An Overview of Flow State (Introduction Section)
Philosophers and psychologists have long argued that the major life goal of human beings is the attainment of happiness. Though its importance has been widely accepted, we still know very little about the nature of happiness (Csikszentmihalyi, 1999). We work toward it, we hope for it, and we remember it fondly, but we don’t know exactly what it is. We only feel that it is good for us somehow: it makes us feel better, work better, and, well… happy. Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi’s research on happiness and optimal states of experience led him into the exploration of a particularly enjoyable state, perhaps linked inseparably to happiness, that he calls “flow” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975).
Flow has been described as a state of consciousness marked by complete absorption in a given activity, enhanced or peak performance, the merging of action and awareness, autotelic experience (i.e. intrinsic motivation), and a sense of both controlled yet effortless, automated action (Jackson, 1996). According to Csikszentmihalyi, this state is achieved when there is a proper balance between the skills of an individual and the challenge level of an activity present, along with (a) unambiguous goals, (b) clear and immediate feedback, (c) high concentration level, (d) loss of self-consciousness, and (e) a distorted or transformed sense of time (1990). Findings have confirmed that balance of challenge and skill level has a positive effect on the quality of an individual’s experience, regardless of all other factors (Moneta & Csikszentmihalyi, 1996). Flow can be achieved by anyone, of any skill level (Connolly, 2008), and it is experienced similarly, regardless of activity type (Russell, 2002). From a neurocognitive perspective, flow may be a unique brain state, characterized by a balance between activity in the frontal lobe and medial temporal lobe and the basal ganglia (i.e. higher cognitive functions balanced with automated action),...