Flow, Episode 1 – What's this all about?

We're starting a new season of the podcast with an introduction to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's idea of 'Flow' as a process of ordering consciousness. Having looked at a different idea in psychoanalysis in each episode of the previous season, this time we're taking more time to discuss one idea in detail, and gradually look at how it applies to the ideas of Season 4 as well as other real-life situations. There are 10 chapters in the book and we are looking at one chapter per episode. You can read along throughout the season if you wish, and details of the book are found below, but it is not a prerequisite.That's the sensible and informative stuff out the way, now some behind-the-scenes context. This episode was recorded in "The London Private Practice" in the summer. At the start, Dan assumed we were just making an introductory episode as usual, but James had in mind that it would be a full discussion of Chapter One of the book of Flow; you'll see how that pans out. It's business as usual in one sense; James takes multiple goes to make a point and just about gets there in the fourth or so! You're in for a comprehensive treat. We assume you come to us not for slick and concise self-help advice, because we make absolutely no promise to deliver that whatsoever. Much more enjoyable if you are so inclined, this is a Dan-and-James interpretation of one of the best-researched insights into the ordering of thoughts, in the context of a world that has changed substantially since the book was written. Welcome to the Dan & James Book Club, feel free to participate however you wish.Find all episodes of Private Practice Podcast and send us your thoughts at www.privatepracticepodcast.net (yes, the e-mail does exist now, I'm sure we will appreciate your concise, considered and extraordinarily witty contributions).'Flow' by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi claims to be 'The classic work on how to achieve happiness', although we think it's more like 'how to create states of purposeful complexity', which make for enjoyment, which can be interpreted as happiness. But obviously no one is going to write that on the cover of a book. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi spent over two decades looking scientifically at situations in which people report feelings of deep enjoyment. His studies revealed that what makes experience genuinely satisfying is a state of ordered concentration and complexity, which eliminates the psychic entropy that causes anxiety, and he called this 'Flow'. Enough of this, let's get the season, erm, flowing into your ears. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.