The Flow State, Mindfulness, and Mirror Neurons: Upgrading the Operating System of the Mind – Part I & II

By Kenneth Bonett

Part I

4-5 minute read

Introduction

With the 2024 Summer Olympics well on their way, it’s a perfect time to delve into the states of mind that athletes experience during peak performance: The Flow State. Additionally, we’ll delve into why watching sports is so captivating, exploring how the phenomenon of mirror neurons allows us to vicariously experience the thrill of performing alongside the athletes we admire.

When I was 13 years old, I would watch Magic Johnson dribbling the basketball down the court in YouTube clips. As he glided effortlessly, looking one way before making a sudden pass in another direction, it was as if he had eyes in the back of his head. This experience sparked my appreciation for the power of our senses and the fascinating state known as “flow.”

I vividly recall being in middle school, watching highlights of my favorite basketball player, Dwyane Wade. I was captivated by his signature move, the “two-step” or “Euro step.” Then, during a recreational playoff basketball game, I found myself executing this move flawlessly, seemingly out of nowhere. After the game, I marveled at how I could perform this move so effectively without having practiced it. Over a decade later, I learned that it was the phenomenon of “mirror neurons” at work, bridging the gap between observation and performance.

The Flow State

The flow state is described as being “in the zone.” It is a conscious state where individuals experience complete immersion and engagement in an activity. This phenomenon was first identified by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Essentially, it is characterized by a sense of timelessness, effortless concentration, and a merging of action and awareness. We’ve all tasted its magic—those sublime moments when we’re fully immersed in an activity, experiencing effortless engagement and heightened awareness. Endurance athletes often describe it as a runner’s high. Artists feel it when creating a project like music or painting. Nature lovers experience it while walking in the woods. In these moments, there’s no distance between us and our experience; we are fully unified with the present moment. Naturally, we crave more of this state and wonder how to achieve it on demand. Yet, the moment we start overthinking, we lose it, getting lost in a sea of thoughts, not realizing it is possible to achieve it on demand.

Psychotherapist Loch Kelly offers a fascinating perspective by dividing flow states into two types: absorbed flow and panoramic flow. Absorbed flow is all about intense concentration. Imagine a surgeon performing a delicate operation or a musician lost in the notes of their instrument. Everything else fades away, leaving only the task at hand. Panoramic flow, however, is more relaxed and expansive. It’s like a safety on the NFL field during a game: as the ball is snapped, he backpedals into his zone or man coverage, his peripheral vision wide and fully engaged in the moment, ready to ensure no offensive receiver gets behind him. He needs to be fully aware of as many things as possible going on on the field. A deep ball, a run up the middle, while also being fully attentive to the man or zone he is supposed to be covering. While the panoramic flow state also requires focus and attention, it also involves being fully present and aware.

The Science of the Flow State

The flow state is characterized by a unique quality of conscious experience where awareness is perfectly aligned with the activity at hand. During flow, the usual boundaries of self-consciousness dissolve, allowing for a state of complete immersion and presence. This state offers a glimpse into non-dual mindfulness, where the separation between the observer and the observed, the doer and the deed, diminishes. Neurobiologically, flow involves intricate brain activity patterns. Alpha waves dominate during relaxation and initial focus, while theta waves are associated with deep creativity and problem-solving. Gamma waves facilitate peak cognitive function. Neurochemicals such as dopamine, norepinephrine, endorphins, anandamide, and serotonin flood the system, enhancing pleasure, motivation, focus, and overall well-being. Additionally, the prefrontal cortex exhibits decreased activity (transient hypofrontality), which contributes to a sense of timelessness and reduced self-consciousness. Meanwhile, the dorsal striatum and amygdala support automated actions and decreased anxiety, respectively.

Part II

6-7 minute read

Consciousness, Attention, Awareness, and the Self

Conscious experience oscillates between attention and awareness. Attention acts as a narrow frame that focuses on specific details while filtering out others. This selective engagement is closely linked to the sense of self, as it involves emphasizing certain aspects of experience and ignoring others. For instance, when you focus on an object, you might block out other sensory inputs, such as sounds or peripheral vision.

Consciousness, or in this context, pure awareness, broadens the narrow frame to perceive everything around us, including peripheral vision, sounds, sensations, and our breath. Shifting to pure awareness means perceiving everything without filtering or excluding any details. For example, you might focus on an object while simultaneously observing other aspects of your environment, such as sounds and peripheral vision. Pure awareness involves embracing all elements of your experience without prioritizing any single detail.

Traditionally, people experience their lives through a constructed, separate, individual self—the ego. This ego is a mental construct that creates the illusion of a distinct and separate self. Through mindfulness practice and careful examination of moment-to-moment experiences, you can begin to see that this sense of self is merely another appearance in consciousness.

This realization shows that the separate self is not as solid or enduring as it initially appears. By recognizing that the sense of self is just a construction of consciousness, you uncover a more fundamental aspect of being—pure awareness. This shift helps dissolve the illusion of separation, revealing a deeper sense of unity and connection with the present moment.

To illustrate this concept, consider the analogy of a microscope. Just as a microscope allows us to see the details of a blood sample that are not visible to the naked eye, examining our thoughts closely reveals that they arise and pass away without a permanent self behind them. This perspective reveals that the ego, while a part of our conscious experience which has evolved with us for survival, is not the entirety of our being. Resting in pure awareness, free from the illusion of a separate self, can lead to a profound sense of unity that can enable us to live with greater freedom and connection.

Moreover, one of the most fascinating insights is that you can train your brain and mind to shift from being lost in thought most of the day to focusing better and eventually resting in this space of pure awareness. With consistent practice and close attention to your experience, this shift becomes less effortful over time, allowing you to maintain a state of pure awareness with increasing ease and transition back to focused attention when necessary.

Using Mindfulness to Enhance Flow

This is where non-dual mindfulness becomes particularly valuable. Unlike traditional flow states that seem to occur randomly and must be awaited, non-dual mindfulness enables us to intentionally access this panoramic flow-like state at will, making it our natural condition. It empowers us to remain present in any experience, no matter how mundane or routine. By cultivating non-dual mindfulness, we develop a metacognitive awareness that helps us recognize when we’ve drifted from the flow, lost in thought and mind wandering, enabling us to gently guide ourselves back to an optimal state of effortless presence.

Mindfulness practice significantly contributes to enhancing the flow state by improving metacognition and concentration. As mindfulness strengthens your ability to observe thoughts and emotions without becoming overly entangled, it enhances your metacognitive awareness, allowing you to recognize when you’re drifting from the flow state and effectively guide yourself back. This practice also enhances concentration, enabling you to maintain deeper and more sustained engagement in tasks. By reducing self-referential thinking, mindfulness helps diminish the internal dialogue that disrupts the flow state. Moreover, it fosters a heightened sense of presence, aligning seamlessly with the core components of flow—immersion and unified awareness. Consequently, integrating mindfulness into your routine not only facilitates entry into the flow state but also extends the duration of this deeply immersive experience, ultimately upgrading the operating system of your mind.

As mindfulness practice continues, neuroscientific research shows that the Default Mode Network (DMN) of the brain, associated with self-referential thinking and mind-wandering, decreases in activity.

If this region decreases over time, then what region(s) increase?

Areas like the primary somatosensory cortex and the insular cortex, which are linked to internal and external sensory experiences (interoception and exteroception), show increased activity. Enhanced interoceptive awareness, involving the insular cortex, improves emotional regulation and a nuanced understanding of bodily states. Meanwhile, sensory cortices process exteroceptive information, integrating internal and external signals to form a coherent perception of the environment and the self within it.

How Mirror Neurons Connect Us to Peak Performance

Mirror neurons are a fascinating aspect of our neurological makeup that significantly influence how we experience and engage with the world. These neurons activate both when we perform an action and when we observe someone else performing that same action. This mirroring mechanism allows us to empathize with others, learn through observation, and even experience a form of flow by proxy.

For example, watching LeBron James dominate the court or Michael Phelps claiming gold medals in swimming activates our mirror neurons, creating a visceral connection to their performance. This neural mirroring can make us feel as though we are experiencing their triumphs and techniques ourselves, bridging the gap between observation and personal experience. This connection goes beyond mere empathy; it can enhance our own performance and ability to enter a flow state.

When we watch athletes like Magic Johnson, we’re not just passive observers. Our brain is actively engaging in a simulation of their actions. This can inspire us, enhance our technique, and even facilitate our own entry into the flow state as we align our own actions with those we admire.

Cultivating Curiosity & The “Cure for Boredom”

Curiosity fuels our engagement with new experiences, which is essential for achieving flow. By fostering curiosity, we open ourselves to opportunities for immersion, exploration, and growth. Mindfulness complements this by maintaining present-focused awareness, which is crucial for experiencing flow. As you become more mindful, you begin to realize that each experience is inherently new, which is why mindfulness is often referred to as “The Cure for Boredom.” Paying closer attention to the present moment naturally increases your curiosity about it. Being mindful enhances our ability to observe and appreciate experiences, helping us avoid distractions and sustain the flow state. Mirror neurons play a key role in this process by bridging observation and personal experience.

Conclusion

Unlike psychological dissociation, which disrupts our connection with thoughts and self, non-dual mindfulness offers a transformative shift to a more unified and fulfilling experience of life. It integrates the flow state into daily life, making it a constant companion rather than a rare occurrence. Non-dual mindfulness enables access to pure awareness, enhancing presence and overall well-being. Curiosity drives engagement with new experiences, while mindfulness ensures present-focused awareness. Mirror neurons bridge observation and personal experience. By cultivating curiosity and practicing mindfulness, you facilitate access to and sustain the flow state, fostering personal growth and optimal performance.

As we cheer for Team USA to win gold medals, remember: while you might not win an Olympic gold, with the right mindset, you’ll conquer the art of awareness—no world records needed, the only moment you need to win is this one.

References

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. Harper & Row.

Dietrich, A. (2004). The cognitive neuroscience of creativity. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 11(6), 1011-1026.

Fox, K. C., et al. (2005). The human brain default network: Anatomy, function, and relevance to disease. Brain Research Reviews, 50(3), 67-81.

Garrison, K., et al. (2015). Meditation leads to reduced default mode network activity beyond an active task. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 10(8), 1271-1278.

Graziano, M. S., et al. (2000). The representation of the body schema in the motor cortex. Nature, 405(6785), 230-235.

Rizzolatti, G., & Craighero, L. (2004). The mirror neuron system. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 27, 169-192.