How to be mindful during flow states?

[Manjushri]

The worst feeling is getting in a flow creative state and when you're done, you realize that you weren't there at all. If you ain't conscious, you ain't living. What can I do? I mean if I were aware of the flow process it would be a much more profound experience, which would probably make better art. 

[Flammable]

Follow the Breath (starting to sound a bit like Hellspeed, oh no hahaha) 

[Strikr]

just be leo, makes them squirt !

 

( ok enough fun )

follow the breath is good, but another good one, would be, do intense meditation practice at first in the morning, then see how it work this way

Edited November 23, 2018 by Strikr

[Ananta]

15 hours ago, Gligorije said:

The worst feeling is getting in a flow creative state and when you're done, you realize that you weren't there at all.

That's exactly what made it a flow state..."you" weren't there. It's a beautiful thing! Lol

[Gabriel Antonio]

What are you talking about? When you're in the flow state, you're in the moment. Which means you're automatically mindful. 

 

4 hours ago, Anna1 said:

That's exactly what made it a flow state..."you" weren't there. It's a beautiful thing! Lol

Yes

[Manjushri]

@Anna1 In this context, when I say I, I mean observer. No observer, very dull dull conscious experience, that flow state. I guess there are many types, but it's nowhere near the conscious experience of say, meditating. Meditating can also be a flow experience and most frequently is if you get 'in the zone'. But there is something, an observer! In the flow I mentioned ablve, it's really dull. 

[Manjushri]

@Gabriel Antonio @Anna1

is then everybody who is 'in the moment' mindful??? I wouldn't say so. The experience can be really hazy and dreamlike, even though the person is in the moment. Like what happened to me today. I was there, studying, in the moment, but mindful only a few times... 

[ZZZZ]

For me, the flow state is less aware of the ego than what I typically think of "mindfulness." When I am mindful, I usually recognize the entitity that I sometimes identify as myself (the ego) is experiencing something, whereas my sense of self disappears out of consciousness entirely in the flow state, because I am so focused on the task at hand.

 

Sometimes these states eb and flow with one another, but nowadays I tend to view the presence of an ego as just another phenomenon, rather than identifying with it as myself.

Edited November 23, 2018 by ZZZZ

[Gabriel Antonio]

@Gligorije “When you eat the orange, just eat the orange.” 

But anyway, what’s your definition of mindfulness?

[Ananta]

@Gligorije Perhaps your wordage is different from what I would say. Firstly, you can't ever be out of a moment, but you can be thinking of past or future and not focused on the here and now. Imo, to be mindful you are focused in the present (not past/future), so try grounding techniques, like the breath or focused on/off on a part of the body (like your hand) and remind yourself that thoughts of yesterday and tomorrow aren't needed "now ".

 

[Manjushri]

@ZZZZ @Anna1 Yes, but that flow state is a lower quality consciousness! Say you're doing a test - you're in the flow ofc. But we're you mindful even once? Not if under a time pressure... Maybe a few times. Have to focus on the task at hand! I guess by practice it can become an all-encompassing focus. Or the nature of attention is just to reduce everything and focus on the task at hand. 

What I actually want is to observe what's going on! I don't life just to go by without me being there. When I'm mindful and talking to a person, it's such a deeper experience so fulfilling and vibrant. 

[ZZZZ]

1 hour ago, Gligorije said:

@ZZZZ @Anna1 Yes, but that flow state is a lower quality consciousness! Say you're doing a test - you're in the flow ofc. But we're you mindful even once? Not if under a time pressure... Maybe a few times. Have to focus on the task at hand! I guess by practice it can become an all-encompassing focus. Or the nature of attention is just to reduce everything and focus on the task at hand. 

What I actually want is to observe what's going on! I don't life just to go by without me being there. When I'm mindful and talking to a person, it's such a deeper experience so fulfilling and vibrant. 

What you might come to realize is that you are always (or never) there when life is going by, and that your idea of "you" can shift to a point where this distinction may matter much less.

 

I suppose it depends on what your definition of a "flow state" is, but in my mind, it almost necessitates a loss of time, space, and self. When you finish your task or exit flow, you go "wow, where has the time gone?" Nothing else invades your focus, including your idea that you are a "self" performing the task, and aware of such a thing. The task is simply performed.

 

EDIT: Perhaps the flow state is a higher quality consciousness that you are interpreting as lower because you do not fully understand its implications. 

Edited November 24, 2018 by ZZZZ

[DrewNows]

@Gligorijewhat does it mean to you to be mindful? 

Imagine if nearly every moment was a flow state for you. So much creativity, love, compassion, authenticity...

[lmfao]

I think what I'm about to say is tangiantial to what the OP is referring to but I'll say it anyway. 

From my experience, there are two ways you can lose your sense self. In a high consciousness state is obviously one way.

However, if you've ever sunken into an extremely low consciousness stage you'll still have a sense of self but it will be the case that your psyche is filled with so much shit that you can't tell up from down and so you'll be suffering despite you having a hard to grasping your sense of self. I think back to many times I've binged TV, porn, video games and lost myself in the process. You lose track of time as you are hooked in the addiction. Even though I had lost myself in some sense, all that had really happened is that my consciousness sunk so low I never even noticed a ego! But this ego stilll generates massive suffering. 

[Hellspeed]

Is a process of healing, it will not come to you from night to day. Listen to Leo, put the hard work and be down to earth. 

[Manjushri]

@ZZZZ I wouldn't really know. Depends on the quality of the flow. A good meditation session can be a high quality flow, a flow where there is also an 'observer'. Doing a test is sunken consciousness, just like lmfao says. 

[Nadosa]

On 23.11.2018 at 9:46 PM, Gligorije said:

@Anna1 In this context, when I say I, I mean observer. No observer, very dull dull conscious experience, that flow state. I guess there are many types, but it's nowhere near the conscious experience of say, meditating. Meditating can also be a flow experience and most frequently is if you get 'in the zone'. But there is something, an observer! In the flow I mentioned ablve, it's really dull. 

omg I have the same experiences, like no one there, just flowing through the moment without feeling conscious.

[Manjushri]

@Nadosa I think that's 99% of experience for 90% of the population I'm wondering how to minimize this. 

[ZZZZ]

1 hour ago, Gligorije said:

@Nadosa I think that's 99% of experience for 90% of the population I'm wondering how to minimize this. 

Intuitively I know what you are referring to, although I would not refer to this as a "flow" state. Like when you finally regain a higher level of consciousness and go "Damn! I wasn't being conscious that entire time." I still think this is something else entirely, but perhaps you are referring to "hyperfocus?" See this excerpt from the Flow (psychology) wikipedia page:

"Flow shares many characteristics with hyperfocus. However, hyperfocus is not always described in a positive light. Some examples include spending 'too much' time playing video games or getting side-tracked and pleasurably absorbed by one aspect of an assignment or task to the detriment of the overall assignment. In some cases, hyperfocus can 'capture' a person, perhaps causing them to appear unfocused or to start several projects, but complete few."

 

[Manjushri]

@ZZZZ I guess it's just different qualities of flow. Not hyperfocus.