Laziness Vs. Grind Vs. Flow

[Electron]

From my experience with work I've learned that these three states usually follow this particular order. Lethargy-->Grind-->Flow,  I see these states as a sensational structure which is associated to a respective psychological structure. I don't know about a fixed psychological structure associated to each state, as they highly vary but amazingly the sensational structures are more or less always identical. I made a diagram to depict where it is felt and have tried to give some idea about the nature of the sensations.  Also, most of the hedonism takes place in the lethargy states and its sometimes feels slight depressing. The flow states feels godly, these are the times when you are so much indulged in your practice that you forget everything else, you literally can spend hours without even thinking about digressing from your practice. In the grind states, I've made a small red zone, because one is liable to fall into the lethargy states here, the grind states are in a sense like a tug of war b/w the two regions.

Its highly speculative nonetheless. I would like you guys to share your thoughts about it and whether you too feel the sensations localization to be this way. 

*note: I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT PRACTICES LIKE MEDITATION AND SELF-ENQUIRY. I AM JUST TALKING FROM THE STANDPOINT OF PROCESS OF MASTERY OF THE WORLDLY STUFF.

Edited February 25, 2016 by Sigma

[asgard94]

NO OFFENCE! But this sounds to me like pseudo-science.
 First of all, what are you talking about? please explain further...

Edited February 25, 2016 by asgard94

[Electron]

I am just sharing how it feels and where it feels TO ME. 

 

Edited February 25, 2016 by Sigma

[asgard94]

2 minutes ago, Sigma said:

I am just sharing how it feels and where it feels.

Yes but please explain what exactly are you talking about? Is it a form of meditation? or something like that? 

[Electron]

Just now, asgard94 said:

Yes but please explain what exactly are you talking about? Is it a form of meditation? or something like that? 

No, its just the sensations you feel when you are being lazy, when you are grinding in your practice session( whatever you are trying to master),

and when you are in the flow state. I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT MEDITATION OR ENLIGHTENMENT.

I AM TALKING ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE SESSIONS OF SOMETHING YOU ARE TRYING TO MASTER.

[Phrae]

Doesn't flow characterize as lack of anything? I do have some sort bitterness/tension in my chest area when I'm grinding (something as simple as reading a book).

[Electron]

Just now, Phrae said:

Doesn't flow characterize as lack of anything? I do have some sort bitterness/tension in my chest area when I'm grinding (something as simple as reading a book).

I never feel any resistance when i am completely in the flow state. The resistance only starts when the flow state is about to end, thats when I start feeling the grind. Then if i am not able to keep up , i fall into the lazy state. 

Man, this is insane, if you too feel the same the way I described, doesn't that mean that even from the standpoint of sensations we are all identical. This is awesome.

[Electron]

@Phrae Also, notice that the green region in the flow state is below the chest, it doesn't have the same localization as that of the lethargy, its somewhere around the belly button and the region expands as you move below. That's the sensational fire that ignites me in the flow state.

[Leo Gura]

Well, as Csikszentmihalyi says about flow, it's the state that's the sweet-spot between too easy and too challenging. Flow occurs when you have mastered the basic technical skills of your craft and then you're presented with a challenging situation that is roughly equal to your skills, not too easy, not too hard.

Lethargy >> Grind >> Flow sounds about right.

The human mind tends to overcompensate and swing it's pendulum. So from lethargy we would expect something like grind. With flow being a happy equilibrium that comes with more mastery.

[Isle of View]

23 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

With flow being a happy equilibrium that comes with more mastery.

Agree, Leo.

@Sigma You make some good points and it is important to use our senses to know where we're at. Our subtle energies are connected to our moods, emotions, attitudes and we can use them as a guiding system to stay on track. 

Speaking of Mastery: the more truth in an area, the less confusion. We can face the task at hand and can stay in the present moment in the area (no flinching away, no fears, no doubts) able to permeate all its parts.

Flow for me is always accompanied by a feeling of contentment. 

 

23 hours ago, Sigma said:

Lethargy-->Grind-->Flow

Agree, but also, there are many states in between (as also above Flow and below Lethargy). But generally, yes.

 

Chris

 

 

Edited February 26, 2016 by Isle of View

[Electron]

@Isle of View @Leo GuraIts hard to even talk about the sensations so to give a better approximation I depicted it through a diagram. I wanted to use lines, but couldn't draw it properly so I used lotuses. But the thing that I didn't explain properly are the flips of the lotuses. This is the major thing that i found every time i tried to transition from being lazy to that of taking action. A mass of sensation in a sense is compelled downwards from the chest towards the belly button. Its good to know that you guys too feel the order to be the same. But do you agree about this downwards sensational motion too?

[Isle of View]

@Sigma, from my perspective it may be different from person to person. This because, allthough the underlying energy pathways may be the same in any system, their current balance may be different for each individual.

Sometimes the inhibiting energy sits right in my face, sometimes on the left-side of my head. Sometimes even the sensation is as though outside the delineation of the physical body. 

Having said that, I think the sensation you feel and where you feel them is your current scenario. 

You see, in an optimum situation we would be in flow all the time. I don't start by Lethargy when I go into meditation or into my process setting. When that's the case it means I let slide my practive for too long already, alowing the odds of life to impact my integrity (wholeness) all too much.

See, mastery is something that needs to be continously worked on. It's like in nature, you need to continously take care of your garden if you want it to be in a certain shape and form.

If you don't use it, you may loose it (and that's why all masters in all fields practice continously.)

Therefore, don't expect anyone to be in Lethargy or Grind. Maybe they are somewhere higher. Not necessarily in flow, but higher than Grind. There are some interesting Mood and Conciousness Scales on the internet. One is from the guy who initiated the Sedona Releasing Method, Lester Levenson, another is from David Hawkins. There are others you can easily find on the internet. (Maybe we could make a list of all of them once.)

The first book I know that spoke of such a scale (levels of consciousness) in the western world was "The Kybalion". (But there may be older ones.)

The Book "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill speaks about a "planes" beyond space and time, as does the book by Alan C. Walter "The Secrets to Increasing Your Power, Wealth and Happiness - How to be in the Zone" (which is one of the most insightful reads I ever had).

I think it is very helpful to study some of those scales and to learn to use them and to know where we are at at a given moment or in different areas, when we are to master the fields and practices we are engaged in.

Kind regards, 
Chris