
“When I have this extreme alertness, the body reacts automatically – everything goes by itself. It goes by intuition.”
──World-class athlete
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Peak Experiences in Music
“...as if my inner expands to include the activity of the whole orchestra and even the audience.”
──Professional musician
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Sense of Invincibility
“I feel invincible when this community mood is there.”
──World-class team player (handball)
“When everything is at the very highest level, then I feel invincible. The up hills are not long enough nor steep enough; extremely good sensation”
──World-class cross-country skier04/08/23 22
Action During Peak Experiences I
• Bliss and inner fulfillment• Sense of invincibility• Spontaneous right action• Perfection• Inner calmness
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Action During Peak Experiences II
• Undivided focus – ”the tunnel”• Greatly expanded awareness - wholeness• No inner and outer resistance or obstacles • Effortlessness
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Action During Peak Experiences III
• No wear and tear on mind and body• Generalized world-class performance:• Continuous• Wide range of activities
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Composite Index Preferable
• A composite index increases likelihood of better prediction
• For increased validity, the index also includes an objective measure: brain integration
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Other Factors Explaining Performance at Work? I
• Education and training – Important task knowledge– Number of years of education explains only 1% of
performance level
• Age – No correlation with performance
• Work experience – Explains only 3% of performance
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Other Factors Explaining Performance at Work? II
• Practice– Needed to master specific skills– Many don’t improve with practice– We learn faster and more with higher
development• Inborn traits: Talent, family, and socioeconomic
background– Talent provides a good start, but its importance is
overrated
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Other Factors Explaining Performance at Work? III
• Physical exercise –Creates well-being and good health and may
also lead to some mind-brain development
• Affirmation and positive thinking –Works only for those who already have higher
growth
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What Explains Performance at Work? IV
• General intelligence plus integrity– Explains 42% of performance
• Part of psychological development– Included in our unified theory of
performance• Mind-brain development usually “freezes” in
early twenties
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Unified Theory of Performance Supported
• Therefore, factors other than mind-brain development do not explain substantial increases in performance level
• Fortunately, everyone has potential for extensive mind-brain development
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Unified Theory of Leadership
• Applying the Unified Theory of Performance to leadership:
• Higher mind-brain development is the basis of successful leadership in any
organization
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Effective Leadership in Mature Psychology
• Collaboration• Trust• Long-term perspective• Holistic comprehension• Problem prevention• Win-Win solutions
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Invincible Leadership During Lasting Peak Experiences
• Spontaneous right action• No obstacles• Bliss• Sense of invincibility• Excellence in leadership
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Triggering Peak Experiences
• Frequent peak experiences significantly improve mind-brain development, performance & health
• Peak experiences are spontaneous
• Even world-class performers with many peak experiences do not know how to bring them forth
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How to Achieve ExcellenceTransform the performer to transform performance and improve health:
Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a systematic technique for mind-brain development and triggering peak experiences
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04/08/23 38Travis et al, 2009
Brain Integration Scale (3 months TM)
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Pretest Post Test
Bra
in In
teg
rati
on
TM Delayed Start
p < .001
American University College Students (random assignment to groups)
Brain Integration during tasks (3-mon TM)
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American Heart Association
• Randomized controlled trial over 5 years
• Collaboration with the American Heart Association
• Those who practiced TM regularly were 66% less likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or die from all causes
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Summing Up
• Mind-brain development is the most important factor in improving level of performance
• Mind-brain development normally stops during early twenties
• Mind-brain development can be systematically brought about by the practice of TM
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