The Concept of Flow

The secret history of flow

The concept of flow was recently proposed by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, in which flow was characterized as a state of completely immersible, focused energy. Because of Mihaly’s inspiring work, many fell into the belief that the concept is modern–they think the concept of flow is new. A state that describes the zone athletes enter into. History makes it clear that the concept of flow is not new. It’s been described for thousands of years–and the concept has been explicitly defined over-and-over again. Below, we’ll look into different cultures’ descriptions of flow.

Taoism’s sacred belief of flow

Wu Wei is an ancient concept rooted in Chinese Taoism. Wu Wei is the belief that one is at its most natural behavior when he or she doesn’t have to think about acting, or think about creating. By definition, “Wu” translates to not having; “Wei” translates to action. Combined, this translates to not having to act.

The concept of Wu Wei is likened to the sun’s orbit around the earth. It is acting without trying to act. It’s a natural form of movement. It moves because its nature is to move; just like you must create because your nature is to create. The Taoist schools of thought teach that one’s goal should be to experience Wu Wei in perfect equilibrium, thus allowing you to experience the natural, invisible power you were meant to experience.

The Sage is occupied with the unspoken

and acts without effort.

Teaching without verbosity,

producing without possessing,

creating without regard to result,

claiming nothing,

the Sage has nothing to lose.

- Tao Te Ching by Priya Hemenway, Chapter II

This concept can be carried out when developing flow rituals that promote Wu Wei.

The two ancient truths to developing flow

Within the teachings of Yoga and meditation there rests a concept called Samyama. This term is used in a general sense and refers to the concept of flow. Samyama is practice that leverages Daharana (concentration and short-term focus), as well as Dhayana (contemplating purpose and long-term focus). In practice, these two elements are combined with meditation and focus. Upon practicing these two concepts, flow arises.

Samyama teaches what we have already established, in that, flow is developed through the binding of short-term focus and long-term focus, and then practicing it daily.

Zen’s secret to attaining a peaceful mind

Within the teachings of zen, there’s a state of flow that’s said to control the minds of martial artists called Mushin. This term is shortened from “mushin no shin,” which is a Zen term for “mind of no mind.” Much like Wu Wei, this is the “zone” one enters which feels as if nature is guiding them.

It’s thinking without thinking; creating without trying to create.

When in the state of Mushin, the fighter does not think of the next move; he or she knows their purpose, knows their focus and knows their next action through hours of contemplation and training. The fighting style is intuitive. It’s casual action, yet the mind operates in a hyper-speed state.

Teachings have said this state of mind feels like a still pond. The mind is empty–actions are serene. Like a pond reflects its environment and the trees around it, the focused Mushin mind reflects its purpose. The pond’s environment and reflections are only disrupted when disturbances arise. The waves and ripples of the pond distort the ponds environment and foundation. This analogy reflects the minds behavior when presented with distraction.

The key in developing flow and Mushin centers on blocking out distraction, and keeping the mind serene, like the unmoving pond.

How to Develop Flow That Allows You to Finish Projects and Exceed Your Goals:

Now that we’ve looked into the historical context surround flow, how can you implement flow? How can you routinely employ flow into your life? How can you unleash this practice, which allows you to accomplish your goals, finish projects and feel in control? There are 5 elements that you must follow in order to establish flow:

I. Understand the two sacred elements of flow

Above, we learned that history tells us that flow is developed through employing two concepts:

1. Daharana (concentration, which drives short-term focus)
2. Dhayana (contemplation, which drives long-term focus)

Flow stems from the combination of short-term focus and long-term focus. In the introduction of this book, we outlined that short-term focus is driven by concentration and long-term focus is driven by purpose. When both elements are intertwined, flow arises. In flow, creation is born, artists are made and genius is unraveled.

Visually, the inception of flow looks like the diagram below:

When working on something, you simply know when you’re in a state of flow. You feel as if time has no bearing on your creation, you feel spontaneous excitement while performing task. As if nothing can stop you.

No matter who you are, flow must be developed

The concept of flow moves beyond any industry, occupation or practice. Flow can be experienced whether you’re in business, music, comedy, a sport, programming, engineering or anything else. It doesn’t matter if you’re a CEO, bartender or a plumber. If you exceed the basic strictures society places on your occupation, and apply concentration and purpose to it, which in turn adds value to others’ lives, you’ll experience flow. However, this is easier said than done. There are specific practices and routines that can help one develop flow on a habitual basis.

II. Eliminate distraction in order to establish a peaceful mind

As we discussed in an earlier chapter, you can’t start focusing until you’ve stopped getting distracted. To cut out distraction, you first want to audit your devices, and then simply cut out the distractions. Cutting out distraction is the most critical component in developing flow.

As the ancient martial art concept of Mushin likens itself to a still pond, so too shall your aim be in developing flow. This is done through eliminating distraction.

III. Develop flow rituals

Your daily foundation is critical for establishing flow. The concept of flow doesn’t stem from serendipity. It arises from disciplined, focused rituals that drive your actions; thus, leading to flow.

IV. The most overlooked element to developing flow

When one is the state of flow, they’re completely immersed in their activity. You can do this to–almost instantly. What this requires is a deep, thorough understanding of your subject. This can be carried out through a concept called “overlearning,” This concept is so often overlooked. People forget that the vehicle for flow is challenging the mind.

Overlearning is the practice of crunching information that challenges you to look beyond surface-level implications. For example, if applied to reading, this means that you research each element or concept that you don’t understand. And by research, I don’t mean simply looking it up on Dictionary.com, I mean looking into the latin roots of the word; the transformation of the word; what history tells us about the word. Much like the historical roots of Focus that I outlined in the introduction. It means you must look for symbols in what you’re proposing to learn. When you’re creating, innovating and overlearning, time is at a stand-still–you will experience flow and finish the projects you’ve always wanted to finish.

V. How to stop handicapping your mind’s thirst for flow: Montessori

As we outlined in the chapter on Hacking Education, we are severely limited by our education system’s methods for teaching. The curriculum outlined by the universities still cater towards industrial-age workers; not information-age workers. Instead of flexibility, our university systems support stagnant curricula.

In the early 20th century, however, a new teaching methodology arose from Italian physician, Maria Montessori. Her philosophy was founded on many of the principles present in our present-day world: transparency, problem-solving, team-work and self-learning. This teaching method never adopted a name–it was just referred to as the Montessori method of teaching.

Maria put children in natural environments to solve problems. She found that children learn the most when they’re aligned with their normal nature. Much like Mushin (mind of no mind), Maria believed that children can unleash flow and their inner-genius through giving them freedom to leverage their natural cognitive abilities–instead of shoveling a regimented curriculum down their throats.

This isn’t a practice that simply withered away. In fact, a recent study published by the journal of Science found that Montessori students outperformed students that were trained using traditional teaching mechanisms. The positive results pervaded a variety of disciplines. The Montessori students displayed higher IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and higher EQ (Emotional Quotient). They were superior in mathematics, literature, social skills and common sense. That’s right, common sense. They had a more mature understanding of fairness and justice. They were also more creative.

Concepts of Montessori:

The concepts of Montessori are really not much different than various principles outlined in this book. They are founded on being in touch with nature, and solving problems on your own–on directing your own path in seeking education. The model is founded on preparing an environment that espouses flow (which we’ve outlined previously). In summary, if you create an environment that espouses focus and a curriculum driven by your own passion, you’ve set yourself up to be at your most-natural state of creation.

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