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A flow state is to be fully absorbed in what you are doing so you forget all else

• There’s this focus that, once it becomes intense, leads to a sense of ecstasy, a sense of clarity: you know exactly what you want to do from one moment to the other; you get immediate feedback. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• You can only put your conscious attention on one thing at a time. If that’s all that has your attention, you’re in flow. David Allen
• You know that what you need to do is possible to do, even though difficult, and sense of time disappears, you forget yourself, you feel part of something larger. And once the conditions are present, what you are doing becomes worth doing for its own sake. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Flow is the process of achieving happiness through control over one’s inner life. The optimal state of inner experience is order in consciousness. This happens when we focus our attention (psychic energy) on realistic goals and when our skills match the challenges we face. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Flow is a spectrum of experience, like any emotion. Mike Oppland
• Flow is being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• You know that what you need to do is possible to do, even though difficult, and sense of time disappears, you forget yourself, you feel part of something larger. And once the conditions are present, what you are doing becomes worth doing for its own sake. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Flow—the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience itself is so enjoyable that people will do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Focus,  Concentration,  Attention,  Go with the flow,  Immerse yourself in what you do

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A flow state is a merging of action and attention

• It’s all about attention. Attention given in the past, clear proximal goals, immediate feedback, and tough but manageable challenges work together to direct our attention to a given activity. There’s no attention left for extraneous factors, including our sense of self and the passage of time. After we’ve entered a state of flow, we can stay there for as long as the activity holds our attention. Jason Pu
• The optimal state of inner experience is one in which there is order in consciousness. This happens when psychic energy—or attention—is invested in realistic goals, and when skills match the opportunities for action. The pursuit of a goal brings order in awareness because a person must concentrate attention on the task at hand and momentarily forget everything else. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• The mark of a person who is in control of consciousness is the ability to focus attention at will, to be oblivious to distractions, to concentrate for as long as it takes to achieve a goal, and not longer. And the person who can do this usually enjoys the normal course of everyday life. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Without concentration, a complex activity breaks down into chaos. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Action,  Attention

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In a flow state, we forget ourselves

• When not preoccupied with ourselves, we actually have a chance to expand the concept of who we are. Loss of self-consciousness can lead to self-transcendence, to a feeling that the boundaries of our being have been pushed forward. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Flow is a loss of reflective self-consciousness (i.e., loss of awareness of oneself as a social actor). Nakamura and Csikszentmihalyi

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The characteristics of flow states

• Complete concentration on the task;
• Clarity of goals and reward in mind and immediate feedback;
• Transformation of time (speeding up/slowing down);
• The experience is intrinsically rewarding;
• Effortlessness and ease;
• There is a balance between challenge and skills;
• Actions and awareness are merged, losing self-conscious rumination;
• There is a feeling of control over the task.
• Source: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

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A flow state is similar to but not the same as a peak experience

• Flow is not the only optimal experience that we know of. A humanistic psychologist, Abraham Maslow, (1908-1970) coined the term peak experience to describe intensely joyous and exciting moments in the lives of every individual. In these moments, we feel more whole, integrated, aware of ourselves and deeply happy. We have a sense of transcendence, awe, unity and meaningfulness in life. Often these experiences have a spiritual quality about them. The peak moments are often inspired by intense occurrences – moments of love, exposure to great art or music, the overwhelming beauty of nature or even tragic events.  Ilona Boniwell

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Flow states can bring great benefits…

• The neurochemical experiences produced during flow all boost the immune system and reset the nervous system. Steven Kotler
• There’s this focus that, once it becomes intense, leads to a sense of ecstasy, a sense of clarity: you know exactly what you want to do from one moment to the other; you get immediate feedback. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• One of the most frequently mentioned dimensions of the flow experience is that, while it lasts, one is able to forget all the unpleasant aspects of life. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Flow is important both because it makes the present instant more enjoyable, and because it builds the self-confidence that allows us to develop skills and make significant contributions to humankind. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Why are some people weakened by stress, while others gain strength from it? Basically, the answer is simple: those who know how to transform a hopeless situation into a new flow activity that can be controlled will be able to enjoy themselves and emerge stronger from the ordeal. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• In flow there is no need to reflect, because the action carries us forward as if by magic. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• The problem of meaning will then be resolved as the individual’s purpose merges with the universal flow. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• When you are completely absorbed or caught up in something, you become oblivious to things around you, or to the passage of time. It is this absorption in what you are doing that frees your unconscious and releases your creative imagination. Rollo May
• Control of consciousness determines the quality of life. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• The flow experience, like everything else, is not “good” in an absolute sense. It is good only in that it has the potential to make life more rich, intense, and meaningful; it is good because it increases the strength and complexity of the self. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Creating meaning involves bringing order to the contents of the mind by integrating one’s actions into a unified flow experience. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

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… including well-being and happiness

• The benefits of being in the zone stretch beyond the experience itself. Flow is associated with subjective well-being, satisfaction with life and general happiness. At work, it’s linked to productivity, motivation and company loyalty. Alice Robb
• Happiness lies in the absorption in some vocation which satisfies the soul. William Osler
• Absorption in things other than self is the secret of a happy life. James Cagney
• Happiness lies in the absorption in some vocation which satisfies the soul.  William Osler
• The benefits of being in the zone stretch beyond the experience itself. Flow is associated with subjective well-being, satisfaction with life and general happiness. At work, it’s linked to productivity, motivation and company loyalty. Giovanni Moneta
• Well-being,  Happiness

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Flow states can lead to addiction

• Enjoyable activities that produce flow have a potentially negative effect: while they are capable of improving the quality of existence by creating order in the mind, they can become addictive, at which point the self becomes captive of a certain kind of order, and is then unwilling to cope with the ambiguities of life’. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Addiction

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Flow states happen when we do something for its own sake, not as a means to an end

• Studies suggest that those with autotelic personalities tend to experience more flow. Such people tend to do things for their own sake rather than chasing some distant external goal. Mike Oppland
• It is when we act freely, for the sake of the action itself rather than for ulterior motives, that we learn to become more than what we were. When we choose a goal and invest ourselves in it to the limits of concentration, whatever we do will be enjoyable. And once we have tasted this joy, we will redouble our efforts to taste it again. This is the way the self grows. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• “Flow” is the way people describe their state of mind when consciousness is harmoniously ordered, and they want to pursue whatever they are doing for its own sake. In reviewing some of the activities that consistently produce flow—such as sports, games, art, and hobbies—it becomes easier to understand what makes people happy. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• The same is true of all flow experiences: there is a mutual relationship between goals and the effort they require. Goals justify the effort they demand at the outset, but later it is the effort that justifies the goal. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Flow: the creative moment when a person is completely involved in an activity for its own sake. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• The core and ultimate value of life can lie only in such states as exist for their own sake and carry their satisfaction in themselves. Moritz Schlick

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Flow states come from doing what you love

• Most conscious actions require motivation, and there are two basic motivation types: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is when you do something because you love it. Csikszentmihalyi said the highest intrinsic motivation is a flow state where self-consciousness is lost, one surrenders completely to the moment, and time means nothing. Mike Oppland
• Do what you love

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Flow states often happen in religious rituals and sports

• In fact, flow and religion have been intimately connected from earliest times. Many of the optimal experiences of mankind have taken place in the context of religious rituals. Not only art but drama, music, and dance had their origins in what we now would call “religious” settings; that is, activities aimed at connecting people with supernatural powers and entities. The same is true of games. One of the earliest ball games, a form of basketball played by the Maya, was part of their religious celebrations, and so were the original Olympic games. This connection is not surprising, because what we call religion is actually the oldest and most ambitious attempt to create order in consciousness. It therefore makes sense that religious rituals would be a profound source of enjoyment. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Religion

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Flow states happen at the intersection of challenge and skill

• Inducing flow is about the balance between the level of skill and the size of the challenge at hand. Nakamura
• We need to engage in activities that are meaningful to us, that we find challenging and for which we feel that we have the skills required to come out as winners. Giovanni Moneta
• Contrary to what we usually believe, moments like these, the best moments in our lives, are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times—although such experiences can also be enjoyable, if we have worked hard to attain them. The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile. Optimal experience is thus something that we
• make happen. For a child, it could be placing with trembling fingers the last blockon a tower she has built, higher than any she has built so far; for a swimmer, it could be trying to beat his own record; for a violinist, mastering an intricate musical passage. For each person there are thousands of opportunities, challenges to expand ourselves. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Enjoyment appears at the boundary between boredom and anxiety, when the challenges are just balanced with the person’s capacity to act. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• In flow a person is challenged to do her best, and must constantly improve her skills. At the time, she doesn’t have the opportunity to reflect on what this means in terms of the self—if she did allow herself to become self-conscious, the experience could not have been very deep. But afterward, when the activity is over and self-consciousness has a chance to resume, the self that the person reflects upon is not the same self that existed before the flow experience: it is now enriched by new skills and fresh achievements. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Challenge,  Skill

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Flow states require an active mind

• The body does not produce flow merely by its movements. The mind is always involved as well. To get enjoyment from swimming, for instance, one needs to cultivate a set of appropriate skills, which requires the concentration of attention. Without. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• The flow experience that results from the use of skills leads to growth; passive entertainment leads nowhere. Collectively we are wasting each year the equivalent of millions of years of human consciousness. The energy that could be used to focus on complex goals, to provide for enjoyable growth, is squandered on patterns of stimulation that only mimic reality. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

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Flow states require the absence of disruption

• It’s important to note that one can’t experience flow if distractions disrupt the experience. Mike Oppland
• Avoid noisy environments and opportunity for interruptions. Giovanni Moneta

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More requirements for flow

• The phenomenology of enjoyment has eight major components. When people reflect on how it feels when their experience is most positive, they mention at least one, and often all, of the following. First, the experience usually occurs when we confront tasks we have a chance of completing. Second, we must be able to concentrate on what we are doing. Third and fourth, the concentration is usually possible because the task undertaken has clear goals and provides immediate feedback. Fifth, one acts with a deep but effortless involvement that removes from awareness the worries and frustrations of everyday life. Sixth, enjoyable experiences allow people to exercise a sense of control over their actions. Seventh, concern for the self disappears, yet paradoxically the sense of self emerges stronger after the flow experience is over. Finally, the sense of the duration of time is altered; hours pass by in minutes, and minutes can stretch out to seem like hours. The combination of all these elements causes a sense of deep enjoyment that is so rewarding people feel that expending a great deal of energy is worthwhile simply to be able to feel it. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• When people reflect on how it feels when their experience is most positive, they mention at least one, and often all, of the following. First, the experience usually occurs when we confront tasks we have a chance of completing. Second, we must be able to concentrate on what we are doing. Third and fourth, the concentration is usually possible because the task undertaken has clear goals and provides immediate feedback. Fifth, one acts with a deep but effortless involvement that removes from awareness the worries and frustrations of everyday life. Sixth, enjoyable experiences allow people to exercise a sense of control over their actions. Seventh, concern for the self disappears, yet paradoxically the sense of self emerges stronger after the flow experience is over. Finally, the sense of the duration of time is altered; hours pass by in minutes, and minutes can stretch out to seem like hours. The combination of all these elements causes a sense of deep enjoyment that is so rewarding people feel that expending a great deal of energy is worthwhile simply to be able to feel it. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free. Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate. Zhuangzi
• Because optimal experience depends on the ability to control what happens in consciousness moment by moment, each person has to achieve it on the basis of his own individual efforts and creativity. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

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Flow states tend to be a happy accident

• Flow is still a happy accident when it happens. All we can do is make you more accident-prone. Steven Kotler

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Mindfulness is a more accessible substitute for flow

• If you’re struggling to achieve flow – or just worn out by its intensity – you might aim for mindfulness instead. Think of mindfulness as a more accessible cousin of flow. Alice Robb
• The major difference is that mindfulness is a state of mind that is available to everybody virtually all the time. It’s not an unusual thing. Ellen Langer
• The concepts are very similar,. The major difference is that mindfulness is a state of mind that is available to everybody virtually all the time. It’s not an unusual thing.  Almost any activity can be done mindfully – no yoga or meditation necessary.  Ellen Langer
• Mindfulness confers many of the same benefits as flow. Ellen Langer
• Mindfulness

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