side mind? under mind?

TheFound

My friend and I have realized something strange,

We like to play online games you know lets say hockey together,
as a team.

Anyway I've noticed that when we are drinking a little bit and talking with other people in deep discussions during the game, we do supernaturally well at the game. There's something about not paying too much attention that allows us to synch up and just dominate,

another example is like a racing game, im normally not so good but once i was able to break a record while i was on the phone with some girl just chatting for hours.... wasn't really paying attention..

or if i'm playing the piano, I flow really good sometimes, but if I start thinking about it, i'll choke up.

Is it true that if you lessen the GRIP of the mind, it can function better?

and like which level of mind is operating better than my normal level of mind? I want to cultivate it...
Maybe someone with like zen training or martials arts can explain this I seem to remember like bruce lee and zen masters saying DONT THINK...

something like this..

jinzang

From my previous martial arts experience, I'd say the problem is trying to control things. The control is extra and not needed, but somehow the ego needs to feel it's in charge and ends up screwing up. The ultimate solution is to see that the control is an illusion: there's no one to control and nothing to be controlled, the two are one. But seeing this requires a lot of practice.

Linc

I don't think this is an uncommon phenomenon. However, I don't think that purposefully distracting yourself is a reliable method for reaching that state. Practicing concentration and focus (through meditation) will yield more consistent results over time, I think... though I'm sure you will find better uses for it than just a video game

Brigid

TheFound wrote: »

My friend and I have realized something strange,

We like to play online games you know lets say hockey together,
as a team.

Anyway I've noticed that when we are drinking a little bit and talking with other people in deep discussions during the game, we do supernaturally well at the game. There's something about not paying too much attention that allows us to synch up and just dominate,

another example is like a racing game, im normally not so good but once i was able to break a record while i was on the phone with some girl just chatting for hours.... wasn't really paying attention..

or if i'm playing the piano, I flow really good sometimes, but if I start thinking about it, i'll choke up.

Is it true that if you lessen the GRIP of the mind, it can function better?

and like which level of mind is operating better than my normal level of mind? I want to cultivate it...
Maybe someone with like zen training or martials arts can explain this I seem to remember like bruce lee and zen masters saying DONT THINK...

something like this..

I just found exactly the same thing last year when I was playing Mahjong while concentrating on something else. I've been wondering about it ever since. I vaguely remember a Zen or possibly just Japanese expression for it but I don't remember the actual word.

It's interesting, isn't it?

Simonthepilgrim

My two sports were fencing (from age 8 to 21) and rowing (21 to 25). In both I achieved quite well (school Captain of Fencing; college First Eight, university trialist) and I found precisely the same: my best results always came when I stopped what I think of as my "calculating controller". This was particularly true in rowing (Eights) where the true joy is to subsume individuality into the team.