The Mathematical Bridge in Cambridge is famous for its elegant design. Accordingly to popular myth,  the whole structure was made without any nuts or bolts, until the mathematicians of Queens' College decided to disassemble it to discover how it worked. But they were unable to put it back together again, which is why the bridge today has iron bolts.

 

The legend is not true, but it is a useful reminder that a holistic system might not function the same way, if you reduce it to its individual parts. So it is with Flow. If you stop to ask yourself "Am I in the Zone? Let me check every little detail...", you probably won't be in it anymore. And it might not be possible to get back...

 

One of the characteristics of Flow is lack of self-consciousness. So to stay in the Zone, you just have to trust that you are in it, and that it works. As Schrödinger might have said: "Curiosity can kill the cat"!

 

Nevertheless, Flow is a hot topic in academic research. Here are some links: share and enjoy!