The Mysterious Psychological Phenomenon — The Flow State of Mind

Published in

ILLUMINATION

6 min readJul 6, 2023

The Path to Peak Performance

Ever since the beginning of time, humans have restlessly studied and investigated the path to achieving peak human performance. Whether it be through strict scientific research or intense physical training, none of these paths were ever the correct answer. The key to achieving peak human performance resided within our brain’s all along. If we could push our brains to their absolute limits and exert 100% of their maximum potential, peak human performance would be absolute. However, the question still remains, how would we possibly do this and is this even humanly possible?

The Magnificent Flow State of Mind

In fact, attaining peak human performance is truly possible and millions of people around the world have actually cracked this mystery before. The hidden way to achieve peak human performance derives from the legendary flow state phenomenon — a state of optimal performance characterized by a seamless, effortless, and gratifying experience. It is a state where everything effortlessly comes together, creating a sense of liberation and satisfaction when an individual is fully immersed in the pursuit of a special task. Athletes exploit the flow state to utterly dominate their competitions, scholars capitalize on this phenomenon to create academic masterpieces, and workers use this state of mind to work with a high degree of efficiency and potency. Regardless of who you are, absolutely anyone could attain this extremely powerful state of mind.

The Power of The Flow State

For those who have never activated the flow state before, it is a very difficult phenomenon to explain with simple words. Think of the flow state as a battle between yourself and the task at hand. Total concentration is placed on this sole task and all other distractions are canceled out; background sounds, excess thoughts, and negative emotions are subtracted from the equation. Upon tapping into the flow state, all perception of time is lost, but in return, your mind becomes overwhelmingly powerful, every single thought is crystal clear, trains of thought are visualized out of thin air. Information is processed and absorbed within seconds while analysis and conclusions are drawn shortly afterward. Your mental state is unusually calm; you tackle every problem with unwavering confidence and precision. It feels like you have evolved into a being beyond human, prying past the limits bestowed upon humans, allowing you to attain superhuman performance for a short period of time. Generally, every flow state ends with immensely positive outcomes.

Neuroscience Behind The Flow State

When entering the flow state, your body naturally produces performance enhancing hormones like norepinephrine, dopamine, anandamide, serotonin and endorphins. By releasing these chemicals, it allows your brain to augment the creative process by more than 500%, heightens information processing senses, increases analytical thinking patterns, cancels out any exterior distractions, and promotes mental calmness. Furthermore, upon activating the flow phenomenon, your brain automatically enters theta brainwave state, a state of mind commonly associated with being asleep and dreaming. Theta brainwave patterns authorize creativity and imagination to flourish, allows maximum concentration, and causes a loss of consciousness in thought proccesses. In general, the supernatural flow state is initiated by the natural release of hormones in the body and an adjustment of brainwave patterns.

Conditions Required to Attain The Flow State

1. Stating a Passion Goal

The first step of achieving the flow state is to state a goal that you have a burning desire to fulfill. Whether it be wanting to win a match in a video game or creating a magnificent piece of art, all and any goal is acceptable. The only requirement under this section is that you must state a goal which you have a strong motivation and passion to pursue. Without this drive for success, it is impossible to allow yourself to lock in and enter the flow state.

2. Challenge and Skill

Another factor required to activate the flow state is to pursue an activity with an acceptable degree of difficulty which correlates with your skill level. Challenging yourself is important as it forces yourself to push yourself to the limit, immersing yourself deeply in the activity. However, if the task is too hard or too easy, it would be difficult for you to fixate deeply on it. Getting into the flow state is all about pushing yourself as much as possible but at the same time keeping the end goal realistic.

3. Stress Factor

When working on achieving a certain goal, be sure to find ways to add a sense of urgency within every task. The stress inflicted by these external factors results in the release of various hormones which gives your body a sharp boost of energy and alertness related, influencing the activation of the flow state phenomenon.

4. Distractions

Be sure to eliminate any possible source of distraction when working to complete your task of choice. This will grant you the ability to focus intensely on your task and prevent interruptions between your lines of thought, increasing the likelihood of entering the flow state.

5. Get Comfortable

The flow state only emerges when your body is in a state of utmost comfort and calmness. Therefore, it is crucial that you create an environment in which you are comfortable to reside in. Some small things you could do to increase comfortability are to listen to music, taking showers, participating in physical activity, having your favorite beverages or snacks around or maybe even meditation. Anything that you would like to do to uplift your mood can help you attain the flow state of mind.

6. Train Yourself

Likewise in any domain, practice makes perfect. Try practicing getting in the flow state whenever you can. Through countless trials, you may discover better methods to enter the flow which are unique to you. The more you practice the easier it will get to exploit this powerful tool to the best of your interests.

Conclusion

The flow state of mind is one of the most powerful weapons in the existence of humanity if used correctly. Through consistently exploiting the flow with an elevated degree of efficacy, you may even attain superhuman performance levels which surpass the limits known to humankind.