Messi’s Mastery: Activating the Flow State Through Brain-Computer Interfaces
By Gloria Mariwa
After the UEFA Champions League Final 2011 between FC Barcelona and Manchester United, both legendary coaches had insightful comments regarding the man of the match: a.k.a. the GOAT Lionel Messi.
“The best player I have ever seen” — Pep Guardiola
“They played the right way, and they enjoy their football. They do mesmerize you with their passing and we never really did control Messi. But many people have said that.” — Sir Alex Ferguson
How did Messi manage to humble such a successful club? Even when Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the greatest managers in the world, was managing such a powerful team (At the time).
Many wonder how Messi pulled a Messi especially after barely warming up and looking like he wasn’t going to play the match.
Maybe you despise this beginning because you’re a Cristiano Ronaldo or Manchester United fan so let me share another example.
David Beckham left the whole of England speechless. He turned his haters into lovers in a few historical seconds.
“That was the moment that England supporters forgave me for what had happened a few years before,” — David Beckham
What did he do to piss off England fans?
Beckham was sent off during a match against Argentina in 1998, after unnecessarily kicking Diego Simeone — a game England lost in a penalty shoot-out.
Fast forward to what made England love him after years of hate.
Beckham produced the exquisite free-kick from 25 yards out to rescue England in the 93rd minute and send them to Japan and South Korea a year later.
But there was more than a World Cup qualification at stake — this goal was about redemption for Beckham and cemented his legendary status for his country.
That was the beginning of “Bend It Like Beckham”.
Both these GOATs were in the flow state during these spectacular historical experiences!
What is The Flow State?
Have you ever seen someone make something difficult look so easy? Or when you’re doing a task and you lose track of time or perhaps time slows down?
This sounds like I’m talking about some fictional character like the Flash but this is an ability that almost everyone can tune into!
You may be more familiar with the term, “in the zone”.
The flow state is a mental state in which a person is completely focused on a single task or activity.
It’s the sense of fluidity between your body and mind, where you are totally absorbed by and deeply focused on something, beyond the point of distraction.
The father of the flow state, Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, claims there are 8 characteristics of the flow state.
- 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.
The flow state is like the conditions for a plane to go on autopilot.
The plane would need:
- to take off — push slightly above your ability (~4% above current ability)
- Reach cruising level — have little to no distractions
- Have the autopilot system — have the ability to do your task at a slightly higher level
- Activate — Shine in your specific activity
How do you know if one is in the flow state?
Some signs that a person is in a state of flow include:
Focus: It is not easy to distract people in flow from their tasks. They may not be thinking about anything else. If a person or event interrupts someone in flow, they may feel annoyed.
Lack of self-consciousness: Flow is associated with a decrease in “self-referential thinking,” which means that a person in this state is unlikely to be thinking about themselves, their performance, or how others might see them. (Self-confidence/Confidence in one’s ability)
Enjoyment: People may enjoy the task, encouraging them to immerse themselves in it.
Persistence: Being in flow can offset the frustration of a difficult task, allowing people to keep going.
Examples of The Flow State
The type of activities that trigger flow will vary from person to person, depending on what they find interesting, enjoyable, or challenging.
Some examples of activities that might induce a flow state include:
- playing sports
- playing games
- reading
- creative hobbies, such as playing an instrument or drawing
- doing crafts and making things
- solving puzzles
- gardening
Benefits of The Flow State?
Being in flow can be enjoyable in its own right. A person may enjoy flow because they are working on something that is meaningful to them or because it is satisfying to see the project take shape.
Research has also linked a flow state to:
- better performance
- fewer distractions
- less self-judgment
- greater motivation to complete tasks
- the ability to spend a longer time on tasks
- more practice, allowing someone to gain skill and competence
In positive psychology, theorists believe that flow is also important for psychological health and well-being.
Disadvantages of The Flow State?
From my research, the pros may seem too good to be true though the cons are present. Everything has a dark side even the flourishing flow state.
Some disadvantages of the flow state:
- Time is an obstacle — If work needs to get done now, a flow state is not always the best option.
- Output quality — When you’re in a flow state, you’re less likely to be focused on the quality of the work. It’s easier to come up with quantity, but the quality will be decreased.
- Affect relationships — Individuals may become so focused on the activity that they neglect their social obligations and relationships. This can lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection, which can negatively affect one’s social and emotional well-being
- Addiction formation — The flow state has an addiction-flow link, commonly addictions in online gaming and Internet use.
- Wonky judgment — a decreased risk awareness and increased risky behavior.
- Ignore emotions — flow can be experienced in Anti-social behavior such as the act of killing another person.
- Unnoticeable fatigue — You are living in the moment, utterly absorbed in the present activity. Time seems to fall away. You are tired, but you barely notice.
Imagine a world where getting into the flow state is as easy as flipping a light switch.
There will have to be some limitations since the cons could lead to worse things but if taken in the right amount of doses. The flow state’s possibilities are utterly endless!
I’m mainly focusing on athletic enhancement to improve overall athletic performance while athletes have fun and have enough rest but there are many more applications.
When astronauts are launched into space or even when firefighters are at work saving lives. Both scenarios have little to no room for error and the flow state would be able to assist us to an extent due to one’s current ability.
You may be wondering. If the flow state is so impactful, why isn’t it already being used?
That’s a great question, and I’m working on solving the answer using Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs).
What Are Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs)?
It’s a computer-based system that acquires brain signals, analyzes them, and translates them into commands that are relayed to an output device to carry out a desired action.
In simple terms for this scenario, they are devices that track your neural (brain) activity, studies it and turns that data into wanted actions. Pretty cool right?
Maybe you are still lost so I have a real-life example.
Stephen Hawking, the British theoretical physicist who was given the ability to talk thanks to Intel’s brilliance!
Hawking was able to communicate with the world through a computer tablet mounted on his wheelchair.
He lost his ability to speak in 1985, when, on a trip to CERN in Geneva, he caught pneumonia. In the hospital, he was put on a ventilator. His condition was critical.
A group of engineers and scientists tirelessly worked to create ACAT.
ACAT is a program, developed by Intel, that allowed him to select characters from an on-screen keyboard by twitching his cheek muscle. An infrared sensor in his glasses detected this movement.
Hawking’s ACAT program used an electroencephalogram, EEG, which is a non-invasive Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) system.
Types of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Systems
There are three main types of BCIs:
- Electroencephalogram (EEG)
- Electrocorticogram (ECoG)
- Local field potential (LFP/micro-depth or intracranial EEG)
EEGs are non-invasive headsets or headgear used to track neural activities in the brain.
Ramses Alcaide, CEO of neurotech startup Neurable, develops non-invasive brain-computer interfaces in the form of headphones. He sees potential for BCI-enhanced devices to become an everyday item for the average person.
ECoGs are invasive headsets or headgear used to track neural activities in the brain.
Marcus Gerhardt, Co-founder and CEO of BlackRock Neurotech, innovates brain technologies to provide new hope for people with paralysis & other neurological disorders.
Intercortial BCI is another invasive BCI system but it’s directly implanted on one’s brain. This means more care is needed and the neural signals are more accurate.
Elon Musk’s Neuralink implanted a Brain-Computer Interface chip into a monkey’s skull and studied it. You may remember Pager, the monkey’s famous ping pong game from YouTube!
Can BCIs Track Neural Brain Activities?
Yes! Let me introduce you to Magnetoencephalography (MEG).
MEG is a non-invasive neurophysiological technique that measures the magnetic fields generated by the neuronal activity of the brain.
So it tracks brain signal activity. Using MEG it can help us understand what activates and deactivates the flow state.
The downside of this is that multiple tests need to be done and it won’t exactly pinpoint the activation/deactivation traits we need. Multiple tests need to be carried out, and proper analysis and predictions will be made using the data received which may not even be accurate. It leads us a step closer to making the flow state as accessible as easy as flipping a light switch.
In the aspect of athletes, data collection would be slightly tricky since most BCI headsets aren’t made for high-intensity movement but a solution can be made to avoid this issue. Formula 1 dodged this bullet since their helmets could help keep the headsets stable.
Formula Medicine has been in the Formula 1 industry for decades. They bring variety to the table. Not only do they work on the driver’s training & performance but they also work on the mental, medical and athletic abilities of Formula 1 drivers.
MindMaze is another company in the Formula 1 industry that combines virtual reality, motion capture and EEG brain scans.
MindMaze’s sensors improve efficiency by capturing, analyzing and transmitting key neural signatures from drivers and other team members.
MindMaze’s innovative approach to neuroscience has the potential to not only give McLaren a deeper understanding of driver and team performance, and therefore a competitive edge but also help lay the foundations for wider applications in the real world.
Conclusion:
“With great power, comes great responsibility” — Your friendly neighbourhood spider.
That quote represents the possibility of activating the flow state using BCI data. Such a powerful ability almost anyone can tap into and help every field human beings work in but it has huge consequences if misused.
Apart from enhancing athletic performance, the flow state can be activated in areas that have no room for mistakes. Astronauts during launches and re-entries into Earth and firefighters are a few possibilities where the flow state would thrive. These actions aren’t done regularly so more time to recover and rest.
Embrace the flow state as a path to unlocking your hidden potential. Visualize the positive changes it could bring to your life. Now, don’t keep this revelation to yourself. Share this article and help spark the flow state journey for others, inspiring them to achieve greatness they never thought possible.
Let me know your thoughts on this article and reach out if you have any questions!
