Alex Clark: Image and Pilgrimage 2: Flow

Flow occurs when actions and awareness come together into one. It can happen in a moment and it can be a state of being, it is pure and unconscious. It is known to be a feeling that is so high and so outstanding that people will give up material and important comforts to achieve it. Flow can be a major part of a spiritual journey, at times even acting as the goal of a journey. If one seeking spirituality can combine actions and awareness then clarity of vision opens beyond belief, and that search for spirituality is so much easier. Flow also ties in with communitas and liminality. If one can remove social ties, merge actions and awareness, and become one with a group, spiritual journey is either easy or already completed. So much openness and awareness will undoubtedly allow an individual to see the spiritual truth. A man with flow will make the best decisions possible and be successful in any journey. For example, the main character in Cold Fever, Hirata, achieves flow late in his journey. After many internal and external struggles, Hirata comes to realize what he must do and the importance of his task. His flow allows him to embrace and overcome the harsh landscape alone and complete his spiritual journey, doing the ritual for his parents and even witnessing the creation of sacred place. I feel as though attainment of flow should be a goal that all individuals seek. I find awareness of oneself, of others, and of situations to be the most enlightening, helpful and necessary skill that a person can have. Supreme awareness provides you with the information you need to act “right” in every situation, it provides you with the knowledge to live your life to the fullest. It is up to you to take that knowledge and act accordingly. If you were to do so, you would have achieved flow. That accomplishment would allow you to be fully aware of everything around you and provide you the power to act in the way that would best serve your life. This is an amazing goal that, if achieved by many, could make the world a truly outstanding place.