Embodied Consciousness During Meditative Moving: Neurocognitive Theories

The poster and presentation describe existing neuroscientific theories on how a meditative Flow state (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990) can manifest in movement performance. A pilot experiment design and its results are also presented as an empirical approach to this research topic

Interdisciplinary investigation into meditative Flow states and their roles in movement performance

This thesis focuses on the idea of Flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990), a psychological phenomenon that involves complete immersion and “optimal” experience. Whereas many existing studies focus on telic Flow – e.g. fixed goals, performance-oriented – the current thesis places focus on paratelic Flow – e.g. open goals, sensation-oriented – by exploring its role in dance and movement performance (Swann et al., 2018). In response to the call to reconceptualise and clarify the concept of Flow with regards to its various manifestations, the thesis draws from other related/similar concepts, such as pre-reflective experiences in dance (Fraleigh, 1987), the idea of no-mind in Zen practice (Yuasa, 1993), and the hypofrontality theory (Dietrich, 2004). Building on these concepts, the thesis examines how dancers might experience paratelic Flow within meditative movement episodes. Another focus of the thesis is to explore how Flow experiences might interact with a dancer’s physical performance. This line of inquiry draws inspiration from both philosophical and neurocognitive accounts, which identify a relationship between Flow and “optimal” movement performance. Given the paucity of cross-disciplinary dialogue, the thesis attempts to investigate the above topics through an interdisciplinary mixed-methods approach. Through an exploratory survey (Chapter 4) followed by a series of event-focused interviews (Chapter 5) – the thesis explores 1.) how dancers and movement practitioners might experience Flow during a single movement session, 2.) how these states might interact with the mover’s physical performance, and 3.) how viewers perceive and describe a mover in Flow. The survey results indicated that movers may experience Flow through various meditative episodes that arise through movement, including improvisational sessions, technique classes, and performative events. The interview study showed that Flow appears in a cyclical process involving five distinct stages – Entering, Opening, Riding, Ebbing, and Resetting – during which the movers’ physical performance show observable changes in quality. Notably, during the “peak” state of Flow (Riding), movements are described by observers as fluid, organic, and well-coordinated, which is consistent with existing literature. Through these findings, the thesis provides clarity to the role of Flow during dance and movement performance and demonstrates possible links between the dancer’s mental state and his/her physical performanc

Lecture: Neurophenomenology of Flow and Meditative Moving

Lecture/workshop describing the connections between Flow (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi), meditation, movement, and neuroscience

Embodied Flow States and its Role in Movement Performance

This research project uilises an interdisciplinary methodology to explore the connections between our cognitive states and movement performances, through the idea of embodied Flow states (Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi, 2014). The research begins with the idea of meditation through/as movement, wherein a mover enters a peak state of experience and performance (Sellers-Young, 1993; Yuasa et al., 1993). This state is often associated with the idea of “Flow” (Fraleigh, 2000; Krein & Ilundain, 2014), a state of sharpened intuition, enhanced focus, and full immersion (Privette, 1983). Here, the research asks the question: Is there a relationship between the phenomenon of “Flow” and the quality of the movement performance? This presentation will first describe the theoretical and methodological structure of this research, then present its provisionary results. This includes discussions on how some scientific accounts suggest that the state of “Flow” can be neurologically represented by a deactivation in some of the executive functions in the brain, thereby potentially giving way to more primitive functions including intuitive motor control (Austin, 2010; Dietrich, 2004). Following this discussion on the theoretical connections between Flow, embodiment, and meditative states of consciousness, the presentation will describe the interdisciplinary methodology of this research, which examines the relationship between embodied Flow states and movement performance through multiple-trial case studies

Meditation in Movement: Kin(a)esthetic Flow

This was a lecture demonstration with practical elements, exploring the researcher's original definitions of Meditation in Movement and Meditative Flow, as well as the notion of the audience's perception or recognition of Meditative Flow. Participants engaged in 15 minute movement sessions as partners where one participant moved and the other observed. The movement segment was led by the researcher through loose scores (e.g. loose focus, following others' energy...), and the participants were given discussion time with their respective partners after each movement segment. Discussions revolved around the relationship between the mover's Flow experience and the observer's perception of the presented movement

Exhibit 1-6

This project presents an interpretation of what a 'human installation' could be, and a theoretical framework of the phenomenological aspects of meditative moving. The researcher worked with six dancers who underwent 8 months of training in 'meditative improvisation.' The training mainly focused on internal sensory experiences and imagery as scores for improvisational moving, as well as the meditative nature of introspective self-lead movement. After the training period, the dancers performed in a black box theatre (xMPL theatre space at UCI, USA) in which their tasks were to follow some of the scores given in the training period while simultaneously responding to the audience. The audience members were allowed to walk freely through the space and interact with the performers by touching, making sounds, and moving alongside the dancers. An overarching theme of the project was to investigate the concept of the 'empty mind,' in which the body (movement) is responsible for the cognitive / thinking process. The researcher attempted to create this state of mind by initiating movement externally (either with a strict score or with stimuli from the audience), so that the mover does not feel the need or pressure to 'express' ideas or 'create' movement on their own

Meditative Dancing and 'Flow'

This presentation is be a theory-based semi-workshop exploring “meditative dance” and the ‘flow’ state. The presentation begins with an introduction to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s theory on ‘flow,’ and its relationship with meditative practices. It then moves on to explain how this connection relates to the field of dance, by introducing different movement practices which ground themselves on theoretical paradigms paralleling the aforementioned concept of meditative ‘flow.’ It then proposes a descriptive definition of “meditative dance,” which is an extracted essence shared between the previously mentioned movement practices and the act of meditation. After outlining the current research plans,the presenter invited all audience members into the space to explore some simple movement tasks as they contemplate on the essence and effect of “meditative dance.

Multidisciplinary Research on Japanese Dance Training and 'Flow'

Brief presentation given at an internal PGR session (University of Chichester, Bishop Otter Campus)

Meditation in Movement: Kin(a)esthetic Flow

Since the 1960’s, somatic approaches in dance education have flourished. Williamson (2010) and many others have identified its roots in various movement practices influenced by Eastern philosophy. My research highlights how the concept of meditation is embedded in various dance scenarios, which emerge upon the basis of somatic approaches to dance, and bring forth the notion of altered mental states during such scenarios. I incorporate Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow theory as a guiding concept to solidify and outline these altered mental states as a phenomenon, which has been explored widely in various contexts such as cognitive psychology

Embodied Flow States and its Role in Movement Performance

This paper presents an ongoing research project which uses an interdisciplinary methodology to explore the connections between our cognitive states and movement performances, through the idea of embodied Flow states (Nakamura & Csikszentmihalyi, 2014). The research begins with the idea of meditation in movement, wherein a mover experiences the state of “no mind” (Sellers-Young, 1993; Yuasa et al., 1993), a sense of mental tranquillity and ‘nothing-ness’ during movement. The state of “no mind” is often associated with the idea of “Flow” (Fraleigh, 2000; Krein & Ilundain, 2014), a feeling of being “in the zone,” in which the individual’s intuition sharpens, and s/he exhibits “peak performance” (Privette, 1983). Here, the research asks the question: Is there a relationship between the phenomenon of “Flow” and ‘optimal’ movement performance? Following a brief progress report given at the 4th International Conference on Movement Computing (London, 2017), this paper presents a further developed view on the theoretical and methodological structure of this research. This will include discussions on how some scientific accounts suggest that the state of “no mind” (or “Flow”) can be neurologically represented by a deactivation in some of the executive functions in the brain, thereby potentially giving way to more primitive functions including intuitive motor control (Austin, 2010; Dietrich, 2004). After developing an interdisciplinary view on the connections between Flow, embodiment, and meditative states of consciousness, the paper will describe how this theoretical framework has informed the researcher’s practical investigation on 1.) how embodied Flow states may appear during meditative movement, and 2.) whether this state has an influence on the mover’s performance