Mark Divine on becoming a Navy SEAL, Trauma and Brain Scan Results

Navy SEALs are the best of the best—highly intelligent and courageous individuals who are committed to intense training that pushes them to their physical and mental limits. Self-assurance, strength, and the ability to perform under highly stressful situations are requirements of the job. With determination and teamwork, these are people who continuously strive for improvement. Mark Divine is a prime example. At the age of 26, Divine graduated as “Honor Man” (the #1-ranked trainee) of his SEAL BUD/S class. After serving 9 years on active SEAL duty and an additional 11 years as a Reserve SEAL, he was tapped by the government to develop a nationwide mentorship program for SEAL trainees. Beyond the typical mental toughness techniques you might expect in such a leadership program, Divine includes brain healthy strategies such as meditation, yoga, and laughter. The program reduced SEAL trainee attrition by 5%. Why would someone as accomplished and successful as Divine want to see a psychiatrist for a brain scan? “I’m seeking to go from good to great, or from great to optimized for the rest of my life,” he says to Daniel Amen, MD, in an episode of Scan My Brain. This is a common desire for high performers who are determined to be the very best version of themselves and stay at the top of their game.