First few seconds for flow: A comprehensive proposal of the neurobiology and neurodynamics of state onset.
Steven Kotler, Michael Mannino, Scott Kelso, Richard Huskey
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews December 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104956 (opens in new tab)
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Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Altered states of consciousness |
| Keywords | Flow Network neuroscience Systems neuroscience |
| Citations | 44 |
| Key findings | Flow involves neurophysiological correlates and neuromodulatory processes linked to large-scale brain networks and dopaminergic, noradrenergic, and endocannabinoid systems, and can be contextualized alongside other altered states of consciousness. |
Abstract
Flow is a cognitive state that manifests when there is complete attentional absorption while performing a task. Flow occurs when certain internal as well as external conditions are present, including intense concentration, a sense of control, feedback, and a balance between the challenge of the task and the relevant skillset. Phenomenologically, flow is accompanied by a loss of self-consciousness, seamless integration of action and awareness, and acute changes in time perception. Research has begun to uncover some of the neurophysiological correlates of flow, as well as some of the state's neuromodulatory processes. We comprehensively review this work and consider the neurodynamics of the onset of the state, considering large-scale brain networks, as well as dopaminergic, noradrenergic, and endocannabinoid systems. To accomplish this, we outline an evidence-based hypothetical situation, and consider the flow state in a broader context including other profound alterations in consciousness, such as the psychedelic state and the state of traumatic stress that can induce PTSD. We present a broad theoretical framework which may motivate future testable hypotheses.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on altered states of consciousness, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Subjective Effects of Psychedelics Are Necessary for Their Enduring Therapeutic Effects. | 2020 | Review | |
| Psychobiology of Altered States of Consciousness. | 2005 | Review | |
| Intrinsic Brain Activity in Altered States of Consciousness | 2008 | Review | |
| Dynamic functional connectivity and brain metastability during altered states of consciousness | 2017 | Review | |
| A default mode of brain function in altered states of consciousness. | 2013 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 15
- Forgetting ourselves in flow: an active inference account of flow states and how we experience ourselves within them Frontiers in Psychology June 3, 2024
- The Electroencephalographic Brainwave Spectrum, Mindful Meditation, and Awareness: Hypothesis. International Journal of Yoga 2023
- Religious and spiritual experiences from a neuroscientific and complex systems perspective. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews October 1, 2025
- Neural symphony of flow experience: Evidence for high-dimensional metastable dynamics Neuroimage June 11, 2026
- A complexity-science framework for studying flow: using media to probe brain-phenomenology dynamics. Neuroimage June 10, 2026
and 10 more in the library
Cites 34
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- The entropic brain: a theory of conscious states informed by neuroimaging research with psychedelic drugs Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2014
- Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 23, 2012
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
and 29 more in the library