When I am in flow, do I become less conscious?

[CreamCat]

Let's say I'm in flow as I do something. I lose myself. I seem to become unconscious.

Does flow reduce awareness and consciousness?

Edited October 26, 2019 by CreamCat

[Manjushri]

Good question, I think I even made a thread on this one. My guru says yes, I mean, it's kinda different from aware immersion, this flow state. There is no spaciousness in the quality of the experience.

[wesyasz]

I thought that the moment you lose yourself and get into flow is the moment you truly live.

[Forestluv]

@CreamCat It depends on how you define "flow" and "awareness/consciousness". There is A LOT of exploration in this area. Don't limit yourself too much. 

[dalink]

Eckhart refers being in a state of flow to being present to the moment. That is very conscious of your experience. 

Imagine Alex Honnold not being in a flow state / present to every moment of his experience while free soloing El Capitan.

[Sahil Pandit]

@CreamCat Consider for a minute how flow is different than "Deficiency Cognition/Neuroticism". Most people who are in DCog never get to feel flow. So nice job! 

[Moreira]

you lose yourself because you lose the ego, that means you are very idientified with it.

[mandyjw]

The flow state is a high state of consciousness or presence, a true flow state requires no sense of self in the moment, the work is flowing through you as if it is channeled, there is no you doing it or resisting it. 

No self= high state of consciousness. 

We sit to meditate and "do nothing" because it creates an easy clear environment in which we can observe our thoughts and see the resistance we created. If we are engaged in action a deep state of presence is then called a flow state. Consciousness does not require any specific environment or situation to occur in, you can be immersed in action or in a deep state of sleep or anything in between. 

[pluto]

I think you are talking about trance rather than flow.

[Consept]

I think you're conscious but hyper focused to the point where your ego can't think about what is going on. For example if I play chess and I'm playing a really good game I'm completely focused on that and all other inputs are ignored. Thoughts come in but unless they're directly about chess they're ignored. If I'm playing really well I don't even think I'm playing well I'm just lost in that moment. 

So to answer your question I believe you're more conscious but just of that particular thing and in that you lose your' self', which seems like a loss of consciousness but is actually a loss of ego 

[CreamCat]

It's often difficult to differentiate a distraction from a flow.

Chess can be a flow activity, but it can also be a distraction if I forget to balance chess with other aspects of my life such as exercise and food and water and relationships.

But, I can still differentiate flow from mental fog.

Edited October 28, 2019 by CreamCat