Submitted by:

Fatima Mehmood 191520116

Abeera Munawar 191520100
Hasan Ali 191520124
Muhammad Talha Ghuman 191520129
Course: Positive Psychology
Submitted to Respected teacher
Miss Nashra

Flow and Spirituality

o Flow is defined in Oxford Learner’s
Dictionary as:
the steady and continuous movement of something/somebody in one direction
 o Concept and meaning of Flow:

In positive psychology, a flow state, also known colloquially

as being in the zone, is the mental state in which a person
performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of
energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the
process of the activity.

For example:
You are at work you are thinking of the time you will be back home in front of the
TV. While in front of the TV, you are thinking of what’s there to eat and whether
you should go out or go. And while you are having your delicious meal, you are
thinking of the tasks you need to complete the next morning at work.
We are always thinking of some past or future event while the present moment
passes us by. We fail to savor the present moment, which amounts to passing in
life by without living it. Now think of a moment when you were so engrossed in
what you were doing, whether reading a very interesting article, playing your
favorite game, or listening to Quran recitation, you were so much into it that you
forgot your lunch, or did not hear a word of what others were saying around you.
This is termed by some psychologist as the state of Flow.

According to Sonja Lyubomirsky:

 American professor at the University of California

Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of the How of Happiness, “a state of intense

absorption and involvement in the present moment.” She also said, when
in flow, people report feeling strong and efficacious – at the peak of
their abilities – alert, in control and completely unselfconscious. They do
the activity for the sheer sake of doing it.

The work of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi:

Hungarian-American psychologist

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is a Hungarian-American psychologist.

He recognized and named the psychological concept of flow, a
highly focused mental state conducive to productivity. He is the
Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Management at
Claremont Graduate University.
Csikszentmihalyi is noted for his work in the study of happiness
and creativity, but is best known as the architect of the notion of
he considered one of the co-founders of positive psychology, was the first to
identify and research flow.
“The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing
times . . . The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind
is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something
difficult and worthwhile”

(Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).

The experience of flow is universal and has been reported to occur

across all classes, gender, ages and cultures, and it can be experienced
during many types of activities.

He became a happiness researcher because of the adversity he faced

growing up. He was a prisoner during World War II, and he witnessed
the pain and suffering of the people around him during this time. As a
result, he developed a curiosity about happiness and contentment.

Csikszentmihalyi observed that many people were unable to live a life of

contentment after their jobs, homes, and security were lost during the
war. After the war, he took an interest in art, philosophy, and religion as
a way to answer the question, what creates a life worth living?

Eventually, he stumbled upon psychology while at a ski resort in

Switzerland. He attended a lecture by Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, who
spoke of the traumatized psyches of the European people after World
War II. Csikszentmihalyi was so intrigued that he started to read Jung’s
work, which in turn led him to the United States to pursue an education
in psychology. He wanted to study the causes of happiness.

o The 8 Characteristics of Flow

Csikszentmihalyi describes eight characteristics of flow:

1. Complete concentration on the task;

2. Clarity of goals and reward in mind and immediate feedback;
3. Transformation of time (speeding up/slowing down);
4. The experience is intrinsically rewarding;
5. Effortlessness and ease;
6. There is a balance between challenge and skills;
7. Actions and awareness are merged, losing self-conscious
rumination;
8. There is a feeling of control over the task.

o Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow State Chart

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow state chart (not to be confused with a
regular flow chart) is based on his years of research that began, as noted,
back in the ‘60s. Sometimes called the Flow Model, eight different zones
are depicted as shown below.

The key dimensions to consider here, as we mentioned, can be seen in

the axes of the chart from Csikszentmihalyi’s (1998) book Finding
Flow – perceived challenge-skill balance (or ratio). When these are both
at an optimal, high level, conditions are ideal for entering a Flow state.
 o Brain Waves and Neuroscience
The state of flow has rarely been investigated from a neuropsychological
perspective, but it’s becoming a focus of some researchers. According to
Arne Dietrich, it has been associated with decreased activity in the
prefrontal cortex (2003). The prefrontal cortex is an area of the brain
responsible for higher cognitive functions such as self-reflective
consciousness, memory, temporal integration, and working memory. It’s
an area that’s responsible for our conscious and explicit state of mind.
However, in a state of flow, this area is believed to temporarily down-
regulate in a process called transient hypofrontality. 

In other research, it’s been hypothesized that the flow state is related to
the brain’s dopamine reward circuitry since curiosity is highly amplified
during flow (Gruber, Gelman, & Ranganath, 2014).

oThe benefits of Flow

 Better emotional regulation:
 With increased flow, people also experience more growth toward
emotional complexity. This can help people develop skills that
allow them to regulate their emotions more effectively.
 Greater happiness:
Research also suggest that flow states may be linked to increased
levels of happiness and satisfaction.
 Increased engagement:
People in a flow state feel fully involved in the task at hand.
 Improved performance:
Researchers have found that flow can enhance performance in a
wide variety of areas including teaching, learning, athletics and
artistic creativity.
 Learning and skills development:
Because the act of achieving flow indicates a substantial mastery
of a certain skill, people have to keep seeking new challenges and
information in order to maintain this state.

Examples
While flow experiences can happen as part of everyday life, there are
also important practical applications in various areas including
education, sports, and the workplace.

Flow in Creative Pursuits:

Flow is perhaps most often associated with creativity. For example, a
writer experiencing a state of flow may become so immersed in their
work that hours fly by without them even noticing. The words flow
easily and quickly. An artist might spend hours working on a painting,
and emerge with a great deal of progress that seemed to fly by quickly.

Flow in Education:

Csíkszentmihályi has suggested that overlearning a skill or concept can

help people experience flow. Another critical concept in his theory is the
idea of slightly extending oneself beyond one's current ability level. This
slight stretching of one's current skills can help the individual experience
flow.

Flow in Sports:
Engaging in a challenging athletic activity that is doable but presents a
slight stretching of your abilities is a good way to achieve flow.
Sometimes described by being "in the zone," reaching this state of flow
allows an athlete to experience a loss of self-consciousness and a sense
of complete mastery of the performance.

Flow in the Workplace:

Flow can also occur when workers are engaged in tasks where they are
able to focus entirely on the project at hand. For example, a writer might
experience this while working on a novel or a graphic designer might
achieve flow while working on a website illustration.

How to achieve Flow:

 set clear goals:

In his book, Csíkszentmihályi explains that flow is likely to occur

when an individual is faced with a task that has clear goals that
require specific responses. A game of chess is a good example of
when a flow state might occur. For the duration of a competition,
the player has very specific goals and responses, allowing attention
to be focused entirely on the game during the period of play.

 Eliminate distractions:

It's more difficult to experience flow if there are things in your

environment competing for your attention. Try reducing distracting
things in your environment so you can fully focus on the task at
hand.

 Add an element of challenge:

"Flow also happens when a person's skills are fully involved in

overcoming a challenge that is just about manageable, so it acts as
a magnet for learning new skills and increasing challenges," 8
Csíkszentmihályi explains. "If challenges are too low, one gets
back to flow by increasing them. If challenges are too great, one
can return to the flow state by learning new skills."

 Choose something you enjoy:

You aren't likely to achieve flow if you are doing something you
truly dislike. Focus on trying to achieve flow while working on
something you love.

Conclusion
So, flow is concrete ray of passion. It is pure self-devotion to meet
some challenge or any creative activity in life. Flow of certain
objectives may be diminished or duplicated due to certain outer
 factor and flow is highly passion to achieve the miracle in defined
goals of life whether artistic or personal or collective.

Spirituality
 Since the time of immemorable the concept of
creator of cosmos has been evident in history:

The notion about the concept of God or Almighty exists since time immemorial.
When confronted with the term God, immediately an impression about spirituality
and religion comes to one’s mind.

Spirituality derived from Latin word SPIRITUS which refers to

“breath” or “wind”.

Spirituality refers to that part of human being that seeks meaning less
through intra, inter and transpersonal connection. Spirituality is
completely individual, it is found deep within oneself. It can be the
knowing and understanding that there is a higher reality. It may be
harmony, wisdom, compassion and a divine presence in every moment
in life. Spirituality can be fostered through quiet meditation, maintaining
a tranquil lifestyle, practicing a life of contemplation or bringing forth a
gentle awareness to one’s life. It is getting to know our true self,
understanding the nature of consciousness, and transcending the physical
world as we know it.

 Spirituality in the eyes of Authors:

 According to Peterson and Seligman (2004)
They observed that spirituality is universal: “Although the specific
content of spiritual beliefs varies, all cultures have a concept of an
ultimate, transcendent, sacred, and divine force”. Spirituality represents
the key and unique function of religion.

 According to Mario Beauregard and Denyse

O'Leary
Spirituality means any experience that is thought to bring the
experiencer into contact with the divine (in other words, not just any
experience that feels meaningful).

 According to Coles, (1990)

“The search for meaning in life events and a yearning for connectedness
to the universe”.

 As opined by Mohr, (2006)

Spirituality is “a person’s experience of, or a belief in, a power apart
from his or her own existence”.
 Describing spirituality:
 Meaning: having purpose, making sense of life.
 Value: having cherished believes and standards.
 Transcendence: appreciating a dimension that is beyond the self.
 Connecting: relating to others.
 Becoming: which involves reflection, allowing life to unfold, and
knowing who one is.
 Spiritual needs:
If we care for our spiritual needs, we shall find strength for any
other well-being.
Lailah Gifty Akita
 Need for
 Love
 Hope
 Trust
 Forgiveness
  Fullness of life
 Values
 Creativity
 Connecting with higher power
 Dignity
 The probe line of spirituality through
psychology:

Man is not destroyed by suffering; he is destroyed by suffering

without meaning.
Victor frank
Suffering During Terminal or Chronic Illness:
Not related to physical pain

Related to mental and spiritual suffering, to an inability to engage the

deepest question of life

Some psychologists asked questions by dying and chronically ill

patients

Why is this happening to me now?

What will happen to me after I die?

Will I be missed? Will I be remembered?

Is there a God? If so, will He be there for me?

Will I have time to finish my life’s work?

Spirituality in integral to the dying person’s achievement of the

developmental task of transcendence and important for health care
providers to recognize and foster. The physician will do better to be
close by to tune in carefully on what may be transpiring spiritually both
in order to comfort the dying and to broaden his or her own
understanding of life at its ending.

 Spiritual distress:

A challenge to the spiritual wellbeing or to the belief system that

provides strength, hope and meaning to life.

Factors leading to spiritual distress

 Physical problems
 Experiencing pain
 Loss of a body part or function
 Miscarriage
 A medical diagnosis of terminal/ debilitating disease.
 Why spirituality is important?
There are number of reasons why spirituality is important to many
people around the world.

 It gives meaning to life

 It gives hope to the hopeless
 It relieves stress
 It brings people together
  Benefits of spirituality

 Someof the benefits of religion reviewed in the Peterson and Seligman

Handbook (2005)

1. Among young people in particular, being religious is associated

with reduced smoking, drug, and alcohol use. Young people who
engage in religious practices (like going to church) are also more
likely to have better grades and delay having sex.
2. Being religious has positive benefits for relationships. People who
actively participate in religious activities and who view religion as
important are less likely to experience conflict in their marriage
and more likely to perceive their spouses as supportive. Religious
parents are also more likely to parent consistently and less likely to
have highly conflictual relationships with their teenagers.
3. Religious beliefs and practices are predictive of other virtues such
as altruism, volunteerism, kindness, and forgiveness. Similarly,
churches that actively promote displays of these values (especially
volunteerism and philanthropy) are associated with community
well-being.
4. Finally, religious beliefs are broadly associated with the ability to
cope with stressful life events. Prayer and the social support from a
religious community play a strong role in positive coping.
  Spirituality enhance Physical Health:

 Both religion and spirituality can have a positive impact on mental

health.
 Change the brain
 May slow aging and decrease psychological symptoms
 May increase feelings of compassion, security and love
 Decrease risk of dying
 Praying

Conclusion
Spirituality is divinely inspired passion. It may not be achieved without
meditation within certain frames. Spirituality varies from religion to
religion as well as passion to passion and objective to objective.
Spirituality is highly sacred in almost all the religious and only person
can reach to this specific process.
 A comparative
glance at Flow and
Spirituality

Flow is individual human inspiration derived under

some particular passion while spirituality is divine
inspiration and guided under religious believes. Flow can
reached by personal effort or factor. While spirituality
may only over come through meditation. Flow is for
worldly pursuits. Spirituality is highly sacred and is for
some monastic purpose.