I think one must discover this state the "hard" way first, and then it can be accessed again without going the "hard" way. I've put "hard" in quotes because getting there without the suffering is arguably much more difficult than just wrecking yourself.

There are perhaps some similarities between this altered state and other ones wink wink nudge nudge, and I think my comment stands in that there are multiple ways to access it/them, and what seems like the hard way at first is actually the easy way.

I remember reading about the incredible mental places that Jure Robič rode himself to, and that's always stuck with me.

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Eliot
blog thing - strava thing

Have you ever heard of flow? I've had it randomly, but it isn't always from going hard. It is almost always when I am running though and comes (i think) when i just focus on a repetitive sound or movement, like going into a trance. I'll focus on my breathing or my cadence.

Other than that, I think you can kind of distract yourself or get absorbed in something other than you, for example using music. I can use that and just totally not be in me if that makes since.

All of this is ALWAYS at night, the flow is ALWAYS when running for me, and the music stuff can be on a treadmill/trainer or on the roads and for me that is easier to reach when i go deep.

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I knew when I'd hit the flow state when I used to road race motorcycles because I couldn't hear my bike's exhaust (or anything) anymore. And, the track looked huge, like I'd never run out of tarmac. Muscle tension seemed to fade as well.

As for endurance sports, I agree with running and the experience is similar to racing motorcycles. I don't hear foot strike or breathing and feel like running is effortless. Every once in a while I'll get that sensation on a bicycle as well, like my legs are floating through pedal strokes. Never with swimming...ever...the feeling of flailing through the water is constant.

There is a fun book by Travis Macy called, "The Ultra-Mindset" that talks about not just what the author goes through mentally during his racing but also how the notion of an ultra-endurance mindset can transcend context and bleed into other domains of your life.