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February 8, 2024

#23: Chris Johnson | The Neuroscience Behind Your Limitations

with Chris Johnson
#23: Chris Johnson | The Neuroscience Behind Your Limitations

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On this Episode of Unbound Conversations

Learn how elite performers think and operate, drawing on over a decade of working with US Army Special Operations and top sports teams.

As Chris reveals, we’re not all born to become Special Forces operators, but that's ok - as personal success is a balance between capitalising on your own innate abilities and working with your limitations too.

Chris has worked with elite teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates and Golden State Warriors to leverage the science behind processing speed, quick decision-making, and talent evaluation to uncover what makes top athletes excel.

He has also worked closely with US Army Special Forces, blending neuroscience with high-pressure training. His research, which includes fMRI brain scans of elite operators, provides unique insights into how their brains are equipped with enhanced sensory capabilities, body awareness, and the ability to make fast decisions under stress.

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About the Guest

Chris Johnson
Chris Johnson

Chris is a neuropsychologist specializing in brain function under stress and neurocognition of high-speed decision-making. He brings unique expertise evaluating cognitive performance in real-world environments that include close-quarter combat (CQC) training, Marine reconnaissance courses, and the Navy’s Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) command. In addition to military assessment and selection programs, Chris worked with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors during their 2014-2015 championship season. From 2015 to 2021 Chris served in the front office of MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates as Director of Personnel where he was integrally involved in amateur scouting, cognitive analytics, scout development, and player acquisitions.

Chris is a 1993 graduate of the US Coast Guard Academy and served six years as a small-unit leader for maritime national security operations. Following active-duty service he earned his Ph.D. in psychology at UCLA, followed by two-years of post-doctoral training in clinical neuroscience at Yale University School of Medicine.

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Show Notes

  • What brain scans reveal about elite operators
  • Making decisions in fractions of a second
  • How selfishness, distrust & deceit are our nature
  • Dealing with anxiety and discontentment 
  • Values, self-awareness, growth & learning

Resources

S2 Cognition‍

Get in touch with Chris at chris.johnson@s2cognition.com

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