Flow An Altered State of Consciousness

1. FlowAn Altered State of Consciousness? Presented by: Liana Ma Casey Armstrong Jessica Shindo

2. Introduction Review of Research Neural Bases of Flow Flow as an ASC Significance Outline of Presentation

3. 1. Introduction �Flow� coined by a psychologist in 1975 Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi Positive aspects of human experience joy creativity the process of total involvement with life Order in consciousness �me-high chick-SENT-me-high��me-high chick-SENT-me-high�

4. M. Csikszentmihalyi (1990) Athletics �being in the zone� Religion �ecstasy,� perhaps nirvana Art, Music �aesthetic rapture� Equates attention and psychic energy, since attn determines what will /won�t appear in consciousness and is required to make other mental events (remembering, thinking, feeling, deciding) happen thereEquates attention and psychic energy, since attn determines what will /won�t appear in consciousness and is required to make other mental events (remembering, thinking, feeling, deciding) happen there

5. Components of Flow 9 components #8 as least salient #9 as most salient 9 components #8 as least salient #9 as most salient

6. 2. Review of Research 1975 - original research and theoretical model M. Csikszentmihalyi Currently studied by Psychologists interested in happiness Anthropologists interested in evolution Sociologists interested in contrast to anomie Methods Interviews, surveys, introspection Jackson�s Flow State Scale (FSS) Multi-method, quantitative, qualitative For sports and physical activity Self-rate frequency of components on scale of 1-5 P249 FSS has 36 items that measures 9 first-order correlated factors/dimensions of flow and 1 second-order factor of �global flow� (meas�d using Rasch analysis that gauges the extent to which each item in a test taps an underlying latent trait - confirms validity and generalizability of FSS)P249 FSS has 36 items that measures 9 first-order correlated factors/dimensions of flow and 1 second-order factor of �global flow� (meas�d using Rasch analysis that gauges the extent to which each item in a test taps an underlying latent trait - confirms validity and generalizability of FSS)

7. 2. Review of Research Examples of studies Intrinsic motivation R. deCharms, 1968, 1976 Flow experience in elite athletes S. Jackson, 1996 Flow experience and music education L. Custodero, 2002 Flow and Dissociation - Emotional well-being in sports and recreational and pathological gambling B. Wanner et al., 2006 Educational, clinical and commercial applications policy reviews, sports journals, art and music magazines, anthropological sources 1, �origins� owned their behavior, �pawns� pushed around by outside forces 2.Generally supports C�s model of flow but says there is more variation in flow experiences than model conveys - led to more specified list and description of components of flow 3. Reading cues that kids provide about how they seek challenge and find skill (flow) and incorporating them into music education supports creation in musical learning 4, Thus, only addicted individuals such as pathological gamblers are posited to *experience a blurring of reality or trance- like states, out-of-body feeling, amnesia or blackouts, and positively altered self-per- ceptions of being a successful and popular person. In fact, Jacobs (1989) believes that *... it is the intent to achieve and act out an altered state of identity that distinguishes the ?true addict? from the superficially similar excesses of the abuser. Study of flow is fairly recent, which shows in the limited resources we have on neural bases of flow. 1, �origins� owned their behavior, �pawns� pushed around by outside forces 2.Generally supports C�s model of flow but says there is more variation in flow experiences than model conveys - led to more specified list and description of components of flow 3. Reading cues that kids provide about how they seek challenge and find skill (flow) and incorporating them into music education supports creation in musical learning 4, Thus, only addicted individuals such as pathological gamblers are posited to *experience a blurring of reality or trance- like states, out-of-body feeling, amnesia or blackouts, and positively altered self-per- ceptions of being a successful and popular person. In fact, Jacobs (1989) believes that *... it is the intent to achieve and act out an altered state of identity that distinguishes the ?true addict? from the superficially similar excesses of the abuser. Study of flow is fairly recent, which shows in the limited resources we have on neural bases of flow.

8. Structures of:brain stem hypothalamus somatosensory cortices  Damasio Neurotransmitters: Serotonin Dopamine

9. Brain Activation Activation of the right superior temporal gyrus Associated with intuitive leaps and sudden insight. All neuronal resources are focused on sensory cortex (occipital, temporal) self-related areas are inactive.

10. Cortical Inactivation Feeling of losing oneself Inactivation of cortical areas Medial PFC, dorsolateral PFC, anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, inferior parietal cortex Rapid sensorimotor task abolishes subjective self-awareness experience

11. Hamilton Study Participants who had and had not regularly experienced flow participated in a flashing stimulus task Had not experienced regular flow: cortical activation high above baseline during stimulus Had experienced regular flow: activation decreased when concentrating investment of attention decreased mental effort More accurate in sustained attentional task reduced mental activity in every channel except the one involved in concentrating on flashing stimuli, flexibility of attention

12. Alpha Waves Elevated alpha-wave levels in the brain Can retain cognitive consciousness for far longer Gamma-aminobutyric acid produced neurotransmitter that blocks unwanted stimuli

13. DA Release Shifting attention causes release of DA into midbrain High and sustained levels of DA cause feelings of pleasure and elation DA release high with rapid onset conscious state of pleasure or �high� is reported.

14. 4. Flow as an ACS Flow State or Flow Experience Is the pleasure just a side effect of flow? Enjoyable by definition, but also other dimensions (Jackson) Is it the same as a peak experience? (Jackson) Or, is it an emotional state? Akin to a �state of rage� or something like that. (Damasio) A state of emotions that has �important repercussions on the way your cognitive apparatus operates.�

15. Losing Your Self Brain shuts down introspection as it enters flow state. (Goldberg 2006) Consciousness as a �dialogue between specific self-related prefontal regions and sensory cortex.� (Baars et. al) (Crick & Koch; 2003) Front of the brain has a �homunculus� like function where it observes the sensory back of the brain So are you losing consciousness? Entering another state?So are you losing consciousness? Entering another state?

16. Flow vs� Biofeedback: More control and conscious effort Action and awareness are separate Meditation Is generally induced, as opposed to spontaneous Separation of Self from Body: Dissociation Hypnosis Similar loss of control and �consciousness� but different controller. Displacement of Self: the Hidden observer

17. Being �in the zone� It can happen ANYWHERE to ANYONE - no training. But, it happens the easiest (and generally most studied in sports.

18. 5. Significance M. Csikszentmihalyi �Emotions are in some respect the most subjective elements of consciousness, since it is only the person himself or herself who can tell whether he or she truly experiences love, shame, gratitude, or happiness. Yet an emotion is also the most objective content of the mind, because the �gut feeling� we experience when we are in love, or ashamed, or scared, or happy, is generally more real to us than what we observe in the world outside, or whatever we learn from science or logic.� �Thus we often find ourselves in the paradoxical position of being like behavioral psychologists when we look at other people, discounting what they say and trusting only what they do; whereas when we look at ourselves we are like phenomenologist, taking our inner feelings more seriously than outside events or overt actions.� Failure to study group (distributed cognition)� failure to study self (consciousness)??Failure to study group (distributed cognition)� failure to study self (consciousness)??

19. Discussion

20. The approach Do self-reports of internal states (a.k.a. �introspective behaviorism�) lack scientific validity? Is it too fleeting to study, or do some individuals chronically experience flow (as in the case of studying d�j� vu)? M. Csikszentmihalyi says we should represent consciousness as phenomenological (dealing directly with events/phenomena) as we experience and interpret them, rather than focusing on the anatomical structures, neurochemical processes, or unconscious purposes that make the events possible Lesions, pathology vs. positive aspects 5. Significance

21. Sources \\

22. Sources Cont. Hunter, Jeremy & Csikszentmihalyl, Mihaly. �The Phenomenology of Body-Mind: The Contrasting Cases of Flow in Sports and Contemplation.� Anthropology of Consciousness. Sept/Dec 2000, Vol. 11, no. 3-4, pp 5-24. Goldberg, Iian & Harel & Malach. �When the Brain Loses Its Self: Prefrontal Inactivation During Sensorimotor Processing.� Neuron. April 20, 2006, Vol. 50, pp 329-339. Jackson, Susan A. �Toward a conceptual understanding on the flow experience in elite athletes� Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. Vol. 67, No. 1, pp 78-90.

23. Csikszentmihalyi, Mihalyi. Flow. New York: Harper & Row, 1990. Goldberg, IIan I., Harel, Michal., Malach, Rafael. � When the Brain Loses Its self: Prefrontal Inactivation During Sensorimotor Processing.� Neuron 50. (2006) : 329-339. Damasio, Antonio. Personal Interview. 2000.