Overtraining: The state reached when the individuals learning System is over-saturated and is “burned out,” analogous to a muscle that has been overworked and can no longer extend or contract until it is allowed to rest and rebuild fibers that have been broken down by the stress, or reinforce those that have been newly acquired by new demands placed upon the muscle.
[McNear, Tom. Coordinate Remote Viewing Stages I–VI and Beyond. February 1985, DIA]
The phenomenon of overtraining is a very real danger in the training cycle, generally brought about by pushing ahead with training until the learning system of the viewer is totally saturated and cannot absorb any more. This results in system collapse, which in effect is a total failure to function psychically at all. To avoid this, the normal practice has been to work an appropriate number of sessions a day (anywhere from one to several, depending on each individual trainee’s capacity and level of training and experience) for a set number of days or weeks (also individually dependent), with a lay off period between training periods to allow time for assimilation or “absorption.” Even with this precaution, overtraining can sometimes strike, and the only remedy becomes a total training layoff, then a gradual reintroduction. It is extremely important that the viewer inform the monitor when he is feeling especially good about his performance in remote viewing training, so that a training break may be initiated on this high point. To continue to push beyond this threatens a slide into overtraining.
It is very important that should the viewer in the course of the training session become aware that he has experienced some important “cognition” or understanding, or if the monitor perceives that this is the case, the session must here also be halted. This allows time both for the cognition to be fully matriculated into the viewer’s system and for the accompanying elation of discovery to dissipate.