Flow
Flow is a mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does, losing there sense of self, and a resulting transformation in one’s sense of time. Our capacity for flow may be developed through practices such as non-forcing and mindfulness. Elements of flow include:
- Concentration being focused and grounded in the present moment
- The merging of action and awareness
- A loss of reflective self-consciousness (for example, self-evaluation)
- A sense that one can deal with whatever arises in a given situation because one’s practice has become a form of implicit embodied knowledge
- One’s subjective experience of time becoming altered so that the “present” is continuously unfolding
- An experience of the activity as intrinsically rewarding
Neurologically, It is thought to be correlated with decreased ativity in the default mode network. It also involves the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems working harmony, producing a sense of both aliveness and centeredness, and which can occur through in and out breathing.
Flow must not be mistaken as a sort of zoning out. It is at the opposite end of the spectrum from habit. Mindlessly watching TV or automatically saying, “I’m fine; how are you?” when someone greets us are examples of responses that are triggered by a stimulus, yet are disengaged. We can feel as if we are on autopilot, almost floating somewhere, with a daydreamy, spaced-out quality of awareness. In contrast, awareness during flow experiences is vivid and engaged. We are so close to the camera, so engaged with the action, that we forget we are separate from it.
References
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Brewer, Judosn. (2017). The Craving Mind Why We Get Hooked and How We Can Break Bad Habits Chapter 9. On Flow (Location 2375). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
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Hanson, Rick. (2009). Buddha’s Brain The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom Chapter 3. The First and Second Dart (p. 61). New Harbinger Publications: Oakland, CA
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Type:🔵 Tags: Psychology Status:⛅️