Thinking about flow states

Some elements that are liminal and criss-cross-y for flow state and nondual glimpse-y.

• Activity-based timing, not clock-based timing.
• High effort and focus, not high difficulty.
• Restful and restorative, not tiring and draining.
• Self-fulfilling and playful, not goal-based or outcome-based.
• Slow(er) tempo, not rushed.

What could I bring from this to my practice, the nondual flavour in particular?

• Loosen the timing. Don’t stop immediately at the end bell.
• Loosen the target. No purpose except the activity itself.
• Loosen the tightness. Notice the rested feeling after a sit.

Aside: the more I think about it, the more ridiculous it seems to sit with a timer. (Introduction to Zen Training says “In order to measure time, an incense stick is better than a watch or a clock.”) Something like: the same type of error as actively trying really hard to fall asleep. However, for my next step, I think I might try:

• 30m sit;
• bells at 0, 10, 20, 30;
• stop at some point between 20 and 30.

I was wondering about sitting for my usual 20m and “Don’t stop immediately at the end bell.” I sit in the morning before work. Although I think I am unlikely to sit for “too long,” having this 30m bell as a safety net feels calming and helpful.

Elements of flow states for me

• Not complete beginner skill level. At the thing, or with the tools. (But not expert level either)
• Playful, fun, self-fulfilling, activity. (But usually as part of a “project” container)
• No time limit. It takes as long as it takes. (Nothing “next” on the agenda)

Gathered gathered notes

• The loosening of the sense of self.
• The feeling of unity of body and mind, actor and action.
• Present moment. Altered sense of time.
• Full awareness. Engaged and focused.

Gathered notes

• Deep focus, non-distracted
• Body and mind fluid
• Merging of action and awareness
• Challenged and engaged
• The journey, not the destination. Intrinsically rewarding (autotelic)
• Quietening of sense of self, more towards nondual

Raw notes

• sense of fluidity between your body and mind, where you are totally absorbed by and deeply focused on something, beyond the point of distraction.
• at one with the task at hand, as action and awareness sync to create an effortless momentum
• The mind’s usual chatter begins to fade away, placing us in a non-distracted zone. The feelings that would consume you under normal circumstances (inhibition, hunger, fatigue, or aches and pains) melt away, and all that matters is your dedication to your craft.
• The flow mental state is generally less common during periods of relaxation and makes itself present during challenging and engaging activities.
• engagement and concentration are key in achieving flow state.

In order to achieve flow state, there are some common conditions that need to be met:

1. You need to care about the task at hand
2. The activity, job or task cannot be too easy or too difficult
3. Optimally, the activity should be something that you are good at.
4. Your mindset surrounding the task should be focused on the journey, not the destination.

• Flow state is a self-transcendent state of increased connectedness near the middle of the unitary continuum (self and world).
• During the flow state, we think more creatively and less about ourselves.
• Flow state fosters positive self-transcendent emotions such as empathy.

A flow state is a state of heightened connectedness between ourselves and the world or activity at hand, resulting in a feeling of effortless enjoyment of the present moment.

What Is The Neuroscience of Flow State?

• Meditative State of Mind and Body
• Linear Thinking Off, Unilateral Thinking On
  • our hardwired self-limiting beliefs and thoughts about ourselves are reduced, as shown by decreased default mode network (DMN) activity

How to Access Flow State

• The Right (level of) Stimulation
• Intentional Associations
• The Right Activity

Jeanne Nakamura and Csíkszentmihályi identify the following six factors as encompassing an experience of flow:

• Intense and focused concentration on the present moment
• Merging of action and awareness
• A loss of reflective self-consciousness
• A sense of personal control or agency over the situation or activity
• A distortion of temporal experience, as one’s subjective experience of time is altered
• Experience of the activity as intrinsically rewarding, also referred to as autotelic experience

Flow State Triggers to Induce Flow

psychological, environmental, social, or creative.

Psychological triggers

• Intense concentration
• Goal clarity
• Immediate feedback
• Challenge to skills ratio

Environmental triggers

• High consequences
• Rich environments (new, complex, and dynamic or unpredictable)
• Deep embodiment

Social triggers

(greater group flow)

• Serious concentration
• Clear, shared goals
• Good communication
• Familiarity
• Equal participation and skill level
• Risk
• Sense of control
• Close listening
• Always say yes

Creative triggers

• Creativity

Sources

• What is a flow state and what are its benefits?
• Flow State for Mental Health: Empathy and Creativity
• Flow (psychology) on that Wikipedia
• What Is Flow in Positive Psychology?

Added 2024-08-25, last updated 2024-08-27.