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Flow (1)

Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, a World War II prisoner, developed a curiosity about happiness and introduced the concept of 'flow,' a state of complete immersion in an activity. Flow is characterized by complete concentration, intrinsic reward, and a balance between challenge and skill, while studies show that individuals with autotelic personalities are more likely to experience it. Achieving flow requires minimizing distractions and balancing skill levels with challenges.

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Sarvesh Chandra
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4 views

Flow (1)

Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, a World War II prisoner, developed a curiosity about happiness and introduced the concept of 'flow,' a state of complete immersion in an activity. Flow is characterized by complete concentration, intrinsic reward, and a balance between challenge and skill, while studies show that individuals with autotelic personalities are more likely to experience it. Achieving flow requires minimizing distractions and balancing skill levels with challenges.

Uploaded by

Sarvesh Chandra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Who was Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi?

• He was a prisoner during World War II, and he witnessed


the pain and suffering of the people around him during
this time. As a result, he developed a curiosity about
happiness and contentment.
• In Csikszentmihalyi’s words, flow is “a state in which
people are so involved in an activity that nothing else
seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that
people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the
sheer sake of doing it” (1990).
The 8 Characteristics of Flow
• 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
Who Experiences Flow?

• Studies suggest that those with autotelic personalities


tend to experience more flow.
• This personality type is distinguished by certain meta-
skills such as high interest in life, persistence, and low
self-centeredness.
• Researchers found a negative correlation between flow
and neuroticism and a positive correlation between flow
and conscientiousness
What Happens in the Brain
During Flow?
• It has been associated with decreased activity in the
prefrontal cortex
• The prefrontal cortex is an area of the brain responsible
for higher cognitive functions such as self-reflective
consciousness, memory, temporal integration, and
working memory. It’s an area that’s responsible for our
conscious and explicit state of mind.
• This temporary inactivation of the prefrontal area may
trigger the feelings of distortion of time, loss of self-
consciousness.
How to Achieve Flow
• It’s important to note that one can’t experience flow if
distractions disrupt the experience (Nakamura et al.,
2009).
• Thus, to experience this state, one has to stay away from
the attention-robbers common in a modern fast-paced life.
A first step would be to turn off your smartphone when
seeking flow.
• “Inducing flow is about the balance between the level of
skill and the size of the challenge at hand”

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