“Flow” experiences, and formation of “Maemuki (positive)” attitude

Abstract

“Flow” stands for a mental state where one is absorbed into some activity, thus into immersion. Ever since Csikszentmihalyi proposed this concept, it has influenced various fields in the real-world, including sports and arts, game and entertainment, marketing, etc., and driving Happiness Psychology. Yet, very little experimental and neuroscientific evidence were available until very recently. The current paper reviews the author’s own studies with collaborators, as well as related other studies, to answer (albeit tentatively) the following questions. 1) What is flow? 2) Can flow be measured? - Issues to overcome. 3) Can flow be reproduced in laboratory? 4) Are solo and team flow different? 5) Would bodies and brains be in synchrony during team flow? 6) Can flow experiences contribute to formation of “Maemuki” (positive) attitude? via training, changes of life style, and game development, etc. 7) Individual differences, and personal affinity/match in flow. With these, the topic is finally ready to bloom with more basic scientific understanding and real-world applications.