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Creativity Tip 35 – How to achieve a state of flow

Last weeks newsletter described the components of the flow state as described by Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi. One of the goals of being in a flow state is to stop the process of conditioned thinking – a letting go of what already ‘is’ - which is an important part of becoming more creative. There are a number of descriptions of this state including one by Carlos Castaneda who called it “stop the world “.

This week the we look at how to activate the state for yourself.

In their book Turtles All The Way Down – Prerequisites to Personal Genius Judith DeLozier and John Grinder tell us that there are two minimum requirements to achieve this state. The first is “turning off internal dialogue”. Carlos Castaneda says: “when a warrior learns to stop the internal dialogue, everything becomes possible; the most far-fetched schemes become attainable.” The second is no foveal vision (see below). Using peripheral (instead of foveal) vision enables approximately 10,000 times the amount of visual information to be accessible to you. A third requirement, important for people who haven’t entering the state before, is the ability to leave the state when necessary.  It is best to practise achieving a flow state with a friend, colleague or coach until you are proficient at entering and leaving the state as you wish. Here is more on the two minimum requirements:

1. Turning off internal dialogue

Internal dialogue is the NLP term for the voice(s) people use to speak to themselves. Internal dialogue is often out of consciousness, but as you start to become more aware of it, it becomes much easier to hear it consciously. In some eastern traditions, internal dialogue is referred to as ‘the chattering monkey’, and years of practice are spent in meditation with the aim of getting the monkey to stop chattering (among other things). The reason for this is that they believe that internal dialogue can be a barrier to clear perception and enlightenment.

From an NLP perspective, internal dialogue is often the channel people use to ‘beat themselves up’, reinforce limiting beliefs and generally stop themselves having more fun in their lives, so it’s nice to know that you can get more control over it and make it quiet if you choose. Here are a number of ways to quieten your internal dialogue:

• Stick out your tongue and grasp it gently but firmly between your thumb and forefinger. Wait a few moments as you continue to breathe. You may well become quiet inside.
• If the previous exercise works well for you, gently place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth just behind your front teeth (continue to breathe easily) .You will stay quiet.
• With a soft, gentle and patient tone, go inside and say to yourself "Shhhhhhh, shhhhhhh", like you would if you were soothing a little baby. Allow yourself to smile on the inside and really feel a sense of patience with the monkey. It may take up to a minute before you go quiet inside.
• Go inside your mind and find the volume control for internal dialogue (usually either a dial or a slider). If you can’t find one, just imagine one, as it will work just as well for this purpose. Now turn the volume control up and hear the dialogue get louder. Turn it down and hear it get quieter. Then turn it off. Quiet.
• In a firm but loving tone of voice, say "Shut the *!&% up!" inside your head. Repeat as necessary.

2. No Foveal Vision

Your foveal vision is what you are using to read these words. It is a small, central element of your visual field, and is particularly useful for distinguishing fine detail. Most people tend to have a high degree of reliance on their focal vision, and you can think of it as being connected to the conscious mind. Peripheral vision, on the other hand, opens up to either side of you, both above and below. Among other things, peripheral vision is good for detecting movement, and you can think of it as being connected to your unconscious.

Here are some ways to open up your peripheral vision:

• Focus on the bullet point at the beginning of this sentence. As you continue to look at the dot, relax your gaze, and allow yourself to become aware of the edges of the page, before you allow your awareness to continue further out to each side. See how much you can perceive on either side.
• Sit in a comfortable relaxed position, looking forward. Imagine you have an extra pair of eyes at the level of your belly button. Become aware of the feeling of the skin at your belly, and imagine you are looking out through those eyes. Feel your peripheral vision open up.
• If the previous method doesn’t work for you, sit in a comfortable relaxed position, looking forward. Imagine that there is a tangerine, floating a few inches above and behind your head. Feel your peripheral vision open up.
• In a low-risk situation, go into peripheral vision while in conversation with someone else. Notice what you become aware of that you weren’t before.

Creativity coaching can help with your creative states, so you can find more connections to innovative ways of achieving your goals and dealing with your challenges.

Click here to arrange an introductory session to find out more.