My (alpine) ski racing coach used to refer to "training your instincts", by which he meant that we needed to train in the correct neuromuscular patterns so that

My (alpine) ski racing coach used to refer to "training your instincts", by which he meant that we needed to train in the correct neuromuscular patterns so that those would emerge without thinking (which of course is too slow at 35-40 meters/second in a Downhill race, or even 1/3 of that in a Slalom). I also used to notice brain states that I'd call "fast meditation", completely calm and meditative, almost just observing the body doing it's work, but at speed. Happens even more in sportscar racing, i think because there's more time to get into a "flow state". Turns out there's a connection -- meditating monks generally slow down their sympathetic ('flight-or-flight") system and the parasympathetic (slow maint) system becomes primary, except when they achieve an exceptional meditative state they seek for years, when both systems kick into high gear. I suspect the same thing is happening from the opposite direction. It is endlessly amazing . . .