What does a great performance feel like?

I've heard that if you don't know where you're going, any direction will get you there!  But if we're going to talk about how to be a better performer, we should probably agree about the goal.  How will you know if it's working?  What does it feel like to stand on stage and "do it right"? Well I happen to be a guy who has been performing on stages an awful lot for the last 20 years, and I've been fortunate enough to back into some amazing stage experiences.  A few of them stand out above the rest for me, because they felt so wonderful, and based on the audience reaction I'd say the audience thought it was special as well.  So for what it's worth, I'll give you my opinion. I've never had a near-death experience, but when the stars align and everything is right about a performance, it can feel like an out of body experience.  It feels so effortless, like you're not even in the drivers seat, but simply going along for the ride.  There is no sense of the passing of time, but only of the moment.  There is a sense of unity with the others on stage and with the audience, so that you know they are all having the same experience. And it's not a continuum.  You're either in that amazing space or you are not.  Sometimes performing can be a lot of fun even if you're not in the space, but you'll never mistake it for the real thing. Athletes speak of a similar experience and they sometimes call it "being in the zone". I believe there may be a connection to Zen as well, and the timelessness of meditation. Anyway, I want to be able to make that kind of experience happen more often for me.  Every time I perform, if possible!  That's why I have read so much on this topic, and spoken to so many experts in the field, and ultimately that is also why I started this blog.  And I want you to have it too.  Welcome to the project! Have you ever been there?  How did you do it?  What do you think gets in your way?