Last week, we went through 500 B.C. and ended with Mozart in 1791 A.D. Each phase is a glimpse as to how flow manifests itself throughout history. Often, flow is characterized by several distinct features. First, we have intense focus. Mihaly describes this as one of the key features of “macro-flow states”. This intense focus allows the brain to enter a meditative state, in which the prefrontal cortex (PFC) “shuts down”, leading to the other distinct features of flow, oneness with your environment and a time warp if you will. Oneness can be experienced on your favorite mountain, when snow is fresh and fluffy. If you have ever “surfed” on powder days, you’ll sometimes hit this moment where you are flowy with the snow instead of making conscious decisions. You feel the air different, smell of the trees different, even the sounds around you seem different. To use a “micro-flow” example, we have all been there when you’re driving and seem to “zone-out” and all of sudden you’re at work. You don’t really remember driving per se but there you are in the parking lot wondering what just happened.
We will continue to go through history with instances of flow popping up in philosophy, psychology, and famous examples from sport. If you want to read Part 1: Flow State Through the Ages, click the link.
1844-1900
Friedrich Nietzsche, a philosopher, world renown for his works Beyond Good and Evil, The Birth of Tragedy, and Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Usually associated with existentialism – a philosophical movement that focuses on the human experience and the freedom of choice – he wrote about Ubermensch, a being who is able to completely affirm life and become who they truly are. Combine that with ideas from his works called Will to Power, a trait he saw as part of our biology, a need to overcome the self. He used the term “Rausch, the great stimulus of life”. He didn’t know at the time, but later Rausch will be changed to the term we now know as flow.
1908-1970
“The emotional reaction in the peak experience has a special flavour of wonder, of awe, of reverence, of humility and surrender before the experience as before something great”. — Abraham Maslow
Abraham Maslow, a brilliant psychologist came up with Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, in which one must meet the basic needs of life in order to reach the peak, self-actualization or self-discovery. This discovery is the realisation of the highest level of personal identity, is part discovery and part creativity. He continues with his 16 Aspects of Peak Experience in which our “Father of Flow”, Mihaly, builds upon later. For a great synthesis of these aspects read this article by Larry G. Maguire, Peak Experience: Maslow’s 16 Aspects of Superior Performance
1972
Bobby Fischer’s performance in the 1972 World Chess Championship against Boris Spassky is a legendary example of flow in the world of intellectual pursuits. Known for his single-minded dedication to chess, Fischer often reached a state of total immersion during matches. In the final game of the tournament, Fischer played with such focus and clarity that even Spassky applauded him for his brilliance. His ability to stay fully focused on each move while anticipating his opponent’s strategy comes from a masterful understanding of the game, but also his ability to channel flow. In a similar situation but later date, Josh Waitzkin, another Chess prodigy, wrote a book about his experiences with learning and flow in a book called The Art of Learning, which I highly recommend.
1988
Ayrton Senna, one of Formula 1’s most iconic drivers, often spoke of entering a flow state during races. His most famous example came during the 1988 Monaco Grand Prix, where Senna pushed his car to the absolute limit. He later described the experience as feeling as though he was “driving in another dimension,” where he was completely in sync with the car and the track. Here is a great article that describes this event. There is also an hour long interview with Senna in which he describes what drivers describe as “The Limit”. The limit is something you have to find on the track, either push it or under it, when you find that you can push it, this is when drivers enter flow.
1990
In 1990, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi published his book Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. He began his study in 1970, but his curiosity for happiness began after World War II. His family lived in Rome at the time. Once the War was over, he observed pain and suffering from the men around him when they returned. Many lost jobs, homes, and security during the war and Mihaly’s observations led him to wonder what made life worth living.
He stumbled upon a lecture by the famed Carl Jung, who lectured about the psyche of WWII veterans. Mihaly began intrigued with the idea of psychology and moved to the states to pursue the field academically. During his career, he stumbled across many who described a state of full immersion in their work. These encounters became more and more frequent which led to his study of “the optimal experience”. He coined the term flow and defined it 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.” (Steimer, University of Chicago
1997
In 1997, Game 5 of the NBA finals, Michael Jordan produced the infamous “Flu Game”. After becoming incredibly ill, MJ went on to score 38 points and help his team win a pivotal game against the Utah Jazz, which led to them winning the series and becoming the NBA Champions. This whole experience is documented in The Last Dance – Episode 9, and I highly recommend this series.
Thank you!
Of course, there are too many flow state stories to go through, but these are some of the highlights I found while doing research. I’ll be honest, this was a little passion project and it took me down some rabbit holes that I’d never expected to find myself in. For example, I wanted to find a medieval warrior’s account of flow and stumbled upon a diary from 1625, which follows a mercenary and his account of events in the 30 year war. Turns out, it doesn’t have anything about flow but it was still a nifty find.
If you are enjoying the newsletter, feel free to reach out to me at Coachcollins@ego-performance.com if you have any questions or comments you want to discuss.
Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read these newsletters. I have never considered myself a writer, but have found a simple pleasure by just putting my thoughts into words. I hope to spread a little more knowledge, thought, and curiosity into the world.
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