The physiologists at LGE had discovered that in virtually every discipline, one of the most telling features of a dominant performer is the routine use of recovery periods. Players who are able to relax in brief moments of inactivity are almost always the ones who end up coming through when the game is on the line… Remember Michael Jordan sitting on the bench, a towel on his shoulders, letting it all go for a two-minute break before coming back in the game? Jordan was completely serene on the bench even though the Bulls desperately needed him on the court. He had the fastest recovery time of any athlete I’ve ever seen.
I’m not sure exactly what the writer means by gradually modifying the experience. (How does one gradually go from taking a bath to sitting on a bench?)
Maybe he means to create a trigger (action?) during the relaxing moment that can be used to trigger the relaxed feeling at other moments?
It’s confusing here too. Ive sat for 30 minutes trying to understand what the author was trying to convey so I could reply but I just can’t. Here’s me thinking it out - My armchair explanation for the Jordan example is that first he can get into the “flow” state easier than most other athletes. Relaxing is important according to theories like this one - For Real Productivity, Less is Truly More and that bench period they’re talking about was just him more efficiently relaxing to then maintain his “flow”.
I think you have it right that it’s saying use the bench to trigger a feeling (like in mnemonics) you might feel in the bath but instead of using the glimpse of a feeling to find memories its saying you can use the glimpse of a memory to change mind states. It seems like a new age-y explanation and I don’t think you can go about it consciously in the same way. Jordan’s been conditioned his whole life for this situation by playing starter minutes and seeing the bench as a time and place for a brief relax so it is his bath, not a just a trigger.