How Do We Focus Our Minds | The Science of Focus | Flow Principle | All Things Spiritual

The Science of Focus | Flow Principle Mihaly Cziksentmihalyi defines flow as “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.” He identifies a number of different elements involved in achieving flow: There are clear goals every step of the way. There is immediate feedback to one’s actions. There is a balance between challenges and skills. Action and awareness are merged. Distractions are excluded from consciousness. There is no worry of failure. Self-consciousness disappears. The sense of time becomes distorted. The activity becomes an end in itself. As the above qualities indicate, the flow-like state is not primarily characterized by subjective feelings, even positive ones. Rather, the essence of flow is the removal of the interference of the thinking mind. When Michael Jordan is “in the zone” and making that beh