In 2008 a neuroscientist from Johns Hopkins, Charles Limb, employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore flow state of improv jazz musicians. When in flow, our brains begin working from the much speedier and more efficient intrinsic processing of our subconscious minds. Usually, during everyday life, we operate from a place of conscious processing, which involves a rather slow and energy-expensive system. Research suggests there is a radical shift in processing that happens in our brains when we access flow states. Since Csiksentmihalyi’s initial observations, advancements in brain imaging technology have provided us with greater insight and understanding into flow states. Many described the experience as similar to being guided down a river, inspiring Csiksentmihalyi with the term “flow.” Time and time again, he was met with answers that indicated a common state of flow, where every decision and action fluidly and effortlessly led to the next. Ĭsiksentmihalyi’s main focus: he wanted to know about the times in their life when they felt and performed their best. He then turned to people from all walks of life, including Navajo sheepherders, older Korean women, and Japanese motorcycle gang members, to name a few. He started with experts, from dancers to surgeons to chess players.
However, the concept of “flow states” was formalized in the 1970s by positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.Ĭsikszentmihalyi had embarked on one of the largest psychological surveys to date, interviewing people around the world. The idea of “peak performance” has been noted and explored since the 1800s. Your mind becomes impervious to distractions and it may feel like time is passing slowly as you lose yourself in the activity.
In a flow state, you’re completely synchronized with the present moment, paying attention only to the challenge before you. The experience is autotelic, meaning the process is itself intrinsically rewarding and your satisfaction does not rely on the outcome.A feeling of personal control or agency over the situation.Disinhibition of self-monitoring and self-consciousness that can slow decision-making.The seamless merging of awareness and action (where “being and doing become one”).Streamlined and intense focus on a given task.Many have described it as a feeling of “being in the zone,” or as a state of “peak human performance.”įlow states generally involve six factors: Wondering what a flow state is? Read on to learn about the art of accessing a flow state, and how it can support increased focus and innovation.ĭo you know that feeling where you’re fully engaged in working towards a goal and the rest of the world seems to melt away? When you’re exclusively focused on the task at hand and you feel an almost effortless sense of momentum? If so, then you’ve likely experienced flow states.Ī flow state is a state of mind that can lead to heightened perception and increased focus.
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