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'Flow' Activities

MacGuffin

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When one is unfamiliar with ecstasy, as you are MacGuffin, ecstasy will appear out of the ordinary - it will appear extraordinary.

But consider, you enter the hyonogogic trance twice a day as you fall asleep and as you awake. But you take it entirely for granted. You take it so much for granted, it has become invisible.

And I am sure you enter many other trances during the day, but they are invisible to you.

So when a trance finally becomes visible to you, you call it ecstasy. And of course it is not the slightest bit mundane to you, because it is so unfamiliar.

Yes, that's what I'm getting at. It is very unfamiliar. It does not just happen to me, and even when I try for it I often fail.
 

Polaris

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I would like to say writing, but the muse is not home very often, so it's more of a conscious effort. I find flow states more common when simply listening to music, which usually puts me on a creative train of thought. I'm almost always in a flow state while I philosophize, but that's because I normally wait for inspiration to strike.
 

nightning

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Nothing = flow.

I've noticed a curious pattern... It is mostly the Ps that indicate they experience one-ness with something. The only J indicate one-ness with another individual. In other words, not the environment or the activity.

It seems like the INXJ views the self as being apart from the environment... ethnocentrism (not in a bad way)... just that we focus on ourselves as we interact with the environment rather than focusing on the environment and seeing self merge with it.

An interesting question would be how EJs view the world and "flow". :)
 

Mole

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Yes, that's what I'm getting at. It is very unfamiliar. It does not just happen to me, and even when I try for it I often fail.

There may be good reason why you fail.

For instance, your unconscious may be protecting you from a previous trauma.

Failing for you may be very important. Failing may be your royal road into your unconscious.

So cherish your failure.

Speak to your failure tenderly as you would speak to a child you loved.

How lucky you are to have your unconscious speak to you in such a clear and definite way. How lucky you are that your unconscious is looking after you so well and has brought you all the way to us in safety.

So how natural for you to care for your unconscious in turn. And listen as a warm and tender parent listens to a loving child.
 

MacGuffin

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There may be good reason why you fail.

For instance, your unconscious may be protecting you from a previous trauma.

Failing for you may be very important. Failing may be your royal road into your unconscious.

So cherish your failure.

Speak to your failure tenderly as you would speak to a child you loved.

How lucky you are to have your unconscious speak to you in such a clear and definite way. How lucky you are that your unconscious is looking after you so well and has brought you all the way to us in safety.

So how natural for you to care for your unconscious in turn. And listen as a warm and tender parent listens to a loving child.

Eh, no. No trauma.
 

Mole

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Eh, no. No trauma.

Well then, perhaps you are being protected from unfamiliarity. Every animal fears the unknown and we are no different.

Of couse when you enter a flow acitivity you put your critical mind aside for a while. This does leave you vulnerable in the flow activity.

So to engage in a flow activity it is necessary to be in a safe environment.

And this is the job for your critical mind.

The job of your critical mind is to find a safe environment for you to experience flow.

In such an environment you don't have to try to experience flow - all you need to do is listen.
 

wolfy

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Flow is the perfect balance between your skills and the challenge at hand.
You can create flow even in the most mundane of activities. I've experienced flow washing the dishes. Most often I experience it in the gym.
Where you have too much skill you increase the challenge.
Where there is too much of a challenge you improve your skill.

Just like in a well constructed game.

FlowBase.gif
 

nightning

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Engagement is flow? It doesn't feel like it for me...
 

MacGuffin

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Flow is the perfect balance between your skills and the challenge at hand.
You can create flow even in the most mundane of activities. I've experienced flow washing the dishes. Most often I experience it in the gym.

I've lost myself in routine tasks, but I don't call it flow. I'm usually not present in the moment. I'm off thinking about something.
 
B

beyondaurora

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Flow is the perfect balance between your skills and the challenge at hand.
You can create flow even in the most mundane of activities. I've experienced flow washing the dishes. Most often I experience it in the gym.
Where there you have too much skill you increase the challenge.
Where there is too much of a challenge you improve your skill.

Just like in a well constructed game.

FlowBase.gif

Thanks for the helpful graph, wolfy.
 

ygolo

My termites win
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Almost at nothing. I wonder at people who say they achieve it, I find it a very hard state to approach. They are extremely rare moments. Really, you all feel ecstasy? Really?

I have a thread on the subject at INTPc, though it's a bit old and didn't get going like I hoped.

I'm like this now.

There was a time when I could get into a flow state with almost anything I did. But it doesn't happen anymore--I'm too distractable.
 

Mole

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Running


The Aymara view the past in front of them, and the future behind.
When I am running the last mile, and the pain flows from my bones to the air,
I fly into the past
those steps are softened
It is night, but the glistening water dazzles my eyes beneath the sun.

I close my eyes and I am neither moving nor standing still.

-

This is beautiful.

And I am listening to Henryk Górecki as I write to you.

I have joined Last.fm and bought myself a Nano iPod.

So you see, you have a large influence on me.

How lucky we are to have you here.
 
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