These dimensions are Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi's representation of flow in which he conducted a diverse number of research projects to understand how people find happiness, creativity, and meaning in their actions.

 

Whilst examining his participants he observed that their most absorbed and favoured moments, which brought unrivalled emerging motivation, occurred when their thoughts and actions 'flowed'. This optimal state of being was summarised into the below nine descriptive dimensions of the experience; the first three often referred to as the pre-conditions to flow.

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Note: you may also want to look at the updated three dimensions to flow that outline a neuropsychophysiological theory to flow.

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1. Challenge-skills balance

Flow requires an equal balance between the skill level and the challenge. If the challenge is too demanding, we get frustrated. If it is too easy, we get bored. In a flow experience, we feel engaged by the challenge, but not overwhelmed.

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2. Action-awareness merging

We are often aware of and thinking about something that has happened, or might happen, in another time or place. But in flow, we are completely absorbed in the task at hand.

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3. Clear Goals

In many everyday situations, there are contradictory demands and it is sometimes quite unclear what should occupy our attention. However, in a flow experience, we have a clear purpose and good grasp of what to do next.

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4. Unambiguous feedback

Direct and immediate feedback is continuously present so that we are able to constantly adjust our reactions to meet the current demands. When we are in flow, we know how well we are doing, all the time.

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5. Concentration on the task at hand

High levels of concentration narrows our attention excluding any unnecessary distractions. Because we are absorbed in the activity, we are only aware of what is relevant to the task at hand, and we do not think about unrelated things.

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6. Sense of control

An absolute sense of personal control exists, as if we are able to do anything we want to do.

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7. Loss of self-consciousness

A lack of awareness of bodily needs as self-consciousness disappears. We often spend a lot of mental energy monitoring how we appear to others. In a flow state, we are too involved in the activity to care about protecting our ego.

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8. Transformation of time

A distorted sense of time occurs. Time either slows down or flies by when we are completely engaged in the moment.

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9. Autotelic experience

Flow is an intrinsically rewarding activity; the activity becomes autotelic, an end in itself, done for its own sake