More on Flow

Introduction
It is the mental state of focused attention that
"...is so intense that it does not allow us to have cognitive bandwidth left for anything else. It is a state of such profound task-absorption and intense concentration that makes a person feel one with the activity..."
Beata Souders, 2019

To get optimal performance requires entering the state of Flow frequently and deliberately
"...describe the feeling of competence and control, a loss of self-consciousness, and such intense absorption into the task at hand that they would lose track of time..."
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi as quoted by Beata Souders, 2019

It is an optional state of being that brings order to consciousness.

Flow is tied to your biology
"...a unique cocktail of performance-enhancing neurochemicals that include norepinepgrine, dopamine, anandamide, serotonin, and endorphins surge through our brain and are amplified by Theta and Gamma brain waves. These highly addictive, feel-good chemicals fuel intrinsic motivation and tighten our focus and pattern recognition. be processed more information from different areas of the brain and link it faster. The mental state of flow also promotes intuition as we access vivid imagery and information beyond their normal conscious awareness..."
Beata Souders, 2019

These 5 neurochemicals are performance enhancing and 'feel-good' drugs; they can act like addictive drugs, ie people want more of it.
Flow is the source of intrinsic motivation and allows better tagging of information for storage and greater retention from short to long-term memory which is important for learning, creativity and lateral thinking.
"...we also choose inward and while our pre-frontal cortex is turned off, our perception of time becomes distorted. Essentially, our normal external focused and relatively slow cognitive functions are replaced by energy-efficient and faster subconscious processing that allows for heightened attention and awareness..."
Steven Kotler s quoted by Beata Souders, 2019
"...flow allows us to experience a sense of selflessness and we realised that we hear no inner voice. During those peak moments, we also withdraw from the external world and often our anxiety is neutralised. Whatever we are doing at this moment feels effortless. The biggest benefit of being in flow is that it amplifies performance..."
Beata Souders, 2019

NB
"...Flow can reduce the time to develop mastery by 50%..."
Steven Kotler s quoted by Beata Souders, 2019