We ourselves generate the optimal experience. The best moments of our lives do not come to us in a state of relaxation or passive contemplation. They usually happen when the body and mind are strained to the limit in an effort to achieve something difficult and valuable.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (“Flow. The Psychology of Optimal Experience”, 1990)
If you are an alpine skier, you must have been challenged by some slope. And even if you have already gone down it, you still have not had a chance to dominate him, you felt that in your confrontation it is always he who comes out the winner.
But then you start to marvel at the next attempt, making a rapid downward movement with absolutely no effort. Your actions seem completely automatic, as if everything happens by itself.
You do not notice the passing of time, and every subtle sound becomes more intense - from the crisp touch of snow skis under your feet to your rhythmic breathing.
You are flowing down the slope, and later, perhaps, describe that you have become one with the mountain. All those years of learning and fighting, getting skiing lessons and falling into the snow, finally paid off. You have experienced a state of flow.
Csikszentmihalyi states that Hatha Yoga is one of the best models for describing what happens when psychic energy flows through one channel of consciousness. He's writing:
Flow and yoga have a lot in common. In a sense, yoga can be considered a carefully constructed flow activity. Both flow and yoga are aimed at achieving a state of joy and complete detachment based on concentration, which, in turn, becomes available through the discipline of the body.
Perhaps now it will become clear to you why some people prefer to spend many hours in such strange bodily positions: they achieve a deep flow-like state with a strong sense of inner control and harmony.
Using the flow model to describe spiritual practices such as yoga can help explain why people who participate in these practices appear calm and happy.
It should be noted that the flow can be achieved by many other activities that do not require such a major commitment. The state of flow can be achieved while skiing, fishing, playing the guitar, cooking, reading, socializing, and even eating.
And although the final state for Yoga is the liberation from oneself, the loss of one's "I", the purpose of the flow, according to Csikszentmihalyi, is the development of one's personality, the formation of a stronger "I".
The psychologist argues that the development of personality is an opportunity to free a person from the power of nature.
Thus, the state of flow is a way of overcoming the "natural" state of mind, which is chaos or "psychic entropy".
One of the main forces adversely affecting consciousness is the so-called mental disorder - information that comes into conflict with existing intentions and distracts us from their implementation. We call these situations different words depending on what we are experiencing: pain, fear, rage, anxiety, or jealousy. All these types of disorder cause attention to divert to unwanted objects, depriving us of the freedom to use it as we please. Psychic energy loses mobility and becomes ineffective.
Psychic entropy is clearly manifested in those moments when we are left alone with ourselves and are not busy with anything. The head begins to visit different, not the most pleasant thoughts.
Flow State and Pleasure
Another consequence of the notion of flow is a confirmation of the view of the Greek philosopher Aristotle that happiness should not be equated with pleasure.
While pleasurable experiences tend to be passive states such as watching TV or enjoying a massage, flow is an active state that is completely under the control of the individual.
The ease achieved in the state of flow is the result of maximum concentration and purposeful action.
In fact, flow experiences often consist of painful bodily sensations, such as when an athlete goes beyond their usual limits in order to win.
Despite the pain, these moments are often remembered by people as some of the best of their lives.
Flow state: simple about complex
The flow state is an interesting phenomenon to add to your arsenal.
You must have experienced flow when you took part in sports. Even if your head was filled with unpleasant thoughts the day before, after the start of the competition you forgot about everything superfluous and completely immersed yourself in the action.
And if it is not difficult to experience the optimal experience during active physical exertion, then how to “get” into the state of flow in other situations that do not involve physical activity?
The flow, rather, should be learned not by acquiring new knowledge, but by eliminating existing filters that block direct access to reality (surrounding reality).
These filters are various patterns and stereotypes of thinking, labels, habitual behavior dictated by culture and society.
In addition, you should not just discard attitudes such as “What will people think”, “But it’s not supposed to be like that”, “What if I fail.”
You need to be here and now. You must directly experience reality, be in life, not in your thoughts. You should be as conscious and concentrated as possible.
Let's take an example.
How to meet girls in a state of flow
So, suppose it's summer outside and today is Saturday. Finally, you have a day off, and you decide. To be more precise, with the girls.
You slept well, waited for the evening, but before you leave the house, you remember what conditions are necessary for the state of the flow, and you should start by setting clear goals for your actions.
→ Clear goals at every stage of the process
We set strategic goals: and win them over (cause in them a sense of trust and comfort). These are those exceptional and sufficient goals that should be in your head in order to enjoy the process, but not become dependent on the result.
If communication with a girl develops mutually pleasantly, you should transfer the acquaintance to a different plane, namely, or subsequently exchange phone numbers. Everything is simple. Well, you should go outside.
And here it is, the street, the field of your fighting. The goals are extremely clear and transparent, so we shift our focus from them and focus on the process.
→ Full immersion in action
You should get to some park, for example, by public transport, so you follow to a stop.
Along the way, you don’t think about dating, how you will do it, what you will say to the girl. You just walk with a measured step, straightening your back, smiling and enjoying the beautiful summer weather.
You don’t think at all, but instead you contemplate nature, breathe in the warm evening air, look ahead and around, observing the surrounding reality called life.
A cool car drove by, but you do not give this event a value judgment. You simply switch your attention first to the car and then to another object.
→ Distractions are eliminated from consciousness
You have arrived at the place. Trees spread before your eyes, you observe a fountain and a sufficient number of people who are mostly in a relaxed state.
You are approaching the whirlpool of events and become part of the Sabbath evening, which will begin here.
You walk around and try to see a girl you like. Here she is, sitting on a bench, but she’s not the only one so pretty here, excellent.
But another goal has already been set, and you exclude all the people in this park from your reality, they don’t exist, only your potential acquaintance exists. You don't care what people think of you, because all that's left is the trees, the fountain, and the girl.
→ Action and consciousness merge into a single whole
The choice of the target occurs automatically, you do not start an internal dialogue with yourself: “She, not she”, “Come or not”, I saw and go ahead. Yes, boy, you go to her to do a stuffing.
→ Self-awareness disappears
You absolutely do not care what the girl thinks about you, how she reacts to your approach, because you are not. There is only action in which you are absorbed.
→ Activity becomes an end in itself
And so you, having told her “Hello!”, entered into communication. You don't care about the end goal, but enjoy the process. It's always damn nice to have a dialogue with a beautiful girl, so you've already won, well done.
Even if something didn’t work out, don’t give a damn. In any case, you improve your skills, learn new things and become better. From this you experience only delight.
→ Immediate feedback on actions taken
Thanks to the unity of action and consciousness, you are easily with a girl. Each new phrase becomes a continuation of the previous one, you are like a speech machine that fires word by word as if without your participation.
But if an unusual situation arises, it does not seem like such to you, because your actions are automatically corrected, and you are constantly “in the know”.
→ Feeling in complete control of the process
You get the feeling that you are Superman, or at least Batman. You are in complete control of the communication process, you are like a conductor, you are the process. You experience sincere joy, and the state of the flow is transferred to your interlocutor.
This feeling cannot be described in words. Being aware of the smile on your face, you feel that you are part of the universe, you are the universe.
→ Tell yourself stop
There may come a time when you should stop enjoying the process, or rather direct it in a different direction, because this way you can miss the ultimate goal.
Perhaps the girl already wants to hide from all the people around you. Maybe she had a burning desire to take a walk along the embankment or visit a quiet courtyard located on another street, where you can be alone and exchange not only phone numbers.
Yes. It was a good day.
He enters a trance in order to plunge into his subconscious, solve life problems, deal with problems or correct his own. This is a natural state of the body, into which a person often enters unconsciously for a short time. The trance state is the key to self-development, self-knowledge, self-improvement and self-healing. Often in this state, a person discovers previously unknown abilities in himself, makes high-profile discoveries, writes world-famous works.
Why are trance states useful?
What is the benefit of entering into a change in the state of consciousness (ASC) and for what purpose can it be applied in practice?
- Increase in internal energy is a guarantee of good health, great working capacity, reducing the likelihood of diseases and attracting success in life. People are drawn to a cheerful, full of energy person much more than to someone who does not succeed. People with a strong biofield are not hurt on the streets, they are not subjected to hypnosis, "evil eyes" or attacks by "energy vampires". Trance heals human bioenergetics.
- Self-diagnosis of diseases- check the state of the biofield and, if necessary, correct possible gaps or spots. You can easily determine the cause of the disease, which in a conscious state is difficult to guess, remove and ailments.
- Self-healing through visualization- at the subconscious level, you can form an image for the healing of diseases, using the visualization of the necessary medicine.
- Annealing disease during trance- a fairly effective method of cleansing the body with an imaginary fire in the form of a candle or a fire. To do this, in the state of ASC, it is necessary to imagine the process of burning clots of the disease by any kind of fire.
- Adjustment of relationships with people when in real life it is difficult to find a common language or understand the motives of their actions. Often trance is used as a manipulation of a person.
- Correction of the figure and appearance, giving instructions to the subconscious about certain changes in oneself.
- Solving life's failures associated with events from the distant past. The trance state helps to identify and eliminate the causes of problems.
- Self-hypnosis. Affirmations in trance are positive, clearly formulated phrases that act directly on the subconscious, have great power to suggest positive thoughts to a person.
- Creativity under the influence of trance- has tremendous success with many of the greatest composers, poets, writers, artists, etc. The list of great people who worked in a state of trance includes Goethe, Voltaire, Mozart, Dante, Wagner, Einstein, Pushkin, Edgar Allan Poe and many others .
Did you know? In Lelystad, Holland, secondary school students go into a state of meditative trance twice a day. This practice leads to excellent academic performance of children, their calmness and perseverance.
How to prepare?
How to enter a trance state for a beginner on their own, the first time, and whether any preparation is needed is an important issue for people who have decided to use entering the ASC to solve certain life issues. 
First of all, you need to create a calm atmosphere, complete all current affairs, turn off the telephone, make sure that there are no irritation and distraction factors in the room where the process will take place - extraneous odors or noises, excessive heat or bright light, etc. .
Important! It is important to create an atmosphere of calm and be able to relax as much as possible. The best option for entering a trance state is the time immediately after or immediately before it.
Entry Techniques
There are a huge number of ways and techniques on how to enter a meditative trance at home. The most optimal way is an independent change in state, without the use of psychostimulants.
meditation music
After preparing to enter a trance, making sure that there are no irritating factors in the room, you need to turn on the subdued light and put the meditative-trance music on a low volume. 
Then, having taken the most comfortable position, you need to relax as if it is preparing for ko. However, the mind must be awake.
You need to close your eyes and fully focus on, relaxing the body as much as possible. Pleasant ones will gradually contribute to entry into the ASC.
Did you know? According to research by the Tom Baker Cancer Center in Calgary, Canada, cancer patients who practice entering a meditative trance are more stress resistant than other patients.
This technique was used in rituals by shamans. For it, you will need either a shaman tambourine or African tom-toms. The rest of the technique is similar to the previous one. 
You need to lie down, relax and listen to the rhythm of the instruments. and the sounds of a tambourine will contribute to a change in the state of consciousness.
stimming
Stimming - repetitive body movements aimed at getting sensory feelings and diverting attention from stress and emotional tension.
To use this technique, it is necessary to stimulate a certain part of the body with light movements of the fingertips, for example. 
First, there is relaxation and inner calm, and then a complete immersion in a trance follows. Another type of such entry into an altered consciousness is swaying. You can monotonously swing on the floor or on a chair until the desired state is reached.
With no extra help
After obtaining certain skills on how to enter a trance on your own with the help of any special actions, when the principle of this action becomes clear and accessible, you can proceed to the stage of achieving a state without preparation.
To do this, you need to defocus your eyes as much as possible, relax and concentrate on the ajna chakra - a point in the center of the forehead. Breathing should be slow and calm.
Important! With practice and understanding of the principle of how to put yourself in a trance, this process can be done almost anywhere and at any time..
How to get out?
You need to come out of the trance gradually, as if rising from a great depth. Coming out of the ASC into the state of awakening, a person needs time to realize his real location, to adapt the body and mind to the natural daily functioning. 
You can slowly count from 10 to 1, you can concentrate on your breath, or just smoothly exit “from the inside”. Once opened, you can stretch and stand up. After a few minutes, you can start your daily activities.
If the process of entering a trance occurs immediately before going to bed, it will simply be followed by a calm and deep immersion in. This method is great for getting rid of.
Is there any harm?
Despite the fact that people who practice meditation trance do not find negative aspects in this process, and there are much more sources about the benefits of such practices than about their harm, nevertheless, the opinion of skeptics must be taken into account. 
It would be correct to say that such states are the path to enlightenment, but there are some limitations and side effects if the technique is used incorrectly.
Arbitrary immersion in a trance and control of one's own consciousness is a useful working tool for human life to achieve enlightenment and the ability to deal with many, at first glance, insurmountable difficulties.
Flow is a state in which tasks force you to give all the best, but at the same time do not deprive you of motivation. Time seems to slow down, we easily abstract from everything that used to distract us. Three simple steps will help you get in.
1. Identify what distracts you
Household? Look for other places to work: a co-working space or a library. If you feel uncomfortable in an open space with high ceilings, then the university library is not for you. Social media distraction? Turn off internet.
2. Have fun
This is a clear sign that you are in the flow. Over the weekend, plan to work on projects that are very interesting to you. The goal is to get maximum enjoyment. If you start to lose concentration, turn on the music, spin the spinner, do breathing exercises. Check out options that help you focus.
3. Make a list of tricks that help you concentrate
It is necessary to form a relationship between the state of concentration, the use of a particular technique and the completion of a task. These practices should become a habit. When you find yourself in a distracting environment, you can use these techniques to enter a state of flow. Perhaps the method will be simple: for example, do breathing exercises and listen to your favorite song.
Smells and memories
The sense of smell strongly affects memory and emotions. Choose oils, herbs, or scented candles to associate their scent with the state of the flow. When you notice that you are fully concentrated, inhale the scent of juniper, lavender, or whatever. Do it regularly. This will create a link between smell and the set to be productive.
Music and mood
Music also actively influences emotions and motivation. Fast tempos improve concentration and increase productivity, slow soothing melodies help you relax.
Sports
Physical activity sets the brain to focus. Exercise increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein essential for memory and learning, reduces anxiety, improves short-term memory, and improves hormonal balance. Even a little physical activity has a positive effect on the chemical processes in the brain.
Getting into a state of flow takes practice. A skill needs to be developed like any other. It's easier to stay focused when you're doing what you enjoy. The more often you do things you love and stay in a state of flow, the easier it will be for you to enter it when you need it.
It can be difficult for a modern person to focus on work or study. The Internet, the presence of a mobile phone with instant messengers, not to mention intrusive colleagues - all this does not contribute to focused and efficient work. In modern psychology, there is such a thing as a “flow state”.
What is a flow state?
Thread state This is a state where a person is fully involved in his work. In this state, a person is maximally concentrated, not distracted, and so engrossed in activity that he does not notice how an hour or two can pass.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi- An American psychologist became known for his book and ideas about the "Flow". The book is called Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Flow It is a state of complete involvement in the current activity. According to the psychologist, the task that a person is working on must be difficult enough for him so that the person has an interest in working further with such high involvement. In the flow state, a person's attention is maximized, as well as high motivation for action, and the environment is also well suited for the chosen task.
Enemies of the flow state
It is human nature to be easily distracted. And the environment of the business world only contributes to this. Therefore, being in a flow state is not always easy.
The state of flow is the complete opposite of our natural chaos in the head, when thoughts wander randomly and aimlessly.
Having studied the mass of business literature on applied psychology (Willpower, Charisma and others), I would single out the following enemies of the flow state:
- hunger, fatigue, lack of sleep (anything that suppresses willpower);
- lack of a clear goal;
- tasks that are too easy (an easy task does not arouse interest);
- distracting factors;
- physical or psychological discomfort;
8 flow state elements
- The feasibility of the task. Too difficult a task can, on the contrary, demotivate a person. And vice versa - too simple a task will not kindle a fire in a person. Flow occurs somewhere between a boring task and a task that induces a certain (but not excessive!) fear of failure.
- Focusing attention. Eliminate all possible distractions. Turn off the sound on your mobile phone, ask colleagues not to disturb you at certain hours. Develop willpower through meditation and sports. Concentration of attention is the key not only to the state of flow, but in general.
- Well-defined goals. Difficulty focusing on an indistinct task. Therefore, when ordering a programmer, it is so important to paint everything to the smallest detail - this largely determines the quality and speed of obtaining the result.
- Fast feedback. When a person feels and sees the results of his work in the form of feedback here and now, this increases the motivation to work.
- Great passion for the task and interest. When a person is engaged in a really interesting task for him, he forgets about everyday worries and some problems. If the task is not interesting, then such enthusiasm is not to be expected.
- Feeling in control of your work. People experience the most stress when they don’t feel they can influence a situation. Conversely, if a person feels in control of his work, then he tends to work with full dedication. That is why it is useful to give employees some freedom of action and refrain from tedious micromanaging.
- The person gets involved in the work who forgets himself. In psychology, this is called "self-awareness." But after completing the work in a state of flow, the feeling of one's Self becomes stronger.
- The sense of time is changing. A few minutes can feel like hours and at the same time, hours go by as quickly as minutes.
Proper goal setting
We have already written about what has a rather bad effect on both the feeling and the results of the work. And vice versa - competent goal setting gives a person inspiration and motivation to work.
There are different criteria for setting goals. According to flow theory criteria, the following components are important:
- Prioritization. Highlight the top priority and all related related tasks.
- Develop metrics to measure results. We are talking about KPI (Key Performance Indicators).
- Maximum concentration at work, focusing attention;
- Make it harder when she starts to get bored. This will help maintain a sufficient level of engagement.
These criteria are largely consistent with many other goal setting theories. For example, with the goal-setting criteria S. M. A. R. T.
Many are interested in how to enter a trance, because trance helps to cope with stress and get the necessary good rest. In addition, trance is recognized as a healing altered state of consciousness.
Why go into a trance state?
To obtain mystical visions and the necessary paranormal information, as well as reprogramming their own state, ancient yogis and mystics used an altered state of consciousness or trance¹. At the same time, a person concentrates his consciousness to the utmost and goes “inside himself”.
Trance is a delightfully blissful state of relaxation, like immersing yourself in a pleasantly warm physical/mental bath or mineral spring. In an altered state of consciousness, you can reprogram your subconscious mind² so that it does not hinder the process of self-development and personal growth.
How to enter a trance?
Technique
1. Lie down on a hard surface or bed.
2. Do not use pillows to keep your back straight.
3. You can also sit in a comfortable chair.
4. Loosen tight clothing.
5. Relax completely!
Stage 1
1. Being in a comfortable relaxed position, you need to start monitoring your breathing.
2. Do not control the process of breathing, but simply monitor it.
3. On the inhale, repeat CO-O-O-O, and on the exhale HAM-M-M-M.
4. Gradually following the breath, feel that it happens by itself and there is no more need to say SO-HAM to yourself.
5. This means that you are in the first stage of a trance. Thoughts and worries at this stage should disappear.
Stage 2
1. Now, while continuing to breathe in your natural rhythm, even the slightest movements of the body and muscular muscles must be stopped by the efforts of the will.
2. Start the relaxation phase.
3. Starting from the head, face and neck muscles, gradually reach the feet, relaxing each muscle. Pass each individual muscle with your attention and mentally say: “my eyelids relax, relax, my eyes relax, relax, my shoulders relax, relax, etc.”
4. So mentally go through the whole body from head to toe and relax.
5. Repeat the process three or four times. Go through the body again and again until you feel numbness and insensibility of the whole body.
6. There may be a feeling of falling into an abyss.
If this state has come, then you are relaxed enough to move to the next step.
Step 3
1. When the breath is balanced and the body is sufficiently relaxed, you need to repeat to yourself, Ommmmm, while counting: Om one, Om two, Om three, and so on ...
2. When the mind is settled in the attentive repetition of the mantra and any thoughts disappear, this means that you have moved to the third stage of trance.
Step 4
1. On the fourth step, one should continue to repeat the mystical formula of Om, and at the same time it is necessary to clearly imagine a shining solar disk in the area between the eyebrows.
2. Repeating the OM formula, visualize a bright solar disk, look at it until a clear image of the sun appears, as if you saw it in reality.
3. It may seem quite difficult at first, but with practice, everything will work out. Daily workouts before bed can greatly speed up this process.
How to use the trance state?
When the fourth step is reached, you can imagine any person or object in the place of the Sun, and replace the formula with a question that interests you. Concentrating in this way, you will receive a response in the form of a sound, words or image. This technique is applicable to any research and questions. The subconscious knows everything!
Notes and feature articles for a deeper understanding of the material
¹ Trance is a series of altered states of consciousness (ASS), as well as a functional state of the psyche that connects and mediates the conscious and unconscious mental functioning of a person, in which, according to some cognitivist-oriented interpretations, the degree of conscious participation in information processing changes (
