The “stream state” is commonly described as easy efficiency with out acutely aware consideration. It is related to excessive enjoyment, excessive efficiency, and creativity. Nevertheless, the way it arises in our brains has not been properly understood.

Flowing With Kung Fu Panda on a Mountain Bike

Most of my experiences with the stream state have come from martial arts coaching, particularly free-form combating and mountain biking. These actions require spontaneous and unplanned responses that positively fall within the class of inventive reactions. Upon “exiting” these experiences, I’ve all the time been left going, “Wow, that was cool, however what the heck simply occurred?”

Few research have examined the neurobiology of the stream state throughout spontaneous creativity, which is why I discovered a latest examine from Drexel College’s Creativity Analysis Laboratory so fascinating.

Drexel College postdoctoral researcher Yongtaek Oh taking part in the guitar whereas his electroencephalograms (EEGs) are recorded in Drexel College’s Creativity Analysis Laboratory.

Supply: John Kounios, Creativity Analysis Lab, Drexel College

Let Your Mind Do All That Jazz

David Rosen, Yongtaek Oh, Christine Chesebrough, Fengqing (Zoe) Zhang, and John Kounios at Drexel College used a creativity activity and improvised jazz guitar activity together with measurement of regional mind electrical exercise to research the stream state. They discovered that in musicians, high-flow “improvisations have been related to transient hypofrontality.” The alterations in regional mind exercise have been associated to the expertise and experience of the guitarists.

The researchers recommend that their outcomes “are per the concept that inventive stream represents optimized domain-specific processing enabled by intensive apply paired with lowered cognitive management.” General, they summarize that “high-flow versus low-flow is related to larger left-hemisphere exercise and lowered frontal and default-mode exercise.” In different phrases you’ll want to practice lots after which let the mind go.

If You Wanna Simply Do It, Let Your Mind Get to It

This concept of spontaneously arising creativity aligns with my earlier ideas on how brainstorming might be a less-than-useful exercise. Should you really need to expertise stream and creativity, work is required to set the stage. However then, issues must unfold spontaneously. In a nutshell, peak efficiency requires intensive coaching after which getting out of your individual method. Much less really is extra in relation to tapping into your individual potential.

(c) E. Paul Zehr (2024)