The Mind Illuminated: A Complete Meditation Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science

by Culadasa (John Yates)

The Seven Conditions for Achieving Flow According to Csikszentmihalyi, for an activity to potentially lead to a state of flow, it must meet the following conditions: The activity is performed as an end in itself, not for any other purpose. The goals of the activity are clear, and the feedback you get from it is immediate. The most important thing about that feedback is the symbolic message it contains: I have succeeded in my goal.* The activity is neither taxingly difficult, nor too easy. The challenge of the task is perfectly balanced with the person’s abilities. The activity requires complete focus of attention, allowing only a very select range of information into awareness, and leaving no room in the mind for anything else. All troubling or irrelevant thoughts are kept entirely at bay. Then, for that activity to actually transform into a flow state, these further conditions must arise: The activity becomes spontaneous, almost automatic, and there is no sense of a self apart from the activity. A feeling of effortlessness arises, even though continuous skilled performance is required. Everything happens seamlessly, as if by magic. There is a sense of successfully exercising control—which is not the same as feeling like “you” are in control. * Intention is followed by action, the outcome gets a positive evaluation, and feelings of pleasure and satisfaction reinforce the continued repetition of intention and action. This process creates a sense of order in conscious experi...