Flow-Induced Analgesia: A Conceptual Review of Biopsychosocial and Neurobiological Mechanisms of Pain Modulation.
Journal of Pain Research January 1, 2025 Vlodeks Gromakovskis, Mārtiņš Gustavs Gūtmanis
A state of deep absorption and effortless concentration known as flow may act as a natural pain reliever by engaging attention, motivation, and reward systems in the brain. This review synthesizes evidence from experimental pain studies, virtual reality, music, sports, and rehabilitation showing that immersive attentional states can reduce pain perception. Flow-related neuroimaging reveals suppression of the default mode network and activation of attentional and reward circuits, overlapping with descending pain modulation pathways. Preliminary clinical studies indicate that people with higher dispositional flow experience less pain interference. The authors propose a framework called flow-induced analgesia as a testable pathway for future interventions such as virtual reality, gamified rehabilitation, and arts-based therapies.