Concentration of consciousness
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Please read the following accounts:
A dancer describes how it feels when a performance is going well: ‘Your concentration is very complete. Your mind isn’t wandering, you are not thinking of something else; you are totally involved in what you are doing … Your energy is flowing very smoothly. You feel relaxed, comfortable, and energetic.’
A rock climber explains how it feels when he is scaling a mountain: ‘You are so involved in what you are doing [that] you aren’t thinking of yourself as separate from the immediate activity … You don’t see yourself as separate from what you are doing.’
A mother who enjoys the time spent with her small daughter. ‘Her reading is the one thing that she’s really into, and we read together. She reads to me and I read to her, and that’s a time when I sort of lose touch with the rest of the world, I’m totally absorbed in what I’m doing.’
A chess player tells of playing in a tournament: ‘… the concentration is like breathing – you never think of it. The roof could fall in and, if it missed you, you would be unaware of it.’
(Csikszentmihalyi, 1992, pp. 53-4)
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1992) Flow: The Psychology of Happiness, London, Rider Press.
Taken from ‘Understanding the Self’ edited by Richard Stevens
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How many of you have encountered such experiences before? You are so engrossed in what you are doing that you are mentally ‘cut off’ from your surrounding? Your house is on fire but your eyes are still fix on the computer screen.
For me, I am usually unaware of the passing of time when I am writing poems. 
Csikszentmihalyi, an American psychologist calls this phenomenon flow experience. He is interested in how people feel when they most enjoy themselves. According to him, we have the ability to direct our conscious and such skill is important in improving our psychological well-being. Flow experience, thus involves concentration of consciousness. It can be as exciting as participating in a car race or as simple as taking a slip of coffee.
According to him, most of us spend too much time engaging in passive activities such as watching TV and hence unable to involve flow experience. Thus if we are able to organize activities that allow flow experience to occur regularly, we can improve our quality of our lives and psychological well-being.
On the other hand I am not too sure about the last sentence which implies that flow experience will always lead to improving the quality of our lives. What we enjoy doing most may not always be good for us, such as gambling, drug abuse, etc.
But if we apply this concept to positive activities I believe to a certain extent it does makes us feel more alive.
(If my interpretation of the concept/theory is wrong, please correct me. Thank you.) -
I wish I could concentrate fully 100% in my work.
It's soooo hard. Seems like I am always so distracted ...
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Hee hee me too. Especially when I am dealing with pretty customers. I need to make conscious efforts to redirect my concentration to the appropriate direction.Originally posted by Kismet:I wish I could concentrate fully 100% in my work.
It's soooo hard. Seems like I am always so distracted ... -
Just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons here:
In Situational Awareness (SA) research, many aircraft accident investigations have concluded that pilots have flown their planes into the ground because they were concentrating on something other than their altitude. This is especially common in combat flying.
SA has been examined as an alternative concept to concentration - while it encompasses focussing on tasks, that focus is spread not only to the immediate task but to all associated factors as well. -
Interesting. Remind me of the study of Attention.Originally posted by Gedanken:Just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons here:
In Situational Awareness (SA) research, many aircraft accident investigations have concluded that pilots have flown their planes into the ground because they were concentrating on something other than their altitude. This is especially common in combat flying.
SA has been examined as an alternative concept to concentration - while it encompasses focussing on tasks, that focus is spread not only to the immediate task but to all associated factors as well. -
Originally posted by DeadPoet:
Have. Totally so focus in an event that didn't realise that 10 hours have passed.
How many of you have encountered such experiences before? You are so engrossed in what you are doing that you are mentally ‘cut off’ from your surrounding? Your house is on fire but your eyes are still fix on the computer screen. For me, I am usually unaware of the passing of time when I am writing poems.
[/b]
As for my bro, he was studying at nite and was so engrossed that when the waterpipe brust in the middle of nite, he tot my mother was using washing machine and didn't even check till the next morning.
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Haha, no pretty customers for me in my line of work.Originally posted by DeadPoet:Hee hee me too. Especially when I am dealing with pretty customers. I need to make conscious efforts to redirect my concentration to the appropriate direction.
Just stare and stare at the computer screen ... -
That is not very healthy leh. I used to work in such environment too, but that was long long time ago liao.Originally posted by Kismet:Haha, no pretty customers for me in my line of work.
Just stare and stare at the computer screen ... -
Sometimes too engrossed in something may not really be a good thing. When you are totally 'cut off' from your surrounding, you may fail to notice the potential dangers lurking around you.Originally posted by stormax:Have. Totally so focus in an event that didn't realise that 10 hours have passed.
As for my bro, he was studying at nite and was so engrossed that when the waterpipe brust in the middle of nite, he tot my mother was using washing machine and didn't even check till the next morning.
So it seems that there is both pro and con to flow experience. -
can this flow experience be controlled by conscious thought?
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According to Csikszentmihalyi, flow experience is the concentration of consciousness directed to certain activities. And yes, he did mentioned that we have the ability to control and direct our consciousness. The problem is that most of us took it for granted.Originally posted by shade343:can this flow experience be controlled by conscious thought?
He also stressed that we must learn to focus our attention (conscious) at will rather than letting it be focused for you by the flow of event. In short we must be proactive rather than being passive. -
Interesting point, DP. One implication of this is that we need to develop a higher view of what is occurring, which could take a fair bit of streamlining of thought processes given the amount of information that needs to be processed.Originally posted by DeadPoet:He also stressed that we must learn to focus our attention (conscious) at will rather than letting it be focused for you by the flow of event. In short we must be proactive rather than being passive.
Did Csikszentmihalyi recommend any specific techniques for doing this? -
I am afraid that is not mentioned in my book.Originally posted by Gedanken:Interesting point, DP. One implication of this is that we need to develop a higher view of what is occurring, which could take a fair bit of streamlining of thought processes given the amount of information that needs to be processed.
Did Csikszentmihalyi recommend any specific techniques for doing this?
But when I told this to a friend of mine, she did recommend Yoga as a good way of learning how to control your conscious thought via breathing exercise. But since I am not into Yoga, I am not so sure about that. -
Originally posted by DeadPoet:
i remember as a child, i could feel the a kind of energy when i'm doing something that i like cos' i know that i really like and so there could be like some sort of natural flow in the activites, like everythings went pretty smoothly. However, as i grow older, i no longer feel there flow. Maybe watching too much Tv hor and being too stressed up with life??
[b]Please read the following accounts:
A dancer describes how it feels when a performance is going well: ‘Your concentration is very complete. Your mind isn’t wandering, you are not thinking of something else; you are totally involved in what you are doing … Your energy is flowing very smoothly. You feel relaxed, comfortable, and energetic.’
A rock climber explains how it feels when he is scaling a mountain: ‘You are so involved in what you are doing [that] you aren’t thinking of yourself as separate from the immediate activity … You don’t see yourself as separate from what you are doing.’
(Csikszentmihalyi, 1992, pp. 53-4)
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1992) Flow: The Psychology of Happiness, London, Rider Press.
Taken from ‘Understanding the Self’ edited by Richard Stevens
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How many of you have encountered such experiences before? You are so engrossed in what you are doing that you are mentally ‘cut off’ from your surrounding? Your house is on fire but your eyes are still fix on the computer screen. For me, I am usually unaware of the passing of time when I am writing poems.
Csikszentmihalyi, an American psychologist calls this phenomenon flow experience. He is interested in how people feel when they most enjoy themselves. According to him, we have the ability to direct our conscious and such skill is important in improving our psychological well-being. Flow experience, thus involves concentration of consciousness. It can be as exciting as participating in a car race or as simple as taking a slip of coffee.
According to him, most of us spend too much time engaging in passive activities such as watching TV and hence unable to involve flow experience. Thus if we are able to organize activities that allow flow experience to occur regularly, we can improve our quality of our lives and psychological well-being.
[/b] -
Maybe. Watching TV programme for too long is actually not a very healthy activity. I wanted to give my TV away but unfortunately my wife will have none of it.Originally posted by Jazzytunez:i remember as a child, i could feel the a kind of energy when i'm doing something that i like cos' i know that i really like and so there could be like some sort of natural flow in the activites, like everythings went pretty smoothly. However, as i grow older, i no longer feel there flow. Maybe watching too much Tv hor and being too stressed up with life??
Hmm... it is quite easy to experience the flow experience. Take running for example, there will come to a stage when you are totally cut off from your surrounding, there is nothing on your mind except moving forward. You feel energized, you no longer run, you fly. You feel great. Running come so naturally, the flow sets in. You are a biological running machine!
Correct me if I am wrong but I think it is call ‘second wind’ or something like that right? -
Originally posted by DeadPoet:
yah mi got experience b4.. last time when i was mmorpg xiao, my mum was talking to mi but i didn't even hear her.. beri jia lat.. mmorpg is addictive.. mi nv touch again... but world of warcraft is so....
[b]Please read the following accounts:
A dancer describes how it feels when a performance is going well: ‘Your concentration is very complete. Your mind isn’t wandering, you are not thinking of something else; you are totally involved in what you are doing … Your energy is flowing very smoothly. You feel relaxed, comfortable, and energetic.’
A rock climber explains how it feels when he is scaling a mountain: ‘You are so involved in what you are doing [that] you aren’t thinking of yourself as separate from the immediate activity … You don’t see yourself as separate from what you are doing.’
A mother who enjoys the time spent with her small daughter. ‘Her reading is the one thing that she’s really into, and we read together. She reads to me and I read to her, and that’s a time when I sort of lose touch with the rest of the world, I’m totally absorbed in what I’m doing.’
A chess player tells of playing in a tournament: ‘… the concentration is like breathing – you never think of it. The roof could fall in and, if it missed you, you would be unaware of it.’
(Csikszentmihalyi, 1992, pp. 53-4)
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1992) Flow: The Psychology of Happiness, London, Rider Press.
Taken from ‘Understanding the Self’ edited by Richard Stevens
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How many of you have encountered such experiences before? You are so engrossed in what you are doing that you are mentally ‘cut off’ from your surrounding? Your house is on fire but your eyes are still fix on the computer screen. For me, I am usually unaware of the passing of time when I am writing poems.
Csikszentmihalyi, an American psychologist calls this phenomenon flow experience. He is interested in how people feel when they most enjoy themselves. According to him, we have the ability to direct our conscious and such skill is important in improving our psychological well-being. Flow experience, thus involves concentration of consciousness. It can be as exciting as participating in a car race or as simple as taking a slip of coffee.
According to him, most of us spend too much time engaging in passive activities such as watching TV and hence unable to involve flow experience. Thus if we are able to organize activities that allow flow experience to occur regularly, we can improve our quality of our lives and psychological well-being.
On the other hand I am not too sure about the last sentence which implies that flow experience will always lead to improving the quality of our lives. What we enjoy doing most may not always be good for us, such as gambling, drug abuse, etc.
But if we apply this concept to positive activities I believe to a certain extent it does makes us feel more alive.
(If my interpretation of the concept/theory is wrong, please correct me. Thank you.)
[/b]
.. maybe i'll chong chu jiang hu -
Heehee. That's is not very healthy leh.Originally posted by dibilo:yah mi got experience b4.. last time when i was mmorpg xiao, my mum was talking to mi but i didn't even hear her.. beri jia lat.. mmorpg is addictive.. mi nv touch again... but world of warcraft is so.... .. maybe i'll chong chu jiang hu