The flow state is an optimal state of intrinsic motivation, where the person is fully immersed in what they are doing. The idea of flow is identical to the feeling of being in the zone or in the groove. It is a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter.

In his seminal work, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, Csíkszentmihályi outlines his theory that people are happiest when they are in a state of flow-a state of concentration or complete absorption with the activity at hand and the situation.

Martin Seligman, former president of the American Psychological Association, described Csikszentmihalyi as the world’s leading researcher on positive psychology. He is the author of many books and over 120 articles or book chapters. He is the former head of the department of psychology at the University of Chicago and of the department of sociology and anthropology at Lake Forest College.Ĭsikszentmihalyi is noted for his work in the study of happiness and creativity, but is best known as the architect of the notion of flow and for his years of research and writing on the topic. He is the Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University. He recognised and named the psychological concept of flow, a highly focused mental state.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is a Hungarian psychologist.

The flow experience csikszentmihalyi