Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Front Cover
Harper Collins, Oct 13, 2009 - Psychology - 336 pages

“Csikszentmihalyi arrives at an insight that many of us can intuitively grasp, despite our insistent (and culturally supported) denial of this truth. That is, it is not what happens to us that determines our happiness, but the manner in which we make sense of that reality. . . . The manner in which Csikszentmihalyi integrates research on consciousness, personal psychology and spirituality is illuminating.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review

The bestselling classic that holds the key to unlocking meaning, creativity, peak performance, and true happiness.

Legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's famous investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life. In this new edition of his groundbreaking classic work, Csikszentmihalyi ("the leading researcher into ‘flow states’" —Newsweek) demonstrates the ways this positive state can be controlled, not just left to chance. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience teaches how, by ordering the information that enters our consciousness, we can discover true happiness, unlock our potential, and greatly improve the quality of our lives.

 

Contents

Title Page
Overview
The Shields of Culture
Reclaiming Experience
Paths of Liberation
Enjoyment and the Quality of Life
The Conditions of Flow
The Body in Flow
Autotelic Jobs
Enjoying Solitude and Other People
Tragedies Transformed
Coping with Stress
A Summary
The Making of Meaning
Notes
References

The Flow of Thought
Autotelic Workers
Books by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Copyright

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About the author (2009)

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1934-2021) was a professor at Claremont Graduate University and former chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Chicago. His books include Creativity, The Evolving Self and the national bestseller Flow.

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